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!
2016-17 Cooper boys basketball
Defense, defense, defense.
In order to play for head coach Tim Sullivan, you better buy in on the defensive end. That’s something the 2016-17 Cooper Jaguars excelled at. They finished 31-5, a game shy of the program’s first state title with a loss to Bowling Green in the championship, featured by future pro Terry Taylor.
But the 2016-17 Jaguars still cement their place in NKY history. They allowed more than 60 points just six times all season, just twice in their final 27 games. Teams averaged less than 50 points a game against them at 49.0 The defense was on full display come the postseason. They allowed 40.2 points per game in nine games, only four teams scoring more than 40. The defensive identity was obvious when they got to Rupp Arena for the Sweet 16. They held Meade County to 39 points and forced 19 turnovers, Collins was held to 33 points and 22% shooting, Fern Creek cracked the 40-point marker with 44. Bowling Green was the lone team all postseason to cross the 44-point mark against them with a 67-56 victory in the final.
Next level talent was scattered all over the roster and not just in basketball. Sean McNeil and Adam Kunkel were the offensive standouts, McNeil continuing his career at West Virigina with Bob Huggins before finishing out at Ohio State. Kunkel continued his basketball career at Belmont and finished out at Xavier. Both are still playing professionally.
Then there was Dante Hendrix, a two-sport standout who went on to play football at Indiana State. Braydon Runion played college baseball, finishing his career at Texas Tech after going the JUCO route to start.
Chris McNeil, Sean’s brother, ran the point and steadied the offense. Other key guys included Blaine Walters, Tyler Ollier, Daniel Wasser and Noah Shidler.
Although Cooper fell one win short of a state championship, the 2016–17 Jaguars changed expectations for the program. They proved Cooper belonged with the powers that be in Northern Kentucky and helped stop Covington Catholic’s regime on the region (along with NewCath the year prior) as the Colonels won five region titles from 2014-20.
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
