SPORTS
Florence Recorder
March 10, 2011
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Editor Melanie Laughman | mlaughman@nky.com | 513-248-7573
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Walton-Verona ready for 1st Sweet 16
By James Weber jweber@nky.com
The Walton-Verona High School girls basketball team has learned how to win big games. No game will be bigger than the one the Bearcats were to play March 9, when they start play in the girls Sweet 16 at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green. Walton got that chance after a 40-39 win over Anderson County in the Eighth Region final March 5 at Gallatin County. It is the first regional title in team history. “I’m very excited,” said W-V senior forward Kelli Dixon. “It was really emotional. I don’t think we could have asked for a better ending. We held tough even though we were trailing the entire game.” The Bearcats are 25-8 after bringing out the high wire for their regional tournament success. In a semifinal win over South Oldham, sophomore forward Courtney Sandlin hit a long jump shot in the final seconds to send the game to overtime. A three-pointer by Molly Clinkenbeard gave the Bearcats the lead for good in the extra session. In the final against Anderson County, Sandlin hit a 12-foot jumper with 13 seconds to play to give Walton a one-point lead, and the Bearcats forced a tough shot by Anderson (also called Bearcats) at the buzzer. “Some of them were nerve-wracking but after I made them I was like, ‘Why am I so nervous?’” Sandlin said. “We’re really happy because Kelli is a senior, and we get to play for her. It’s so exciting.” Dixon was named tournament most valuable play-
CARLA MARTIN/CONTRIBUTOR
CARLA MARTIN/CONTRIBUTOR
Walton-Verona senior Kelli Dixon (with trophy) and teammates celebrate their Eighth Region girls basketball championship March 5 at Gallatin County High School, er. Sandlin was all-tournament with Jenalee Ginn, Kara Taulbee and Michele Judy. “We feel we’re well balanced,” head coach Cory Miller said. “We have nine players who we can put in the game and get production from. It’s a different player every night.” Big games are nothing new for the Bearcats, who have played in the All “A” Classic state tournament at Eastern Kentucky University the last two years and also won the 32nd District both years with heartpounding nail-biters over Simon Kenton. This year’s district win came in double overtime. “Playing on the big stage
Girls Sweet 16 schedule
At Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green. All times are Central. Wednesday, March 9: Noon, Walton-Verona vs. Bowling Green; 1:30 p.m., Manual vs. Crittendon County; 6:30 p.m., Butler vs. Perry County Central; 8 p.m., Marion County vs. Montgomery County. Thursday, March 10: 12 p.m., Sheldon Clark vs. Boyd County; 1:30 p.m., Calloway County vs. Newport Central Catholic; 6:30 p.m., Madison Central vs. Rockcastle County; 8 p.m., Clay County vs. Owensboro Catholic. Friday, March 11: Wednesday winners, noon and 1:30 p.m.; Thursday winners, 6:30 and 8 p.m. Saturday, March 12: Semifinals, 10 and 11:30 a.m.; Final, 8 p.m. the past two years has really helped us down the stretch,” Miller said. “Our girls have that extra confidence when we leave the huddle late in the game that somehow, some way, we will find a way and not be denied.”
Said Dixon: “You just have to keep fighting, believe in yourself and never give up, never take a possession off. The team that has the most heart and the will to do the little things right will come out on top.”
Miller, who played in the 1991 boys Sweet 16 with Holy Cross, had the Bearcats practice at Northern Kentucky University Monday to get reacquainted with the college floor and its length and shooting backdrops. The school pulled all the stops, scheduling a pep rally Tuesday and canceling school the day of the game. “This school and this community really embraces these students,” said Miller. “Our support this season, especially in the regional, was tremendous. That inspired our girls to play even harder.” W-V will play the “home team,” Bowling Green (241), who won the Fourth
Walton-Verona sophomore Courtney Sandlin shoots against Anderson County during the Eighth Region girls basketball championship March 5 at Gallatin County High School. Sandlin would later make the game-winning shot in Walton’s 40-39 win. Region in the same arena at WKU last week. BG’s only loss was Dec. 22 to DuPont Manual, one of the top contenders in the state tourney. BG has four players averaging 12 points or more. “They’re athletic and they shoot very well,” Miller said. “That’s a dangerous combination at the high-school level. To find a team that does both is very a rare.” With a win, Walton would play DuPont Manual or Crittenden County (likely Manual) in Friday’s first quarterfinal. See more sports coverage at www.cincinnati.com/ blogs/presspreps.
