Ryle quarterback Logan Verax gearing up for fantastic final act

BY MARC HARDIN | LINK nky CONTRIBUTOR

Senior Logan Verax is working out with the Ryle High School quarterbacks during a sunny, 90-degree day in Union. He’s zipping spiraling passes to Raiders receivers who are running routes on the sizzling hot artificial playing surface during practice at Clifford R. Borland Sr. Stadium.

With a blue sky overhead and three years under his belt at quarterback, Verax is calmly orchestrating a virtual clinic on how to complete a pass to the right receiver at the right spot at the right time. Except for the rising temperature, it’s a beautifully idyllic scene for the 6-foot-3 signal caller, who clearly is in his element inside a comfort zone that can only be described as cushy.

But it wasn’t like that when Verax made his first start as an injury replacement for the Raiders in the final regular season game his freshman season.

“We were playing on a dirt grass field at Conner in the pouring rain,” Ryle coach Mike Engler said. “The field was muddy. But Logan passed for almost 300 yards and three touchdowns, and we won.”

Verax, subbing for starter Bradyn Lyons, completed 14 of 29 passes and didn’t throw an interception. Few realized it, but it was Verax’s coming-out party as a future Raiders star, obscured by the fact that Lyons was back as starter the next week in what would be a season-ending loss to Dixie Heights in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs.

The party, the playoff wins and pursuit of all-time Raider records would have to wait until the following fall. That’s when Verax kick-started his tenure as permanent starter with a 16-for-29 passing performance for 224 yards, three touchdowns and 71 rushing yards in a narrow, season-opening loss to a Lexington Catholic team that finished the year 9-3.

After Verax’s first six starts, coach Engler knew he had something special on his hands. Verax was 5-1 with 1,073 passing yards and 12 touchdowns with just two interceptions. Verax completed his sophomore season with a 9-4 record and a trip to the state tournament quarterfinals. Verax passed for 2,395 yards, 18 touchdowns and a 57% completion rate. He added 327 rushing yards and four rushing scores.

“Coach just came up to me the Thursday before that game as a freshman and told me I was starting on Friday,” Verax said. “After that, the seniors came up to me and said they had my back. That meant a lot to me. I knew those guys wouldn’t mess up their jobs, so that allowed me to just go out there and play. It helped calm me down.”

The prep gridiron has no fury like a relaxed Verax. That’s why Ryle coaches have spent so much time trying to slow the game down for the dual-threat QB while giving him a chance to be successful on every play.

The fruits of their labor will hopefully be a finished prep product by the time Verax wraps up his career, and a state championship, something that’s eluded every Ryle quarterback who’s come before Verax. That list includes Tanner Morgan, the University of Minnesota star who signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers after this year’s NFL draft.

Morgan passed for a Ryle record 398 completions, 5,421 yards and 48 touchdowns, but those marks are under siege.

Here are some fun facts about Verax, who is beginning to receive college offers. He has 369 career completions, 4,714 passing yards and 38 TDs, all within range of the mighty Morgan, who put up his career numbers in two seasons at Ryle after transferring from Hazard High School.

“Just me coming up on that is amazing,” Verax said. “But what I’m focusing on is winning games. The rest will come.”

Verax holds the program’s single-game record with five passing TDs. He’s No. 2 behind Morgan with 429 single-game passing yards. He’s been threatening Morgan’s single-season passing yards record of 2,747. Coach Engler believes Verax could have a 3,000-yard passing season and a 1,000yard rushing season in the tank this fall.

Coming off a junior season with 2,018 passing yards, 17 TDs, 605 rushing yards and 12 rushing scores, Verax is Northern Kentucky’s active passing yards leader by more than 1,000 and second in passing TDs. In that way, he’s a Raider of a lost art. Morgan was never that high on local active leader boards because of the prior two seasons at Hazard.

“I think Logan is the best quarterback in Northern Kentucky, and I would probably put him in the top five in the state,” Engler said. “We just went 6-0 and won The Battle on Boonesborough 7-on-7 Tournament, and our offense was stopped once. Logan was at his best when he was out of the pocket. If you give him those opportunities this season, he’s going to take advantage.”

Odom moves from Beechwood to lead Ryle softball program

Mary Beth Odom has been the head coach for the Beechwood Tigers the past two years and recently accepted the Ryle High School head coaching position.

