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!
1964-65 Holy Cross boys basketball
The Indians had this run in them four years in the making. It started when George Schneider took over the program and six freshman made the varsity team in the 1961-62 season.
Dave Hickey, Don Meyer, Bob Bohman, Ken Rump, Bob Kuehling and Dan Bell were the freshman at the time, Hickey and Meyer earned starting positions by season’s end. They improved from 13-12 in 1961-62 to 21-10 in 1962-63 to 24-6 in 1963-64 and it all built up to 30-4 in 1964-65.
Hickey, Meyer and Bohman really started to build up as juniors while Rump, Bell and Keuhling provided the depth. They came up short that season to George Stone and Covington Grant in the region championship but the blueprint was now out.
Hickey ran the point, Meyer, Bohman, Rump, Kuehling and Bell providing the scoring and rebounding. Junior Bill Rieger added more depth. After winning the district over Covington Catholic, they won their first region title in program history by taking out Highlands. Then they set their sights on the big stage at Louisville’s Freedom Hall for the Sweet 16.
They took down Madisonville and then No. 1 Dunbar. In the semifinals, the Indians defeated Hazel Green and a talented duo in Gerald and Richard Tuttle, who went on to play for Dean Smith at North Carolina. Then came Breckinridge County, who was led by Butch Beard, eventually going on to play in the NBA for 10 years. Breckinridge took the state title game, 95-73.
Hickey and Meyer made the all-tourney team. Hickey was also selected to the all-state team and played in the Kentucky-Indiana All-Star game.
The Holy Cross fans were voted the most enthusiastic. The team was also voted the most balanced team and Hickey, the best dribbler.
The bar was set for the program in 1965 for many Holy Cross teams to follow.
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
