Dixie Heights baseball is led by 12 seniors, a dugout full of talent and a masterful head coach who has won nearly 800 games in 40 seasons, and is looking for a bounce-back year after a rare losing season in 2023.
Author Archives: Marc Hardin
Posted inBasketball
Last call: After 50 years, basketball official gives up his whistle
Charlie Chappie has been a basketball official for 50 years, calling boys and girls games at the high school level in Northern Kentucky, and has been recognized with awards and honors for his dedication and accuracy.
Posted inSports
Hardin Fast: NKY sports shorts from Newport, Ryle, Conner, CovCath, Highlands, Simon Kenton and all points in between
It’s a Northern Kentucky three-peat in the weekly LaRosa’s MVP listing as local winners are coming fast after an early dry spell. Area baseball and softball players are quickly making a name for themselves after appearing on preseason watch lists. A surprise resignation at Conner. Big wins at Covington Catholic and Ryle. It’s all here […]
Posted inSoftball
New coach and a talented battery powers young Ryle softball team in rugged 33rd District
Mary Beth Odom stood on the Ryle High School softball field on a hot day in August and hoped for the best. She unpacked a bag of bats and balls and waited for softball players to show up for her first open field event since being named the Raiders’ new coach in July. “I really […]
Posted inSoftball
Highlands’ successful softball history stays on course under coach Horner
The Highlands High School softball team is on history’s doorstep, a perfectly appropriate place for a program drenched in history. “We cannot wait to get the season started,” Bluebirds standout Bailey Markus said. “All the girls are really excited to get it going.” Highlands, the two-time defending 9th Region champion, begins its bid for a […]
Posted inSports
Hardin Fast: NKY sports shorts from St. Henry, Simon Kenton, Cooper, Ryle, Beechwood, Boone County, NKU and TMU
LaRosa’s MVP awards and coaching hires are coming fast and furious in the area. The Cooper basketball programs proved they are the winningest in Northern Kentucky. Life on the diamond is powering up for NKU, and Thomas More catchers are off to quick starts. In the spirit of quickness, the fastest 1,000 words in sports: […]
Posted inBaseball
Lofty goals remain despite Conner baseball’s year of change
This story originally appeared in the March 8 edition of the weekly LINK Reader. To get these stories first, subscribe here. Change has been a constant over the last nine months for the Conner High School baseball team, which has experienced some seismic foundational shifts since the end of the 2023 season. In June, longtime head […]
Posted inSports
Hardin Fast: NKY sports news from NKU, TMU, VMA, Lloyd, Cooper, CovCath, St. Henry and more
Lloyd Memorial High School basketball player EJ Walker has not wasted any time showing who leads the race for his college services. End of season basketball honors have quickly piled up for area high school and college players, and some prestigious scholarships were recently designated. It’s all part of the fastest thousand words in sports. […]
Posted inBasketball
Smiles all around for close-knit senior-laden Cooper girls basketball team
This story originally appeared in the Feb. 23 edition of the weekly LINK Reader. To get these stories first, subscribe here. Cooper High School girls basketball coach Justin Holthaus has a lot going on between the ears. The former longtime Cooper boys assistant takes a cerebral approach to coaching while leaning heavily on preparation. When he […]
Posted inSports
Hardin Fast: NKY sports news from NKU, Newport, NewCath, 9th Region, 8th Region, Beechwood, Bellevue and points in between
All-region basketball teams are piling up quickly. Bellevue girls basketball is speeding through milestones. Similarly, it didn’t take long for Gia Jones to set a basketball record at Beechwood, and it hasn’t taken Griffin Starks much time to rack up some college basketball offers at Newport. Likewise, here are the fastest thousand words in sports. […]