NKYSports.com Blog

NKYSports.com Golf Outing

2009-02-24T13:09:00.003-05:00

We are planning our first annual golf outing this coming summer for NKYSports.com. The golf outing will be played at Royal Oak Country Club, located on the east side of Cincinnati. More details to come. If you have any interest in participating in the outing please contact Ben Bleser.

Best Ballers in NKY

2008-12-24T10:00:00.003-05:00

From QueenCityHigh.Rivals.com

8. Luke Maile- F- CovCath- 6'3" 200lbs SR - Maile had said that he was not going to play basketball this year to focus on baseball (committed to UK), but at the beginning of practices a few weeks ago Maile decided he wanted to come back and his coach and fellow seniors allowed him to. Maile provides the Colonels with size and athleticism that can't be found elsewhere in the program, who without Maile might have been an afterthought in the Ninth Region this year. Maile will have to work on bringing this team together and playing within the team concept; something he has been known for struggling with.

I like this list, but I think Maile should be a little higher. He's a great athlete and very fun to watch. You won't be surprised to see who #1 is.

Hug Your Kids!

2008-11-10T12:05:00.002-05:00

This past week, my two step children (ages 11 & 13) lost their father to a sudden death at the very young age of 41. I usually use this forum to discuss sports and the like, but this time I'm using it to send another message. Hug your kids and tell them you love them! Not tomorrow or next week . . today . . every day! You never know when your life will end, and most of us take everyday life for granted. Go to their ball games, events, etc. and show them your support, encourage them and show them how much they mean to you.

Thank you for spending the time to read this.

2008-09 Grade School Basketball Tournaments

2008-10-29T15:25:00.006-04:00

I'm trying to compile a list of all the Northern Kentucky grade school basketball tournaments. If you have any to add please email me at ben@nkysports.com.

Silver Grove HS Tournament
When: 1st and 2nd Weekends of November
Contact: John Ruck - jruck2754@yahoo.com

Campbell County MS Tournament
When: November
Contact: Karen Henderson - camelbasketball@zoomtown.com

St. Henry Grade School Tournament
When: November
Contact: Jeff Grayson - jgrayson@vintage-vfi.com

NKU Women's Basketball Tournament
When: Thanksgiving Weekend
Contact:

St. Catherine Grade School Tournament
When: Early December

Dayton HS Tournament
When: Mid-December
Contact: Tom Dilts tld@fuse.net

St. Mary Grade School Tournament
When: End of December

St. Thomas Grade School Tournament
When: January

St. Joe Cold Spring Tournament
When: January

St. Therese Grade School Tournament
When: February

St. Peter & Paul Grade School Tournament
When: February

Holy Trinity Grade School Tournament
When: Early March

Great Rivalries

2008-09-23T12:35:00.004-04:00

Ryan Ernst breaks down the great rivalries in the area. This is in lieu of the Highlands-CovCath bout coming up this weekend.

Beechwood vs. Newport Central Catholic, football

It seems almost impossible for these two squads to play a bad game against each other. Six of their last eight meetings have been decided by one touchdown or less.

Boone's Quainoo Is Making Heads Turn

2008-09-16T22:38:00.005-04:00

And Quainoo did get better as the game went on turning those 44 carries into 330 yards and three touchdowns in Boone County's 28-18 win.

"It is not about records or anything like that, it was just what you have to do to win the game. We gave the ball to Cory (Farris) 40-some times in a playoff game before. It just kind of depends on the way things are going in the game, but certainly we didn't go into the game anticipating handing him the ball 44 times," Thompson said.

When I saw the story about this kid I was taken back. Are you serious? 44 carries and 330 yards, plus 3 TD's. Now that's a star in the making. Wow!

A Late Bloomer Waits

2008-09-04T11:51:00.003-04:00

John Erardi- Enquirer/ NKY.com

"It was rough at first," Eten recalls. "The coaches were just starting to install the offense when I was told that not only couldn't I practice, I had to go home. I couldn't stay at the university. ... I'm making up for it now, but it definitely hurt me at the time."

A very well written article by Erardi. The most important piece of information in the article is to make sure if you're a HS senior or prospective college athlete that you double check your transcript and be aware problems may arise during the transfer phase.

Josh Conner Out 4-6 Weeks

2008-08-23T13:05:00.002-04:00

Josh Conner, the starting running back from Highlands HS broke his tibia (part of the leg) bone last night in a scrimmage against Louisville Male. The senior running back recoreded 20 rush TD's and 1,189 yards running last year for the 'Birds. He is expected to miss 4-6 week. Hopefully, Josh has a quick and successful recovery.

Eten Cleared To Play For Morehead St.

2008-08-22T11:14:00.008-04:00

Three days into summer workouts at Morehead St. University, incoming Freshman TE Ryan Eten was notified by his coaches at MSU he was not an eligible player per the NCAA clearinghouse and had to go home until things got sorted out.

Another Morehead St. Freshman and Northern Kentucky native DT Alex Koski (Dixie Heights) was also deemed ineligible as well. The reasoning for Eten's three week dismissal. One high school class credit not transferring over to the NCAA. A minor, but costly error on the part of CCHS. Eten and Koski had to miss their whole training camp.

Eten got the go-ahead this week to begin practicing. Koski was still waiting for word to start.

The NCAA certainly didn't do them any favors.

The Eagles start their season next Saturday, August 30th against S. Virginia.

Northern Kentucky Week 1 Schedule

2008-08-20T22:49:00.004-04:00

The season kicks off next weekend and here is the slate.

A few games of interest include:

Beechwood Tigers vs. Dixie Heights Colonels @ Beechwood

Noel Rash's Tigers take on a gritty Dixie Heights team who could be a sleeper this year in Northern Kentucky. Dixie is young, after they lost key players last year including QB Joey Bricking and RB Marty Molony. However, Dixie brings back some strong senior leadership with LB Cody Godsey and RB Connor Brock.

NewCath Throughbreds vs. Simon Kenton Pioneers @ Newport High School

The 'Breds will begin their season facing a tough Pioneer team who went through some growing pains last year at the QB position. Their QB Patrick Bustle will look to keep working under center this season along side a breakout candidate in Jr. RB Miles Simpson. Simpson is expected to be a center piece to the Pioneer offense. If anyone has a lot of eyes on him this season, it's Miles Simpson.

NewCath brings back one of my favorite players to watch in QB Rob Kues. Kues led the 'Breds to a second place finish in the state tournament after losing to a tough Ft. Campbell team in Louisville. Kues has a couple offensive weapons returning as well, including Sr. RB Mark Kelly.

Another key player to watch out for is Mario Escalante at Safety. Escalante's hawk-like ability to get a bead on the football is second to none and he'll be a candidate for defensive player of the year.

Hopefully if you're a Northern Kentucky High School Football fan you can whet your appetite with one of these great matchups.

More to come...

NKY Football Pre-Season Top 10

2008-08-18T22:18:00.004-04:00

Here are the pre-season rankings for the upcoming 2008-2009 season.

Highlands is your #1 team to start the year and I'm pretty sure they will remain there throughout the season. They've got a potential Mr. Football candidate in RB Josh Connor, one of the best OL in the state in Adam Dempsey, and a cast of several other great players like Austin Collinsworth.

