It could be the rise of Northern Kentucky youth club soccer programs.
Or it might be local high school teams are playing outside the area.
Or it could be having FC Cincinnati just a few miles north.
Whatever your theory, the results are undeniable – eight local squads are in the latest Kentucky Girls High School Soccer Coaches Association (@KGHSSCoaches on X) Top 25 coaches poll.
Defending Ninth Region champion Notre Dame and Conner are tied for second behind Louisville Sacred Heart. Highlands is 11th, Dixie Heights is 14th, Cooper and Simon Kenton are tied for 16th, Beechwood is 21st, and Bishop Brossart is tied for 23rd with Christian Academy-Louisville.
“I feel like it is pretty unusual,” Bishop Brossart coach Andy Smith said.
Notre Dame coach Cory Dan said having so many club programs – Kings Hammer, Fusion FC, Villa Hills SC, Independence SC, Upfield Soccer and others – is the main reason.
“It’s just a very strong region,” Dan said. “The whole Cincinnati region is a hard-working area. It’s a strong area for leagues.”
Conner coach Mike Hughes agreed with Dan that youth soccer’s popularity is a factor, but there is a second reason.
“And I also think teams are more willing to play out-of-the-area teams,” Hughes said. “If you want to be recognized, that’s great to compete in Region 9, which is a very, very strong region. But you have to, kind of, also have to showcase that ability across the state.
“We have more teams that are playing Lexington teams, Louisville teams.”
Hughes said being able to watch the U.S. Women’s National Team playing at TQL Stadium also helps.
“You just don’t see them playing on TV,” he said. “They get to enjoy that level of competition up close.”
Notre Dame’s 8-2-2 record includes a 7-1-1 start. Riley Robertson leads the Pandas with five goals, and Scarlett Cogswell has four.
“They want to get in behind (defenses), and they want to take shots,” Dan said.
Joelle Hentz and Adi Melton have stopped a combined 59 shots, and Hentz has allowed just two goals.
Ask Hughes if there is a surprise team in the rankings; he offers a two-letter response.
“Us,” Hughes said. “I mean, why not? I think in the four years that I’ve been here, we’ve gradually gained some recognition with the kids that are here and the work that we’ve put in.”
If defense is what you like, Conner is your team – the 14-0-1. The Cougars have allowed just two goals after Wednesday’s 2-1 win at Scott, and keeper Ally Welch has nine shutouts and 43 saves.
Conner has abundant offense, too. Ashley Sweetay, Milana Arevalo, Izelee Kerns and Maya Owen have scored five goals apiece, and Michaela Potter, Cayley Eilers and Ella Folke each have four.
“In the past years that I’ve coached, I’ve had one dominant scorer,” Hughes said. “I’ve never had a more balanced group than this.”
Maren Orme leads Highlands (8-3-2) with five goals, and Reese Wilkens has four. Kaylee Mills has six assists, and keeper Bailee Class has 82 saves and five shutouts.
Dixie Heights (7-4) has relied on Abby Parsons and Hadley Greene for most of its scoring – they have 10 and nine goals, respectively – and Hailey Hall has five assists.
Cooper (9-3-3) brought Northern Kentucky’s most high-powered offense to Wednesday’s match at Simon Kenton, but it didn’t help because the Pioneers won, 2-1. The Jaguars’ 66 goals is the most of any local squad, Kamdyn Hamilton has 14 goals, Gracie Iles has 11 with nine assists, Emily Green has nine and 5, Hayden Johnson has seven and six, and McKayla Harsley has five and five.
Simon Kenton (11-2-1) has won its last seven after Wednesday’s 2-1 win over Cooper. Alexis Howard has 12 goals and seven assists, Ella Smith has seven goals and three assists, Reese Johnson has six and seven, and Meg Gadzala has five and six.
Beechwood (7-6-1) seeks its second winning season in the last three, but the Tigers have struggled lately – six straight losses following a 7-0-1 start. Macy Yelton has 12 goals, Ruby Fries has eight with six assists, and Rylie Kidman has six and five. Grace Cottongim leads the team with eight assists to go with five scores.
Brossart (7-4-2) meets 14th Region champion Hazard in the quarterfinals of the state All “A” tournament at 9 a.m. Saturday at Louisville Collegiate.
The Mustangs had a strong start – a 2-2 tie with Cooper and a 4-2 win over No. 20 Great Crossing in Georgetown. Then, not so much: losses to Conner, Simon Kenton and Highlands.
“After that, we kind of turned it on,” Smith said.
Brossart’s three-game winning streak ended with Wednesday’s 1-0 loss at Campbell County. Rachel Shewmaker leads the Mustangs with 10 goals to go with six assists, Kylie Smith has seven goals, Lexi Braun has four scores, and Zoey Woosley has seven assists.
“I had a heart-to-heart with the girls (Wednesday) after the game,” Smith said. “As long as Scott beats Calvary Christian (kickoff is 6 p.m. Friday), we’re still the No. 1 seed in the (37th) district … I didn’t tell the girls that before the game.”