By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Casey Sorrell, the new head coach of the Holy Cross High School boys basketball team, comes from one of the program’s oldest rivals.
Sorrell was a varsity assistant coach at Covington Catholic from 2016-2020. During the four seasons he was on the coaching staff, the Colonels won one state championship, three 9th Region titles and defeated Holy Cross in three 35th District tournament games.
Casey Sorrell
Next season, he’ll be trying to break the Indians’ eight-game losing streak against CovCath that began in February of 2016.
Sorrell was hired to replace Brandon Grammer, who resigned earlier this month to become head coach at Hughes High School in Cincinnati. The Indians posted records of 14-10, 15-13 and 9-19 in three seasons under Grammer.
“Holy Cross High School is excited to introduce Mr. Casey Sorrell as our boys varsity basketball coach,” read the school’s press release on Wednesday. “He brings a strong passion and enthusiasm for the game to Holy Cross. He is looking forward to continuing the proud HC tradition of developing successful young men on the court and in our school community.”
After graduating from Simon Kenton High School in 2010, Sorrell played basketball at Erskine College in South Carolina and received a degree in special education. He started his coaching career at Winthrop University in South Carolina in 2014 as a graduate assistant and spent two years on the staff.
He’s taking charge of a Holy Cross team that made it to the 9th Region tournament last season as 35th District runner-up. Three of the top four scorers on that team graduated, but the Indians do have junior guard Jacob Meyer returning. Last season, he led the 9th Region in scoring with a 25.2 average that ranked 13th in the state.
Holy Cross is one of three 9th Region boys basketball teams that will have new head coaches next season. Newport Central Catholic hired Jake Luhn earlier this month and Dayton hired Mike Wells in April.
Local basketball community mourns loss of former player, coach
Last February, the Conner girls basketball team designated a home game against Holy Cross as “Fight For A Cure” to raise money for former Conner assistant coach Todd Houston, who was battling cancer.
Unfortunately, Houston passed away on Monday at the age of 48. Visitation is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Holy Cross Church in Covington followed by a prayer servive at 12:30 p.m.
Houston played basketball at Holy Cross High School. He was a senior guard on the team that won the 1991 9th Region tournament and made it to the semifinals of the state tournament. He was named to the region and state all-tournament teams.
As an assistant coach at Conner from 2016 to 2019, Houston helped the Cougars become one of the top programs in the 9th Region. Conner posted a 79-19 record during that three-year span and was ranked No. 1 in the state in 2019 under former head coach Aaron Stamm.
“He was a big time part of it,” Stamm said of Houston’s role in the team’s success.”I don’t think I’ve had anybody on my staff as competitive as him. He was a good one.”
Ten games remain on Soccerama boys scrimmage game schedule
Soccerama 2021, the annual preseason scrimmage games for Northern Kentucky boys high school soccer teams, got underway Wednesday night with two games at the Mustang Athletic Complex in Alexandria.
There are 10 games remaining on the Soccerama schedule at the same site. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for students for each session.
The games set for Thursday are Boone County vs. Campbell County at 6 p.m. and Covington Catholic vs. Dixie Heights at 7:45 p.m. The doubleheader on Friday is Grant County vs. Ohio County at 6 p.m. and Brossart vs. Holy Cross at 7:45 p.m.
The six games on Saturday are: Carroll County vs. Williamstown, 9 a.m.; Beechwood vs. Ohio County, 10:45 a.m.; Walton-Verona vs. Calvary Christian, 12:30 p.m.; Simon Kenton vs. Conner, 4 p.m.; St. Henry vs. Scott, 5:45 p.m; Ryle vs.Highlands, 7:30 p.m.
Ryle won the 9th Region championship last year and made it to the semifinals of the state tournament.
