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Prep Sports Notebook: Ryle coach begins promoting Maddie Scherr for Miss Kentucky Basketball Award


By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter

Ryle girls basketball coach Katie Haitz started promoting senior point guard Maddie Scherr for Miss Kentucky Basketball less than two hours after the player was named a finalist for the prestigious award.

On Friday morning, the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches in conjunction with the Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation released the names of 19 girls and 17 boys who are finalists for the 2020 Miss and Mr. Kentucky Basketball senior awards.

Ryle coach Katie Haitz has plenty of reasons to promote senior point guard Maddie Scherr for Miss Kentucky Basketball.

Coaches and media members from around the state have seven days to cast their votes. That’s why Haitz fired off an email to media members a little before noon on Friday trumpeting Scherr’s accomplishments.

“Not only has Maddie broken all of our program records, she is the ultimate team leader and captain involving all of her teammates,” Haitz said in the email. “She has been an integral part of our program’s success, leading us to our first state championship in 2019 and the team’s first state (tournament) berth in 2018.”

Scherr, who signed with Oregon’s nationally ranked women’s basketball team, was named most valuable player in last year’s state tournament and the Gatorade Kentucky Player of the Year.  This season, she is one of 24 girls from around the country named to the McDonald’s All-America Team.

Scherr is the 9th Region player nominated for Miss Kentucky Basketball. The 8th Region nominee is Maggi Jones, a senior guard on the 24-3 Simon Kenton team that’s ranked No. 2 in the girls state coaches poll.

The only local nominee for Mr. Kentucky Basketball is Covington Catholic senior guard Grant Disken. He’s averaging 16 points and shooting 52 percent from the field for the 23-4 Colonels, who are ranked No. 5 in the boys state coaches poll.

The Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches also named a boys and girls Coach of the Year in each region on Friday. The boys award-winners included Dave Faust of St. Henry for the 9th Region and Mike Code of Brossart for the 10th Region. Local winners on the girls side were Jeff Stowers of Simon Kenton for the 8th Region and Ralph Meyer Jr. of Newport Central Catholic for the 9th Region.

Players and coaches from each region will receive plaques from the KABC during the boys and girls state tournaments in March at Rupp Arena.

Nine local wrestlers reach semifinals at state tournament

Nine local wrestlers reached the semifinals in seven weight class brackets during the first day of state tournament competition on Friday at Kentucky Horse Park’s Alltech Arena near Lexington.

Walton-Verona has three wrestlers who are two wins away from state titles — sophomore Spencer Moore at 106 pounds, senior Tristan Spalding at 145 pounds and senior Daulton Mayer at 195 pounds.

The other local wrestlers who reached the state semifinals are Ryle sophomore Cole Thomas (120), Scott senior Seth Lutes (132), Simon Kenton junior Brennan Conrad (145), Ryle sophomore Noah Duke (182), Conner sophomore Cooper Elliston (195) and Campbell County senior Casey Rauch (220).

Last year, Thomas defeated Moore in the 106-pound state final. Both of them have perfect records in different weight classes this season with Thomas at 52-0 and Moore at 46-0.

On Saturday, wrestlers will compete in the state semifinal round that’s part of the morning session beginning at 9 a.m. The championship finals will complete the afternoon session that’s set for 3 p.m.

Union County enters the final day of competition on top in the team standings with 150.5 points. Ryle is fourth with 74.5, Walton-Verona is sixth (58.5) and Campbell County is seventh (58).

STATE SEMIFINAL MATCHES
106 – Spencer Moore (Walton-Verona) vs. Colin Tucker (Wayne County).
120 – Cole Thomas (Ryle) vs. Braedon Herron (North Hardin).
132 – Seth Lutes (Scott) vs. Charlie McKune (Louisville Moore).
145 – Brennan Conrad (Simon Kenton) vs. Ty Lehman (Louisville Trinity) and Tristen Spalding (Walton-Verona) vs. Trevor Pogue (Union County).
182 – Noah Duke (Ryle) vs. Micah Ervin (Union County).
195 – Cooper Elliston (Conner) vs. Chandler Miller (Louisville DeSales) and Daulton Mayer (Walton-Verona) vs. Levid Rodriquez (Johnson Central).
220 – Casey Rauch (Campbell County) vs. Niko Bussell (Christian County).

Football coaches will present That’s My Boy Award on Thursday

The Northern Kentucky Football Coaches Association will announce this year’s recipient of the Brian Williams That’s My Boy Award during the Greater Cincinnati Chapter of the National Football Foundation banquet on Thursday at the Manor House in Mason, Ohio.

A rating system that awards points for achievements in football, academics and community service was used to determine four finalists — Michael Mayer of Covington Catholic, Ian Vallandingham of Ludlow, Jared Hicks of Conner and Caulyn Asher of Dayton. The one with the highest point total will receive the award.

Mayer is coming off an impressive senior season. He was named Gatorade Player of the Year in Kentucky for being the leading pass receiver and leading tackler on CovCath’s undefeated state championship team.

Hicks finished the regular season as the leading passer in Northern Kentucky. Vallandingham averaged more than 150 yards per game passing and rushing combined. Asher led his team in tackles.


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