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.
The new school year has added to the awards program. OrthoCincy Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine and LINK nky are excited to expand in addition to the weekly winners, the program will be including three winners for Team of the Season and one overall winner for Team of the Year for the 2024-25 sports seasons.
New this year for the program is the addition of the Team of the Season (TOTS) and Team of the Year (TOTY) awards. Sports seasons are considered fall, winter and spring for the purpose of this awards program. At the conclusion of each sports season, an overall TOTS winner will be chosen from all previous TOTW winners for that season. Their school will also receive a $500 scholarship to be presented to the athlete of their choice at the end of the school year.
Finally, the program culminates by selecting one TOTY from the three TOTS award winners. Online and print articles will again be published, a large commemorative plaque will be presented and the school will receive an additional $500 scholarship to be presented to the athlete of their choice at the end of the school year.
The call for nominations, voting and winning announcement for each will follow the same format as the TOTW.
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 Friday at 11:59 a.m.
COVINGTON CATHOLIC BASKETBALL
The Colonels ended 2024 and started 2025 with a bang. They’ve won five straight, including a holiday tournament championship in Florida at the Riverview Ram Jam Tournament in Sarasota. They won three games to take the title there and came home with impressive wins over Lloyd Memorial and St. Xavier (Ohio).
In Florida, Â Athens McGillis was named the MVP of the tourney, Donovan Bradshaw and Nolan Ruthsatz named to the All-Tournament team.
The junior trio of McGillis, Bradshaw and Cash Harney are combining to score 51.5 points per game for the Colonels.
They’re scheduled to return to action on Tuesday when they host Conner. The Colonels debuted as the No. 5 team in the state in the initial statewide media poll for the 2024-25 season.
HOLMES BOYS BASKETBALL
The Bulldogs are over .500 for the first time this late in the season since 2020 as they currently sit at 6-5. After an 0-3 start, Holmes has gone 6-2 in their last eight, including a win over Bracken County last week.
The win prior over Harrison County came in dramatic fashion, Tony Krutcher hitting a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer in a win over Harrison County.
Pacing the team in scoring this season is Mark McCutchin and Joseph Meyer at 14.2 points per game apiece. Dominic Scott and Kutcher come in at 9.0 and 8.4 points per game, respectively. McCutchin leads with 7.8 rebounds per game, Scott at 7.5.
The Bulldogs will look for a district win on Thursday when they take on Holy Cross in a 35th District battle at home.
SIMON KENTON GIRLS BASKETBALL
The Lady Pioneers are rolling, off to an 11-2 start to the season. Last week, they earned wins over Archbishop Alter (Ohio), Scott and Grant County, the last one the most important being a district win.
They’ve won five straight since a loss to Franklin-Simpson. They’re a young team with Brynli Pernell, Anna Kelsch, Haylie Webb and Bella Ober all averaging at least 7.4 points per game. Kelch and Webb are juniors, Pernell a sophomore and Ober a freshman.
Simon Kenton is ranked No. 13 in the initial statewide media poll for the season. They’re scheduled to return to action on Wednesday at Conner.
SCOTT HIGH SWIM AND DIVE
The Scott High swim and dive team took home first place at the Simon Kenton Invitational over the weekend with 338.5 points scored. Out of 14 schools, the boys team finished first and the girls finished third, winning the combined team championship.
They’ll host the Scott Classic on Saturday at the high school.
Vote below!