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:
KROHMAN, EUBANK GO BACK-TO-BACK: Simon Kenton High School boys basketball star Travis Krohman and Ryle girls basketball standout Quinn Eubank nabbed the latest weekly LaRosa’s MVP awards. Krohman was honored last week, Eubank this week. That gives Northern Kentucky three of the last five LaRosa’s MVP honorees, four of the last eight and seven of the last 16. The first 22 winners for 2023-24 all hailed from Ohio high schools. Other local winners this prep sports season: Julia Hunt from Holy Cross, Liz Freihofer from Cooper, Ryle’s Logan Verax, Covington Catholic’s Willie Rodriguez and Alivia Skidmore from St. Henry.
Krohman, a senior guard, has committed to play basketball at Thomas More University. Here are some abbreviated highlights from his LaRosa’s MVP bio: “Travis is a school record-holder. When he scored 48 points in a game against Henry County, he became the school’s all-time single-game scoring leader. He also holds the school record for three-pointers made. Travis has already scored 1,300 points in his career. He is an all-8th Region pick this season, as well as first-team all-NKAC Division I.”
Eubank, a senior post player, has committed to Belmont University. Highlights from her LaRosa’s MVP bio: “Eubank has scored nearly 1,800 points and pulled down 1,300 rebounds in her prep career. Her 23 rebounds in a game during the 2021-22 season set a school record, breaking her own. Quinn has been nominated for the 2024 McDonald’s All-American Games and is a nominee for Kentucky Ms. Basketball. She was named first-team all-9th Region and first-team all-NKAC Division I. She is the program’s all-time leading rebounder and is second in assists and third in blocks.”
WINNING COMBINATIONS: They don’t give out an award for best combined winning percentage for local high school basketball programs. If they did, Cooper would be the 2023-24 runaway winner. The Cooper boys basketball team finished the season with a 24-9 record. The Cooper girls entered the Sweet 16 state tournament with a record of 29-4 and won its 30th game last night in first-round action against Danville Christian.
Together, the Cooper basketball teams are 54-13 for a winning percentage of .806. No other 9th Region school had a combined winning percentage of .700 or better among its boys and girls basketball teams.
The top 12: 1. Cooper .806, 2. Campbell County .738, 3. Holy Cross .698, 4. Bellevue .650, 4. Walton-Verona .650, 6. Ryle .625, 7. Highlands .609, 8. Newport .591, 9. Simon Kenton .590, 10. Lloyd .590, 11. Dixie Heights .571, 12. Ludlow .564.
NKU POWERING UP: When the Northern Kentucky University softball team beat Michigan, 3-2 at home Sunday, it marked the program’s second Power Five win in school history and the second straight season the Norse have accomplished the feat. NKU beat Michigan State last season, giving the Norse some early success against the Big 10. Last week, the NKU baseball team traveled to Missouri of the Southeastern Conference and knocked off the Tigers, 16-15 for its first Power 5 series victory in program history.
PERDUE G-MAC PITCHER OF THE WEEK: Thomas More sophomore pitcher Jack Perdue was named Great Midwest Athletic Conference Baseball Pitcher of the Week on Monday, the first time a member of the baseball team has earned the award. Perdue was honored after pitching a seven-hit shutout and striking out seven against Davis & Elkins.
TMU FRESHMAN AMONG CONFERENCE LEADERS: Sam Bond is also off to a hot start for the Thomas More baseball team. The freshman catcher from East Central High School in Indiana ranked first in the G-MAC in on-base percentage (.638), third in slugging percentage (.813) and fourth in batting average (.469) in the conference’s latest statistical update. That gave him an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 1.451, ranking second. Bond is tied for sixth in the conference in doubles (5) and has been hit by a GMAC-leading nine pitches. He has two home runs.
SAINTS CATCH AS CATCH CAN: Catcher Josie Wefer leads the Thomas More softball team in hits (19), runs (10), doubles (7), total bases (26) and slugging (.433). The junior is one of two Saints who have appeared in every game this season. The one-time Morehead State transfer leads the Saints’ regular starters with a .317 batting average. She played high school softball at Oak Hills.
RYLE GETS REVENGE: Ryle turned the tables on defending 9th Region baseball champion Beechwood in the season opener for both teams Wednesday. The Raiders, eliminated by Beechwood in the first round of last year’s regional tournament, beat the Tigers 8-2 at home. Ryle pitchers Caleb Mann, Lucas Sanders and Dylan McIntyre combined to allow four hits while striking out 15, eight of those by starter Mann in three innings. Sam Eppley and AJ Curry both had a pair of hits and a double. McIntyre drove in three runs and picked up the win in relief.
SUCCESSFUL TIGERS DEBUT: Season-opening news was better for the Tigers’ softball team, which gave first-year coach Chris Scott victories in his first two games at Beechwood (2-1). The Tigers beat Villa Madonna, 9-7 on Tuesday and routed Newport, 28-5 in just three innings Wednesday before losing to Bishop Brossart on Thursday. The Tigers’ Katelynn Murphy homered against Newport while going 2-for-2 with five RBI.
SPEED READS: Dan Trame is the new St. Henry girls basketball coach. He replaces Todd Smart, who resigned after five seasons with the team. Trame, a teacher at St. Henry, has recently been a St. Henry girls junior varsity basketball coach with working knowledge of many of next season’s varsity players. It’s a full-circle moment for Trame. His first head-coaching job was for the St. Henry boys basketball team from 1990-92. Trame also coached boys basketball at Holy Cross, Simon Kenton and Walton-Verona. The last time he head-coached basketball, he surpassed the 300-win milestone (308-204 lifetime) at Walton-Verona in 2012-13. Trame has also coached high school golf and softball.
Daniel Court is the new head football coach at Boone County, succeeding Bryson Warner. Court, a veteran high school football coach, is a physical education teacher at Boone County and also the boys tennis coach. He played football at Highlands where he also coached for the illustrious Dale Mueller and was part of two state championship teams as a freshman and senior. Court also won state crowns while coaching with Mueller at Highlands. Court most recently coached football at Scott as defensive coordinator.
Derek Bosse at Dixie Heights received the 9th Region Athletic Director of the Year Award. Dixie Heights has enjoyed success in several sports for both boys and girls under Bosse’s direction.
Isaac Speicher has resigned as Beechwood girls basketball coach. Speicher put together a career record of 33-57 in three seasons at Beechwood, highlighted by a 14-14 record his second season. The Tigers finished 9-22 this season.