We know you’ve seen the 50 NKY sports icons list we produced from early June all the way through July.
We get it, we didn’t put some folks on the list you thought who deserved to be there. The panel of five I used to get their input gave me great options and I took the consensus from their lists and my lists to generate the 50 names. I’m confident in their NKY sports knowledge and feel really good about the list.
The names you’ll see below are definitely worthy. Why I feel like it’s good to give them their recognition as well.
In no particular order, here are the next 50 names that are very much icons for what they were able to do.
Ed Ziegler, Newport Central Catholic
A three-sport star at NewCath, Zeigler stood out in football. He still holds some NewCath records and scored 130 points his senior year when considering rushing and passing touchdowns and kicking. He earned First Team All-State honors and was an All-American. He went on to play at Notre Dame where he ran for 682 yards and scored seven career touchdowns. He went to law school and became a distinguished law professor.
Bill Westerman, Holy Cross/Notre Dame
Helped shape many lives as a coach. Started the Independence Soccer Club. Coached at Holy Cross and Notre Dame. Westerman is in the Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame.
Celeste Hill Brockett, Holmes
Starred for the Bulldogs as a basketball player, scoring 2,565 career points. She then embarked on a remarkable college career at Old Dominion. Was Colonial Athletic Association player of the year three times at ODU from 1990-94. Brockett was the first women’s player in ODU history to lead the team in scoring and rebounding all four years. Brockett finished her career as the program’s all-time leading scorer with 2,112 points. The record stood for 13 years.
Played overseas in Israel and Greece before returning to the states as a coach. She coached at Old Dominion and then at Holmes as the head coach in 2004. She currently coaches the Beechwood girls basketball program.
Derek Smith, Highlands
Smith won two state championships with Highlands in football. In 1999, Smith was runner-up for both the Kentucky Mr. Football and Mr. Basketball awards. He was a first-team all-state selection in both sports – three seasons in basketball, two in football. He won the Paul Hornung Award and Gatorade Player of the Year for football. In basketball, Smith was the 1999 Region 9 Player of the Year and finished with 2,229 career points. He was an All-SEC tight end at UK and ended up playing one year with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Scott Ruthsatz, Covington Catholic
The all-time wins leader at Covington Catholic in basketball. Ruthsatz coached the Colonels for 13 seasons with a remarkable 363-79 record. He’s the lone coach in NKY to win two boys’ state basketball titles and made it to four Final Fours, winning six region titles and 10 district titles. The state titles came in 2014 and 2018.
Doug Schloemer, Holmes
The first Mr. Basketball winner from NKY in 1978 and went on to play at Cincinnati. Was an All-State player three times and led Holmes to the state championship game in 1978, finishing runner-up to Shelby County. Finished his career with 2,617 varsity points, putting him No. 1 at the time on the 9th Region’s all-time scoring list.
Ross Neltner, Highlands
Was the 2003 Mr. Basketball winner, one of just two to ever win the award from NKY. Was a first team All-State member his senior year. Went on to play at LSU and later transferred to Vanderbilt. Scored 703 points in his college career.
Jeff Hans, St. Henry/Thomas More/NKU
Winning follows Jeff Hans. Prior to his college career as a head coach, he led the St. Henry and Lexington Catholic girls to a 89-34 record with two district titles and two regional runner-up finishes.
After St. Henry, Hans went on to coach the Thomas More women where he posted a remarkable 339-42 record and won three national championships with the Saints. On top of the national titles at two different levels, he won eight conference regular season championships, eight conference tournament titles, 11 national tournament berths and two NAIA National Runner-Up performances.
Hans is now the head coach of the NKU women’s program, about to begin his second season.
Maddie Scherr, Ryle
Just one of six from NKY to win Miss Kentucky Basketball. Led Ryle to a state title in 2019 and graduated as the program’s program’s all-time scoring, rebounding and assist leader.
She has played her college basketball at Oregon and Kentucky and is currently with TCU, heading into her senior season after having to redshirt last year due to an injury. In her college career, she’s scored 859 points, pulled down 427 rebounds and dished out 352 assists.
Gino Guidugli, Highlands
Led Highlands to two state championships in football in 1999 and 2000. He also helped lead the Bluebirds to the Sweet 16 in basketball in 2000 thanks to his buzzer-beating shot in the region championship against Holmes.