The Ryle job came open in June, and the administration just named the 2015 Dixie Heights High School graduate its new head coach.

Ryle is the only team in the current 9th Region to win a fast-pitch softball state championship in 2006. The Raiders won the 9th Region seven times out of eight years between 2005-12. They last won the region in 2018.

Odom played softball at Thomas More University after graduating from Dixie Heights. She took over as Beechwood High School head coach in 2022 after serving as an assistant.

The Tigers finished 29-33 during her two years, losing to Notre Dame in the 35th District Tournament championship games both seasons. But Beechwood won the first All “A” 9th Region championship in school history and first-ever All “A” State Tournament game in Owensboro in April.

Odom takes over for Jarret Goddard, who stepped down after two years and had been an assistant at Ryle prior to that. Goddard’s daughter Maddie will be a key returning player next spring, along with the likes of catcher Laney Schuster and Zoe Coop. Maddie Goddard started 21 games this past spring, posting a 14-9 record in 139.1 innings, 1.51 earned-run average to go with 126 strikeouts, 119 hits, 30 earned runs and just 21 walks.

Ryle finished 36-27 the past two seasons, winning consecutive 33rd District championships and making it to the 9th Region semifinals, losing to Dixie Heights both times.

Ryle isn’t the only program in the 33rd that will have a new coach. Boone County High School also has an opening after Andy Petridis stepped down after 14 seasons and led the Rebels to a 9th Region championship in 2021.

Petridis took over the program in 2010. In his 14 years, the Rebels finished 228-157 and made the 9th Region Tournament six times, with four appearances in the region semifinals.

Four schools in the area are looking for softball head coaches. The other two are 37th District neighbors Calvary Christian School and Scott High School after Orlando Donaldson stepped down from the Cougars post and Lisa Brewer retired as the Eagles leader.

Thomas More approved for two-year provisional spot for NCAA Division II

Thomas More University will move forward with two years of provisional membership to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC). This move transitions the Saints from the MidSouth Conference (MSC) in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics

(NAIA), where they have competed for the past four academic years. The Saints are set to compete in their first official Division II contest at Republic Bank Field with men’s soccer taking on Salem University at 7 p.m. Aug. 31.

During their time in the NAIA, the Saints earned several major accomplishments and notable records, including one team National Championship, two team National Runner-Ups, two individual National Runner-Ups and one National Team Semi-finalist.

In preparation for applying to return to the NCAA, the university approached and was unanimously approved in summer 2021 for provisional membership to the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC). With the successful bid in 2022 to rejoin the NCAA as a Division II competitor, the university looks forward to competing in the Great Midwest and being eligible for conference championships and tournaments in the upcoming 2023-24 academic year. Following the mandatory transition period, Thomas More would then become eligible for NCAA championships during the 202526 year.

KHSAA realigns cross-country, track-and-field; some NKY schools affected

The Kentucky High School Athletic Association held its first Board of Control meeting of the academic school year on July 18, with cross-country and track-and-field realignment being one of the main points discussed.

The board approved the new draft realignment, which affects some Northern Kentucky schools.

Here is a look at the realignment of regions that include Northern Kentucky schools. Class 1A, Region 4: Beechwood, Bellevue, Bishop Brossart, Holy Cross, Ludlow, Newport, Newport Central Catholic, St. Henry, Villa Madonna, Walton-Verona, Williamstown

Class 2A, Region 4: Bourbon County, Covington Catholic, Franklin County, Harrison County, Holmes, Lexington Catholic, Lloyd Memorial, Pendleton County, Western Hills

Class 3A, Region 5: Boone County, Campbell County, Conner, Dixie Heights, Grant County, Highlands, Notre Dame, Ryle, Scott, Simon Kenton

Cooper basketball standout Rondon selected to join Puerto Rican U-17 team

Cooper High School rising junior Yamil Rondon will get a chance to show his talents on the international level.

Rondon was selected to the Puerto Rican U-17 national basketball team after trying out in June. He’ll compete with the team in the FIBA Centrobasket Championship in Belize starting on July 26.

Cooper High School’s Yamil Rondon has been selected to the U-17 Puerto Rican national basketball team. Photo provided | Bob Jackson

One of three children of parents from the island, Rondon is Puerto Rican. But he’s not from Puerto Rico. He was born in Cincinnati and has lived in Northern Kentucky his entire life.

Rondon was the lone 16-year-old trying out for the U-17 team.