Ryan Ernst notes that Highlands plays Colerain in the second week of the season, it'll be an ultimate test for the 'Birds among many other this season.

Beechwood Standout Commits to Central Michigan

2008-08-09T11:00:00.002-04:00

According to www.hskentucky.scout.com, the Chippewas received a verbal commitment from offensive linemen Dominic Mainello of Fort Mitchell (Ky.) Beechwood High School.

The 6-foot-5, 250-pound Mainello said the Chippewas offered him a scholarship June 8 following a one-day camp he attended at CMU. He said CMU is recruiting him to play guard or defensive tackle.

Notes On Dixie Heights

2008-08-07T22:35:00.004-04:00

From Ryan Ernst:

A lot of competition out on the field today. Seems like the coaching staff is still trying to figure out what it's working with. If one guy screwed up, another guy went in.

Dixie isn't nearly as big as it normally is.

If there's one guy in Northern Kentucky I'm really excited about seeing as an every-down back, it's Dixie senior Connor Brock. He's one of the fastest players in the area. And after being used as a slot back last year, he'll have to learn how to run between the tackles. But he should be fun to watch in the open field.

I talked to Brock after practice. Seemed like a good kid. Humble. When I asked him how fast he was, he kind of danced around the topic, obviously not wanting to brag. "Well," I said. "Is anyone on the team faster than you?" "Um," he said. "Well, uh, no."

Spritzky got a little help today at practice from his 4-year-old daughter, who stood next to her dad during various drills. Just made for an interesting image.

Spritzky is not a yeller. More of a teacher. It always amazes me how many head coaches are like that. I'll bet if you went to every high school practice in Northern Kentucky, you'd have a tough time figuring out which man is the head coach at quite a few. Defensive coordinators, they're the yellers.

Ryan Wilson will be the starter at quarterback. He's part of a very good junior class at Dixie. He's not huge (5-11) and he doesn't appear to have a huge arm, but he seems pretty athletic.

Former NKY football players at University of Louisville

2008-08-06T22:15:00.006-04:00

The University of Louisville has been trying to make it more of a point to recruit the NKY/Cincy area. As the cardinals currently have two players from the NKY area and seven from the Cincinnati area. The first of the local standouts would be Newport Central Catholic graduate Zach Kiernan. He enters this season at defensive end, and looks very impressive on paper at 6'6" and 281 pounds. The biggest hurdle for Kiernan will be overcoming a season ending knee injury last season that has earned him a bright yellow (non contact) jersey and huge brace to start practice.

The second local player suiting up for the cardinals is true freshman and preferred walk-on Drew Davis. Davis graduated from Beechwood high school and lead the Tigers to a state title last season. Davis is listed on the roster at 6'1" 275 and will be playing the defensive line at Louisville. Last year Davis weighted in at 238, so its a true sign of his dedication to see him put on almost 40 pounds this past off season. I think both of these players will have great career's in Louisville.

On a side note former Covington Catholic standout Mike Donoghue is still apart of the team after last years career ending injury. Donoghue, a former offensive lineman on the University of Louisville football team, was diagnosed with congenital spinal stenosis, making it too risky for him to ever play football again. Donoghue has since taken a job as a student assistant coach for U of L.

Heres a good story about Mike making the transition from player to student coach.

http://media.www.louisvillecardinal.com/media/storage/paper964/news/2007/10/30/Sports/From-Gridiron.To.The.Sideline-3065558.shtml

I'll be working on interviews with all three of these players in the near future, and will also have college updates of other former local standouts.

Rowe Reaches 200

2008-04-23T12:34:00.001-04:00

Brossart Varsity Coach Bob Rowe picked up his 200th win yesterday as his Mustangs defeated Bellevue 4-2. Rowe is the winningest coach in Brossart history with a 200-152-1 record overall in eleven season.

Sorrell and Henderson to Square Off Against Indiana

2008-04-23T12:33:00.002-04:00

Corey Sorrell and Arrez Henderson both played their way on to the Kentucky All-Star team that will play against Indiana in the annual basketball series taking place on June 13th in Indianapolis and June 15th in Louisville. Last year two of Arrez's former teammates, Austin Hill and Greg Rice both made the team representing Northern Kentucky.

NewCath Headed to State for All A Classic

2008-04-22T08:49:00.002-04:00

Newport Catholic defeated Brossart 5-3 in the All A Classic Sectional advancing them to State for the All A. Jeramie Connor pitched all 7 innings for the Breds to get the win. NewCath will face Owensboro Catholic on May 3 for their next game in the tournament.

Click here for the NKY.com Article

Holmes Makes it to State Championship Game

2008-03-24T09:33:00.003-04:00

*** SWEET 16 UPDATE ***
Holmes loses in the Championship game to Mason County 57-48. Congratulations to the Holmes Bulldogs for making such a great run in the Kentucky State Sweet 16 Basketball Tournament.

*** SWEET 16 UPDATE ***
Holmes defeats LexCath 57-50 to advance to the Kentucky State Sweet 16 Championship game being played Saturday night at 8:00 PM.

Tornado Delays UK's Tournament Game

2008-03-15T22:05:00.006-04:00

And it may have cost them an NCAA tournament bid . . . some people think that b/c of Kentuckys's RPI of around 60, the Cats needed at least one SEC Tournament win to solidify a NCAA tournament bid. Well, they did not get that win as they lost in OT to Georgia 60-56. But, under the circumstances will this game be overlooked by the selection committee?

Consider this . . Georgia played Thursday night and was supposed to play again against UK the following night. Well, that doesn't happen b/c of the inclement weather in Atlanta. So, Georgia gets some extra rest and Kentucky, the only SEC team NOT to play in the tournament yet has to wait until Saturday afternoon to break a sweat in the tournament. It seems like everything that could go wrong for Kentucky this past weekend did go wrong . . 1) Their first tournament game gets postponed due to the tornado activity in Atlanta 2) The game gets moved to Saturday afternoon at Georgia Tech where only select people can attend the game, meaning the estimated 16,000 Kentucky fans would not be able to watch and cheer on the Cats at the game (and imagine how frustating this was to UK fans, not able to watch any UK games in person for this tournament) 3) They start the game off against Georgia very badly as it seemed like the previous night's events really affected them and were down by 12 at one point 4) After battling back and sending the game into OT a freshman from Georgia, Swansey, drains a three pointer with 1.2 second left to give the Bulldogs a one point lead (he had 5 points in the game, all in OT) and 5) Kentucky runs the typical base line play where they try to get the defender to charge, they execute it perfectly (Bradley does) and the ref swallows his whistle!!

So, now the Cats will have to wait until Selection Sunday to see if they make it to the Big Dance! I personally think they deserve a bid despite the Georgia loss, they were 12-4 in the conference and 10-2 in their last 12 games (before the GA loss). I know they had a loss to Gardner-Webb but how long ago was that, and some people keep bringing up that they lost to San Diego, but for those who do not know, San Diego won the WCC by beating Gonzaga, so San Diego is a good team. Kentucky was depleted earlier in the year with injuries, they started getting healty, and then started winning games. They've beat Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Florida, Arkansas and almost beat Miss St on the road.

