Schools want change in 6A
Simon Kenton football coach and athletic director Jeff Marksberry has written a proposal to the Kentucky High School Athletic Association commissioner Julian Tackett and the organization’s Board of Control seeking to have Class 6A football playoffs aligned like every other class starting with the 2015 season, when the next four-year district realignment begins.
The proposal has support from the other five Northern Kentucky schools that will be in Class 6A starting in 2015 (Boone County, Campbell County, Conner, Cooper and Ryle) and from schools in Central Kentucky.
The district realignment plan that was released by the KHSAA on Tuesday has the two Northern Kentucky districts (District 5 and District 6) rotating each year with the two Louisville districts (District 3 and District 4) for the first three rounds of playoffs.
Each of the other five classes in the state has District 1 facing District 2, District 3 facing District 4, District 5 facing District 6 and District 7 facing District 8 through the first three rounds of the playoffs. Each of those two districts form one of four regions with each of the regional winners then facing each other in the semifinal round. Region 1 is comprised of schools in Western Kentucky, Region 2 schools from Louisville, Region 3 schools from Northern Kentucky and Region 4 schools from Central Kentucky.
“We feel the new Class 6A alignment now allows for true geographic pairings for regional playoff competition more so than in years past,” Marksberry wrote. “Therefore, we ask the KHSAA and the Board of Control to consider allowing Class 6A to be paired in the playoffs the same way the other five classes are paired.
“Creating geographically sound regional alignment would allow for strong rivalries to be established, it will help playoff revenue for all schools, and it will relieve travel issues that could potentially impact schools from all eight districts. The only schools that would be forced to travel outside of their region for the first three rounds of the playoffs would be the two fifth-place teams from Louisville (which fill the fourth seed in each of the two Northern Kentucky districts, which have just three teams each). The only playoff travel that would be required outside of the region would be for the semifinal round.”
The KHSAA is expected to announce the final district realignment at its May Board of Control meeting.
O’HARA TO KICK AT LOUISVILLE: Enquirer 2013 Northern Kentucky boys’ soccer player of the year Evan O’Hara, a senior at Boone County, has decided to walk on to the football team at Louisville as a kicker and punter.
O’Hara, who was selected first-team East all-state by the Kentucky High School Soccer Coaches Association, was also an Enquirer first-team all-star as a kicker and punter this past season.
He said Louisville became interested after he sent coaches there a highlight film.
“I’ve kind of wanted to go Louisville for school since last year and they were the first school I sent a film to and they liked what they saw, I guess,” said O’Hara. “I kind of miss soccer a lot right now, but I want to try football first and if that doesn’t work maybe I’ll go back to soccer.”
KENTUCKY JUNIOR/SENIOR ALL-STARS: While Brandon Hatton of Dixie Heights fell short of making the Kentucky Senior All-Stars and Nicole Kiernan of Newport Central Catholic opted not to try out because she was on her senior trip, two other Northern Kentucky seniors did make their respective teams and three juniors made the Kentucky Junior All-Stars.
Covington Catholic guard Nick Ruthsatz made the Senior Boys’ All-Stars and Simon Kenton guard Abby Owings made the Senior Girls’ All-Stars, which will play the Indiana Senior All-Stars on June 13 at Transylvania and June 14 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Hatton finished his career with over 3,000 points.
Holmes guard James Bolden and Newport Central Catholic forward Drew McDonald made the Boys’ Junior All-Stars and Boone County guard Alexis Switzer made the Girls’ Junior All-Stars. The Junior All-Stars will play the Indiana Junior All-Stars on June 6 in Indianapolis and June 7 in Lexington. ⬛