By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
More high schools need to field boys and girls lacrosse teams before it becomes a sport sanctioned by the Kentucky High School Athletic Association.
That was the motion approved by the KHSAA Board of Control at its meeting on Friday in Newport. The board will wait until its next meeting on Sept. 22 to see if lacrosse meets the participation requirement of 50 teams before it votes on sanctioning.
There are currently 38 girls teams and 37 boys teams intending to play high school lacrosse as a club sport in Kentucky, according to the KHSAA.
If more high schools declare an intention to start the sport and the total reaches the required number of 50, the board will consider offering sanctioned state championship playoffs in the spring of 2022.
If the number of boys teams reaches 50 and the number of girls teams does not, both would likely be sanctioned in accordance with Title IX regulations.
There is room for growth in Northern Kentucky when it comes to high school lacrosse. There were only seven teams that played in club leagues last spring. Dixie Heights and Ryle fielded boys and girls teams. Notre Dame and St. Henry were the other girls teams and Covington Catholic was the other boys team.
Walton-Verona recently announced that it’s starting a boys lacrosse program this coming school year, but that was already included in the boys statewide team total of 37.
Lacrosse is an officially sanctioned high school sport for both boys and girls in 22 states, according to the USA Lacrosse website. Ohio joined that list in 2017, followed by Illinois in 2018 and Utah in 2021.
Fort Mitchell city council issues proclamation for Scotty Draud Day
A proclamation declaring July 23 as Scotty Draud Day was issued by the city council of Fort Mitchell last week to recognize the accomplishments of the former Beechwood High School basketball player.
Draud, who graduated this spring, set a 9th Region boys basketball career scoring record with 3,128 points during his five-year varsity career at Beechwood. The Tigers won 20 or more games each of the last three seasons with him as their scoring leader. As a sophomore, he led the team to the 9th Region championship game for the first time since 1949.
After averaging 24.8 points, 7.6 rebounds and nearly four assists per game during his senior season, Draud signed a letter of intent with Kentucky Wesleyan College, which competes on the NCAA Division II level.
CovCath graduate on watch list for two college football awards
Covington Catholic graduate Michael Mayer has been named to the watch list for two prestigious college football awards going into his sophomore season at Notre Dame University.
Mayer is among the contenders for the Biletnikoff Award that goes to the top pass catcher in college football and the Mackey Award that goes to the best tight end in the nation. The winners of both awards will be selected by national committees at the end of the 2021 season.
In his first season at Notre Dame, Mayer tied for the team lead in receptions (42) and finished second in receiving yards (450) as a true freshman. He made such an impact that he was a third-team selection on the Athlon Sports 2021 preseason All-America list.
