Nearly a year after falling to Trinity 75–71 in overtime, that loss was the first thing mentioned when Covington Catholic began preparing for its rematch with the Shamrocks.
This time, the No. 4-ranked Colonels made sure the result was different.
CovCath poured it on from the opening tip, rolling past Trinity 78–51 Friday night in Park Hills to earn their 13th straight win and improve to 19–1 on the season.
“We talked about it and watched the film from last year,” CovCath coach Jake Thelen said. “The biggest takeaway from that game was rebounding. We got outrebounded by 16 last year, and I think this year we did a really nice job on the boards.”
The Colonels won the rebounding battle 37–29, led by Teegan Stava’s 13 boards.
What looked familiar from last season’s matchup was the performance of Athens McGillis.
After scoring 34 points in last year’s overtime loss, McGillis once again led all scorers, finishing with 29 points.
“I always come out with a killer mentality,” McGillis said. “I just keep in mind that I think the person in front of me can’t guard me. My teammates trust me, and my coaches trust me.”
One of the teammates McGillis has developed that trust with is senior Cash Harney.
Harney and Donovan Bradshaw finished second on the team in scoring with 15 points apiece, but Harney’s points carried extra significance. Early in the second half, he scored the 1,000th point of his CovCath career.
Harney entered the night needing 11 points to reach the milestone, becoming just the second player in school history to score 1,000 points while also playing football and basketball. Before transferring to CovCath, he scored a combined 479 points during his eighth-grade and freshman seasons at Beechwood, giving him 1,000 career points prior to reaching the mark again as a Colonel.
“I’m honored,” Harney said. “It feels great, especially here at CovCath. It’s prestige, the best of the best. I’m blessed that God gave me the ability and talents to do this, and I’m thankful to be able to play both sports.”
A standout quarterback and defensive back on the football field, Harney’s leadership carried over to the hardwood.
“He’s a quarterback out there,” McGillis said. “He’s the best passer on the team. He’s always talking to everybody. He’s my best friend, and he’s one of the best point guards in the state, in my opinion. It’s great to play side-by-side with him.”
If Harney was the quarterback on the floor, the Colonels operated with machine-like efficiency.
Trinity’s Griffin Weis knocked down a three to open the game and finished with 10 points, giving the Shamrocks a brief 5–3 lead, but that was the extent of their early success. CovCath responded with a 19–10 run to take a 22–15 advantage after one quarter.
Garrison Gilvin led Trinity with 22 points, including eight in the second quarter, but the Shamrocks went into the locker room trailing 43–29 and shorthanded after starter Thomas Hornek exited with an injury. Hornek entered the game averaging 6.6 points and 5.5 rebounds.
The Colonels stretched the lead to 20 in the third quarter and eventually built a game-high 28-point advantage on their way to another dominant win. CovCath is now winning by an average of 33 points per game this season.
“It’s team ball. I feel like that’s brought us to another level,” Harney said. “No one has a grudge on anybody. We’re all close. It’s truly a family and a brotherhood.”
Up next, the Colonels face another opponent that handed them a loss last season, hosting Campbell County on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
Trinity drops to 6–8 on the season.
MORE PHOTOS: Provided by Charles Bolton
COLONELS 78, SHAMROCKS 51
COVINGTON CATHOLIC — 22-21-15-20 — 78
TRINITY — 15-14-9-13 — 51
Scoring
Covington Catholic (78) — McGillis 29, Bradshaw 15, Harney 15, Myrick 8, Stava 4, Bode 3, Brecount 2, Courtney 2
Trinity (51) — Gilvin 22, Weis 9, Hill 3, Sandifer 3, Cosby 2, Hornek 2
Game Stats
Field Goals: Covington Catholic 31/59, Trinity 20/56
3-Pointers: Covington Catholic 8/20, Trinity 5/21
Free Throws: Covington Catholic 8/10, Trinity 6/9
Rebounds: Covington Catholic 37, Trinity 29
Assists: Covington Catholic 14, Trinity 4
Turnovers: Covington Catholic 11, Trinity 14
Steals: Covington Catholic 5, Trinity 5
Blocks: Covington Catholic 4, Trinity 1
Fouls: Covington Catholic 11, Trinity 15
Records: Covington Catholic 19-1, Trinity 6-8