By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
MeKell Burries was not among the leading vote-getters for all-state honors in boys’ high school basketball this season, but the Newport guard earned a spot on the Kentucky senior all-star team that will play a two-game series against Indiana’s top seniors this summer.
Newport senior MeKell Burries (Photo by Bob Jackson)
Burries was one of 12 players selected for the Kentucky All-Stars following a tryout session on Saturday morning in Lexington. The other local player on the roster is Cooper senior guard Adam Kunkel, who was voted first-team all-state in a poll of Kentucky high school coaches.
Newport coach Rod Snapp said Burries was “super excited” when he came to school Monday morning after finding out he was selected.
“It was something he really wanted,” coach Snapp said. “He went to the tryouts and wasn’t sure, but he felt like he played really well. Then he got the text that he made the team. I told him it’s definitely a special honor to be one of the players to represent Kentucky.”
The boys and girls all-star games will be Friday, June 8th, at Bellarmine University in Louisville and Saturday, June 9th, at Bankers Life Arena in Indianapolis. The double-headers will begin at 6 p.m. in Louisville and 5:30 p.m. in Indianapolis with the girls game first.
The local players selected for the Kentucky girls all-star team are Cooper guard Lexi Held and Scott guard Anna Clephane, who were two of the top 10 scorers in the state last season and earned all-state honors.
Most of the players on the two Kentucky and two Indiana all-star teams were recruited by major colleges. Snapp said Burries, who averaged 21.5 points and 7.1 rebounds during his senior season, will likely attend a junior college and see about transferring to a larger college program in the future.
“I had people tell me when he was a sophomore that he was just going to be OK,” coach Snapp said. “I said, ‘I don’t know, he’s got some ability because I’ve seen him do some things that a lot of kids can’t do.’ He just works, works, works all the time. And a lot of time he works on his own. I’ve seen him in the gym and he doesn’t just jack around. He really works on his game.”
Complete rosters for the Kentucky All-Stars and ticket information is available on the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches website.
Notre Dame volleyball coach excited to be part of program again
After being named head coach of the Notre Dame Academy volleyball team last week, Molly McDermott had a meeting with players at the all-girl high school.
“I told them if I can make even a smidgen of the impact on them that my coaches at Notre Dame made on me I’ll consider that a job well done,” the new coach said.
Molly McDermott
McDermott was a senior co-captain on the 1989 Notre Dame team that won one of the program’s eight state volleyball championships. After coaching on the high school level in Ohio and with volleyball club teams, she’s excited to be returning to the highly successful Pandas program.
She’s taking charge of a team that lost to St. Henry in last year’s 9th Region final after winning three consecutive regional titles under former head coach Buck McCoart.
“There’s no denying that pressure and that expectation to be successful, but I feel we have all the talent we need to do that,” McDermott said. “It’s just a matter of getting together the right combinations (on the court) and getting kids to believe in themselves and have that drive to accomplish those goals.”
Three of the five seniors on Notre Dame’s roster last season were starters in the middle hitter, setter and libero positions. McDermott is familiar with some of the returning players because they’re members of Northern Kentucky Junior Volleyball club teams where she coaches.
When preseason volleyball practice begins in July, the new Notre Dame coach will be just as excited as the players.
“I had a lot of great coaches and teammates when I played there,” she said. “The Notre Dame experience is special in itself and when you add in a state championship your senior year it was something very special. As I said in the cover letter with my resume, this is where I developed as a volleyball player and person. And now I’m back with the program and want to go forward with it and see what we can do.”
Tickets available for Highlands-CovCath baseball showcase game
Advance tickets for the Highlands vs. Covington Catholic baseball game at 8 p.m. Friday at Great American Ball Park are being sold at both schools.
The game is part of the seventh annual Skyline Chili Reds Futures High School Showcase presented by Cincinnati Children’s Sports Medicine & Orthopedics. The other games scheduled on the Cincinnati Reds home field on Friday are Walnut Hill vs. Western Hills at noon and Elder vs. LaSalle at 5 p.m.
Tickets are $5 at participating schools and at the ball park, according to the Cincinnati Reds website. With each ticket purchased, fans receive a voucher good for one free view level ticket to select Reds games and a coupon for one free Skyline Chili cheese coney at participating restaurants.
Highlands won the the 9th Region championship the last three years and the Bluebirds are off to an 8-4 start this season. CovCath has a 7-3 record with all three losses coming in games decided by one run.
The showcase will continue next week with seven games at Northern Kentucky sites. Players and coaches of the participating teams will be invited to a Reds home game on Sunday, May 6 to participate in a parade around the field prior to the 4:10 game against the Miami Marlins. The most valuable players selected at each showcase game will be recognized on the field during pregame ceremonies.
Here is the schedule for the seven showcase games in Northern Kentucky next week:
Monday, April 23
Scott at Covington Catholic, 5 p.m.; Conner at Simon Kenton, 5 p.m.
Tuesday, April 24
Cooper at Ryle, 4:30 p.m.; St. Henry at Dixie Heights, 5 p.m.
Wednesday, April 25
Bellevue vs. Lloyd, 5 p.m., Holmes vs. Holy Cross, 7:30 p.m. at Meinken All-Star Field
Newport Central Catholic at Beechwood, 7:30 p.m.
