NewCath: Fighting through playoff heartache

I’ve heard a highly successful coach tell me one time, “bad luck is only because the situations you put yourself in.”

If those situations are constantly happening deep in the postseason regardless of the sport, it means you’re doing something right.

Newport Central Catholic certainly fits that mold. Talk about a team that’s been close and seen their fair share of playoff heartache over the past several years.

Stephen Lickert took over the program in 2018 and while they’ve been dominant in district play going 24-0 against district opponents, the regional championship and semifinal playoff round have been their bug-a-boo. The Thoroughbreds have come up short in the state semifinals twice (2020, 2022) and regional championship (quarterfinal round) four times (2019, 2021, 2023, 2024).

Last year leads the way in the list of heartbreaks. Leading 24-14 in the region championship round with under four minutes to play, the Thoroughbreds were unable to hang on in a loss to Campbellsville, the Eagles scoring 13 points in the final 2:17 for a 27-24 victory and converting on numerous fourth down opportunities. NewCath needed a yard to get into victory formation on a fourth and one, but were stopped short and the Eagles drove down the field, scoring the game-winning touchdown with 12 seconds left.

Other losses include Lickert’s first year in the Class 2A playoffs, a 21-14 overtime loss to DeSales in 2018. In 2019, it was a 21-16 loss to Holy Cross in the 1A quarterfinals. They reached the semifinals in 2020 before losing 21-7 to Paintsville. The 2023 loss was another tight one with Campbellsville in the quarterfinals, losing 28-23. Their average deficit in season ending losses in Lickert’s tenure is 13 points. Four of the seven losses have come by seven points or less.

“The biggest thing is it always comes down to three or four plays,” Lickert said. “You have to be able to make that play when it’s time to make a play and putting guys in situations to make that play. Last year we had three or four opportunities to make that play. That’s on us for not getting our guys ready to make that play and having to make that play over and over again and getting them ready for it because they’ve been doing it all year.”

The common theme in all of those playoff losses is they’ve all been on the road. The way the current RPI model is set up doesn’t do any favors for the Thoroughbreds. They consistently schedule up their weight class, a 1A team this year taking on six of seven out of district opponents from Class 2A-6A.

“We need to win some of those games which is the difference in playing those games in Campbellsville or someone coming to you,” Lickert said. “There’s not many bad teams in northern Kentucky. Our schedule being played is where we won’t be a 1-seed come playoff time, we’ll be a 10 or 11-seed meaning we’ll be going on the road after the second round.”

While they can control their schedule, their playoff seeding after the second round is an uncontrollable. What they can control is they’ll continue to battle test themselves and put themselves in those situations where they have to make those three to four plays a game to come out victorious. While they did lose 10 seniors, the ‘Breds return seven starters on offense and six on defense.

Quarterback Emmanuel Miles, second leading rusher Eddie Bivens, second leading receiver Grayden Schirmer and offensive lineman and Marshall commit Will Sandfoss will make things go. Ben Colwell and Noah Kohler help fortify the offensive line. Miles enters his second year as starter and while they were trying to see what works for him entering last season, they now know what his strengths and abilities are.

“Last year we had a menu on offense, this year we don’t have to install that menu,” Lickert said. “From an execution standpoint he looks really good. He knows his reads, keys and working on things he struggled with now so we can get it fixed. We didn’t know what he was comfortable with going into last season and we now know what he is good at. We think he’ll have a phenomenal year.”

Much like last season when they had to find where to replace Demetrick Welch’s production in the backfield, they’ll be in a similar boat this season with having to find a guy to replace Kaleb Cole’s production in the backfield. Lickert thinks Eddie Bivens can be that guy along with a couple others like Kaden Anderson, Mario League and Max Meyer.

Of the 103 receptions last year, 78 came from seniors. Schirmer returns as the leading receiver with 14 catches for 353 yards and four touchdowns. Expect that production to take a major uptick this season. Incoming transfers from Highlands Thomas Messmer and Jack Stevie will help with the transition at receiver along with Parker Hurtt.

Sandfoss will anchor the line at tackle, but they aren’t married to that being his one position. He’s a versatile lineman at 6-foot-5, 280 pounds that can play inside if need be as well. Not only has Sandfoss caught colleges’ eyes with his commitment to the Thundering Herd, but he also has the eye of his teammates.

“He’s a coach on the field for us,” Lickert said. “He’s had a couple nagging injuries early on in practice and he’s still engaged and coaching the guys after every play. He led in the weight room, there’s no doubt he’s our leader on the line.”

While Sandfoss leads the offensive line, Kohler is a three-year starter and Colwell brings a third piece to the guys up front. Aiden Tillman is another along the line who got starting reps last season.

Defensively is where things will be a work in progress for them. They have to replace five of their top six tacklers. Max Meyer is the returning leading tackler with 78, Eddie Bivens next up with 45. From there, no other returnee had more than 25, but Lickert likes what he’s seen from Tillman, Anderson, Aidan Dance and Parker Hurt.

The motivation is there, the pieces are getting put into place and NewCath is optimistic they’re ready to get over the third or fourth round playoff hump.

“I can honestly say every kid is where they were supposed to be all offseason. We had no issues getting guys to work and they’re extremely motivated,” Lickert said. “The seniors now have been through two heartbreaking losses, we don’t want to harp on the past, but guys are working hard to make the other guy work harder and challenge each other in practice.”

Now it’s a matter of executing on those three or four plays that make the difference.