By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Last weekend, Lauren Schwartz became the all-time leading scorer for the Ryle girls basketball team and helped the Raiders win the prestigious Louisville Invitational Tournament for the first time.
That’s the latest addition to an impressive list of accomplishments that’s sure to get Schwartz a standing ovation Friday when she’s introduced on Senior Night at the team’s final home game.
Ryle senior Lauren Schwartz
After the pre-game celebration is completed, Schwartz will have to set her emotions aside and get ready to play in a late-season showdown with Conner that will draw statewide attention.
The latest power rankings published by The Lexington Herald Leader newspaper have Conner No. 1 and Ryle No. 2 in the state. In this week’s Associated Press poll, media members voted Conner No. 1 and Ryle No. 3.
Conner has a 23-1 record with its only loss coming in a home game against Ryle on Dec. 7. The Raiders (21-4) lost three games in January, but they defeated three strong teams in the LIT to rise in the state rankings.
Schwartz scored 63 points in the three LIT games to put her name at the top of Ryle’s all-time scoring list with 1,899 total points.
The Rice University recruit will go into Friday’s game averaging 19.8 points and 7.7 rebounds. She’s also shooting 49.7 percent from the field and 83.2 percent at the line for the defending 9th Region champions.
The other Ryle players with double-figure scoring averages are junior guard Maddie Scherr (16.1) and sophomore guard Brie Crittendon (11.2). Scherr was named the outstanding offensive player in the LIT after scoring 59 points and shooting 49 percent (24 of 49) from the field in three games.
Conner also has three players with double-figure scoring averages – senior guard Courtney Hurst (17.7), senior guard Savannah Jordan (10.5) and junior center Maddie Drummonds (10.3). Junior forward Maddie Burcham is averaging eight points and nine rebounds for the Cougars, who won two invitational tournaments in December that included highly ranked teams.
Top seeds set for local boys district basketball tournaments
Newport clinched the top seed in the 36th District boys basketball tournament with a 63-59 win at Newport Central Catholic on Monday.
Newport senior Mahki McGuire
Two players did most of the scoring for the 20-6 Wildcats. Senior guard Mahki McGuire had 27 points and five assists. Senior forward Tahj Harding finished with 17 points and nine rebounds.
The top seeds in the other five boys district tournaments involving Northern Kentucky teams are Simon Kenton (32nd), Cooper (33rd), St. Henry (34th), Beechwood (35th) and Campbell County (37th).
In girls basketball, the teams that have already clinched top seeds are Simon Kenton (32nd), Notre Dame (35th) and Highlands (36th). The other top seeds will be decided in these games: Dixie Heights at Ludlow on Tuesday (34th), Scott at Brossart on Wednesday (37th) and Conner at Ryle on Friday (33rd).
District tournaments will be scheduled the week of Feb. 18-23. The winner and runner-up in each district will advance to regional tournaments to be played Feb. 25 through March 5.
Both of the state basketball tournaments will be played at Rupp Arena in Lexington this year. The dates are March 6-10 for boys and March 13-17 for girls.
Twin sisters win titles at first girls state wrestling tournament
Twin sisters Olivia and Addison Messerly of Ryle won gold medals in their weight classes at the first state high school wrestling tournament for girls sponsored by the Kentucky Wrestling Coaches Association.
Olivia Messerly
The Messerly sisters are eighth-graders and they each defeated an older opponent in the first two matches of championship finals held Saturday at Lexington Tates Creek High School.
In the 106-pound weight class final, Olivia defeated Woodford County sophomore Ashley Courtney, 7-0. Addison took the 113-pound title by outscoring Whitley County senior Jaine Stephens, 5-2.
Olivia received the state tournament’s most outstanding wrestler award. She pinned her first two opponents before the shutout victory in the finals.
The other local state champion was Cooper sophomore Hannah Thompson, who pinned Bourbon County sophomore Denisse Ortiz in the 152-pound title match.
Boone County sophomore Caitlynn Vaske placed second in 120-pound weight class and Simon Kenton sophomore Zoey Smith was the 138-pound state runner-up.
