At Holy Cross, winning the 9th Region All “A” Championship has become a tradition, but this one demanded something extra.
Without a senior on the roster and without its leading scorer, the Indians still cut down the nets for a fifth straight region title with a 61-32 victory over Newport Central Catholic at Ben Flora Gymnasium in Bellevue, proving that standards don’t bend, even when circumstances do.
That challenge came earlier this season when junior and Youngstown State commit D’Myah Williams, the team’s leading scorer at 16 points per game, suffered a season-ending torn ACL. Forced to move forward without their star, Holy Cross leaned fully into its “next man up” mentality and, in the process, showcased the depth of its championship culture.
“D’Myah was arguably the best player on the court no matter who we played,” Holy Cross head coach Ted Arlinghaus said. “We’re not going to replace D’Myah, but what you hope is that everybody picks up a little piece here and there. What’s even more special is showing these girls that even when someone goes down, we can still have a special season.”
The Indians relied on a young starting lineup featuring two juniors, two sophomores, and a freshman. Sophomores Jai Johnson and Avery Sturgeon led the way, scoring 16 points apiece. Johnson was named tournament MVP and earned All-Tournament Team honors, while Sturgeon also received All-Tournament recognition.
With Williams out, Johnson’s responsibilities expanded significantly. The sophomore point guard has taken on a larger scoring role while continuing to run the offense.
“I definitely had to step up my game,” Johnson said. “But my teammates were always right there too, and they stepped up tremendously.”
Sturgeon’s role also shifted dramatically. After coming off the bench earlier in the season, she stepped into the starting lineup for Williams and made the most of the opportunity, knocking down four of her six attempts from beyond the arc. The night carried added meaning for Sturgeon, who shared All-Tournament honors with her cousin and teammate Alyssa Arlinghaus, as well as her sister Kennedy Sturgeon, who earned the honor for Beechwood.
“It feels really good, especially since my sister and cousin made it,” Sturgeon said. “I knew I had to step up and do more than just shoot tonight. I had to make plays.”
Holy Cross set the tone early with its defensive pressure, opening the game on an 11-0 run to take a 20-4 lead after the first quarter. The Indians continued to control the pace and extended their advantage to 31-11 at halftime.
Another 11-0 run in the third quarter pushed the lead to 49-21 heading into the fourth, and Holy Cross led by as many as 31 points down the stretch.
Newport Central Catholic, which also had no seniors on its roster, started a lineup consisting of three juniors, a sophomore, and a freshman. The Thoroughbreds were led by Kendall Thompson, who scored 15 points and earned All-Tournament Team honors alongside teammate Brooklyn Cole.
“Credit to Holy Cross, they’re a really good and well-coached team,” NewCath head coach Trevor Steiner said. “Our girls have made tremendous strides over the past two months. They’re starting to realize they can do things they’ve never done before. You saw some things begin to click tonight, not early enough and not consistently enough, but it will.”
Both programs entered the championship game tied with 15 9th Region All “A” titles. With the victory, Holy Cross now stands alone atop the region with 16 championships, the most of any program.
Holy Cross (12-2) will now turn its attention to the Kentucky All “A” Classic state tournament at the Owensboro Sportscenter. The Indians will face the 7th Region champion, either Louisville Collegiate or Kentucky Country Day, in a first-round matchup scheduled for Jan. 21 at 9:30 p.m.
Newport Central Catholic (8-5) will return to play Tuesday with a matchup against Dayton at 7:30 p.m.
2026 9th Region All “A” All-Tournament Team
Left to right:
Jai Johnson (Holy Cross), Riley Eberhard (Holy Cross), Avery Sturgeon (Holy Cross), Alyssa Arlinghaus (Holy Cross), Brooklyn Cole (Newport Central Catholic), Kendall Thompson (Newport Central Catholic), Addison Nine (Villa Madonna), Hayleigh Wight (Bellevue), Addy Garrett (Ludlow), Kennedy Sturgeon (Beechwood) Not pictured:
Kenadi Sieg (St. Henry)
MORE PHOTOS: Provided by Charles Bolton
INDIANS 61, THOROUGHBREDS 32
HOLY CROSS — 20-11-18-12 — 61
NEWPORT CENTRAL CATHOLIC — 4-7-10-11 — 32
Scoring
Holy Cross (61) — Johnson 16, Sturgeon 16, P. Arlinghaus 8, A. Arlinghaus 7, Eberhard 6, Bri. Saalfeld 3, Hunt 3, Broering 2
Newport Central Catholic (32) — Thompson 15, Cole 5, C. Giesler 4, Schill 4, Mumper 2, Wilson 2
Game Stats
Field Goals: Holy Cross 23/47, Newport Central Catholic 14/52
3-Pointers: Holy Cross 9/21, Newport Central Catholic 2/15
Free Throws: Holy Cross 6/11, Newport Central Catholic 2/6
Rebounds: Holy Cross 31, Newport Central Catholic 33
Assists: Holy Cross 16, Newport Central Catholic 3
Turnovers: Holy Cross 11, Newport Central Catholic 16
Steals: Holy Cross 8, Newport Central Catholic 5
Blocks: Holy Cross 5, Newport Central Catholic 2
Fouls: Holy Cross 14, Newport Central Catholic 7
Records: Holy Cross 12-2, Newport Central Catholic 8-5