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!
1977-78 Holmes Boys Basketball
The 1977–78 Covington Holmes Bulldogs are remembered as one of the greatest teams in Ninth Region basketball history and one of Kentucky high-school basketball’s most heartbreaking “what if?” teams.
They went 34-2 and were guided by Reynolds Flynn, who amassed a 569-247 career coaching record and coached teams to five Sweet 16 State Tournament appearances.
Kentucky Mr. Basketball Doug Schloemer was the leader while Dicky Beal was the straw that stirred the drink. Other prominent players included John “Bud” Wimzie, Mark Moeves, Tony Malik, Phil Davis, Todd Riley, Maurice Green and David Derkson.
Holmes was a dominant, veteran-led team with Schloemer as its centerpiece. Schloemer finished his career as Holmes’ all-time leading scorer and rebounder, while Beal represented the next wave of talent as a sophomore.
The Bulldogs dominated every team it faced during the season – except Shelby County.
It appeared Holmes would avenge its only regular season loss to Shelby County in the state championship game when Beal scored a go-ahead goal with four seconds left in regulation. However, a timeout was called with two seconds left. Shelby County tossed in a three-quarters-court pass to Charles Hurt, whose bank shot sent the game into the first overtime game in Sweet 16 history.
In the first 30 seconds of the overtime game, Hurt “swatted” a Schloemer shot with his hand clearly through the cylinder for a “blocked shot”. Not only did it deny a field goal, but what should have been a technical foul – a made free throw and ball possession would have resulted in a potential five-point play. This is where many Northern Kentucky sports historians believe the 1977-78 Holmes boys basketball team to be the best team in Ninth Region history – “The Team Denied The State Championship.”
Shelby County went on to register a 68-66 victory and the state title.
Schloemer and John Wimzie were named First Team All-Tournament. Wimzie and co-captain Mark Moeves were both named as Honorable Mention all-state selections.
Bottom line: this was not simply a very good Holmes team that fell short. At 34–2, with a future Mr. Basketball, a future Kentucky basketball standout in Beal and a championship game that came down to a buzzer-beater and overtime, the 1977–78 Bulldogs have a legitimate claim as the greatest team in Covington Holmes and Ninth Region basketball history never to win the state title.
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