Rough quarters doom Ryle, Boone hoops By James Weber jweber@nky.com
JAMES WEBER/STAFF
Boone County senior Trevan Brown grabs a rebound during the Ninth Region boys semifinals at NKU March 5.
JAMES WEBER/STAFF
Dixie Heights freshman Brandon Hatton shoots against Boone County guard Cooper Downs during the Ninth Region boys semifinals at NKU March 5.
Boone County and Ryle high schools, 33rd and school district rivals, played eight quarters of boys basketball March 5 in the Ninth Region Tournament semifinals at Northern Kentucky University. The middle two of those eight quarters doomed the teams to defeat to end their season and regional championship hopes. Ryle lost 56-42 to Newport Central Catholic to end the season with a 20-13 record. Boone fell 53-48 to Dixie Heights and finished 21-11. A disastrous fourth quarter ruined the Raiders’ chances in the first game of the night. Less than an hour later, an early nine-point deficit had the Rebels playing catch-up all game in the nightcap. Ryle entered the fourth quarter tied at 34 with NewCath, but NewCath scored all 22 points in the final frame before Raider reserves finished the game with eight straight points of their own in the final minute. NewCath’s 6-foot-8 center Jake Giesler scored nine points of those 22. “We weren’t executing
JAMES WEBER/STAFF
Ryle senior guard Zach Perkins shoots over Newport Central Catholic’s Jake Schulte during the Ninth Region boys semifinals at NKU March 5. (in the fourth),” Ryle head coach Alan Mullins said. “We weren’t moving the basketball. When we got a little bit behind, we started doing jack-up threes and lost all rhythm and continuity. Our guys played hard, they just didn’t execute.” Ryle trailed by nine
points late in the first half, 23-14, but scored 11 straight points continuing into the third quarter. The teams traded baskets the rest of the period to get that 34-all tie. Giesler started the fourth period with four straight points, then junior guard Brady Hightchew
scored the next five for NewCath with his penetration inside. Bobby Stauffer led Ryle with 13 points. Zach Perkins had eight and Tate Mullins eight. Seniors are Stauffer, Perkins, Todd Vollet, Jeff Richards, Tyler King and A.C. Stinson. Stauffer and Perkins were all-tourney picks. They led the way in the quarterfinals against Covington Catholic, a 61-55 overtime victory by Ryle. Ryle won its first game in the regional tourney since winning the championship in 2002. Ryle had gone 0-3 in the first round since then, including each of the previous two years. “It has a lot to do with our senior leadership,” Mullins said. “We have four seniors who play most of the game and two others who give us great minutes. They understand how to be leaders.” The Rebels fell behind 17-8 in the first quarter to Dixie Heights, as the Colonels hit jumper after jumper. Boone scored the next eight points, including six on a pair of three-pointers by Chase Stanley, and trailed by one at 17-16. But the Rebels could never take
the lead. Boone trailed by seven points at the half but started the third quarter with a 7-2 run, five points coming from Stanley. Down three late in the game, Boone turned it over before getting a shot off. “Dixie did a good job,” Boone head coach Greg McQueary said. “They kept us from being able to get the thing tied up or get the lead. We had two chances down three, and we don’t get a very good shot one time and turn it over the next. They made the plays and we didn’t.” Cooper Downs led Boone with 15 points and Stanley had 13. They were Boone’s all-tourney picks. Trevan Brown had seven points for Boone, Zane McQueary six, Chris Fookes four and Curtis Crabtree three. Fookes, Crabtree, and Brown are seniors with Travis Montgomery, Daniel Boateng and Josh Burgess. “I’m proud of our kids,” McQueary said. “To get back to where we were last year with five different starters, win 21 games. We’re losing a good group of seniors. They’re good kids. We didn’t have headaches with them all year, they’re good students.”