By sports reporter Terry Boehmker, NKyTribune
Noel Rash expressed his profound sadness at the untimely passing of his friend and colleague, former Conner football coach Dave Trosper, at the age of 55, during his attendance at his memorial ceremony last Friday.
Rash stated that his goal as the Conner team’s recently hired head coach is to pay tribute to Trosper, who has spent the last 18 seasons establishing the Cougars program.
In a meeting on Thursday, Rash informed the Conner players, “I said this thing is never going to be about me.” You and this senior class will be the focus. You all banding together, supporting one another, and paying tribute to Coach Trosper.
On Thursday, Rash was formally announced as Conner’s new head coach. Although he met with parents at 6 p.m. and was presented to the players at 3:30 p.m., his influence on high school football in Northern Kentucky is already widely recognized.
The Tigers won eight state titles, advanced to the state football finals nine times, and finished 62-9 in Class 1A and 2A postseason games during his 17 years as head coach. The Tigers had an 80.7 winning percentage and a 193-46 overall record when he left the club following the 2022 year.
In a press release on Thursday, Conner principal Andy Wyckoff stated that it was obvious that Rash should be hired.
In addition to being a fantastic head coach with years of expertise and a stellar record to back it up, Wyckoff stated that he also likes Dave and wants to pay tribute to the coaching great and his name.
His track record of cultivating a winning culture while prioritizing academics, community service, and sportsmanship makes him the perfect choice to spearhead Conner football’s next phase.
Rash stated that the time and stress required to coach football can have a negative impact when he retired as head coach of Beechwood.
After speaking with Trosper’s wife, Ginny, he consented to lead the Conner team for the benefit of the returning players. She showed her support by attending the players’ meeting on Thursday.
Whether it’s with me or not, my objective is to maximize this season and, ideally, find a long-term solution, Rash stated.
He is taking over a Conner program that, under Tropser, finished 18 seasons with a 111-93 record. The Cougars finished with a 7-4 record the previous season and lost in the opening round of the Class 5A playoffs.
Quarterback Wyatt Hatfield, who had a total of 1,980 passing and rushing yards and scored 25 touchdowns, was one of the 16 seniors who graduated. Cordian Abernathy, the Cougars’ top returning player, was a junior two-way starter who carried for 715 yards, scored seven touchdowns, and recorded a team-high 54 tackles.
Tom Spritzky, the former head coach of Dixie Heights, has agreed to serve as the team’s offensive coordinator, according to Rash. As head coach, Trosper was responsible for that aspect of the game.
CovCath basketball team picks up new player
With rookie Braeden Myrick on the roster, Covington Catholic’s basketball team will play the last three games of its summer season in the Lexington area’s KABC Summer Shootout, which kicks off Friday.
Myrick, a top scorer in the previous season’s 10th Region boys basketball, moved from Mason County to CovCath in May. CovCath athletic director Tony Bacigalupo said he has been playing in leagues and summer camps with the Colonels this summer.
As a sophomore starter for the Mason County squad that advanced to the 10th Region playoffs the previous season, the 6-foot-4 guard scored 19.1 points per game.
For the Royals, he made 50.4 percent (202 of 401) of his field goals, 45.7 percent (107 of 234) of his 3-point attempts, and 82.7 percent (81 of 98) of his free throw attempts.
Myrick has joined a CovCath squad that finished with a 24-9 record and fell in the 9th Region playoffs the previous season. That team’s top three scorers were 6-foot-5 sophomore forward Donovan Bradshaw (12.4), junior guards Athens McGillis (20.6) and Cash Harney (15.8).
Myrick’s 11 3-pointers in a game as a freshman set a team record for Mason County. A number of his relatives, including his father Tim, a 1994 graduate, are among Mason County’s all-time top scorers.
There are 144 teams enrolled for the KABC Summer Shootout, which will take place at seven different locations, including CovCath. Highlands, Campbell County, Ryle, Newport, Conner, Simon Kenton, and Lloyd are the other Northern Kentucky teams on the list.
It costs $10 to enter. The Summer Shootout website has a drop-down bar that allows users to view the games that are scheduled for each team.
Camels baseball coach selected for Hall of Fame
Scott Schweitzer, the coach of Campbell County, is one of the first inductees selected for the 10th Region Baseball Hall of Fame.
Schweitzer’s 16th season as the Camels’ head coach just ended. His teams have won four 10th Region crowns and more than 300 games. In 2016, his first region title squad completed with a 29-11 record after losing to Louisville St. Xavier 1-0 in the state tournament final.
Under Schweitzer, the Camels also took home 10th Region titles in 2018, 2021, and 2022. He was chosen in the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft and was an all-state player at Campbell County. He pitched 84 innings and had a 4.07 ERA over his four seasons in the minor leagues as a left-handed pitcher.