The Northern Kentucky high school basketball landscape is undergoing a talent dispersal as several elite players have finalized their plans ahead of the upcoming season. From homecoming stars to high-profile out-of-state arrivals and prep school departures, local rosters will look different, and so will some coaching staffs. Newport reloads with elite talent The Newport High […]
Author Archives: Marc Hardin
Posted inBasketball
A smile, a jump shot, a legacy: remembering Zach Mertens
The visitation for Burlington’s Zach Mertens was held Tuesday. The one-time Bellevue High School sports standout passed away unexpectedly on August 10. Mertens, a 2025 Bellevue graduate, had recently celebrated his 20th birthday in June. Authorities said he fell from the top of South Falls at Silver Falls State Park in Oregon, about 50 miles […]
Posted inFootball
Five things to know about Ludlow football in 2026
Ludlow High School is the reigning champion of small‑town roster building among the area’s four public schools competing in KHSAA Class 1A. Over the last two seasons, the Panthers have averaged 41 players on roster — nearly one‑third of the school’s entire male student body. Viewed through the lens of the city’s population of about […]
Posted inVolleyball
Notre Dame Academy leads local contingent into 2026 high school volleyball season
When it comes to Notre Dame Academy athletics, few programs put the NDA in Pandas better than volleyball. The school has won more than 30 state team championships, and 10 of them belong to the volleyball team. “Volleyball has had a lot of success,” Notre Dame co‑coach Hannah Colvin said. “There is a lot of […]
Posted inFootball
Five things to know about Holy Cross football in 2026
It’s Monday and workouts reconvene for the Holy Cross High School football team. Players saunter onto John Wysong Field at the Eva G. Farris Sports Complex in Covington and snap their chin straps. It’s 91 degrees but the humidity makes it feel like a blistering 103. The air on the practice field is hot and […]
Posted inFootball
Five things to know about Scott football in 2026
Scott High School football is trending upward. New head coach Dustin Trimnell won’t allow anything less. His players won’t allow anything less. And the seniors — small in number but large in resolve — insist on chasing a winning season, a playoff berth, and a playoff victory, the three milestones that have slipped through their […]
Posted inFootball
Five things to know about Bellevue football in 2026
An autumn evening in Bellevue feels less like a Kentucky suburb and more like a step back in time, anchored by the Ohio River, the tight-knit feel of the town and venerable Gilligan Stadium, home of the Tigers. As the sun begins to set over the neighborhood, Bellevue settles into a cozy, communal rhythm with […]
Posted inFootball
Five things to know about Highlands football in 2026
Unlike any other prep football program in northern Kentucky, Highlands is not only facing competition on the playing field but also competing against itself and its own football history. The Class 4A Bluebirds have won 23 state titles, second in Kentucky only to Louisville Trinity, but they haven’t earned one since 2014. That’s an 11-year […]
Posted inFootball
Five things to know about Ryle football in 2026
There’s a new current running through the Ryle High School football team, and head coach Mike Engler says it will be electric at Borland Stadium in Union. “A lot of really good players are gone, but I really like our team,” Engler states as he looks over a roster that lost 25 players and returns […]
Posted inGolf
Ryle ready to defend high school regional golf crowns and other news from around the links
The Kentucky high school golf season begins next week, and both Ryle squads enter with championship expectations. The boys return as defending Region 7 champions after posting a 293 last fall, finishing 10 shots ahead of runner‑up Covington Catholic. The Ryle girls also return as favorites after winning last year’s 7th Region tournament by 34 […]
