After a season filled with frustration, injuries, and close calls, Newport Central Catholic finally broke through. Sitting at 4-12 and riding a three-game losing streak, the Thoroughbreds leaned on a “short-term memory” mindset to earn their first win since Jan. 7, knocking off St. Henry 49-46 in Erlanger. “It’s really been a challenging season,” NewCath […]
Author Archives: Josh Kalb
Posted inBasketball
Adversity fades as Newport slips past Holy Cross for 9th Region All “A” Crown
As the scoreboards on both ends of the Thomas B. Finn Center in Covington read all zeroes and the final buzzer echoed through the gym, months of adversity faded away for Newport. From losing players to prep schools in the offseason, to battling injuries and illness, to rarely having a full roster on the floor […]
Posted inBasketball
9th Region All “A” Semifinals: Newport, Holy Cross to the championship
A new champion will be crowned in the 9th Region All “A” Tournament. In the two semifinal matchups Friday at The Finn, Newport knocked off St. Henry, while host Holy Cross defeated defending champion Beechwood. Newport and Holy Cross will meet in the championship game Saturday night at 7 p.m. Here’s a recap of the […]
Posted inBasketball
A tradition that doesn’t bend: Holy Cross secures 9th Region All “A” title
At Holy Cross, winning the 9th Region All “A” Championship has become a tradition, but this one demanded something extra. Without a senior on the roster and without its leading scorer, the Indians still cut down the nets for a fifth straight region title with a 61-32 victory over Newport Central Catholic at Ben Flora […]
Posted inBasketball
Blaackar, Lloyd pull off statement road win at Holy Cross
If there’s one truth about 9th Region basketball, it’s this: every game is a toss-up, and no ranking or record is ever safe. That reality hit home Tuesday night at The Finn, where Lloyd Memorial walked into a packed road environment against a Holy Cross team that had been rolling. The Indians were 12-1, unbeaten […]
Posted inBasketball
Highlands’ hot start to the season ends at the hands of Ryle
Undefeated boys high school basketball teams in Northern Kentucky are no more. Coming in at 10-0, their best start since the 2019/2020 season, Highlands was finally knocked off, falling 68-60 to Ryle on Saturday afternoon in Union. The loss came just days after the Bluebirds returned from the 31st Annual Hilton Sandestin Invitational Tournament in […]
Posted inBasketball
Bishop Brossart celebrates ‘Mr. Mustang’ with The Dave Schabell Classic
In 1965, a senior graduated from Bishop Brossart High School. Sixty years later, that same graduate is now known as “Mr. Mustang,” a figure whose impact on athletics at the school runs so deep that he is honored with a two-day boys’ basketball showcase bearing his name. That man is Dave Schabell. “I graduated from […]
Posted inSports
With pieces back, Newport finds its footing against Cooper
Newport is starting to look whole again. With Keegan Farrell back on the floor after taking a year away from basketball and Amontae Lowe returning after missing two games due to a concussion, the Wildcats put together a strong showing at the Scott Winter Classic, edging Cooper 68–66 in the LINK nky Game of the […]
Posted inBasketball
Bilton’s big night sparks Simon Kenton’s win over Newport
Simon Kenton head coach Trent Steiner wasn’t wrong about his junior point guard Bray Bilton when he said, “He put the biscuit in the basket tonight.” Bilton delivered a career-high 33 points as the Pioneers earned their second straight win, defeating Newport 66-42 in the Scott Winter Classic at Scott High School in Taylor Mill. […]
Posted inBasketball
Expectation meets execution: Simon Kenton stays perfect, tops Campbell County
Simon Kenton’s unbeaten start has been built on expectation, not surprise. The Lady Pioneers improved to 8–0, the program’s best start since the 2014–15 season when they opened 14–0, pulling away late from a shorthanded Campbell County team for a 63–44 win in their first home game of the season Friday night in Independence. “It’s […]