A nonprofit publication of the Kentucky Center for Public Service Journalism

Prep Sports Notebook: All-star series featuring local high school athletes begins on Wednesday


By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter

The annual St. Elizabeth Healthcare All-Star Series featuring high school athletes in volleyball, softball, football and baseball who were seniors and juniors this school year will begin this week.

All of the all-star games will be played at Dixie Heights High School. The series starts on Wednesday with junior and senior volleyball games at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m.

Last November, Notre Dame won the state volleyball tournament with seniors Sydney Nolan, Peyton Mast and Kamden Schrand named to the all-state tournament team.

The annual East-West Senior All-Stars football game is set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Tickets at the gate will be $8.00 with proceeds going to the Northern Kentucky Football Coaches Association Scholarship Fund.

At halftime, one senior on each of the 20 local teams will receive a $500 scholarship from St. Elizabeth HealthCare and the coaches association. The all-star coaches are Roy Lucas Jr. of Simon Kenton for the East and Kyle Niederman of Lloyd for the West.

The all-star series continues next week with junior and senior baseball games at 5 and 7:30 p.m. on Monday and junior and senior softball games at 5 and 7 p.m. on Tuesday.

The East baseball team’s roster includes Covington Catholic senior catcher Jonathan Fitz, who finished the season as the 9th Region’s leading hitter with a .511 batting average.

Only one local player took part in Ky. All-Stars basketball games

Cooper guard Liz Freihofer was the only local player who took part in the first round of Kentucky All-Stars basketball games last weekend.

Liz Freihofer

In the Kentucky-Indiana Junior All-Stars girls game on Sunday, Freihofer had two points, five rebounds, three steals and two assists in Kentucky’s 79-69 loss to Indiana.

Ryle forward Quinn Eubank was also selected for the junior all-star game, but she did not play Sunday, according to the final statistics posted online.

On Saturday, there were scrimmage games between the Kentucky junior and senior all-star teams for both boys and girls. None of the local players selected to the all-star rosters were in the final statistics for those games.

The latest boys senior roster includes Jeramiah Israel of Lloyd and Jacob Meyer of Holy Cross. Whitney Lind of Cooper and Abby Holtman of Ryle are listed on the girls senior roster.

The boys and girls senior teams will play their annual doubleheaders against the Indiana All-Stars on Friday at Owensboro Sports Center and Saturday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Walton-Verona graduate pitched in first NCAA playoff game for UK

Travis Smith

Walton-Verona graduate Travis Smith is a redshirt freshman pitcher on the University of Kentucky baseball team that’s in the Super Regional round of the NCAA Division I playoffs.

Smith is a right-hander who started the first playoff game against Ball State. He allowed no runs on three hits in the first four innings in that 4-0 victory. The Wildcats lost their next game and then won three straight to keep their playoff hopes alive.

In the Super Regional, Kentucky (40-19) will visit Louisiana State (46-15) for a three-game series that will begin at 3 p.m. Friday in Baton Rouge. The winner of that series will be one of eight teams in the College World Series.

Smith has a 4-3 record and 5.28 ERA in 12 starts for the Wildcats this season. His college career was delayed following Tommy John surgery and heart surgery in 2021.


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