Northern Kentucky sports news happens fast. Jets are fast. And so are the fastest 1,000 words in sports.
Former Ryle Football Player Leads Alabama-Georgia Flyover
https://www.facebook.com/AlabamaAthletics/videos/1061811415339181
The lead pilot of the pregame flyover for Saturday’s Alabama-Georgia college football game was former Ryle High School football player Vince Murray. The Raiders’ multi-sport athlete continued his football career at Navy. On Saturday, he flew in an F-35 jet as a member of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing out of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in North Carolina.
The 2nd MAW is the major east coast aviation unit for the Marine Corps. The wing’s mission is to support the Fleet Marine Force with air operations, including offensive air support, anti-air warfare and assault support. Marine pilots undergo the most extensive pilot training of all branches of the military, including pre-flight, primary flight and advanced flight training.
Murray, 35 from Union, is one of more than 60 former Ryle players who went on to play college football. A two-way standout for the Raiders, he played fullback in the power-I and linebacker on defense. He received college offers to play linebacker at East Carolina, Eastern Kentucky and Wofford. A member of the 2007 graduation class, Murray played football, baseball and basketball at Ryle. He is a 2014 Ryle Sports Hall of Fame inductee.
Murray was a 6-foot-1, 217-pound fullback at Navy and started his final two seasons. He finished with 1,353 career yards on 5.4 per carry and nine touchdowns. Murray rushed for a Navy career-best 971 yards his junior season. He totaled 589 yards rushing during a four-game stretch vs. SMU, Wake Forest, Temple and Notre Dame.
In December 2010, Murray was one of 24 Navy seniors receiving service assignments. Graduates of the Naval Academy serve a minimum of five years in the Navy or Marine Corps, while pilots serve eight years upon earning their wings. In 2019, Murray was a captain and pilot training officer with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 115 out of Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort in South Carolina and was recognized by his command for exemplary performance and leadership.
Current, Former Bellevue Football Coaches Meet Second Straight Week
The 110th meeting in the longstanding Bellevue-Ludlow football series features a clash of coaches with Bellevue ties for the second game in a row for the Tigers. The riverside high school rivalry is renewed Friday with a 7 p.m. kickoff at venerable James Rigney Memorial Stadium in Ludlow. Bellevue leads the all-time series 67-37-5. Bellevue is coming off a 46-0 shutout of Gamble Montessori (OH), a team helmed by former Bellevue head coach Dave Brausch. Ludlow, led by former Bellevue coach Woody McMillen, is coming off a win against Pendleton County.
The first game of the Bellevue-Ludlow series was played in 1925, Bellevue winning, 13-0. The schools played continuously for 87 consecutive years from 1935 to 2021. The streak ended in 2022 under Brausch due to Tigers forfeit, ending a streak of 99 games in a row without a miss. Bellevue forfeited the 2022 Ludlow meeting because of lack of players after a spate of injuries. The last Bellevue win in the Ludlow series came in 2016. The Panthers’ current nine-game winning streak against the Tigers is their longest streak in the series.
Bellevue is off to a 3-1 start this season. Ludlow is 3-2. The Tigers’ top weapon is running back Jordan Pendleton. He has carried 40 times for 442 yards and nine touchdowns. Ludlow is led by running back Dameyn Anness. He’s rushed 58 times for 611 yards and five TDs.
The Tigers and Panthers have one common opponent that they have played: Pendleton County. Bellevue defeated Pendleton, 36-6. Ludlow beat Pendleton, 58-12. On one sideline, the Class 1A District 4 contest features Tigers second-year head coach Chad Montgomery. He played football at Bellevue, starring at running back. On the opposing sideline is Ludlow’s McMillen, who was head coach at Bellevue for four seasons from 2015-18.
Ludlow got the best of the Tigers, beating them twice in two meetings in Montgomery’s first season as Bellevue head coach. McMillen led the Panthers to a 56-14 district victory in Bellevue and Ludlow won 46-14 in the Class A playoff opener at home. Ludlow finished 8-5 last season. Bellevue finished 4-7.
Super Mann Chooses Baseball Over Basketball
Newport Central Catholic multi-sport standout Ian Mann has verbally committed to the Thomas More University baseball team. Mann, a senior, pitches and plays the outfield for the Thoroughbreds. He’s also a standout on the NewCath basketball team. Mann led the baseball team with a .372 batting average and 22 stolen bases in 22 attempts as a junior. He was second in runs, hits, triples and walks. He struck out just seven times in a little over 100 plate appearances.
On the mound, Mann led all NewCath regulars with a 2.47 ERA across 17 innings pitched in six appearances including two starts. The right-hander went 2-0 with 16 strikeouts. Mann hit a team-leading .488 as a sophomore and led the ‘Breds with a 0.86 ERA in 24.1 innings. He pitched a perfect game against Lloyd on April 12, 2023, while striking out nine in an 8-0 win that also featured his 2-for-3 day at the plate.
Mann was a Northern Kentucky Baseball Coaches Association State Showcase nominee as a sophomore and an all-area pick as a junior. He’s been selected to all-district, all-region and All “A” Classic all-tournament teams. He’s also been a Northern Kentucky Boys Basketball Coaches Association Division II All-Conference selection. He scored a team-high 13.4 points per game last season for the NewCath basketball team. He averaged 14.2 points as a sophomore. Mann needs 126 points to join NewCath’s 1,000-point club.
Johnson Commits To Illinois-Chicago
Cooper basketball player Andy Johnson has verbally committed to University of Illinois Chicago of the Missouri Valley Conference. Johnson, a 6-foot-5 senior swingman, chose UIC over a host of other potential NCAA Division I suitors including Boston University, Eastern Kentucky, Morehead State, North Florida and Youngstown State.
Johnson scored a team-high 15.3 points per game last season for the Jaguars. He averaged 25 points in the first two contests before suffering a wrist injury that caused him to miss 23 games of his junior season.
Green Is Chicago-bound
Highlands basketball player Marissa Green has verbally committed to UIC. She also entertained offers from Northern Kentucky, Bowling Green, Illinois State, Marshall, Murray State and West Georgia among others. The decision ends a four-year experience for Green, a 6-4 senior center.
Green received her first offer from Morehead State before her freshman season. It was the first time a Highlands freshman girls basketball player was offered since Highlands coach Jaime Richey in 1992. Green led Highlands with 15.6 points and 9.0 rebounds per game as a junior. She’s already a member of the Bluebirds’ 1,000-point club.
Caden Miller Heading To High Point
Former Covington Catholic basketball player Caden Miller has made a verbal commitment with High Point, a Division I program in North Carolina. The Panthers are members of the Big South Conference. Miller, a 6-foot-10, 220-pound forward, also received offers from DePaul, Eastern Kentucky, Mississippi State and Missouri among others.
Miller, originally from Arkansas, is taking a post-graduate year at Moravian Prep National in North Carolina before heading to college. The son of former Bengals linebacker Caleb Miller, he was a one-year wonder for CovCath last season. He averaged 15.3 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, earning co-9th Region Player of the Year honors from the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches.
Holtman From Heritage Receiving Offers
Heritage Academy’s Cade Holtman has received a college basketball offer. It comes from Welch College in Gallatin, Tennessee. The Flames compete in the National Christian College Athletic Association. Holtman, a senior guard, scored a team-best 14.3 points and added 3.9 assists per game last season as a Heritage junior. He also surpassed 600 career points. Among his honors and awards are selection to the 2024 33rd District all-tournament team.
