Covington Catholic continues to learn just how difficult it is to go back-to-back in the 9th Region.
Every match feels like a test of patience, resilience, and focus — but the Colonels keep finding ways to pass.
On Wednesday night at Holmes High School, the defending region champions survived a tense semifinal battle with Newport Central Catholic, prevailing 4–2 in penalty kicks after a 1–1 draw through regulation and overtime. The win moves CovCath within one game of another trip to the state tournament.
“It’s hard to go back-to-back in the finals in this region,” Colonels coach Jeremy Robertson said. “I even pointed to Jason Lewis, who played for me at Highlands. He’s on my staff. He didn’t go back-to-back. Coach Day, who’s part of that state team, they didn’t go back-to-back. So it is very hard to go back-to-back in this region. We’ll definitely have our work cut out whoever we play, but we’re excited to be back in the finals.”
CovCath (14-7-2) controlled possession for much of the match, creating steady pressure but struggling to turn it into goals. Senior forward Cole Bishop, the Colonels’ steady offensive leader all season, broke through midway through the first half with his team-leading 15th goal to give CovCath a 1–0 edge.
“Cole’s been a beast up top,” Robertson said. “We just need to give him a little more support. Other teams may be just licking their chops that he’s the only guy they got to worry about. So we have to have some more guys on offense step up a little bit.”
From there, the Colonels’ trademark defense — which has been among the stingiest in the region — continued to frustrate NewCath. In their last seven games, CovCath has allowed only two goals, and Wednesday was no exception as they limited the Thoroughbreds to just two shots on target the entire night.
“This time of year, we always get our defense to tighten up a little bit more and start playing a little bit more consistent in the back,” Robertson said. “We’re just playing more consistent right now and the back is being strong. We’re senior led in the back line.”
But even the best defenses can be punished for small mistakes. With just over 13 minutes to play, Newport Central Catholic’s Grant Desmond pounced on an errant pass and slipped a shot past CovCath goalkeeper Booker Gifford to tie the game at 1–1, sending the match into overtime.
Neither team could find a breakthrough during the extra periods, setting the stage for a shootout. That’s when Gifford made his presence felt.
“I just watch their bodies or their inside arms,” Gifford said of his penalty kick strategy in net. “If it’s up or down, I can basically tell if they hit it inside or outside.”
After both teams converted their first two attempts, the junior keeper came up with back-to-back saves, allowing Leo Dyas to bury CovCath’s fourth attempt and clinch the victory.
“Booker’s worth three goals himself,” Bishop said. “Best keeper in the ninth region, maybe in the state.”
While CovCath’s defensive unit again set the tone, the result also underscored how fine the margins become when trying to repeat as champions in one of Kentucky’s toughest regions. Still, with seven straight wins and a defense that continues to anchor them, the Colonels are peaking at the right time.
For Newport Central Catholic (8–12–2), the season ends short of the final, but not without promise. The Thoroughbreds lose just two seniors and return their top eight goal scorers along with standout goalkeeper Franzen, who helped fuel a third another deep postseason run — one that included a region final and semifinal appearance in the last three years.
“Ton of experience and a ton of minutes for the majority of our guys who are returning,” Thoroughbreds coach Ben Williams said.
This season’s experience, though ending in heartbreak, may prove invaluable for a young team eager to take the next step.
“Definitely a positive outlook and happy for for everybody on the team. They’ve grinded the whole year. Very proud of their efforts,” Williams said.
CovCath moves on to face Conner, a 2-1 winner over Highlands in Wednesday’s other semifinal. The championship match will be at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday back at Holmes.
PHOTOS: More photos in a slideshow provided by Charles Bolton below
