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Prep Sports Notebook: St. Henry joins list of local high schools with new girls head basketball coach


By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter

Todd Smart has returned to the St. Henry girls basketball program as head coach of the Crusaders.

Smart was an assistant coach at St. Henry for several years before stepping down after the 2017-18 season. He took a break to watch his daughter, Hannah, play her senior season on the St. Henry team that posted a 17-11 record last March.

Todd Smart

“It was one of the greatest decisions from a basketball perspective that I ever made,” Smart said. “Not only did I get to sit back and enjoy my daughter’s experience, but it also allowed me to realize how much I missed being on the sidelines with these young ladies.  So, when the opportunity arose for the head coaching position this year, I felt it was just the right time to come back as the head coach for a program that I truly enjoyed.”

A graduate of Boone County High School and Thomas More University, Smart has played or coached basketball for most of his life. He was hired to replace former St. Henry head coach Steve Brown, who resigned after two seasons to become head coach at Scott.

St. Henry was runner-up in the 9th Region All “A” Classic the last two years. But the Crusaders haven’t won a game in the 9th Region post-season tournament since 2012.

“As far as trying to lead this program back to the 9th Region tournament and contend, we will see,” Smart said. “We just want to compete at the highest level possible. We are anxious to get in the gym after the dead period and get to work.”

St. Henry is one of six Northern Kentucky girls basketball teams that will have a new head coach next season. The others are Campbell County (Nolan Boone), Conner (Michelle Gambrel), Holmes (Allisa Brown), Ludlow (Aaron Stamm) and Scott (Steve Brown).

Long-time assistant becomes head coach of NewCath softball team

Chris Burkart has been promoted to head coach of the Newport Central Catholic fast-pitch softball team after spending 11 years as an assistant coach for the program.

Burkart is a former NewCath baseball player who got involved with fast-pitch softball when his daughters started playing the sport. He’ll be taking charge of a team that lost in the first round of the district playoffs last season and finished with an 8-16 record.

“I played baseball at NewCath for three exceptional coaches, Bill Vogt, Frank Pangallo and John Lyons,” Burkhart said. “My coaching style will be a reflection of the way that these coaches influenced me as a player.  We will work hard and be proud of the name on the front of the jersey.”

Jared Lorenzen Memorial Fund created for his two children

A GoFundMe page has been created to raise money for the children of Jared Lorenzen, the former Highlands High School and University of Kentucky quarterback who passed away last week.

Donations to the Jared Lorenzen Memorial Fund will provide resources for his two children, Taylar and Tayden, to attend college. Most of the donations posted online have been for $22, the jersey number Lorenzen wore during his record-setting career at UK.


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