Covington Catholic, Ryle advance to 2026 Ninth Region championship

The Ryle Raiders have made a little school history in this year’s Ninth Region tournament.

Yesterday’s win over Newport marked the first regional tournament win since 2011. With a 64-37 semifinal win over Lloyd Memorial, they are into their first regional final since Justin Doellman took them to the state tournament in 2002.

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“Our motto with our guys has been ’32 minutes to get 32 more.’ Whatever happens on Tuesday night, if we’re able to continue playing, which is our plan, that’s gonna be great. Whenever the season ends, we’ll go back and take the opportunity to really look back on what this team has been able to accomplish,” Ryle head coach Nick Dorning said.

It was a game of runs for Ryle, which got out to an 8-2 lead in four minutes with contributions from Anthony Coppola, Holden Smith, A.J. Davis and Grace Nsuti.

While Isiah Golsby kept the Juggernauts in the game early, five different Raiders sparked a 11-3 run for a 35-23 halftime lead.

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Lloyd shot 44 percent from the field in the first half but took just 18 shots, compared to Ryle’s 73 percent conversion rate on 22 shots.

“We just had really good prep for them. We knew what we were gonna do. We had a good scouting report this morning and just came out and executed,” Smith said.

The junior finished with a game-high 18 points and has taken a very workman-like approach to the season. Dorning attested to the work he put in in the offseason, both on the court and in the weight room, contributing to his 17.3 points per game this season.

“Holden is an awesome kid. Not a man of many words but a man of hard work and work ethic,” Dorning said.

While Blaackar, who finished with a team-high 16 points, sparked a 9-2 run late in the third quarter, Smith beat the buzzer with a corner triple, sparking a 12-0 run that stretched into the fourth quarter.

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Meanwhile, the Juggernauts failed to score for almost four minutes. Part of the struggle was that they couldn’t get quality looks, either in the halfcourt or in transition, against a Ryle team that emphasizes “walling up” on that end of the court.

“We came out slow, we had no energy. We kind of got some energy in the quarter, but (Ryle) brought it,” Lloyd Memorial coach Mike Walker said.

Lloyd graduates six seniors: Blaackar, Corrie Criner, Isiah Golsby, Nishawn Golsby, L.J. Herron and Billy Lewis. Despite being picked eighth in the region and third in the 34th District in the preseason, the Juggernauts went 25-3 and have gone 26-0 against district foes en route to four straight district titles.

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“That’s impressive. Let’s turn the narrative to, ‘Congrats to this team.’ No one picked us to be here and we were. It hurts for the seniors. It’s their last time playing, which I get. It’s always emotional, but for this type of season, it’s unbelievable to be where we were at,” Walker said.

Even after graduating two of the best players in school history in consecutive years (Blaackar and E.J. Walker), Mike Walker is excited for the future. Jason Kabeya averaged 10.2 games as a sophomore and Colten Barger has just as much potential on the court as he does on the football field. Doubt the Juggernauts if you want, but they aren’t going anywhere.

Ryle: Smith 8 1 18, Coppola 5 2 13, Nsuti 5 2 12, Davis 4 2 10, Broz 2 0 4, Colemire 1 0 3, Warner 1 0 2, Draine 1 0 2. Totals: 27 7 64.

Lloyd: Blaackar 6 4 16, I Golsby 5 2 14, Kabeya 1 1 3, Colemen 1 0 3, Barger 0 1 1. Totals: 13 8 37.

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Half: R 35-23. 3-pointers: R 3 (Colemire, Coppola, Smith); L 3 (I Golsby 2, Colemen).

Covington Catholic rides offense to Ninth Region title game

The Colonels made history of their own in the first game of Sunday’s semifinals. A 92-41 win marked the largest single-game margin of victory in the Ninth Region tournament in the 21st century.

“Credit to our guys. They were locked in, and when they’re locked in, it’s fun to coach them,” CovCath head coach Jake Thelen said.

The Colonels got out to a 8-0 lead in less than two minutes, half of those points coming on fast breaks. The offense was spurred by the defense, which forced nine turnovers and held the Cougars to 26 percent from the field in the first 16 minutes. Finn Louden, the Ninth Region’s leading scorer this season, was held without a field goal attempt for the first seven minutes. He finished with 12 points, six rebounds and two assists.

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There really are few words to describe the Colonels’ dominance this season. According to statistician Dave Wear, this year’s squad has the second-highest scoring average in school history. No Ninth Region team has come within 18 points, the tightest win coming by a 72-54 final score against Dixie Heights.

Four of the five starters finished in double figures on Sunday night. After hitting just two three-pointers in the first quarter, they knocked down six the rest of the way. Much like Travis Steele and the undefeated Miami RedHawks, Thelen doesn’t call many set plays for his team; he knows their talent and capabilities.

“(Coach) trusts me, Braeden (Myrick) and Cash (Harney) to go make plays. That’s kind of the heart and soul of it is players coach trusts,” senior Athens McGillis said.

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While the Colonels’ starters have sparingly played deep into the fourth quarter over the last month, the bench brings just as much intensity. Luke Wischer, Lucas Hoyt and John Brecount, just to name a few, were still forcing turnovers and altering shots in the waning stages of the game.

When CovCath does need to play a full 32-minute game, they are confident they will be able to because of the intensity of their practices.

“We’re always practicing with heart and intensity. I’m prepared for any atmosphere, whether it’s a more physical team,” McGillis said.

Conner, playing in its first regional tournament since 2022, graduates four seniors: Louden, Logan Back, Brady Bushman and Holten Raider.

“It’s my second year at Conner so I didn’t coach those seniors all the way through, but that senior group’s been instrumental in laying the foundation for the way we wanna do things,” Conner coach Nathan Browning said.

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Covington Catholic: McGillis 10 0 22, Harney 8 0 18, Myrick 6 0 15, Bradshaw 7 0 14, Gaiser 2 2 6, Bode 2 0 4, Courtney 2 0 4, Brecount 2 0 4, Hoyt 1 0 3, Stava 1 0 2. Totals: 41 2 92.

Conner: Louden 5 2 12, Back 3 0 8, Bushman 1 2 5, Bloom 1 2 5, Warner 2 1 5, Raider 2 0 4, Nipper 0 1 1, Smith 0 1 1. Totals: 14 9 41.

Half: CC 62-23. 3-pointers: CC 8 (Myrick 3, McGillis 2, Harney 2, Hoyt); C 4 (Back 2, Bushman, Bloom),

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Covington Catholic, Ryle advance to 2026 KHSAA Ninth Region final