By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Steve Lickert is stepping down as head coach of the Newport Central Catholic football team that will have an on-campus stadium for the first time in program history next season.
NewCath teams compiled a 68-34 record over eight seasons under Lickert, who is principal at Withrow High School in Cincinnati. In playoff games, the Thoroughbreds were 15-7 in Class 1A the last seven seasons and 1-1 in Class 2A his first season.
Lickert’s most successful season came in 2022 when NewCath made it to the Class 1A semifinals and finished with an 11-3 record. His last three teams lost to Campbellsville in the third round of the playoffs.
Last season, NewCath posted an 8-5 record after a 28-0 loss to Campbellsville. The starting quarterback, leading rusher, top three pass receivers and top three scorers on that team were seniors.
Another senior team leader was Will Sandfoss, a two-way starter at offensive tackle and defensive end recruited by Marshall University.
NewCath is one of six Northern Kentucky football teams that will have a new head coach next year. Brossart, Campbell County, Holmes, Scott and Conner also had coaches step down since the end of the 2025 season.
Groundbreaking ceremony for NewCath’s athletic complex on campus took place in August of 2024. The original plan was to have football home games there at the end of the 2025 season, but construction delays prevented that. Everything should be completed before the start of next season.
CovCath announces latest Hall of Fame selections
Soccer coach Jeremy Robertson will be among the inductees into the Covington Catholic Hall of Fame during ceremonies on Jan. 21 at the high school.
Over the last 14 seasons, Robertson’s teams compiled a 208-99-36 record that includes a 1-3 record in state championship matches. CovCath won Northern Kentucky’s first and only boys state soccer title in 2015 and finished second in 2016, 2021 and 2025.
The former CovCath athletes to be inducted are state champion tennis player Austin Hussey, record-setting place kicker Shane Popham and three-sport athlete Matt Rabe.
Hussey was the 2013 state singles champion and Popham set a state record with 18 field goals during the 2006 state championship season.
Rabe was a linebacker and fullback on the 1993 state champion football team and pitcher on the 1994 9th Region champion baseball team. He also earned a varsity letter in basketball as a sophomore.
Rusty Schilling, a statistician for CovCath football and basketball teams for more than 20 years, will also be inducted on Jan. 21. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. A buffet dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m. followed by the ceremony. Reservations can be made on the covcath.org website.
Simon Kenton grad is steady scorer on college team
Simon Kenton graduate Gabe Dynes was shooting 83.3 percent (25 of 30) from the field for the University of Southern California men’s basketball team going into a Big 10 Conference home game against Maryland on Tuesday.
In four previous games, the 7-foot-5 junior center was 14-of-16 from the field with 16 rebounds and eight blocked shots for the 13-3 Trojans. His season averages after the first 16 games were 3.4 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.1 blocks.
Dynes started his collegiate career at Youngstown State and led the nation in blocks last season with 104. He entered the transfer portal and joined USC. On Saturday, the Trojans have a home game against 15-1 Purdue, ranked No. 5 in the nation.