As for what happened in Atlanta Saturday night . . unbelievable!! Many have talked about how the OT game b/w Miss St. and Alabama may have saved lives!! If that game had gotten over at the regular time, you would have had some fans leaving and who knows what could have happened. If you have not seen the video coverage of what happened check out the video link below. It's pretty amazing that no one was hurt during this event!!

Oh, and one more thing, the referee reponsible for not making the charging call should never be allowed to work a tournament game again! I know it's at the end of the game, and I know the play is all the way from the basket, but it's a foul, call it . . even all the ESPN analysts have been saying the same thing.

Tornado Hits the Georgia Dome during the SEC Tournament

9th Region Semi-Final Holmes 70 Dixie 42

2008-03-11T21:53:00.001-04:00

Game was over in the 2nd quarter. Jamal Riley hit four 3-pointers for the Holmes Bulldogs. Up next is CovCath for the 9th Region Championship and a chance to visit the Sweet 16 for the second year in a row.

9th Region Semi-Finals CovCath 63 St. Henry 44

2008-03-11T20:05:00.003-04:00

CovCath pulls away at about the 5 minute mark in the 4th quarter. The Colonels jumped out to a 15-4 lead and never relinquished it. The Crusaders pulled to within 5 points at one point in the 2nd quarter. CovCath was just too much for St. Henry tonight. CovCath now awaits the winner of Dixie/Holmes.

Congrats to Conner and Simon Kenton!

2008-03-11T15:18:00.001-04:00

The Conner (9th Region) and Simon Kenton (8th Region) girls' basketball teams won their respective Regions to move onto the Kentucky Sweet 16 State Basketball Tournament.

Conner defeated Notre Dame Academy 79-64 to advance while Simon Kenton beat Anderson County 48-44.

Congratulations to the teams and good luck down state!

Regional Tournaments Pushed Back

2008-03-10T10:49:00.002-04:00

Since Northern Kentucky got pounded with about 12" of snow over the weekend, it has caused all the tournaments (boys and girls) to be pushed back. The girls played their Semi-Final games on Sunday and their Championship games will be played tonight, March 10, each at 7:00 PM. This is for the 8th, 9th and 10th Regions.

For the boys, the Semi-Final games have been pushed back to tomorrow, Tuesday March 11, for the 8th, 9th and 10th Regions while their Championship games will be played on Wednesday, March 12.

CovCath Survives Highlands

2008-03-06T14:09:00.002-05:00

This was the first time I'd seen either team in action and even though CovCath looked like the better team tonight, I believe if Highlands would have played some defense and showed some intensity they could have won.

The first half was pretty even, both teams hit some shots, both were a little sloppy on the passing, and it was even 20-20. The second half started badly for Highlands as CovCath had an early 7-0 run, which the Bluebirds couldn't respond to. With CovCath up 22-20, CovCath missed a jumper and with 2 Highlands' players going for the rebound, the ball gets knocked right to a CovCath player for an easy layup. Right afterwards, Nic Simpson gets picked on the press, the CovCath player goes in for the score and Simpson commits the foul. 27-20 CovCath, and they never looked back.

Greg McGraw of Highlands was the only reason Highlands still kept the game close. He made shots from all over the court, had a few steals and several assists. McGras finished with 25 pointes. The Highlands defense gave up way too many easy baskets. There did not seem to be any intensity of the Bluebirds' side, especially on defense. For CovCath, Luke Maile played a great game finishing with 14 points and 12 rebounds. It did not seem like Highlands had any answers to Maile.

Highlands pulled to within 4 points with about 30 seconds left but CovCath scored on an easy layup with about 19 seconds to make it 58-52.

Final
CovCath 60
Highlands 56

Villa Madonna Almost Pulls Upset

2008-03-06T14:01:00.003-05:00

I was expecting another 20+ point victory for the Crusaders, but to the surprise of myself and many others, the Blue Lightning of Villa Madonna not only made a game of this, they could have really won the game! Villa Madonna was leading by 9 points at one point in the 3rd Quarter and they kept on hitting shots. St. Henry chipped away at the lead slowly in the 4th quarter. Villa Madonna had several chances in regulation to take the lead towards the end of the game but could not capitalize.

A few observations about this game: 1) St. Henry did not come ready to play -- I've seen them play on 2 other occassions and they scrapped, they did not scrap tonight and if they want to beat CovCath they better pick their instensity up a lot! 2) Villa Madonna looked very poised and did not look like a 20 point underdog, they hit several 3 pointers and if they could have handled St. Henry's pressure in the last quarter they would have won this game!

Final / OT
St. Henry 59
Villa Madonna 56

Holmes 72 CCH 65 (OT)

2008-03-01T03:25:00.001-05:00

Let me start off by saying what a game! It doesn't get any better than this. The first quarter was all Arrez Henderson. The second stanza, however, was CovCath's shooting on display at it's finest. Maile hit a three, and then Shover hit back to back threes to give CovCath a six point lead. They would lead by as many as seven. They led most of the quarter until Holmes went on an 8-0 run, capped off by a Jamel Riley basket to close out the half. CCH came out in the second half firing once again on a Schmerge three and a Maile basket to give them a four point lead. However, Ricardo Johnson and the Bulldogs came storming back and would push the lead out to six before another CovCath three would cut the lead down to three to end the quarter. Holmes would extend their lead to as many as seven in the final period, before CCH's hot shooting would bring them back. Schmerge hit a big three and Shover hit two including the tying one with 20 seconds left. Maile had a huge block and Holmes never scored before time expired. Holmes was out to a four point lead before an and one three point play converted by Bondick would cut the lead back down to one with around a minute and a half remaining. Arrez Henderson then went to the line and made eight consecutive free throws to seal the deal.

A Couple Notes:
- Holmes is so much more athletic than CovCath it's mind boggling that this is even a 20 point game.
- CCH is by far the best outside shooting team in NKY right now and that will take them far in the regional tourney.
- Is it just me or does it seem that Elijah Pittman is capable of much more than what he's doing right now? He always impresses me with his drives to the basket.
- Luke Maile seemed to be the only Colonel who had a prayer of converting a basket in the paint against Holmes.
- Arrez Henderson is going to be a nice addition to a team at the next level in some capacity. He just has way too much ability to not contribute somewhere.
- Mitch Shover really impressed me during this tournament both games. He has a good shot, but most importantly he is so clutch with it.

