Conner finally has its shot.
For five straight seasons, the local KHSAA regional wrestling championship has belonged to Ryle. It’s been a run of depth, discipline and big‑match composure that has defined the Raiders’ identity. On Saturday, the Region 5 spotlight shifts to Hebron, where Conner hosts the tournament and enters with its best chance in years to knock the Raiders off the top of the podium.
“There’s a lot of excitement,” said Conner coach Zack Fisher. “We won conference for the first time in 43 years. Winning the region is next. I firmly believe we have a chance to sneak all 14 guys to state. If it’s any year, it’s this year.”
The Cougars won the 1983 state championship, but they’ve never won a region title. In a veteran-inspired season that’s already produced a first-ever Northern Kentucky Athletic Conference crown, optimism is running high at Conner as it makes its way to the state meet in Lexington.
The Cougars were region runner‑up last season to Ryle, 247.5 to 199, a margin Fisher believes his squad can narrow. Simon Kenton was third at 174.5 and Walton‑Verona was fourth followed by Highlands. Covington Catholic and Scott were right behind the Bluebirds. Returning top 10 finishers Dixie Heights, Cooper and Boone County all have the pieces to make noise in the 14‑team field.
“I know we’re ready,” said Clayton Badida, who’s bearing down on Conner’s all-time wins record. “Let’s go wrestle now.”
Fisher loves his team’s attitude, but he knows what he’s up against. “We had to beat Ryle to win conference and it’s never easy beating them at anything,” the coach said. “They have a great wrestling program, a great coach. With Ryle, you’re just happy to be competing with them.”
This winter, though, Conner brings a senior‑laden roster that’s already shown it can win big meets. The Cougars can stack points across every weight class and that’s a concern for opposing teams.
“They’re hyped up. They’re hungry. I might pick them as the favorite, but I wouldn’t count out Simon Kenton,” Ryle coach Tim Ruschell said. “Both have a lot of good wrestlers. Conner beat us at conference, but we beat them in a dual.”
The Cougar uprising
Ryle is No. 5 statewide and Conner No. 8 in the team tournament rankings. Conner is No. 8 and Ryle No. 10 in the dual rankings. Simon Kenton is No. 23 and No. 27, respectively.
Leading the way for the Cougars are Badida at 126 pounds and Keaton Dicken at 120 pounds. Badida is a returning regional champion. Dicken was a finalist last season. Cordion Abernathy at 132 pounds is in full form after last year’s hiatus. Luke Peace at 144 is also back after leaving the program at the beginning of high school.
Holdovers who have improved include Zaq Abdi at 113, Nathan Seth at 150, Brandon Blackburn at 190, and the aptly named Bryce Sizemore, who brings even more size and strength at 285.
All eight are seniors, a rare luxury for any wrestling coach. Badida, the enduring legacy, is the emotional anchor. Dicken (46-5) and Badida (45-5) rank second and third in Kentucky in wins. Badida has 213 career wins, sixth-most among active Kentucky wrestlers. Brother Tristan Badida holds the school record with 214.
“You talk about divine circumstances,” Fisher said. “We have 12 seniors in the program. It helps, because when you get kids to stick around that long in this sport, it’s a rarity. We had such a big senior night with the wrestlers and the families, we ran out of space.”
Badida is a grandson of the coach who built the Conner program, the legendary Wayne Badida, a true man of the people in Hebron. Fisher wrestled for Badida and retains him as a not-so-secret weapon. “He still comes to practice and volunteers,” the coach said. “It’s great to have him around.”
The Cougars are showing better balance this season, but they don’t have a No. 1 regional seed. However, Abdi, Abernathy, Badida, Dicken, Seth, Peace and Sizemore are all seeded second. Rohaan Waraich, a returning state qualifier now at 175 pounds, and Joesiah Hernandez at 165 lead the juniors. In a regional format where depth often decides everything, they matter.
“We’re very confident after winning the conference and I think it can carry over,” Badida said.
The Raider resistance
Ryle isn’t handing over anything. The Raiders’ lineup is stocked with five No. 1 seeds. Aiden Brinkman at 126 pounds returns as a regional champion and so does his brother Bryant Brinkman who wrestles at 113. Keigan Reisenbach at 175 is also a returning champ. Other top seeds are Luke Cornwell at 132 and Jagger Irvin at 138. Cornwell is 40-2 and fifth statewide with 30 pins.
Callen Schmidt, a regional champ last year at 165, is seeded second this year at 157. Teammate Noah Crisp is this year’s second seed at 165.
“It may come down to pins and who wins third and fourth in wrestle-backs,” Ruschell said. “It could be close.”
Ryle’s regional run has been built on multiple finalists and a knack for turning consolation rounds into major scoring opportunities. Plus, the Raiders don’t recognize the concept of losing, even when foes try to ram it down their throats with a bone‑of‑the‑wrist crossface rolled into a power half‑Nelson.
“We don’t have a guy at 106 and we have just two seniors on the team so younger guys need to step up,” Ruschell said. “They don’t like to lose.”
Because of that, this year’s Region 5 meet shapes up as one of the more compelling in recent memory. Conner has the home mats, the senior urgency and the momentum of a breakthrough season. Ryle has the history, the hardware and the expectation that the road to Lexington still runs through Union.
Whether the Cougars can flip the script, the Raiders can extend their reign, or Simon Kenton can leapfrog them with its four No. 1 seeds, Saturday will come down to who survives and advances. Either way, Hebron is about to host a regional championship with real juice.
“Last year, we kind of surprised ourselves,” Conner’s coach Fisher said. “This year, we’ve been having conversations about winning it. You have to believe it before it can be done. We visualize winning it.”