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.
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.
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.
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!
2002 Covington Catholic baseball
By the time the final out in the 2002 KHSAA state title was recorded, the Covington Catholic Colonels had secured their place among the greatest teams in Northern Kentucky high school baseball history.
CovCath finished 40-3, tying for the second-most wins in Kentucky high school baseball history and posting what was recognized as the nation’s best record that season. The Colonels went 28-1 against 9th Region opponents, scored double-digit runs in 17 games and steamrolled through the postseason, outscoring opponents 70-15 while recording three shutouts.
It was the culmination of legendary coach Bill Krumpelbeck’s career.
Krumpelbeck guided the Colonels to the only state championship of his Hall of Fame career, defeating Louisville Trinity 5-3 in the state title game. Krumpelbeck would eventually finish his career with 1,149 victories, the second-most in KHSAA history.
The Colonels were powered by an exceptional pitching staff that posted a team ERA below 3.00. At the front was All-State player, Rob Harmon, a towering 6-foot-7 right-hander who went a perfect 13-0 with a microscopic 0.76 ERA and 144 strikeouts in 79 innings. He later pitched at Ohio and Arkansas-Little Rock, eventually being selected by the Seattle Mariners in the 33rd round of the 2006 MLB Draft.
Mark Bogenschutz provided another ace for the Colonels, finishing 10-2 with a 2.08 ERA and throwing a complete game in the state championship victory, continuing his career at Northern Kentucky University.
At the top of the lineup, leadoff hitter Sean Ryan set the tone. The future Eastern Kentucky University player was named state tournament MVP and remains Covington Catholic’s career leader in batting average and hits. Ryan, Harmon and Bogenschutz were all named to the state tournament all-tournament team.
More than two decades later, the 2002 Colonels remain the gold standard of Northern Kentucky baseball.
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
Day 9: 1991 Beechwood Football
Day 10: 1954 Newport Catholic Baseball
Day 11: 1982 Highlands Football
Day 12: 2019 Ryle Girls Basketball
Day 13: 1987 Boone County Football
Day 14: 1981 St. Henry Volleyball
Day 15: 2021 Beechwood Football
Day 16: 2002 Covington Catholic Baseball
Day 17: 1957 Highlands Football
Day 18: 2006 Ryle Softball
Day 19: 1975 Ludlow Football
Day 20: 1979 Notre Dame Volleyball
Day 21: 1977 Bellevue Football
Day 22: 2015 Holy Cross Girls Basketball
Day 23: 1970 Highlands Football
Day 24: 2013 Notre Dame Soccer
Day 25: 2011 Highlands Football
Day 26: 2015 Covington Catholic Soccer
Day 27: 1997 Beechwood Football
Day 28: 1994 Highlands Girls Basketball
Day 29: 2017 Covington Catholic Football
Day 30: 1978 Holmes Boys Basketball
Day 31: 1996 Highlands Football
Day 32: 1981 Simon Kenton Boys Basketball
Day 33: 1946 Holmes Football
Day 34: 2014 Covington Catholic Basketball
Day 35: 1951 Bellevue Football
Day 36: 2021 Highlands Boys Basketball