Scoring Leaders:
Holmes- Henderson 30 Ricardo Johnson 11 (9 reb) Clark 12
CCH- Shover 20 Bondick 16 Schmerge 13

CCH VS HOLMES Prediction

2008-02-29T01:57:00.001-05:00

Well this is starting to become a theme with the 35th district tournament; quite possibly the two best teams in the region battling it out first in their district finals. Last year it was CovCath who prevailed in the district, but Holmes stole the show in the regional tournament and made the trip down to Rupp for the State Tournament. While CovCath is really playing well right now, and proved that last night with their play against Holy Cross, I don't see them beating Holmes. They would have to shoot as well as they did last night if not better and against a much tougher defense in Holmes. I just don't see it happening. Holmes' athleticism is unparalleled in NKY and will really prove to be the difference in this one. Expect a big night out of Arrez Henderson (20+ points). I say Holmes in a close one.
Final Score- Holmes 57 CCH 53

CCH 61 HC 51

2008-02-29T01:31:00.000-05:00

If you've seen these teams play in the past few years then you've pretty much seen this one already. Big Crowd, great atmosphere, lots of emotion, great game..... for three quarters. Sorrell was pretty much what you'd expect out of him, 28 points 13 rebounds. Sorrell had to force a lot to try to make things happen. Other than Giwa, he didn't get much help. CovCath on the other hand shot the ball well all night. Shover, Bondick, and Grimes all had nice nights from the field. Holy Cross kept it close til about the five minute mark in the fourth quarter. HC made a bizarre decision to go to a 2-3 zone and paid for it. CCH went on a big run and never looked back. Colonels advance to the finals to face Holmes. I'll post my predictions tomorrow.

CCH-61- Shover 21, Roll 2, Bondick 14, Maile 6, Grimes 11, Schmerge 7.
HC- 51- Sorrell 28, Volpenhein 2, Giwa 10, Roenker 5, Eastin 6

9th Region Tournament at Bank of Kentucky Center Next Year

2008-02-26T14:41:00.001-05:00

Article just posted on NKY.com this morning. Looks like the boys and girls 9th Region Tournaments will be hosted by the Bank of Kentucky Center for the next 3 years starting in 2009.

NKY.com Article

Blue Lightning and Bluebirds Advance

2008-02-26T11:43:00.004-05:00

Well it turns out I was half right in my two predictions for yesterday. Villa did manage to beat Ludlow again and gain their first 9th region tournament bid. I was pretty close on the final score as well (60-59). Stephen Love had 19 including the game-winning three. Blake Bryan chipped in with 16. The score of that Highlands Newcath game really surprised me (60-40). Beiting did guard Simpson instead of Pangallo and was able to hold him to nine(Three of them coming on a huge halftime buzzer beater). The 'Breds went zone a fair amount in the second half, and McGraw is who really killed them. He finished with a game-high 25 points. There weren't any 'Breds in double figures.

2008-02-25T15:53:00.002-05:00

1st Round District Matchups and Predictions
There are some very good first round matchups at hand this week for the opening round of the district tournaments. Newcath and Highlands matching up in the first round is case and point why we need to get away from blind-drawing the district matchups, but that argument's another time another place; here's a good link to an enquirer article about it http://news.nky.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20080225/SPT0302/802250367. Anyways here's my thoughts and predictions on a couple of the better first round matchups.

34th District
Ludlow vs Villa Madonna
This game should be an interesting one. This strong Villa team has a legitimate chance to make it to the regional tournament for the first time ever. Ludlow is the host school for the 34th district tournament so the Panthers have the homecourt advantage. However, I think the homecourt advantage won't be enough and Blake Bryan will score 25+ leading the Blue Lightning to the finals.
Final Score- VMA 65 LHS 59
35th District
Holy Cross vs Covington Catholic
This one is a classic waiting to happen. First meeting between these teams Corey Sorrell willed his Indians into overtime, but came up short. There's no secret about it, Sorrell will have to carry this HC team and then some in order to pull off the upset. Fortunately, for the Indians the Colonels really don't have a good matchup for Sorrell. CovCath has been pretty strong this season but not very dominant. I expect CCH to let the Indians hang around until the 4th quarter, and despite 30+ from Sorrell, the Colonels advance to face Holmes in the finals.
Final Score- CCH 56 HC49
36th District
Newcath vs Highlands
A shame that one of these teams won't be playing in this year's regional tournament. However, it makes for an awesome first round matchup. In the first matchup between these two teams early in the year Highlands won by 16. It was one of the first games back for most of the football players on both sides which probably hurt NCC the most. The key to this game will be who NCC matches up with Nic Simpson. Last meeting 5'6" point guard Grant Pangallo tried to match up with him and it didn't work out. If the 'Breds plan on using that same defensive strategy expect Highlands to win. Newcath however is peaking at the right time with a big win over Holmes last week. I think Simpson, fresh off his hand injury, is slowed down by the 'Breds and Jeremie Conner gets off for 15+ in a NCC victory.
Final Score- NCC 51 HHS 47

2008-02-25T15:52:00.001-05:00

Dixie Heights 66, Boone County 53
I had the opportunity to broadcast this game Friday night. It was originally supposed to be on Thursday but got pushed back due to weather. I was kind of shocked by the outcome, as I knew Dixie was good, but not this good. Here's some quick notes that came to mind as I was broadcasting:
- Luke Mace really didn't play a whole lot not sure if it was because of the tempo of the game (very fast) or Pompilio really stepping it up off the bench but I love Mace's agressiveness with the dunk. Every chance he gets he throws one down. Got to see two of them last night in the 2nd half.
- Where did Stephon Pompilio come from? This is only the second time I have seen Dixie play this year but I haven't heard his name at all. This kid looked like the real deal last night. Good mid-range jumper pulled Earls away from the basket and enabled him to drive past him several times and showed the ability to adjust his shot and finish around the basket.
Disappointing to not see Krohman have a big game on Senior Night he just wasn't on, and credit Dixie's defense for making him work hard just to get a shot off.
-Andy Earls has really developed as a player since last year. This is the second time I've seen him now and he looks like a completely different player from last year on the offensive end. He's going to get even better to watch out for him.
-Aubrey Carter might be the most underrated PG in NKY. He did an outstanding job last night controlling the ball for Dixie against a tough Boone press. He is a great drive and dish guy, and had three very good aggressive drives to the basket that really impressed me in the 2nd half. He could probably look to score more if he wanted to, but I don't think that's what he's being asked to do on this team.

2008 All "A" Classic State

2008-01-28T14:56:00.000-05:00

The NewCath (girls), St. Henry (boys), and Bishop Brossart (boys) will represent NKY in the Touchstone Energy All "A" Classic the week of January 28, 2008. Games begin on Wednesday. I believe the NCC girls went last year and this will be Brossart's 6th straight trip from the 10th Region.

St. Henry stopped the NewCath's boys streak of three years with a 64-50 win. It was also Dave Faust's 250th win as a varsity boys coach in basketball. Congratulations to Dave! Dave was my varsity coach for baseball and JV coach for basketball at NewCath and I thought he was great!

Here's a video link to St. Henry's win over NCC:
9th Region All A Finals

Good luck to all the teams down state for the All A!!

Boone Cty vs St. Henry VIDEO Webcast

2008-01-18T15:18:00.000-05:00

This is our first LIVE VIDEO production of an event for the general public. We did a test video broadcast last month of the CovCath/Holy Cross freshman game and we worked some of the issues out since then. The test webcast was not publicized we we really didn't have any live viewers. This game is on NKY.com as part of the Kentucky Enquirer's Game of the Week and a direct link to the broadcast (including it's archive) is Link to Broadcast

Maxpreps.com to Recognize Highlands

2007-12-17T10:17:00.000-05:00

Ryan Ernst of the Enquirer is reporting that Maxpreps.com will be presenting Highlands with a trophy at their January 27 banquet. Maxpreps.com has Highlands ranked 18th nationally.