Guidugli still ranks in the KHSAA record books as one of the top QBs in the state’s history. He went on to have a standout career in college at Cincinnati, setting all-time program records in passing yards (11,453), attempts (1,556), completions (880) and touchdown passes (78). He also held single-season marks for passing yards (3,543), attempts (472) and completions (258) when he graduated.
Lynn Ray, Boone County/Lloyd Memorial/Covington Catholic
Lynn Ray is the one who ignited Covington Catholic football, eventually leading them to five state football titles and 234 wins from 1975-2004.
As a player, Ray was a three-sport athlete in football, basketball and baseball at Boone County. He earned 1962 All-State Honorable Mention at running back and was voted the school’s overall Most Valuable Athlete for all sports in 1962 and ’63. He earned a football scholarship and played football at Eastern Kentucky, graduating in 1968.
He was also an assistant at Lloyd Memorial prior to coaching at Covington Catholic.
Bruce Kozerski, Holy Cross
Kozerski helped start up football at Holy Cross and was head coach of the Indians for 20 seasons. He guided the Holy Cross program to reach its pinnacle in 2011 when the Indians won the Class 2A state championship.
He played in 172 NFL games for the Cincinnati Bengals, starting in 138 of them over a 12-year span. He was dubbed “Mr. Versatile”.
John Turner, Newport
After a successful high school basketball career at Newport, John Turner went on to play at Louisville and was later drafted by the NBA’s Chicago Packers in 1961 in the second round with the 18th pick.
Turner is eighth all-time in program history at Louisville for both career scoring average (16.9 points per game) and career rebounding average (10.6 rebounds per game).
Newport commemorates Turner with the annual John Turner Classic, an early season basketball invitational with games played all day at Newport.
David Henley, Holmes
Henley is in a select group of boys basketball coaches in Kentucky history with 500 career victories (511-290 record) and a state championship (2009 at Holmes). He coached high school basketball for 36 seasons. He had a five-year run with Holmes in which they won the 9th Region four times capped off with a state championship in 2009.
Brandent Englemon, Holmes
Englemon was a football and basketball standout at Holmes. He graduated with program records in passing yards (4,039) and rushing yards (1,845). He was also an All-Tournament team member in basketball.
He then went on to play at Michigan, collecting 157 tackles at safety. His senior season was by far his best, finishing with 86 tackles and three interceptions. In that season, he was later named to the honorable mention list for All-Big Ten conference.
Englemon died at the young age of 36 in 2021.
Doug Pelfrey, Scott
The Scott High grad played for the Bengals for seven seasons from 1993-99. His NFL career kicking stats were 153-of-198 field goals made (77.3%) and has 660 career points.
Played collegiately at Kentucky, he was a first team All-SEC member in 1991 and second team in 1992. He was inducted into the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005.
Becky Tenkman Mirick, Notre Dame Academy
The MVP of the 1994 state champion Pandas volleyball team. A three-year starter and All-State selection and was named NKY Player of the Year. She played at the University of Cincinnati where she was Conference USA Freshman of the Year and in 1997 became only the third Bearcat to to have 1,000 kills as a junior. She graduated the all-time leader in kills, aces, digs, block attempts and kill attempts.
George Stone, William Grant
Stone played hoops at William Grant in Covington and went on to play at Marshall, where he scored 1,723 points in three seasons and was an All-MAC selection in 1967. He was later inducted into the Marshall athletics Hall of Fame. Stone was drafted in 1968 by the American Basketball Association’s Los Angeles Stars. He helped lead the Stars to the finals in 1970, scoring 23.6 points per game in the playoffs. Stone won an ABA title a year later with the Utah Stars.
Mark Pike, Dixie Heights
Played football at Dixie Heights, Georgia Tech and had a 12-year career with the Buffalo Bills. In his career with the Bills, Pike registered 255 tackles, the second most in NFL history for any special teams player. Played in four Super Bowls.
Pike died in 2021 from non-Hodgkin lymphoma complicated by COVID-19 pneumonia.
