By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
For the first time since 2018, Simon Kenton boys and girls soccer teams have both reached the 8th Region tournament semifinals.
The SK girls team that was ranked No. 4 in the final state coaches poll defeated No. 20 North Oldham, 2-0, in a first-round match on Monday. The Pioneers will take a 19-1-3 record into a semifinal match against Woodford County (13-5-2) at 8 p.m. Thursday at Carroll County.
The SK boys team rolled to an 8-0 win over Gallatin County on Monday. It was the third consecutive shutout victory for the Pioneers (9-12-3), who will take on South Oldham (13-2-1) in a semifinal match at 8 p.m. Wednesday at Carroll County.
Junior striker Marco Barrios scored four goals in the SK boys team’s victory. That gives him seven goals in the last three matches and puts his season total at 25. Senior goalkeeper Miles Mullen had to make only one save to post his third straight shutout.
In the girls match, SK seniors Reese Johnson and Alexis Howard put balls into the net and freshman goalkeeper Makenna Doherty made four saves to post her team’s 12th shutout this season.
One of the teams the Pioneers held scoreless was their semifinal opponent Woodford County in a 2-0 win on Sept. 6.
All four matches in the 9th Region boys tournament were decided by one goal Monday. Defending champion Covington Catholic got past St. Henry, 1-0, Highlands edged Beechwood, 1-0, Newport Central Catholic knocked off Cooper, 1-0, and Conner clipped Dixie Heights, 2-1.
In the only 9th Region girls soccer match on Monday, Dixie Heights defeated Beechwood, 3-1, with seniors Tessa Schmidt and Hadley Green and freshman Maddison Dent getting goals for the Colonels.
9th REGION BOYS AT HOLMES
Wednesday
Newport Central Catholic vs. Covington Catholic, 5:30 p.m.
Highlands vs. Conner, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
Championship match, 5:30 p.m.
10th REGION BOYS AT MONTGOMERY COUNTY
Tuesday
Montgomery County vs. Campbell County, 5:30 p.m.
Brossart vs. Mason County, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday
Championship match, 6:30 p.m.
8th REGION BOYS AT CARROLL COUNTY
Wednesday
Woodford County vs. North Oldham, 6 p.m.
Simon Kenton vs. South Oldham, 8 p.m.
Saturday
Championship match, 1 p.m.
9th REGION GIRLS AT MULTIPLE SITES
Tuesday
St. Henry at Notre Dame, 7 p.m.
Newport Central Catholic at Conner, 7 p.m.
Cooper at Highlands, 7 p.m.
Thursday at St. Henry High School
St. Henry-Notre Dame winner vs. Conner-NewCath winner, 5:30 p.m.
Dixie Heights vs. Cooper-Highlands winner, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday at St. Henry High School
Championship match, 2 p.m.
10th REGION GIRLS AT HARRISON COUNTY
Wednesday
Brossart vs. Montgomery County, 5:30 p.m.
Campbell County vs. Bourbon County, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday
Championship match, 7 p.m.
8th REGION GIRLS AT CARROLL COUNTY
Thursday
Grant County vs. South Oldham, 6 p.m.
Simon Kenton vs. Woodford County, 8 p.m.
Saturday
Championship match, 3 p.m.
State champs win conference cross country races
Two defending state champions were the winning runners in the boys and girls cross country races at the Northern Kentucky Athletic Conference Championships on Saturday at Idlewild Park.
Cooper senior Paul Van Laningham crossed the finish line at 15:04.50 in the boys 5,000-meter race. He was nearly one minute ahead of Covington Catholic senior Joe Mayer, who placed second in 16:00.30.
The top two finishers in the girls race were Beechwood senior Lily Parke in 18:39.90 and Marleigh Estes of Bourbon County in 18:51.90. None of the other runners broke the 19-minute mark.
At last year’s state championship meet, Van Laningham won the boys Class 3A race and Park won the girls Class 1A race. They both became the first state champion runner on their teams.
Last month, Van Laningham won the Louisville Trinity Invitational in a time of 14:38.50 that remains the best time in Kentucky high school cross country this season.
The winning teams in the NKAC Championships were the CovCath boys and Notre Dame girls. The Division II team titles went to the St. Henry boys and Villa Madonna girls.
Ryle golfers led local finishers in state tournament
The top local golfers in last week’s state championship tournament were Ryle eighth-grader Hayden Li, who tied for 32nd in the boys field with an 11-over 155 (75, 80), and Ryle senior Anika Okuda, who tied for 29th in the girls field with a 17-over 161 (79, 83).
Ryle placed sixth among the nine boys trams that made it to the championship finals. Four of the five Ryle golfers were underclassmen. There were no local girls teams in the state finals.
Campbell County senior Talen Beane earned second-team all-state honors for placing among the top 20 in the final boys standings with 800 points. Okuda placed 21st in the girls standings with 775 points.