View Article

First Video Broadcast

2007-12-11T09:55:00.000-05:00

We did our first video broadcast last night. We did the CovCath vs Holy Cross boys freshmen game. The broadcast turned out pretty good considering it was our first attempt, the picture quality isn't great but what can you expect from online streaming. Check it out!

Video Broadcast

Beechwood defeats Lexington Christian 38-35

2007-12-07T17:02:00.001-05:00

The Beechwood Tigers just won the 2007 CLASS 1A State Football Championship making it their 10th State Title. Beechwood led 21-14 at halftime but let the lead slip away in the 3rd quarter and was down 28-21. Beechwood then scored 17 unanswered points and held off LCA late in the game. Ryan Amelung really sparked the Tigers today with a 99-yard kickoff return TD and a punt return TD.

NKY High School Football Stat Leaders - 2007

2007-11-07T10:42:00.000-05:00

Rush TD's
Cory Farris - Boone County (22)
Josh Conner - Highlands (20)
Marty Molony - Dixie (19)
Adam Schmitz - Ryle (18)
Tommy Bankemper - Beechwood (13)

Rush Yards
Corry Farris - Boone County (2250 yds)
Marty Molony - Dixie (1298 yds)
Adam Schmitz - Ryle (1250 yds)
Josh Conner - Highlands (1189 yds)
James Miller - Holmes (840 yds)

Passing TD's
Joey Bricking - Dixie (16)
Justin Sherlock - Dayton (14)
Patrick Bustle - Simon Kenton (12)
Brendon Gregory - Lloyd (11)
Tony Deck - Scott (10)

Passing Yards
Joey Bricking - Dixie (1523 yds)
Brendon Gregory - Lloyd (1321 yds)
Shawn Bogle - Boone County (1193 yds)
Patrick Bustle - Simon Kenton (1191 yds)
Tony Deck - Scott (1160 yds)

Receiving TD's
EJ Dettmer - Dixie (10)
Nathan Ponzer - Simon Kenton (8)
Mercier Doucette - Boone County (7)
Roger Herthel - Lloyd (6)
Josh Morgan - Ryle; Chris Young - Dayton; Austin Studer - Campbell Cty (5)

Receiving Yards
EJ Dettmer - Dixie (887 yds)
Austin Studer - Campbell County (848 yds)
Roger Herthel - Lloyd (689 yds)
Mercier Doucette - Boone County (668 yds)
Nathan Ponzer - Simon Kenton (591 yds)

Punt Returns (minimum 7 returns)
Neico Teipel - Beechwood (19.9 avg)
Austin Collinsworth - Highlands (15.6 avg)
Ryan Amelung - Beechwood (15.2 avg)
Nathan Ponzer - Simon Kenton (14.9 avg)
Nick Kaiser - Boone County (14.9 avg)

Kick Returns (mininum 10 returns)
Nick Houlehan - Boone County (40.0 avg)
Jeff West - Holy Cross (27.6 avg)
Miles Simpson - Simon Kenton (24.7 avg)
Josh Morgan - Ryle (24.5 avg)
Austin Johnson - Campbell County (23.4 avg)

Punting
Mitchell Jett - Dixie (39.8 avg)
John Pabst - NewCath (38.2 avg)
Zach Hurtt - Highlands (37.7 avg)
Neico Teipel - Beechwood (37.6 avg)
Jared Kaufman - Ryle (36.5 avg)

Tackles (solo + assissted)
Brad Herald - Holy Cross (115)
Alex Brummett - Dayton (105)
Andy Pirricullo - Conner (104)
Jacob Reyes - Scott (102)
Huston Dockery - Conner; Ryan Vaughn - Simon Kenton (96)

Sacks
Ryan Eten - Campbell County (8)
Sam Brown - Boone County (7)
Chris Brzinski - Ryle (7)
Adam Schmitz - Ryle (5)
Greg Turner - Boone County (5)

Interceptions
Corey Porter - Campbell County (6)
Andy Roenker - Holy Cross (6)
Mile Simpson - Simon Kenton (5)
Tony Bishop - Campbell County (5)
Austin Collinsworth - Highlands (5)

Fumble Recoveries
Alex Morehead - Beechwood (5)
Scott Sharrock - Grant County (5)
Ryan Eten - Campbell County (4)
Duriell Diggs - Holmes (4)

NOTE - These stats are based off the stats sent to us by the teams. Not all the teams send in their stats.

Bengals are Done!

2007-10-29T13:01:00.000-04:00

Lets face it, the Cincinnati Bengals are done for the season, even with 9 games to go! Their head coach has no confidence in them, the players have no urgency out on the field, and they do not know how to win when their backs are up against the wall. Even if they went, lets say 7-2 over the next 9 games (which will never happen), they would end up being 9-7, which would probably not be enough to make the playoffs. This past Steelers game was huge, but I don't think Marvin or the Bengals realized it!!

15 Laterals to Win!!!

2007-10-29T12:57:00.000-04:00

If you have not seen this video yet, please do! This is really almost unbelievable as a college team, Trinity (TX) Div IIIA won on the final play with FIFTEEN LATERALS, you have to see it to believe it!!

Watch the Play

Jets vs Bengals Game

2007-10-26T16:02:00.000-04:00

Went to this game with my wife last week and we had a blast! We did some tailgating, hung out with some friends, and enjoyed some adult beverages and freshly cooked food. It is truly amazing how some people make Bengals Sunday "their life", not a part of their life, but their life. I guess with only eight home games you have to make the most of the games and it's definitely an excuse to party!

During the walk to the game itself, I noticed how many Bengals jerseys' people were wearing. Not only are people paying $65 a ticket to see a game (or perhaps not if they don't make it from too much to drink), but $80 per jersey!!! The NFL has a very good thing, and it makes lots of money.

The only bad experience we had from this game was the two older ladies who sat next o us! First they complained about a guy who was standing most of the time, then they started to complain about their purses getting wet from spilt beverages . . . my wife and I were both very annoyed and both agreed they should be watching this game from home, not in the 4th row of the lower section!!!! I know it's annoying when some fans cuss and get obnoxious, but these older ladies were obnoxious just from the constant complaining . . . GO HOME LADIES if you want to complain about stuff like that. Anyhow, the second half was great . . . after the first half I started considering selling my Browns tickets (Dec 23), but after scoring 28 scoreless points, that soon changed!

Up next is the Pittsburgh Steelers. Both offenses are about the same, but defenses aren't. If we want to win this game we need some turnovers and about 30 points!!!

Online Broadcasting

2007-10-08T15:28:00.000-04:00

Broadcasting over the internet has become really popular over the past few years. Northern Kentucky has been very fortunate to have several media outlets produce online broadcasts for NKY High School sports. Dave Schabell was the first to produce these online audio casts in the NKY area for Bishop Brossart basketball. Then CovCath jumped in and started broadcasting games for their basketball and football teams.

Now we have NKYSports.com, which helps produce the games on NKY.com offering two games per weekend for High School football and basketball. Other than the laptop, the costs for producing a game isn't too bad, but when you start broadcasting several games the costs can add up. That is why we can help broadcasts games, events, and meetings for whomever. Not only have we broadcasted High School football and basketball online, but youth football, NKY Hall of Fame meetings, college baseball, and college football.

