Ninth Region Preview

Preseason Rankings...
1. Holmes
2. Covington Catholic
3. Covington Holy Cross
4. Newport Central Catholic
5. Highlands
6. Dixie Heights
7. Ryle
8. St. Henry
9. Beechwood
10. Conner
11. Boone County
12. Bellevue
13. Newport
14. Ludlow
15. Villa Madonna
16. Heritage Academy
17. Lloyd Memorial
18. Dayton
19. Covington Latin

Three Things To Watch...
--Like so many regions across the state, the 9th region figures to be a three-team breakaway. However, what is so compelling about this chase is that two of the three (Covington Catholic and Covington Holy Cross) play a totally opposite style than of the regional favorite (Holmes). And what adds more intrigue to the pot is that all three reside in the same district, which creates the situation that one will not advance to region and the remaining two will most certainly meet in the regional final.

--But nothing is predictable in this region this year, as many teams recover from devastating graduation losses. Consider: Bellevue loses eight; Lloyd, Highlands and Villa Madonna all lose six; Newport and Beechwood lost their respective starting lineups. Seemingly everyone will try to patch the holes early in the season, which may lead to some surprising results. Don't be surprised to see a team that gels early get hot in December and become a major force in the regional race come March.

--It's sort of hard to believe, but no current 9th region team has ever won a state championship. Highlands lost to Eastern in '97 and Holmes dropped a tough one to Fairdale in '90, but besides that, the region that is Northern Kentucky has been a dud at state. Holmes seems to have the athleticism and skill to compete with the big dogs, but will they remain disciplined enough to keep their eyes on the prize?

Five Early Games I'd Watch...
--November 28th: Covington Holy Cross @ Lexington Catholic
--December 1st: Ryle @ Oldham County
--December 5th: Covington Catholic @ St. Henry
--December 5th: Holmes @ Simon Kenton
--December 12th: Covington Holy Cross @ Scott County

Last Year...
Regional Champion: Covington Catholic
Regional Runner-Up: Newport Central Catholic
Regional Semifinalists: Dixie Heights, Highlands