Dan Weber’s Just Sayin’: Week 1 award winners, UK depth-charters, NKADA inductees, pair of goodbyes

Week 1 is in the books for Northern Kentucky High School football and time for our opening game award-winners:

• First game, first coaching win: Bishop Brossart’s Adam Kozerski (31-6 over Walton-Verona), Boone County’s Dan Court (41-0 over Holmes) and Newport’s Paul Wiggins Jr. , first win at Newport, 36-14 over Carroll County.

• Balance be good: Boone County nailed it with 204 passing yards, 181 rushing against Holmes.

• Still seeking balance: Beechwood was hoping for more of a run game but the Class 2A Tigers passed for 190 yards with just 86 on the ground in edging Class 5A Pulaski County, 28-27, in a bowl game in Corbin.

• Have a night young man: Remember the name after Campbell County junior quarterback Lucas Anthrop ’s 187 passing yards (on eight of nine) and 189 rushing yards on just 11 carries in 63-27 romp over Scott. That’s a big balanced stat sheet.

• 4 TD times two: As expected, Cooper’s Cam O’Hara hit on 17 of 25 passes for 220 yards and four TD in a 36-6 win over Bardstown while in a bit of a surprise, Bishop Brossart’s Tyler Holtz also threw for four TD on 13-of-26 passing for a similar 220 yards.

• Six for six (No. 6, that is) : Conner placekicker Andrew Herron was a perfect six for six in the Cougars’ 42-15 win at Lexington’s Paul Laurence Dunbar, hitting all four extra point attempts while converting both field goal attempts.

• Not alone back there: O’Hara wasn’t the lone weapon in Cooper’s backfield, as expected, with running back Keegan Maher romping for 168 yards and a TD on 12 carries.

• Physical not flashy: With its 322 yards to 170 total offensive edge, 5A Highlands handled 3A power Lexington Catholic in its 17-7 win and it looks like this Bluebirds’ team might be the weight room bunch their coaches believe they can be.

• Who needs balance?: Not Ludlow as the Panthers had six players with more than 24 rushing yards on their way to 309 total with Dameyn Anness’ 131 on 13 in pounding Lockland (Ohio) 33-0.

• Both sides now: As expected, Newport’s Kendall Buck-Barber showed up on both sides of the ball with a receiving TD and an interception for a TD in the Wildcats’ 36-14 win at Carroll County.

• Biggest shock of Week 1: Had to be Class A NewCath’s dominant 27-14 takedown of a favored Class 3A Lloyd Memorial team thanks to 281 rushing yards with just three pass completions. Kaleb Cole ’s 16 carries for 128 yards and two TD led the way.

• Savage, indeed: You can talk about the offense of Ryle’s 6-1 ½, 220-pound Jacob Savage was hard to overlook (87 rushing yards, one TD) but his 10 tackles dominated in the Raiders’ 30-14 win over CovCath in a game where Colonel senior Tate Kruer ’s 14 tackles previewed a pair of future college football players.

• Look out for Lee: Brady Lee , that is, as Simon Kenton racked up 532 yards to Dixie Heights’ 402 in winning this Kenton County shootout, 50-35, that saw Pioneer quarterback Lee throw for 304 yards and three TD on 21-of-43 passing while adding another 106 and two TD on the ground and two TD in a spectacular 410-yard, five TD night.

SK’s Selm, CovCath’s Rodriguez charting for UK

True freshman football players in the Southeastern Conference are mostly consigned to redshirt status as practice players while they get bigger and stronger as they wait for next year. But not the two Northern Kentucky freshmen who will line up for UK in Saturday’s opener against Southern Mississippi.

Both Aba Selm out of Simon Kenton and Willie Rodriguez from Covington Catholic were named on UK’s Week 1 depth chart with the 6-foot-4, 303-pound Selm, who just a little more than a week ago was listed as the No. 3 center is now the No. 2 left guard. Rodriguez (6-4, 245) is listed as backup at one of the two starting tight end spots, a position he’s maintained through fall camp.

Excluding specialists, there are just four true freshmen listed on UK’s two-deep chart this week, all on offense.

Later kickoff set for Highlands-CovCath football

As expected, with this week’s hot weather through the weekend, Covington Catholic advises that the Colonels’ Friday football game against Highlands has been moved back to 8 p.m. from 7. And Thursday’s freshmen game against Highlands has been moved back to 7:30 p.m. Both games are at CovCath.

NKADA announces 2024 inductees

The 17 new inductees and three special awards winners for the Northern Kentucky Athletic Directors Hall of Fame will be honored at the annual banquet Nov. 14. They are:

Bellevue’s Hallie Hundemer Booth ; Bishop Brossart’s Alicia Miller ; Boone County’s Andy Mulcahy ; Campbell County’s (and Silver Grove’s) Joe Gubser ; Conner’s Kristen Koors Elfers and McKenzie Long; CovCath’s Al Hertsenberg and Luke Maile ; Dayton’s Tommy Vann ; Dixie Heights’ Lauren Nemeroff ; Newport’s Karen Stubbs ; NewCath’s Terry Sandfoss Sr. and Tessy Bankemper Krebs ; Ryle’s Jill Powell Crossen ; Scott’s Andrea Sullivan ; Simon Kenton’s Jeff Marksberry ; St. Henry’s Keith Schuler ; TOM POTTER AWARD : Charlie Chappe , Holmes; MEL WEBSTER AWARD : Michelle Barth , Highlands; and STAN STEIDEL AWARD : Mike Borchers , Ludlow.

With the recent resignations of Highlands’ baseball coach Jeremy Baioni and Simon Kenton’s Troy Powers , Northern Kentucky says goodbye to two really good guys, great baseball coaches and terrific educators and we wish them nothing but the best.

Both took multiple teams to the state championship game (Simon Kenton in 2014 and 2017, Highlands in 2015 and 2018) but they’ll be remembered more for the class people they were and how they handled themselves and their players. Roberts stays on as athletic director at the Independence school while Baioni will have more time to devote to what was already his full-time job at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.

Contact Dan Weber at dweber3440@aol.com . Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @dweber3440.

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