A nonprofit publication of the Kentucky Center for Public Service Journalism

Campbell County boys, Conner girls voted No. 1 in final N.Ky. high school basketball coaches polls


By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter

The hottest teams in Northern Kentucky boys and girls high school basketball were voted No. 1 by local coaches in the final polls of the season conducted by the NKyTribune.

Conner received 14 of the 15 first-place votes in the girls coaches poll. The Cougars have won 24 consecutive games to run their record to 27-1. One of those victories was against defending 9th Region champion Ryle, the top pick in the previous girls coaches poll in early January.

Campbell County took over the top spot in the boys rankings by acquiring 10 of the 16 first-place votes. The Camels (22-4) have won their last nine games and 13 of 14 since the first of the year. Last Friday, they defeated Cooper, the No. 1 team in the previous boys coaches poll.

Campbell County has won the 10th Region championship three times in the last five years under head coach Aric Russell. The Camels have a 10-0 record against regional teams this season so they’ll be favored once again when the post-season playoffs begin next week.

The team leader is senior forward Reid Jolly. He’s averaging 21.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game while shooting 64.8 percent from the field. The Camels also have a veteran guard in senior Drew Wilson, who has an 18.4 scoring average and 56.5 field goal percentage.

The Conner girls have been the top-ranked team in the Associated Press statewide coaches poll for the last four weeks. With four senior starters leading the way, the Cougars will be looking to win their first 9th Region championship since 2008 when the post-season playoffs begin next week.

Three of the four seniors in Conner coach Aaron Stamm’s starting lineup have scored more than 1,000 points during their varsity careers. Senior guards Courtney Hurst and Savannah Jordan reached that milestone last season and senior forward Maddie Burcham joined the list last Friday.

Hurst has a team-high 17.4 scoring average this season with 92 3-point goals accounting for most of her total. Jordan is averaging 11.1 points with 56 treys. Burcham is getting 9.9 points and 9.2 rebounds per game for the Cougars.

There’s a good chance Conner will face Ryle in the 33rd District final next week. Those top two teams in the coaches poll could also meet in the 9th Region championship game, but third-ranked Highlands definitely has the talent to pull off an upset.

In the boys coaches poll, Cooper and Covington Catholic tied for second place followed by Beechwood and Newport. Barring any upsets, all four of those teams are expected to make it to the 9th Region tournament. CovCath took last year’s regional title and went on to win its second state championship trophy.


Recent Posts

Leave a Comment