We gave you the 50 greatest sports icons from NKY last summer. Since we had so much fun with that, we’re bringing you another list of the 50 greatest things this summer…The 50 greatest prep sports teams from NKY.Â
Each day for the next 50 days, we’ll release one of the area’s 50 greatest prep sports teams. It starts June 22 and runs into August. This is not a ranking 1-50, it’s just a collection of the 50 best sports teams ever assembled.
We’ll preface this by saying you may or may not agree with all 50 and that’s fine. Sports editor Evan Dennison assembled a panel of dedicated and longly-tenured NKY sports fans to weigh in and give their takes on who should be on the list. I trust those people because of their history and knowledge of the game in NKY. We compiled numerous lists and identified the most certain candidates for inclusion.Â
Some of the traits we sought in these teams were state championships (almost certainly a requirement), dominance, and standout players and coaches. We may have cheated a little by lumping some dominant teams together that achieved numerous consecutive state titles, but that gives a few more teams an opportunity to be recognized.Â
I hope you enjoy this, as sports are slow in the summer. This list serves as a way to remember the past a little and keep you entertained daily as it continues.
Another note, while we respect and give coverage to golf, tennis, wrestling, bowling, track and field and cross country, we consider those individual sports, so any teams from those sports will not make the list.
Here we go! Â
1991 Beechwood football
The start of the dynasty under Mike Yeagle began in 1991 for the Beechwood football team. This was the first of a four-peat for the Tigers in Class A, the first high school football coach in the state to ever do so. The success of the 1991 team laid the groundwork for future championships and solidified Beechwood’s reputation in high school football.
During the 1990s, Beechwood became the state’s most successful football program, compiling a remarkable 125-15 record and winning seven state championships during the decade. The 1991 team was the group that started it all, going 15-0 and defeating Pikeville in the Class A state championship, 34-6.
The contingent from the Beechwood folks is this is one of the top three teams ever fielded in Beechwood football history. (You’ll see the other two at a later date for sure.)
Craig Wilmhoff was the quarterback, Brandon Berger and Joey Johnson were the offensive rushing weapons. Berger ran for three touchdowns and 271 yards in the state championship game. Wilmhoff was a finalist for Mr. Football. Wilmhoff finished fourth in program history in passing yards, fifth in total offense, fourth in touchdown passes and eighth in total yards before going on to play at Eastern Kentucky University. Berger also attended EKU and was a multi-sport athlete who eventually made the Major Leagues with the Kansas City Royals, playing outfield for the club from 2001-04. Berger finished as the Tigers all-time leading rusher with 4,729 yards, second all-time in touchdowns with 73 and fourth in total offense with 5,699 yards. Johnson, Charlie Mescher and Keith Schilling helped man the defense.
The Tigers were more than just a dominant Class A program. Beechwood routinely scheduled and defeated schools from larger classifications, including several Northern Kentucky heavyweights, a philosophy that became a hallmark of Yeagle’s teams and helped cement the Tigers’ reputation as one of the state’s elite programs regardless of class.
Here’s the rundown of the 50 greatest NKY prep sports teams day by day:
Day 1: 1998 Highlands Football
Day 2: 1963 Holmes Baseball
Day 3: 2019 Covington Catholic football
Day 4: 2021 Notre Dame Academy Girls Soccer
Day 5: 1960 Highlands Football
Day 6: 1980 Villa Madonna Volleyball
Day 7: 1976 Lloyd Memorial Football
Day 8: 2009 Holmes Boys Basketball