By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Conner has reached the 9th Region championship final in boys soccer for the first time since the eight-team tournament format was created in 2012.
The Cougars defeated Highlands, 2-1, in a semifinal match on Wednesday to get a shot at their first title. They will face defending champion Covington Catholic at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Holmes to determine the region’s representative in the state tournament that begins Monday with first-round games at eight sites.
In the other 9th Region boys semifinal match, CovCath outscored Newport Central Catholic, 4-2, in a penalty kick shootout to come away with a 2-1 victory. The Colonels have a 4-5 record in 9th Region finals over the last 13 years.
CovCath defeated Conner, 2-1, in the first match of the season for both teams on Aug. 12. The Colonels have won their last seven matches while the Cougars have gone 4-3.
The matchup in the 10th Region girls soccer final will be Brossart vs. Campbell County at 7 p.m. Thursday at Harrison County. This will be the seventh time in 14 years the rivals have faced each other in the title match. Brossart won four of the previous six showdowns.
In the 10th Region girls semifinals on Wednesday, Campbell County knocked off Bourbon County, 4-0, behind three goals by Caitlin Crowley. Brossart defeated Montgomery County, 5-2, with Kylie Smith putting two balls into the net.
Campbell County won the regular season match between the two teams, 4-3, on Sept. 15, but Brossart evened the score with 2-0 win in the 37th District final last week.
The Simon Kenton boys soccer team lost to South Oldham, 1-0, in the 8th Region semifinals on Wednesday. Nasser Hussein got the only goal for the Pioneers, who finished the season with a 9-13-3 record.
9th REGION BOYS AT HOLMES
Saturday
Championship match: Covington Catholic (14-7-2) vs. Conner (14-8-1), 5:30 p.m.
10th REGION BOYS AT MONTGOMERY COUNTY
Thursday
Championship match: Brossart (15-7-1) vs. Montgomery County (13-6-2), 6:30 p.m.
9th REGION GIRLS AT ST. HENRY
Thursday
Notre Dame vs. Conner, 5:30 p.m.
Dixie Heights vs. Highlands, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
Championship match, 2 p.m.
10th REGION GIRLS AT HARRISON COUNTY
Thursday
Championship match: Brossart (19-2-3) vs. Campbell County (14-7-2), 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.