“It is your turn. You deserve this.” Simon Kenton girls soccer coach Hillary Johnson said that at halftime of Wednesday’s game against Notre Dame. The Pioneers, ranked sixth in the initial Kentucky Girls High School Soccer Coaches Association Top 25, listened – they ended 23 seasons of setbacks and handed the Pandas a 2-0 shutout […]
Author Archives: Ray Schaefer
Posted inFootball
Juggernauts roll past Newport in running-clock win
As Dave Barger sat in the top row at Newport Stadium Friday, he hoped his grandson, Lloyd Memorial sophomore Colten Barger, would have a good game. Barger the younger – and the rest of the Juggernauts – absolutely did, a 46-6 running-clock win over the Wildcats. Deciding who the star of the game was a challenging choice. […]
Posted inSoccer
Simon Kenton seniors lead Pioneers to an 8-0-1 start
Quickly, name a four-syllable reason Simon Kenton’s girls soccer team is 8-0-1 so far this season. The answer: seniority. The Pioneers are off to their best start in coach Hillary Johnson’s three-plus years in Independence and best start since 2015 (when they started 8-0) thanks largely to 10 seniors – Ella Smith, Reese Johnson, Alexis […]
Posted inSports
Like parents, like son: Cooper’s Van Laningham goes for another cross-country gold
At first, Paul Van Laningham followed his older brother Luke to Cooper’s cross country practices and meets. Van Laningham’s a senior for the Jaguars now, and much of Kentucky follows him. He’s the defending boys Class 3A state champion, and if he wins the biggest-school race in November, he’ll be the first 3A boy to […]
Posted inFootball
Holy Cross spoils St. Henry’s inaugural game
It was 81 minutes before St. Henry’s inaugural football game Friday against Holy Cross, and Crusaders coach Tim Odom sweat so profusely, he had to change shirts. In the student section, St. Henry senior Paige Von Eye and a few hundred of her closest friends joyfully wore red t-shirts. “The environment was excited,” she said. […]
Posted inVolleyball
Milyn Minor: a major contributor to Scott volleyball success
What you need to know Milyn Minor’s athletic career started on the dance floor. It continued on the basketball court and soccer pitch. Scott’s senior hitter doesn’t do the Griddy, knock down 3-pointers or score goals very much. Instead, she concentrates on kills, assists, digs and blocks, all of which will be needed for the […]
Posted inFootball
A second Lorenzen humbly seeks football fun
If it takes you more than five seconds to determine Highlands junior Tayden Lorenzen loves football, you’re not paying attention. The 6-foot-3, 230 pound Lorenzen says being a football player – he’s a tight end, linebacker and kick holder – is just part of the fun of high school sports. “Having a relationship with my […]
Posted inFootball
Say goodbye to grass: Dayton, Bellevue opening new stadiums
Dayton’s old football home, O.W. Davis Field, was frequently dangerous to running backs. Bellevue’s Gilligan Stadium was often impossible to drain after a hard rain. Both venues have undergone major changes. Dayton christens its new on-campus digs against Pendleton County on Aug. 29, and Bellevue is scheduled to debut its new turf field Sept. 12 […]
Posted inSports
Dream team, dream job: St. Henry begins first varsity season
Tim Odom remembers the conversation as if it was yesterday. St. Henry begins its inaugural varsity football season Aug. 22 against Holy Cross with Odom on the sidelines. Leading the Crusaders is Odom’s dream coaching job – as he told his brother, the late Steve Odom, some 35 years ago, when he was defensive coordinator at Dixie Heights. “And you […]
Posted inFootball
Lloyd, Ludlow and Newport rearranging lineups in ’25
Newport head football coach Paul Wiggins calls the 2025 season “a shuffle.” Lloyd Memorial coach Kyle Niederman has to replace nine seniors, Wiggins lost six, and Ludlow’s Woody McMillen lost 11 seniors and a would-be senior this year. Whether you call it a reload, rebuild or retool, the Wildcats, Juggernauts and Panthers are contemplating a […]