Mike Mitchell, Covington Catholic/Highlands
Mitchell played three years at Covington Catholic before transferring to Highlands for his senior year of football and helped lead the Bluebirds to a state title in 2004. It didn’t come without controversy, as the Bluebirds originally had to forfeit the 12 wins that Mitchell participated in, making the school the only team to ever go 2-13 and be State Champions. The district appealed in 2010 and the wins were later re-instated. Mitchell went on to play at Ohio University, recording 213 tackles and seven interceptions in his college career.
He was later drafted by the Oakland Raiders in 2009, having a 10-year career in the NFL. He finished with 514 tackles, 7.5 sacks, nine forced fumbles, 42 pass deflections and 11 interceptions.
Jim Volpenhein, Covington Catholic
The CovCath alum has won seven Tony Blom Metropolitan Golf Championships, Kentucky Tournament of Champions back-to-back years, qualified for the US Amateur eight times and has two US Open Sectional titles. Was named Player of the Year three times by the Greater Cincinnati Golf Association.
Troy McKinley, Simon Kenton
When Simon Kenton needed a community to rally, Troy McKinley and Simon Kenton’s basketball team came through. A gas explosion in the basement boiler room killed a student in the art room next door and hurt several others on Oct. 9, 1980. The Pioneers had no gym and had to practice anywhere they could find gym time. They eventually made their way to Rupp Arena and the Sweet 16, winning it all in 1981, the first Northern Kentucky school to claim a boys’ state basketball title.
McKinley was the tournament MVP and later went on to play at the University of Kentucky, playing in 78 games for the Wildcats and scoring 190 career points.
Larry Miller, Simon Kenton
Led the Pioneers basketball team to the 1981 state title, the first team to do so from Northern Kentucky.
Larry Schreiber, Dixie Heights
Played his football at Dixie Heights before heading to Tennessee Tech in college. In 1969 he was the Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year. Went on to have a six-year career in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears. Had 1,749 rushing yards, 982 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns in his career.
Marty Moore, Highlands
After his playing days at Highlands, he went to the University of Kentucky where he was a first team All-SEC selection in 1993. He was second team All-SEC in 1992 and was inducted into the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
Mr. Irrelevant, known as the last pick in the NFL Draft, Moore was the first Mr. Irrelevant to play in a Super Bowl with the New England Patriots in 2001, in which they beat St. Louis. Moore played eight seasons in the NFL, seven with the Patriots and one with the Cleveland Browns. His career in the NFL consisted of 173 tackles, three interceptions and two forced fumbles.
Stan Arnzen, Newport
Longtime basketball coach at Newport. Incorporated African-American players as Kentucky intergrated. Coached for 22 years at Newport and never had a losing season. Was in the Cincinnati Reds organization, but a broken leg derailed his baseball career.
Bob Barton, Holmes
A standout in baseball and basketball, Barton chose baseball and it turned out to be a pretty good choice. Had a 10-year career in the Major Leagues with the San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres and Cincinnati Reds. Was the backup to Johnny Bench in 1973. Had an offer to play basketball for Kentucky under Adolph Rupp.
Brian O’Conner, Covington Latin/Thomas More
After a standout career at Thomas More in which he graduated as the program’s all-time leading scorer, O’Conner was drafted by the New York Knicks. His daughter Lauren was a standout volleyball player, playing at Scott and then the University of Kentucky. Both are Northern Kentucky Athletic Directors Hall of Fame members.
Katie Schwegmann, Bishop Brossart
The 2001 Miss Kentucky Basketball winner. Went on to play at Miami (Ohio), but injuries derailed her playing career. Schweggmann’s basketball accolades include being a two-time Street and Smith Magazine All-American, a three-time AP All-State selection and the USA Today Player of the Year, the NKAC Player of the Year, KBC 10th Region Player of the Year, the Louisville Courier Journal Player of the Year, the Gatorade Player of the Year, the Pepsi Cola Player of the Year and a three-time selection as All “A” state tournament MVP.
Erica Hallman, Holmes
The 2002 Miss Kentucky Basketball winner. Went on to play at Kansas and was an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention her junior and senior years. Once recorded a 27-assist game at Holmes and graduated as the program’s all time scoring and assists leader.
Patrick Towles, Highlands
The 2011 Mr. Kentucky Football award winner was the No. 1 football recruit in the state for the 2012 class. The Bluebirds won three consecutive state championships and compiled a 41-1 record with him running the offense. His career passing totals were 7,431 yards and 73 touchdowns. He also rushed for 1,718 yards and 38 TDs.
