To be the winning team, fan votes play a heavy role, along with consideration from our sports team here at LINK.
Nominations are reader-submitted or recommended by our sports team. Our Team of the Week program honors all local sports at all levels, whether it’s youth or adult-oriented recreation, high school or college, professional or amateur.
This week’s nominated teams are listed below with some information provided by the submitter or LINK nky staff. The poll where you can vote follows at the end of the article.
Voting is open until Sunday night.
RYLE BOYS SOCCER
The Raiders earned a repeat in the 9th Region with victories over St. Henry (2-0), Highlands (2-0) and Newport Central Catholic (1-0) last week.
They didn’t allow a goal in the tournament and have surrendered just one goal in six postseason games so far.
In the victory over St. Henry, Ricardo Galan and Jake McCann scored goals, Anes Smajlovic and Diego Hoenderkamp with assists. Landon Barth had two saves to preserve the shutout.
The semifinal win over Highlands came with goals from Smajlovic and Brice Denigan, Hoenderkamp adding an assist. Barth made five saves.
The championship victory over Newport Central Catholic came by way of a Hoenderkamp goal, Diego Lakkis with an assist while Barth made two saves.
Barth was later named tournament MVP, Hoenderkamp, Smajlovic and Chris Maraduaga named to the All-Tournament team.
BISHOP BROSSART BOYS SOCCER
Bishop Brossart ended a 10-year region championship drought with a 3-0 victory over Campbell County in the 10th Region title game.
Tyler Smith was unstoppable in the Mustangs three tournament games, scoring 12 goals in wins over Mason County (10-0), George Rogers Clark (4-0) and Campbell County (3-0).
Smith scored five goals in the win over the Royals, Luke Alwell notching three and Landon Guidugli with two. Assists were dished out on nine of the goals, Samuel Chirumbolo with two, Alwell, Guidugli, Brennan Callahan, Max Runge, Andrew Lusby, Carter Boruske and Austin Tweheus with one apiece. Michael Cooney needed just one save for the shutout in goal.
The senior Smith scored all four goals in the semifinal win over GRC, Runge, Chirumbolo and Gines Arcas with assists. Cooney made four saves for the shutout.
In the finale, Smith added three more to his already program record-setting goals total, Runge and Chirumbolo with assists while Cooney made four saves.
The Mustangs storybook season that also came with a fourth straight 37th District title came to an end on Monday night in a first round state tournament loss to Ryle. They finished their season with a 17-5-5 record.
NOTRE DAME SOCCER
The Pandas secured their eighth region title in the last 12 years with a 3-0 victory over Cooper on Oct. 14. Notre Dame defeated Conner (3-0), Highlands (2-1) and Cooper (3-0) on their way to the title.
In the 3-0 victory over Conner, Cameron Kirtley, Sadie Yapp and Kate Lenihan found the back of the net while Kirtley, Maya Tully and and Jane Schuh added assists. Joelle Hentz made five saves, Hannah Renaker with one for the clean sheet.
Hannah Knapke scored the game-winning goal in the 2-1 victory over Highlands in the final minute of regulation. Knapke was later named tournament MVP. Lenihan added a goal while Kimberly Woeste had the assist on the game-winner. Riley Robertson added an assist, Hentz with five saves in net.
In the championship victory over Cooper, Lenihan, Knapke and Woeste scored goals, Robertson with two assists and Schuch with one. Hentz and Renaker again combined for a shutout, Hentz with four saves and Renaker with two.
On top of Knapke’s MVP honor, Lenihan, Woeste and Megan McGraw were named to the All-Tournament team.
Notre Dame continues its postseason run with George Rogers Clark on Tuesday in Winchester in the first round of the state tournament.
WALTON-VERONA FOOTBALL
The injury bug has hit the Walton-Verona football team hard this season, a downfall to their recent three-game losing streak.
But the Bearcats recovered on Friday with a 31-20 victory over Gallatin County to keep their postseason hopes alive. Avery Howe threw for 218 yards and four touchdowns, Trace Dalton catching two of those touchdown passes and finishing with 92 yards receiving. Carter Daniels and Brett Wiethorn had the other touchdown grabs. The run game was in sync, tallying 148 yards by five different ball carriers led by Eli Diop with 53 yards rushing and Wiethorn with 51.
The Bearcat defense forced four turnovers, Cooper Burch and Jonathan Strunk with fumble recoveries, Dalton and Jonathan Siebert with interceptions. Burch added a sack while Diop had four tackles for loss.
Now comes the most important game of the season to date for Walton-Verona as they host Owen County. A win would put them in position for a playoff berth, depending how the rest of the district action shakes out on Friday night. If Beechwood defeats Bracken County, it would put the Bearcats, Owen and Bracken in a three-way tie for the third and fourth playoff berths in the district. The Bearcats would then need a victory over Boone County the following week to help boost their RPI and make a leap over one of the two teams previously mentioned.
CONNER VOLLEYBALL
The Cougars just finished off their most successful regular season this century with a 26-7 record, the most wins in a regular season since KHSAA started keeping win totals on their website in 2000.
Conner went 2-0 last week with wins over Beechwood and McCracken County in preparation for the 33rd District tournament that begins on Tuesday night when they face Cooper in the semifinals.
In the 3-1 (19-25, 25-22, 25-16, 25-20) victory over Beechwood on Oct. 10, the team had 52 kills, 17 blocks, 49 assists, 84 digs and nine aces. Senior Lilly Hamburg put down 23 kills to earn the 1,000th of her career and Aubrey Depenbrock recorded 31 assists for the 1,000th of her career. Anna Hamilton started the Conner offensive flow with 24 digs. Peyton Walker had 16 kills and seven blocks with Jordan Ransdell adding 17 assists and three aces. Carly Nehus added to the balance with 11 digs and seven kills. Maddie Leiprecht had 11 digs and two aces with Bailey Morris recording nine digs and two aces. Annika Berwanger added four blocks.
Conner also took down McCracken County at Ryle on Oct. 14, 2-1 (25-16, 15-25, 25-12). The Cougars had 26 kills, 23 assists, 35 digs, 11 blocks and seven aces in the win.
Hamilton and Depenbrock started things with nine digs each and Depenbrock added 11 assists. Ransdell had eight assists. Hamburg and Walker had 11 and eight kills, respectively, to go with three blocks each. Hamburg and Morris had two aces each with Jordan Potter adding three assisted blocks. Maddie Leiprecht had six digs and Nehus dug up six to go with three kills and McKenzie Deatherage had four kills.
Conner takes on Cooper in the 33rd District semifinals, Tuesday evening at Boone County. They’re looking for their first 33rd District championship in program history.
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