We are also always looking for new broadcasters. Our broadcasters primarily are in college or right of out college and are in the field of TV/Radio. These broadcasts give them the experience to work on their field of broadcasting, and can assist in their interview process as all the games are archived and can be used for demos. So, if you are interested or know of anyone just visit our website and contact us.

Links to Youth Leagues

2007-10-03T14:14:00.000-04:00

One of the topics searched a lot for NKY Sports is youth leagues. We have a variety of links provided on our Links page, which can be accessed by clicking on the NKY Leagues logo in the middle of the home page or by clicking the Links link down below.

Here you will find links to some youth football leagues, several knothole leagues, soccer leagues, adult leagues and a hockey league. Check out our other links as well as you can connect to all the sporting teams in the area and a variety of other sites as baseball and football reference sites.

Check Out Our Links Page

Photos on NKYSports.com

2007-09-25T14:56:00.000-04:00

The photos on NKYSports.com are being taken by DRD Photo this year. DRD started taking pictures for the website at the end of last year's football season. He has also photographed the NCC and CovCath State Championship games from last year, and Holmes State basketball games.

We usually pick a good game to photograph and if we get any requests we will focus on certain individuals. We require a deposit of $30 to focus on a kid but it is well worth it and does go towards your purchase. You can order pictures to be developed or you can purchase the digital photo file for your own use. Pricing is usually dependent on the size of the order. Many parents like to purchase pictures for their son's Senior year scrapbooks.

Previous photos on the website have been taken by Tanner Johnson Photography and Groneck Photographix.

The NKYSports.com Database

2007-09-20T13:22:00.000-04:00

NKYSports.com has been up and running since 2005. We currently have 5,293 schedules/scores dating back to that time. One of the cool features about our site is when looking at a current schedule of a team you can view the past history of scores against other teams. Our database of schedules and scores grows everyday as we track HS football, HS girls basketball, HS boys basketball, HS baseball, and HS volleyball. We also track the scores and schedules of local colleges for football and basketball. Teams such as Kentucky, Thomas More, NKU, Cincinnati, and more.

Our picture database currently holds 2,041 pictures. Most of our pictures comprise of High School boys football and basketball games but we also have some HS girls basketball games and Thomas More football games.

The Articles archive currently holds 195 articles. The articles range from game preview to reviews, team updates, special events and much more.

Email Reminders on NKYSports.com

2007-09-11T17:29:00.000-04:00

Did you know that you can have Scheduled games and their results sent to you via email? Just select your favorite team on the left section of the Schedules link on NKYSports.com and you will see their schedule, a little Email icon is listed with each game, when you click on this it asks for your email address. After entering your address, our database will send you a reminder about the game 5 days prior to the game. Then, after the score has been posted, which is usually within 12 hours, another email is sent to you with the Final Score.

Why have this feature? Well, sometimes there are key games within a schedule that you want to know about. So, instead of having to check the schedule all the time, you enter a reminder and have the system send you the reminders and updates.

Check me Out on ICN6

2007-09-06T16:00:00.000-04:00

Pat Crowley of the Enquirer had myself and Mark Wehry on his "On the Record" show this week to discuss the production of internet radio. I think the shows runs about 16x and will begin airing this weekend. We discuss how we got started producing the online broadcasts and more.

Labor Day Weekend Sports Review

2007-09-04T10:29:00.000-04:00

Friday night the Dayton Green Devils defeated Scott 14-10 to begin their season at 2-0. First they defeated Holmes, then the Scott Eagles, both are 5A schools or above. I guess Dayton is not a fluke. Their upcoming games against Bellevue and Beechwood are becoming more and more interesting!

And what's happening to CovCath? They were ranked 10th in the KY Enquirer's coaches poll this past week (behind Bellevue and Dayton), then go on to lose to NewCath 9-0. I know their stud running back Buckley is hurt but up next is Dixie, could CovCath begin the year at 0-3?

And props to Appalachian St. for their HUGE win over Michigan AT Michigan. Michigan paid App St. $400K to come play. I think it was well worth the money for Appalachian St. as not only do they get the money, but the exposure!!!! Like my 11 year old son said "Any given Saturday".

And no props to the Reds who once again tease us with a good winning streak but then blow up! They go into PIT 6.5 games out and then get swept in the opening DH, and then proceed to get swept by St. Louis. Now, they are 9 games out and only 2 games away from being in last again. Time to focus on the Bengals now!

NCC Defeats St. Henry in Volleyball

2007-08-30T09:17:00.000-04:00

I was amazed to read that the NCC girls volleyball team had not beaten St. Henry since 2003. So, big win for the Thoroughbreds who are now 7-1 to start off the season. Check out the article on the game from NKY.com:

Click to read Article

PAC Athletics Sports Press Release

2007-08-29T16:36:00.000-04:00

The President's Athletic Conference has released their first football season review today. This is the conference Thomas More is in. Thomas More opens their season on Saturday, Sept 1 at Hanover.

PAC Football Press Release

HOT Start to NKY Football Weekend

2007-08-27T16:08:00.000-04:00

The Northern Kentucky High School football season started out with HOT temperatures and so did the Highlands Bluebirds in the first half of their opening game vs Ryle. Highlands jumped out to a 28-0 halftime lead and never looked back defeating the Raiders 49-21. And Highlands' hottest player was Josh Conner who ran for 227 yard and 5 touchdowns.

Then the next day, Cody Elliott and the Beechwood Tigers got HOT, but not until the 4th Quarter. Trailing 17-7 in the final quarter, Elliott had runs of 53 and 19 yards respectively, bringing the Tigers back to defeat Dixie 21-17.

This past HOT weekend also provided a few mild surprises with Dayton defeating Holmes 21-19 and Bellevue beating Newport 13-7. NewCath had an easy time with Simon Kenton 43-6.

Here's a run down of the other games:

Campbell County 28 - Tates Creek 14
Scott County 28 - Boone County 20
Owen County 30 - Brossart 6
LaSalle 34 - CovCath 7
Holy Cross 13 - N. Laurel 10
Elizabethtown 44 - Lloyd 37
Ludlow 27 - Trimble County 20
Anderson County 57 - Scott 41

Dixie Heights Colonels Football Preview

2007-08-14T14:37:00.000-04:00

Head Coach: Tom Spritzky (83-53 in 12 Seasons)

Assistant Coaches:
Dave Sorrell, Todd Newton, Andy Buford, Steve Odom, Bill Vaughn, Stan Spritzky

Last Year's Record: 5-6

Returning Starters:
Offense
Joey Bricking (QB), Marty Molony (RB), Derrik Freeman (OT), Alex Koski (OG), EJ Dettmer (WR), Scott Sanders (OG)

Defense
Stephen Benson (LB), Alex Koski (DE), Daniel Eastham (LB), EJ Dettmer (FS), Marty Molony (LB)

This year's senior class is full of athletic ability and experience. It's imperative they learn how to lead and develop a tougher mental attitude. This group of players will be challenged with lots of talent in the junior and sophmore classes. Dixie should have intense competition for many starting positions.

