All three of Simon Kenton, Walton-Verona and Grant County have claimed a district title over the last six years, the Bearcats with a four-peat from 2019-22, the Braves winning one in 2023 and the Pioneers with one in 2024.
Expect these three to once again field competitive teams with a three-way battle for district supremacy.
Here’s a look at each team in the 32nd District.
This is day one of six of our district-by-district basketball previews for the 32nd-37th District for the upcoming season, slated to begin on Dec. 2
Boys basketball previews
Girls basketball previews
Simon Kenton (21-11 in 2023-24)
Last season, former Pioneers head coach Brenden Stowers helped deliver the program’s first district title in six years. This season, his father will return as the Pioneers head coach, a position he held for 20 years after Brenden took an assistant coaching job at Northern Kentucky University with Jeff Hans on the women’s staff.
“I returned for the girls,” head coach Jeff Stowers said. “With all the players we had returning, I think it would’ve been a major change for the girls had someone different come in.”
Already surpassing the 1,000-point mark, sophomore guard Brynli Pernell adds three years of varsity experience to the youthful program that graduated four seniors, but return four of their five starters.
“By the time we reach the end of the season, we expect to not miss a beat,” Stowers said.
Alongside Pernell is junior forward Haylie Webb, who averaged a near double-double with 12 points and eight rebounds per game. Anna Kelch, Meg Gadzala and Bella Ober will also fill out the rotation in key spots.
Contending for a second straight title, Simon Kenton will enter the season as the team to beat in the 32nd District, they’ll also be one of the favorites to cut down the nets in the 8th Region and make a second trip to Rupp Arena in the last three seasons for the state tournament.
For Stowers, “It’s a new season come March.”
Walton-Verona (18-11 in 2023-24)
The Bearcats enter the season with a similar mix of experience to their foes of Simon Kenton. Led by head coach Rianna Gayheart, Walton-Verona will be led by the dynamic senior duo of Campbell Christy and Braylin Terrell.
At guard, Christy ran the point for the Bearcats, while Terrell’s 6-foot-2 stature helped her average a double-double last season.
As a freshman last year, Elin Logue had a breakout season as she led the team in scoring by averaging 15 points per game.
“The experience we gained last year was much needed,” Gayheart said. “We still have a young roster but those kids were able to get a lot of reps this year.”
While the Bearcats posted a first round exit in the district tournament last season, the program made a re-appearance in the All “A” Classic state tournament after a two-year hiatus.
“We always hope to be playing our best by the time the All “A” comes around (in January),” Gayheart said.
A return to the All “A” state tournament may give them the boost they need to return to the district championship.
Grant County (19-9 in 2023-24)
After a historic district title in 2023, the Braves are on the hunt for victory once more. Led by longtime head coach Shawn West, Grant County returns three of last season’s leading scorers.
Two seniors, Caroline Barnes and Jada Cummins, will accompany sophomore guard Olivia Ginn as the Braves trio all averaged over 10 points per game. West’s program will look to return to their third-straight district final.
Williamstown (6-22 in 2023-24)
The Demons opted out of the district tournament last season with a young roster of six 8th graders, two freshman, three sophomores and two seniors.
Second-year coach Bradley Wolfzorn will look to find production out of the young Demons team as they look to be back in the district mix with Walton-Verona, Simon Kenton and Grant County all on the schedule for the season.
With eight of Williamstown’s 11 players listed as underclassmen, there’s plenty of opportunity for Wolfzorn’s players to emerge in the score column. The two seniors from last year, Gracey Crump and Jolee Litz accounted for 28.9 of their 35.9 points per game last season.