The 2018 and 2019 seasons were the last time Newport won back-to-back district
championships, but the Wildcats have done it once again.
For the second year in a row, Newport has defeated Highlands in the 36th district
championship, this time around with a 63-48 victory.
In a packed Newport gym, it certainly had the feel of a postseason game.
“It was fun,” Wildcats head coach Rodney Snapp said. “The whole tournament has
been really good. Hats off to the Newport administration for doing a good job. I
always feel like Newport is a pretty good venue to hold the district tournament. It’s
historical, it’s old, it was all just pretty cool and it was neat.”
Though the ending was a 15-point margin, it was a lot closer for a majority of the game.
Highlands led by two towards the end of the first half, but that’s where Newport made their turning point. Down 22-20 with 1:30 to go in the first half, the Wildcats closed with the final six points to lead 26-22 at the half. The run continued into the second half, Newport extending their lead to 12 with the first eight points out of the break suddenly making it 34-22.
“We had to come out sharp.” Snapp said, “We pressured more, trapped more, used
our speed and athleticism. Highlands was getting really good looks, breaking us
down. They were running a great halfcourt offense and we fell into it. We pressed
better the second half and put James Turner in the middle to alter shots.”
On the other end, 36th District tournament MVP Tay Kinney found his rhythm and
gave Newport a spark. At halftime he had just seven points but followed it with 12
points in the second half.
“Having fun,” Kinney said. “In the first half I wasn’t really having fun. I was in my head
too much, letting the refs get to me. I just came out and had fun. It was all good.”
Kinney had help from his teammates. James Turner, Jabari Covington and DJ
Jackson all made the all-tournament team for Newport.
“That’s really important.” Kinney said. “It helps us and gives us the ability to take
breaks. We can always pass to somebody else, and they can go get a bucket. When
we get tired from going so hard on defense, any of us can come in.”
Turner, whose defensive assignment was Highlands leading scorer Nathan
Vinson, made his impact known on both ends. He also contributed 12 points.
“I just worked hard,” Turner said. “I didn’t give up once. I had a lot of energy that
helped me on the defensive end. The energy from the crowd helped too.”
Covington had 10 points and DJ Jackson finished with eight in the Wildcats
29th win and 21st in a row.
The Bluebirds trailed 16-15 at the end of the first quarter and stayed neck-and-neck
for most of the first half. Despite their setback early in the second half, they were
still able to cut the lead to single digits. At the end of the third quarter, it was 42-32.
To start the fourth quarter, Highlands got it to 46-39. In the regular season meeting between the Wildcats and Bluebirds that took place on Jan. 5, Newport won 76-26. A 35-point difference in less than two months.
“Seniors and us figuring out how to play with our guys,” Highlands head coach
Kevin Listerman said, “When we played them in January, we were still trying to figure
ourselves out. When we went back and watched the film, there were a lot of things
we saw that we felt we could control. We did for the most part, Newport just went
on a few runs that made them the team they are. We did a good job, just not good
enough.”
The Bluebirds aren’t done yet. Coach Kevin Listerman feels good about his team going into the region tournament.
“All about my guys first and foremost,” Listerman said. “I love my guys, they’ve been
here. All of these guys have been here since sixth grade, and I love them do death. I
know that they’re going to fight for each other. Going into the region tournament
with tough kids that love each other and compete? I’ll take that every day.”
Nathan Vinson and Hank Shick led Highlands with 17 points apiece. The Bluebirds
move to 17-13 on the season.
Newport joins Cooper, Covington Catholic, and Lloyd Memorial as the district champions heading into the 9th region tournament at Truist Arena that starts
on Monday. Depending on the region draw, they could take on Beechwood, Dixie
Heights, or Ryle in the quarterfinals.
Highlands will be one of the four district runners-up in the region tournament
including Beechwood, Dixie Heights and Ryle. They will take on one of Cooper,
Covington Catholic or Lloyd Memorial in the quarterfinal round.
WILDCATS 63, BLUEBIRDS 48
HIGHLANDS — 15-7-10-16 — 48
NEWPORT — 16-10-16-21 — 63
Scoring
Highlands (48) — Shick 17, Vinson 17, Listerman 8, Rickard 4, Moeves 2
Newport (63) — Kinney 19, Turner 12, Covington 10, Jackson 8, Lowe 6, Starks 5, Anderson 3
Game Stats
3-Pointers: Highlands 3, Newport 2
Free Throws: Highlands 13/17, Newport 11/17
Fouls: Highlands 13, Newport 16
Records: Highlands 17-15, Newport 29-3