It should be an interesting year with the start of the 6 Class alignment in Kentucky. Dixie is in 5A with CovCath, Highlands, Holmes, and Scott. Their first four games will be against Beechwood, Simon Kenton, CovCath, and Highlands. This is a much different schedule layout with district games being played throughout the schedule instead of at the end of the season.

Campbell County Camels Football Preview

2007-08-14T14:36:00.000-04:00

Head Coach: Troy Styer (14-8 in 2 Seasons)

Assistant Coaches:
Keith Culp, Jeremiah Sowards, Kip Mason Jr., Adam Nelson, Greg Fangman, Terry Brown, Justin Mason, Justin Fussinger, Doug Miller

Last Year's Record: 8-4 (5-2 District)

Key Returning Starters:Andy Lay (LT), Brian Sauerbeck (LG/LB), Jimmy Brickler (RG), Ryan Eten (TE/DE), Patrick Thomer (OG/DE), Austin Studer (WR), Andy Franzen (WR), Chris Addie (WR), Grant Rose (RB), Corey Porter (S), Jordan Woodruff (LB), Nathan Kidwell (LB), Cody Owens (LB)

Offensive OutlookCampbell County will have to look to replace several skill positions, notably QB, WR, RB and TE. There is a lot of talent to choose from to reload as WR's Austin Studer, Andy Franzen, Chris Addie, and Tony Bishop will look to step up to the challenge. Senior, Nathan Kidwell (6-14 for 66 yards last year), will step in as Quarterback this year and run the offense. The strength of the team will be the receivers and the speed of the running game.

Defensive Outlook
The defense has lost many playmakers from last year, but return their top 3 tacklers in Brian Sauerbeck, Jordan Woodruff, and Cody Owens. The team's leader in interceptions, Corey Porter, also returns. Patrick Thomer should be a major contributor on defense this year as he moves to DE. The transfer from Middletown, OH, Ross Risner, should also see time at LB in the Camel's 4-4 defensive scheme. Sophmores Zach Koeninger and Michael Stacey had great spring practices and look to be ready to help out on the varsity level this year.

Overall Outlook
After finishing 8-4 last year with their first playoff victory since 1994, expectations have risen at Campbell County. A tougher non-district schedule, which includes Lexington Tates Creek, Mason County, NewCath, and Dixie, looks to get the Camels ready for postseason play. The new breakdown of their district will make it tough because now five teams are fighting for four playoff spots. Their success is contingent upon players stepping into starting roles, and their contstant battle to develop depth across the lines.

NKY HS Golf Previews

2007-07-31T13:32:00.001-04:00

Check out NKY.com's Boys' and Girls' High School Golf Previews:

Boys' Preview

Girls' Preview

NKY Golf Review - Boone Links

2007-07-31T13:30:00.000-04:00

Boone Links Golf Course
Grade: Birdie

Boone Links is always a good place to play golf in Northern Kentucky. My round of golf there was very pleasant this past week. We had a tee time of 8:30 AM and we started right on time. The course was in great shape even with the recent drought conditions in the area.

I consider Boone Links one of the more difficult courses to play in NKY. Amongst our foursome, only one of us scored in the 80's while the others scored in the 90's. There is a lot of slope and a few water holes to be aware of. One of my favorite holes is the double dogleg par 5, which is almost impossible to eagle unless you hit the perfect drive.

The cost is very reasonable too for the type and condition of the course. The greens fees are $40 on the weekend.

Hickory Sticks Golf Course

2007-06-19T16:45:00.000-04:00

Hickory Sticks Golf Course
Grade: Par

Hickory Sticks is a course that offers some holes you can score low on but also hosts some holes that are difficult. The par three holes on this course offer the most challenge, especially #3, which runs about 200 yards in distance and if you go right, you'll most likely lose your ball. For the par four holes, #12 can be difficult, especially if you don't get your drive over the water, and when you're on the green, watch out for the slope . . you'll definitely want to keep your ball below the hole on this one. One of the tough par five holes is #18, which runs all uphill and is very hard to reach in two.

This course is in very good shape, the staff is always very courteous and the snack bar is always open. The course seems to be a very popular golf course with my friends as we visit this one frequently as it is also very economical at $37.00 (including cart) on the weekends.

The course is located off AA Highway past Alexandria about 10 miles from the Wilder, KY exit.

Hickory Sticks GC

Minor League Braves Manager Loses It!!

2007-06-04T13:43:00.000-04:00

If you haven't seen this video yet, please take 3 minutes of your time to do so! Has to be one of the funniest tirades a baseball coach has ever performed!!!

Watch the Video

Flagg Springs Golf Course

2007-05-30T10:03:00.000-04:00

Grade: Bogey

If you're looking for a short and fairly easy golf course with a reasonable price then check out Flagg Springs Golf Course located off AA Highway about 10 miles past Alexandria, KY.

I played this course as part of a golf outing and my group played really well scoring a twelve under par. Like I mentioned above the course is short, especially if you play from the white tees, and most of our second shots were either a 9-iron or Pitching Wedge. We didn't lose many balls as this course is pretty spread out. It does have a lot of blind shots off the tee and there is some water on the course.

The greens were in pretty good shape, which somewhat surprised me since we've hardly had any rain lately. We made several long putts and on 3 holes we had opportunities to score eagles.

Green fees for 18 and a cart will run you $35, which isn't too bad. Good course to start the year out and get your hacks in!

Stonelick Hills Golf Course

2007-05-25T10:23:00.000-04:00

Grade: Eagle

If you're getting tired of playing the same old courses in NKY then venture out to Stonelick Hills GC located about 30 minutes from NKY. Take 275 E to the Hillsboro Exit (#59), take a right off the exit and go 6 miles.

This course is beautiful and very different. Lots of water and deep sand traps. Their feature hole is #9, a par 5 hole that features a large island green and if you get a good drive is reachable within 2 shots. I decided to layup on this hole and my decision rewarded me with a par.

The clubhouse is very big and clean. You almost feel like you're walking into a castle. The cart paths are all concrete and the course was in great shape when we played. The green fees is a little more expensive but well worth it if you want something different, and if you play after 3PM the cost is only $55. Normal weekend rates are $69 (which includes the cart). You will NOT want to walk this course though as there are many holes where you have some distance between the last hole and the next tee box.

Here is a link to their website

Kentucky Enq Coaches Baseball Poll

2007-05-08T12:13:00.000-04:00

1. CovCath (20-8)
2. Ryle (21-5)
3. Highlands (19-10)
4. Holy Cross (15-8)
5. Campbell County (12-8)
6. Brossart (15-10)
7. Boone County (13-9)
8. Beechwood (15-8)
9. St. Henry (16-10)
10. Scott (13-8)

Records from NorthernKentuckySports.com

Jeff Smith from NCC Signs with Bengals

2007-05-01T10:42:00.000-04:00

From Lance McCallister's Blog on 1530homer.com:

It's official - Jeff Smith has not thrown his last pass at Toyota Stadium. After signing a free agent contract with the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, Smith will be back on campus this summer when the Bengals hold their annual summer camp at Georgetown College. The Fort Thomas, KY native says he is excited to have a chance to continue playing football and that it is a dream come true. "After growing up across the river from Cincinnati and closely following the Bengals my whole life, it just is a great fit for me," he said.