He then played three years at Kentucky and one at Boston College, collecting 6,829 passing yards and 36 touchdowns in 41 career games.
Towles is the grandson of former U.S. Senator and Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Jim Bunning.
Tanner Morgan, Ryle
With his stats that carry over from his first two years at Hazard, Morgan currently leads Northern Kentucky for passing yards with 10,303 in his high school career. After Ryle, he went to Minnesota where he set the all-time program record in yards for a season with 3,253 in 2019. He threw for 9,236 yards and 63 touchdowns as a Golden Gopher.
Dave Schuh, Bishop Brossart
Schuh has led the cross country and track and field programs at Bishop Brossart for over 40 years and led them to multiple state titles.
Jim Brock, William Grant
Brock led William Grant to a district title in the 1950s, significant because it was the first African-American school to win one in Kentucky. He later led them to four KHSAA state tournament appearances and won 185 games in his tenure. Brock became a member of the KHSAA Hall of Fame and the basketball court at Covington’s Randolph Park is named after him.
Layton Rouse, Ludlow
Rouse played basketball at Ludlow and later went on to play at Kentucky under Adolph Rupp. He was the first basketball player at Kentucky to have his jersey retired. He played at UK from 1938-40, a captain of the team and an All-Southeastern Conference player during his final season. He was later inducted into the UK Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005.
Jeff Stowers, Simon Kenton
Stowers has transformed the Simon Kenton girls basketball program into one of the top programs in the state. He’s posted a 453-185 record upon his arrival in 2002 and has 553 career wins when counting his 100 victories at Seven Hills in Cincinnati. The 453 wins in KHSAA girls basketball is top 30 all-time. He’s on a short list of Northern Kentucky girls basketball coaches with 400 high school wins or more, ranking fourth all-time in the area.
He’s led Simon Kenton to six 8th Region titles. They’ve won at least 20 games 15 times and 18 winning seasons.
Dan Tieman, Covington Catholic/Thomas More basketball
A CovCath grad who was a teacher, player and coach in his career. As a player, Tieman graduated from Covington Catholic in 1958 before going on to play at Villa Madonna College (now known as Thomas More). He was the team MVP in 1960 and ’61. He recorded 1,454 points and 319 assists in his college career. Tieman went on to play with the Cincinnati Royals for a season in 1962-63 under Charlie Wolf. During his coaching tenure, he won 314 games as Covington Catholic’s head coach, also serving as a teacher and administrator. He was later inducted into the Greater Cincinnati Basketball Hall of Fame.
Walt Wherry, Softball
Another ASA Slow Pitch Softball Hall of Famer. Was named All-American four times and won three World Championships.
Mike Murphy, Holmes
Murphy was a four-sport star at Holmes, lettering in four sports – football, basketball, baseball and track and won a state title in the pole vault. Murphy was a high school football coach for many years, including at Highlands, Newport and Boone County.
Throughout his career, Murphy won state championships and was named Northern Kentucky Athletic Conference Coach of the Year several times. In addition to the Covington Athletic Hall of Fame, Murphy was inducted into the Northern Kentucky Athletics Directors Hall of Fame and the Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame in 1987.
Hal Wiggins, Softball
Another from NKY to make the ASA Softball Hall of Fame. Wiggins played for 31 years, playing in 15 ASA World Championships, winning four national championships, including the first with Newport’s Shields Contractors in 1955. Wiggins was named an ASA All-American three times. He was inducted into the Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame.
Ralph Landrum, St. Henry
After playing basketball and golf at St. Henry, Landrum went on to play golf at Kentucky. Turned pro in golf in 1979 and on a magical week at the 1983 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania, shot up the leaderboard and was as high as third. He’d end up eighth in the tournament, earning himself a top 10 in a major. He’d play on the PGA Tour from 1983-85, oh so close to a victory in 1984 at the Danny Thomas Memphis Classic, finishing tied for second. Landrum is now the President/Head Golf Professional at the World of Golf in Florence.
Jackie Bearden-Mistler, Dixie Heights
A 3,000-point scorer at Dixie Heights and earned All-State honors in 1980, making the KHSAA Sweet 16 All-Tournament team. Was also a standout volleyball and softball player.
