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 […]
Author Archives: Marc Hardin
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. […]
Posted inBasketball
Regular season stat stuffers: Area boys and girls, local teams among KHSAA basketball leaders
The regular season schedules are in the books as the Kentucky high school boys and girls basketball seasons transition to district tournament play this week. It seems like a good time to check in on how local individuals and teams are doing in the latest KHSAA statewide statistical rankings. Below are 24 boys and girls […]
Posted inBasketball
Seniors on parade: The Northern Kentucky area’s leading candidates for Mr. Kentucky Basketball 2024
The Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches will announce regional players of the year and the 2024 Mr. Kentucky Basketball finalists Friday at 9 a.m. from Rupp Arena in Lexington. Mr. Kentucky Basketball recognizes the top high school male senior basketball player in the state. The winner will be announced at the Mr. and Miss Kentucky […]
Posted inBasketball
A terrific 10: Northern Kentucky frontrunners for Miss Kentucky Basketball 2024
On Friday at 9 a.m. from Rupp Arena in Lexington, the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches will announce regional players of the year and the 2024 Miss Kentucky Basketball finalists. The Miss Kentucky Basketball honor recognizes the top high school female senior basketball player in the state. The winner goes public at the Mr. and […]