Covington Catholic football players are piling up yardage on the quick. A Cooper football player is fast becoming an award magnet. A running back is swiftly climbing the leaderboard at Ludlow. Notre Dame Academy athletes are college-bound. It’s all here in the fastest 1,000 words in sports.
COVCATH BACKS RUSHING INTO HISTORY BOOKS
The Covington Catholic football team’s dynamic duo of Cash Harney and Dylan Gaiser has reached some rarified air on the ground. They are the first Colonels rushing combo in program history to amass 1,000 yards each in the same season.
Harney, a junior, enters Friday’s Class 4A second-round home playoff game against Johnson Central with 1,035 yards rushing. He reached 1,000 yards in the regular season finale against Campbell County. Gaiser, also a junior, joined Harney in the 1,000-yard club with a 245-yard effort in last week’s first-round playoff win over Boyd County. That gave Gaiser team leadership with 1,196 yards rushing.
Harney was limited to 33 yards on the ground against Boyd County but his 111 yards through the air put him at 1,034 yards passing on the season. That also set a new standard at CovCath as Harney is the first player in program history with a 1,000-yard rushing and 1,000-yard passing season in the same year.
“So, I am not a CovCath historian, thus I have to rely on what people tell me around here,” said coach Eddie Eviston, who played his prep football at Newport Central Catholic, where he set records. “So yes, I have been told that Cash and Dylan are the first duo to each rush for 1,000 yards in the same season. I was told Cash is also the first player to rush for a 1,000 and pass for a 1,000 in a season.”
Eviston, a former quarterback and a resourceful coach known for getting the most out of his squads, said CovCath is not a program that’s defined by the quality of team or individual statistics.
“It’s more on what we accomplish together as a team,” Eviston said. “But, with that being said, it is undeniable that Cash and Dylan are two special players. They both have great vision on the football field and are true playmakers.”
Both offensive standouts are virtual first downs waiting to happen as each average better than 10 yards per carry. Gaiser is averaging 11.6 yards per rush. Harney is averaging 12.7 yards per carry and 14.9 yards per completion.
“Dylan has tremendous acceleration and his ability to hit another gear has allowed him to make highlight-worthy plays all year long,” Eviston said. “Cash has shown a great ability to be patient and forecasting the blocks in front of him, and once a crease opens, his quick burst allows him to get in the open field.”
The crazy part: “These two guys along with most of our players have only played in four full games all year long,” Eviston said.
JAGUARS STANDOUT AWARDED LAROSA’S MVP
The winner of this week’s LaRosa’s MVP Award is Cooper senior football player Austin Alexander. The 6-foot-3, 243-pound Alexander hails from Burlington and has verbally committed to play college football at North Carolina. This makes five northern Kentucky athletes who have won the weekly high school award. There have been 12 honorees, seven from Ohio.
The last previous local winner was Jaguars golfer Reagan Ramage. This gives Cooper the last two LaRosa’s MVPs awarded to northern Kentucky athletes. Other local winners include Beechwood football player Clay Hayden. Campbell County cross country runner Olivia Holbrook and Will Sheets, a cross country runner at Covington Catholic, also won.
Here is a condensed version of Alexander’s LaRosa’s MVP bio:
“Cooper High School senior Austin Alexander is an elite two-way football player, ranked as the No. 1 edge rusher in Kentucky. He helped Cooper this year secure the first undefeated regular season in school history.
“Austin is coming off an incredible junior year when as a defensive end and linebacker he was second in the state in quarterback sacks with 19, had 27 tackles for a loss, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, a blocked punt for a TD and an interception which he returned for 75 yards. He finished the season with a total of 81 tackles (57 solo, 24 assisted) for a 12-3 Cooper team that was Class 5A state runner-up. On offense as a tight end and receiver, he had 59 catches for 1,045 yards and 18 touchdowns.
“Austin has many honors, including last season when he was first-team all-state. He was also an NKAC all-star for the third straight year with a third academic all-state selection. Austin has athletic bloodlines. He’s the nephew of Boone County legend and 2005 NFL MVP Shaun Alexander, a member of the LaRosa’s High School Sports Hall of Fame. He’s a cousin of Detroit Lions linebacker Derrick Barnes.
“A great student who’s very active in community service, Austin in his spare time enjoys playing the piano and singing. He enjoys preaching in the middle school ministry at church and attending a Bible study group on Sunday nights.”
LUDLOW RUNNER REACHES 3,000 YARDS
Ludlow junior running back Dameyn Anness is already an inspirational story along with his older brother after the two moved from house to house following family hardship. Their perseverance in the face of tough times is undeniable. They are also driven on the football field. Dameyn Anness proves it with every carry.
The tough-running tailback reached the 3,000-yard milestone in the regular season finale with 105 yards against Paris. Anness added 121 yards on the ground in the first-round playoff win over Dayton. That gave Anness 1,420 yards rushing for the season on 11.0 yards per carry and 3,163 in his Ludlow career. He can add to his total Friday as Ludlow hosts Newport in a 7 p.m. Class A second-round playoff contest.
The Ludlow career rushing record is held by Justin Blackburn who ran for 4,590 yards from 2014 through 2017, punctuated by a 2,116-yard season as a senior. Anness has a chance to catch Blackburn. Regardless, his legacy will live forever in Ludlow lore as a symbol of what can happen when a kid simply refuses to give in to the greater forces around him and excel despite them.
ST. HENRY SEEKING NEW SOCCER COACH
Jarrett Baston has stepped down from his position as head of the St. Henry girls soccer team. It completes a four-year stay with the program. Baston resigned after two seasons as head coach with a record of 16-28-3, including a 6-10-3 mark this past season. He served as St. Henry junior varsity coach the previous two seasons. Baston informed the team of his decision last week.
“I had a great time at a great school, but it’s time to focus on family,” said Baston, who served as Notre Dame freshman soccer coach before coming to St. Henry. “I would like to thank the St. Henry athletic director Jim Demler and the players. I’d also like to thank the parents and the St. Henry community for their support the last two years. We have two new practice goals with community support. We also have a new camera for away games, adding to our home camera thanks to the community.”
St. Henry outscored the opposition, 92-87, in Baston’s two seasons. The Crusaders went 6-4 against 34th District competition with a district tournament win each of his two years. They lost in a shootout to Dixie Heights in last year’s district final. The Crusaders fell to the Colonels 2-0 in this year’s final. Baston said graduation losses will be heavy with nine seniors departing including four of the top six scorers.
The next St. Henry coach will inherit at least nine new seniors. They include Jayne Knollman, one of the team’s top scorers, and goalkeeper Kenna Zimmer. Also due back are Jada Purcell, Elise Armbrister, Mersadies Egan, Katelynn McDermott, Jade Oleson, Megan Conley and Avah Mitchell.
PANDAS CRUSH SIGNING DAY
Notre Dame Academy announced six athletes who officially committed to college programs on Wednesday’s National Signing Day for all NCAA Division I and II sports outside of football or basketball. This is when college-bound athletes make verbal commitments official with a signature.
Signing from Notre Dame are three volleyball players whose verbal commitments were first reported here. They are Julia Grace and Ava Tilden, both heading to Xavier University, and Riley McCloskey, heading to Memphis.
Also putting pen to paper at Notre Dame are soccer player Cameron Kirtley who signed with Morehead State and lacrosse player Georgi Kirtley, who signed with Southern Connecticut State. Pandas softball player Abby Turnpaugh signed with Manhattan.