Reynolds Flynn, Holmes
A former basketball coach at Covington Holmes. He amassed a 569-247 career coaching record and coached teams to five Sweet 16 State Tournament appearances. He also served as a softball official.
Roger Klein, Bellevue
Klein made Bellevue center stage for tennis and was a pioneer for Kentucky high school tennis. He was the tennis coach at Bellevue for 32 years, including hosting the first seven Kentucky High School state tennis tournaments. Klein guided the Tigers to three state singles champions, five doubles titles and 28 regional singles and doubles titles. His teams went 419-98 under his guidance. After coaching at Bellevue, Klein started up the tennis program at NKU, where he coached for 14 years.
Frank Busch, Swimming
Busch is an Edgewood native, beginning his coaching career at 16 years old. Led the Northern Kentucky Piranhas from 1974-78, assisted the Cincinnati Marlins from 1979-80, whose 1980 team put six in the Olympics and broke three world records. Busch was the swim coach at the University of Arizona for 22 years, transforming the Wildcats to one of the nation’s most powerful programs. He guided swimmers to 49 NCAA individual titles, 31 relay titles and two NCAA team titles.
Jimmy Boothe, Dayton
The Dayton grad was pivotal in helping lead Xavier to the NIT in the late 1950s. Standing at just 5-foot-7, Boothe scored over 1,000 points with the Musketeers with a 13.3 point per game average in his college career. He then became a teacher, coach and superintendent.
Raymond “Whitey” Brown, Softball
Was a five-time ASA World Champion in softball and later inducted into the ASA Hall of Fame. He was the 10th slow-pitch softball player inducted into the ASA Hall of Fame.
Bill Cappel, Covington
The sports complex in Covington was named after him. He was also a world champion in softball, playing for Nick Carr’s Boosters. Cappel was a pioneer in the involvement in giving females the chance to play softball. He also played a big part in starting up the Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame.
Drew McDonald, Newport Central Catholic/NKU
The Newport Central Catholic grad left NKU as the basketball program’s all-time leading scorer. Led the Thoroughbreds to three straight All “A” state titles and was also a standout in golf, winning the All “A” state title his senior year.
Bob Davis, Dayton
A 1934 Dayton grad and three-time All-SEC football player at Kentucky. Ran for 2,083 yards and scored 180 points as a Wildcat. Went on to play professional football for the Cleveland Rams, Philadelphia Eagles and Boston Yanks. Made the inaugural class for the Northern Kentucky Athletic Directors Hall of Fame.
Others worthy of a mention:
Ron Beagle (Taylor Mill), John Burt (Highlands), Jim Burt (Highlands), Robbie Clarkson (Conner), James Claypool (Beechwood), Tom Creamer (Beechwood), John Crigler (Hebron), Tom Cundy (Bellevue), Bob Daugherty (Bellevue), Jim Daugherty (Bellevue), Ron Dawn (Newport Central Catholic), John DeMoisey (Walton), Jean DeMoisey (Walton) , Bob DeMoss (Dayton), Clay Eifert (Holy Cross), Mike Fessler (Covington Catholic), Leo Foster (Holmes), Brandon Hatton (Dixie Heights), Lexi Held (Cooper), Cameron Hergott (Beechwood), Al Howe (Newport), Charles Johnson (Lloyd Memorial), Nate Jones (NKU), Ed Kennedy (Ludlow), Bob Miller (Bellevue), Joan Mitchell (NKAC), Rice Mountjoy (Dixie Heights/Boone County), Ralph Mussman (Newport), Thurman Owens (Holmes), Don Rardin (softball), Myron Reinhardt (Alexandria), Aric Russell (Newport/Campbell County), Fredda Simpson (Villa Madonna), Phelan Spence (fencing), Howard Stacey (Dixie Heights), Larry Staverman (NewCath/Villa Madonna), Jack Thobe (Ludlow), Roger Tieman (Covington Catholic), Bill Topmiller (Covington Catholic), Pat Uebel (Bellevue), Dick Vories (Newport), Paul Walther (Covington), Marques Warrick (NKU), Jim Weyer (NewCath/Villa Madonna), Charley Wolf (Covington), Donna Wolfe (Covington), John Wimzie (Holmes), Bob White (football), Jason Yeager (Dixie Heights), VanLaningham family (Boone County/Cooper)