What's Going on With the Reds?

2007-04-23T09:17:00.000-04:00

I took my son and a couple of his friends to the Reds game Friday night. It was the game where the Reds had more errors (2) than hits (1) until 2 outs in the 9th inning when Hatteberg hit the Homerun to tie the game and send the game into extra innings. Up to that point, it was the most boring Reds game I had ever been to. And thank goodness they won that game b/c little did we know, they would hit just as bad the following 2 games with losses to the Phillies (which came into the series with a 4-10 record).

I'm not sure what's wrong with the Reds right now, but their defense seems to be getting worse. For those of you who watched the game on Friday . . what in the world is Brandon Philips thinking when he threw that ball away! And offensely, can we just get some base runners on? Dunn is back to his old ways of striking out . . he has struck out 14 times within the past 21 at bats (that computes to 67%).

In 1530 Homer, I was listening to a caller talking about how the Reds look lazy, and I think he hit it right on the spot. Another example, in the Reds Friday win, Valentin scored the winning run on the basehit to left, but almost got thrown out at home b/c of the premature celebrating!! I think the Reds teased us the first 2 weeks and have now gone back to their normal ways!

Baseball and Rain

2007-04-16T12:21:00.000-04:00

When I think of April, I think of the opening month for baseball and RAIN! My "C" knothole team (District 22) was scheduled to play their opening day on the 14th while I was in Myrtle Beach. I was pretty confident I wouldn't miss it b/c of the rain and I was correct! All the knothole games were cancelled in NKY thanks to good ole mother nature!

The weather in MB was pretty nice, lots of sun, and hopefully I brought it back with me for our next scheduled game Wed night!

What a Cold Week it Was!

2007-04-09T09:14:00.000-04:00

You were a brave soul if you ventured down to GABP this past week. Besides Opening Day, between the cold and snow, it was not a good week to watch baseball at the ballpark. Nevertheless, the Reds come out of the "cold" homestand with a 4-2 record, tied for first with the Pirates.

And how about Billy Gillispie, the new mens basketball coach for the University of Kentucky. I got to watch some of the press conference, seemed like they were initiating the new Governor of Kentucky! I like Gillispie, he turned the Texas A&M program around and his team only had 4 losses this past season, only being stopped short by one point vs Memphis (if only Acie Law had made that layup -- I had them picked to win it all!).

And on the same day, Huggins decides to bolt Kansas St. for his alma matter, West Virginia. Bobby had a 6 year contract with Kansas St, but the buyout was only $100K, did they not think he was going to leave!? Oh well, I guess we'll see what unfolds in Morgantown.

And just announced yesterday, Doug Pelphery, a former UK player under Rick Pitino, leave S. Alabama for Arkansas. It kind of surprises me to see a UK player coach an Arkansas team, but I'm sure Pelphery couldn't pass up the opportunity.

And one last note for you golf fans, if you had a chance to watch the Masters this past week, you can't help root and appreciate the performance of Zach Johnson. This guy wasn't even the best golfer at his High School, was passed up by the Iowa golf team, went to Drake U to play golf and now he is winning the Masters! It was really neat to hear him talk afterwards. You could tell how passionate he is for the game and how much he appreciates the opportunity to win a great event like The Masters.

Opening Day

2007-04-02T11:28:00.001-04:00

Opening Day in Cincinnati is basically a holiday in this area! Historically Cincinnati used to always play the first game amongst all the Major League teams. Then ESPN stepped in with their Sunday night baseball a few years ago to start the opening day season. And last night, it was the Mets vs Cards, the Cardinals? So what, they won the World Series last year, does that mean they get the first game? Regardless, good news for Reds fans, the Cards ended up losing last night! :)

What's sad about Opening Day today is my wife is going to the game and I'm not!! I'm stuck at work while she's at the game, and she hates baseball!! I can almost guarantee you I'll ask her the final score tonight and she won't know!! They'll be plenty more games to attend this year though, hopefully in the diamond seats this year!!

The Enquirer is doing something pretty cool with their Blog today as they're describing today's events. You can visit their Reds Opening Day Blog.

Have fun at the ballpark!

Listening to Marty Brennaman

2007-03-27T09:20:00.000-04:00

If you haven't checked out Marty's Commemorative CD yet, I would highly recommend it. Produced by Pat Hughes, play-by-play broadcaster for the Cubs, the CD brings back the past of how Marty started as a broadcaster and how he evolved into one of the greatest. I've been listening to Marty & Joe since I was six years old and there are things on the CD I've never known before.

I never realized Marty started his career broadcasting for the Reds in 1974 and within 3 years the team won 2 World Championships! In the CD, he tells how young he was at the time, and how he never realized how lucky he was until the years went by being able to broadcast for the Big Red Machine.

Marty also broadcasted arguably the "Best College Game Ever", when Duke defeated Kentucky in Philadephia. And includes memorable broadcasts clips of Marty such as Henry Aaron #714, Tom Seaver's no-hitter, Tom Browning's perfect game, Pete Rose #4192, and much more!

I've already listened to the CD about 3 times. Pat Hughes did a great job with this CD and I highly recommend it to you Cincinnati Reds fans. If you're looking for the CD, you can purchase it on NorthernKentuckySports.com.

Tubby Leaves UK!

2007-03-23T13:52:00.000-04:00

About 12 NOON yesterday I get a call from my Dad, who's down in Lexington for the Sweet 16 tournament. He goes on to tell me that him and his buddies are hearing that Tubby is leaving UK for Michigan. They ran into some of the players down there who were on there way to an urgent meeting. At first, I was skeptical to how true this really was. I searched ESPN and other local news sites to see if this was public yet. Still not.

I told some friends at work, called some friends, etc. Then around 3:30 it's posted on ESPN by Andy Katz. My dad was right about Tubby leaving but not right about leaving for Michigan, he left for Minnesota.

Funny, how the news travels so fast! And suppossedly, Billy Donovan just bought a house in Lexington last month and the Florida program may be investigated for players taking cash payments. Rumors of course, but wonder if these are true as well!?

Looking For Feedback

2007-02-26T15:24:00.000-05:00

If you're a regular visitor to NKYSports.com we would love to hear your feedback about the site . . . what do you like most about the site? What do you like least about the site? Are there other features or info you would like to see on the site?

You can comment with a post on here or send an email to User Feedback

Silver Grove's Neace

2007-02-26T15:10:00.000-05:00

Neat story about a kid from Silver Grove who has cerebral palsy and scored in a varsity game vs. Heritage:

http://news.nky.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20070226/SPT0302/702260338/-1/SPT

Attention Jr. High Parents!

2006-10-20T10:41:00.000-04:00

Read this on NKY.com:

Kentucky students wishing to play sports their freshmen year of high school soon may have to decide on a high school before they enter seventh grade, if a proposal passed by the Kentucky High School Athletic Association's member schools is approved.

Click on the link below for the entire article:
http://news.nky.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20061020/SPT0302/610200414/-1/SPT