By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
When you apply for a basketball head coaching job, it’s always good to have a prior connection with the high school that has the opening to fill.
Three people found that out this week when Sam Elsbernd was named boys head coach at Holmes, Trevor Steiner was named girls head coach at Newport Central Catholic and Laura Hall was named girls head coach at Dayton.
Elsbernd was an assistant boys basketball coach at Holmes when the Bulldogs won three consecutive 9th Region championships in 2007, 2008 and 2009 and capped that successful run by winning the 2009 state tournament.
Over the last nine seasons, however, none of the Holmes teams has finished with a winning record or won a post-season playoff game under the last three head coaches. The Bulldogs finished 2-22 and 3-22 the last two seasons with Tony Perkins in charge.
“I am a proud graduate of this school and I know a lot of people who are proud of this (basketball) program and the school,” Elsbernd said in a media release. “I want to see the pride back in the basketball program. That’s my first goal — to restore the pride.”
In his two previous head coaching jobs, Elsbernd compiled a 48-124 record in six seasons. His teams went 28-83 in four seasons as Pendleton County boys coach and 20-41 in two seasons as Bracken County girls coach.
He’s taking charge of a Holmes team that had no seniors in the starting lineup last season. The top scorers were sophomore Mark McCutchin (16.8) and junior Dominic Scott (9.3). McCutchin also averaged 7.7 rebounds.
Steiner is taking over the NewCath girls varsity team after spending the last two seasons in the high school’s boys program as a junior varsity and freshman coach. He succeeds Dan Albrinck, who led the Thoroughbreds to a 19-12 record in his one season.
The Thoroughbreds had three seniors, four juniors and five freshmen on last season’s roster. One of the juniors was point guard Caroline Eaglin, the leading scorer in 9th Region girls basketball the last two seasons with averages of 21.9 and 24.8 points per game.
Hall was named girls head coach at Dayton after spending 31 years involved with the program, mostly on the middle school level. She replaces Dave Hinton, who compiled a 24-63 record over the last three varsity seasons.
The last time Dayton had a woman as head basketball coach was 2015-16 when Bev Smith led the Greendevils to a 17-10 record.
Beechwood, Villa Madonna and Ludlow are the local high schools still looking to hire a girls head basketball coach. Dixie Heights and Boone County are accepting applications for boys head basketball coach.
Walton-Verona, Holy Cross will play for All “A” Classic state titles
Walton-Verona will take a 14-6 record and .332 team batting average into its game against Owensboro Catholic in the opening round of the All “A” Classic state baseball tournament at 10 a.m. Saturday at Eastern Kentucky University.
This is the fourth consecutive year that the Bearcats have made it to the eight-team state tournament for small schools. They got past Owensboro Catholic, 5-4, in extra innings in last year’s semifinals and lost to Lexington Sayre, 7-2, in the championship game.
Walton-Verona’s leading hitter going into Saturday morning’s game is senior outfielder Sawyer Webster with a .415 (17 for 41) batting average. Seven of his teammates who have 36 or more at bats have averages ranging from .306 to .362.
Holy Cross will be the 9th Region representative in the All “A” Classic state softball tournament that begins Saturday morning at Fisher Park in Owensboro with pool play rounds.
The Indians are in Pool C with Hancock County, Somerset and Raceland. The winner and runner-up in each of the four pools will play in a single-elimination tournament on Sunday to decide the state champion.
Notre Dame graduate starting on top-seeded pro volleyball team
Notre Dame graduate Morgan Hentz is the starting libero for Atlanta Vibe, the top-seeded team in the Pro Volleyball Federation Championships to be played May 15-18 in Omaha, Neb.
One of seven teams in the new league, Atlanta received the top seed by clinching first place in the season standings with a 17-5 record. The Vibe has won eight of its last nine matches with two more remaining.
As a back-row defensive player, Hentz has 299 receptions in 83 sets. According to league statistics, 57 percent of her reception passes have been graded perfect or positive based on what the setter was able to do with them.
Hentz was named 2015 Player of the Year in Kentucky high school volleyball after her senior season at Notre Dame. She was recruited by Stanford University and played on three NCAA Division I championship teams.