Covington is in the news on several sporting fronts. Information is coming fast from Covington Catholic and Holmes high schools and the city itself, where an official has received his due. Commitments, offers and transfers are all here and I have a fish story in the fastest 1,000 words in sports. GULLETT STEPS DOWN AS […]
Author Archives: Marc Hardin
Rugged schedule challenges loaded Raiders
Every July, Ryle High School baseball coach Joe Aylor texts his players and asks who they would like to see on the non-region schedule. “It only takes a couple hours to get all their responses back and they always give me some big names,” Aylor said. “Teams from Louisville like Trinity and St. Xavier. Teams […]
Rice’s return to the diamond a game-changer for senior-laden Colonels
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.
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.
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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: […]
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 […]
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. […]

