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!
2017 Covington Catholic football
From 1987 to 2006, Covington Catholic captured six state championships before enduring an 11-year title drought entering the 2017 season.
Head coach Eddie Eviston was seeking his first state championship at CovCath after winning two titles at Newport Central Catholic. He arrived in Park Hills in 2015 following two seasons as Georgetown College’s offensive coordinator.
The 2017 Covington Catholic Colonels ended that championship drought in dominant fashion. Eviston captured the third state title of his coaching career and the first of two at CovCath, leading the Colonels to the KHSAA Class 5A championship.
For the first time in program history, Covington Catholic finished with a 15-0 record. The Colonels would later match the feat with another undefeated season in 2019, but the 2017 squad set the standard with one of the most dominant campaigns in school history.
There was little drama throughout the season. CovCath outscored opponents 679-116, and no game was decided by fewer than 21 points. The closest contest was a 35-14 victory over Kings High School (Kings Mills, Ohio). During the postseason, the Colonels overwhelmed opponents by a combined 246-41.
Covington Catholic dominated every phase of the game. Their offense scored at least 40 points in 12 of 15 games, while the defense surrendered just 7.7 points per game.
Quarterback AJ Mayer directed the explosive offense before continuing his career at Miami (Ohio) and Arkansas State. Mayer accounted for 54 total touchdowns during the season, throwing for 3,114 yards and 40 touchdowns while adding 451 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns. Casey McGinness was the team’s top rusher with 1,418 yards and 22 touchdowns. AJ’s younger brother, Michael Mayer, along with Kam Butler, a key part of the defense, kicker Trey Gronotte, Jack Coldiron, and Malachi Pike, were focal points of the team’s success.
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
Day 37: 1940 Newport Baseball
Day 38: 2018 Covington Catholic Basketball
Day 39: 2022 Notre Dame Volleyball
Day 40: 2005-06 Highlands Girls Soccer
Day 41: 2007-08 Holmes boys basketball
Day 42: 1994 Notre Dame Volleyball
Day 43: 2010 St. Henry Girls Soccer
Day 44: 2016-17 Cooper boys basketball
Day 45: 1964-65 Holy Cros boys basketball
Day 46: 1956 Newport Catholic baseball
Day 47: 1996-97 Highlands boys basketball
Day 48: 1993 Covington Catholic football
Day 49: 2006 Beechwood baseball
Day 50: 1953-54 Newport boys basketball
