Bishop Brossart, Holy Cross prepare for Kentucky All "A" state tournament

The Kentucky All "A" basketball state tournament gets underway this week in Richmond, Kentucky, at Eastern Kentucky University's McBrayer Arena. The tournament gives schools with a smaller enrollment a chance to compete for a state title outside of the regular statewide tournament in March. The boys tournament is in its 34th year of competition, while the girls have played every year since 1991.

This year, four teams from Northern Kentucky are in the fields. Bishop Brossart swept the 10th Region tournaments, while Holy Cross did the same in the Ninth Region. The Mustangs have a history of dominance in their region, while the Indians are both making their second-straight trip to Richmond.

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First-year head coaches lead Bishop Brossart to Richmond

The Bishop Brossart boys team, making its 15th appearance at the state level after defeating Paris in the 10th Region championship, is led by seniors Brandon Bezold (11.6 points per game), Mason Sepate (14.6 ppg) and Logan Woosley (12.3 ppg). They will face a tough task at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, going up against Hazard. In addition to winning their region's All "A" tournament, the Bulldogs are atop the 14th Region standings with a record of 17-2. They also carry a 14-game winning streak into Thursday's matchup.

"It's a very good team and a very good program," head coach Ben Franzen said.

Leading the charge for Hazard is Jamal Hazell at 15.1 points per game. Underclassmen Seth Caudill and Evin Eversole also average double-digit points at 13.8 and 11.4, respectively.

Should the Mustangs get past the Bulldogs, they could face Holy Cross. Beyond two Northern Kentucky teams meeting at the state level, Franzen and Indians head coach Casey Sorrell would be on opposite sidelines for the first time in their young head coaching careers. Both spent time as assistants at Covington Catholic, helping lead the Colonels to a state championship in 2018.

"We're really good friends. We spent a lot of good time together at Covington Catholic," Franzen said.

Despite Brossart's past success in the small-school tournament, this will be a new journey for almost everyone associated with the team. The Mustangs haven't been to the state tournament since 2020, but are excited to return to McBrayer Arena.

"To put Brossart and the school in a situation where they're getting some positive feed and attention to the state is always a good thing, " Franzen said.

Just as Franzen is in his first year at the helm, so is Lady Mustangs coach Steve Brown. His team enters the state tournament with a 16-5 record, a seven-game win streak, and their seventh 10th Region title in the past 12 years. Brossart does a good job of sharing the ball, with no player averaging more than 12 points per game. Senior Molly Kramer leads the way, but Zoee Meyers (11.2 ppg) and Jill Planeaux (9.8 ppg) are not far behind.

"Everybody's going to have the opportunity to score and to touch the ball and create offensively," Brown said.

The Lady Mustangs' first game is 8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 25, against 13th Region winner Jackson County. While preparations for the tournament usually begin a few days before the event, the Lady Mustangs actually got a chance to scout the Lady Generals when both teams played in the Berea Holiday Classic. Brossart girls will have their hands full with sophomore forward Abby Gilbert, who averages 16.1 points per game, and senior center Kenady Ward (12.5 ppg).

Brossart's last appearance at the state level came in 2021 when they lost to West Carter, but Brown believes the Lady Mustangs' experience in earlier tournaments and larger gyms will help for quick turnarounds between games.

"They're such grounded kids. They just kind of look at what's the next challenge. They don't get too high and they don't get too low, " Brown said.

Second straight appearance could lead to trophies for Holy Cross

The Holy Cross Indians have stars on both teams leading them to Richmond this week.

For the boys, Jacob Meyer leads the state in scoring at 33.7 points per game. He scored 40 points in the Ninth Region championship game, including the game-winner with 5.6 seconds left. Javier Ward averages 18 points a night and Jacob Smith contributes nine points on average, but a different second option could emerge each night.

"It takes the pressure off me sometimes. (Jacob) Smith can hit, Javier can get to the rim and he can shoot it," Meyer said after the Ninth Region championship game.

The Indians face 12th Region winners Danville in the opening round. Still, they are prepared for the tournament after facing teams like Great Crossing and Lyon County earlier in the year, as well as participating in multiple in-season tournaments. More than anything, Holy Cross is looking forward to playing in a championship environment.

"It's a good platform for our kids, and I'm happy that they got it done and they have this opportunity," head coach Casey Sorrell said.

The Indians take a six-game winning streak into their first-round matchup that tips off at 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26. After winning one game in the state tournament last year, the Indians believe they have what it takes to win the trophy this year.

"That's a big goal for us this year, and we want to win it," Meyer said.

On the girls' side, University of Washington Volleyball commit Julia Hunt is the focal point for an Indians team that made last year's All "A" final four and have unfinished business this year.

"Every game's going to be a battle, but we feel like we're fully equipped to handle that and go on a deep run," head coach Ted Arlinghaus said.

Hunt is nearly averaging a double-double (13.3 points, 9.7 rebounds) and is joined in the frontcourt by Nejai Lewis (10.5 ppg). Senior point guard Aleah Arlinghaus runs the show for Holy Cross, and role players like Aniyah Carter and Aaliyah Hayes mean the Indians have depth off the bench.

"That's where I think we're better prepared for it this year than in years past, where we go deeper. We go nine, 10 deep. If we're fortunate to advance far enough in the tournament, hopefully, we'll have some fresher legs," Arlinghaus said.

Holy Cross faces 14th Region champions Leslie County in the first round at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday. Should they continue winning, every game until the championship on Saturday will be an early tip time. But in a tournament with quick turnarounds, having the first game of the day will let the Indians get into a routine over the course of a few short days.

Leslie County is led by senior Courtney Hoskins, 31st in the state, scoring at 17.9 points per game. Senior center Emma Napier (12.9 ppg, 8.3 rpg) will go toe-to-toe with Hunt in the post.

Should Holy Cross win on Wednesday, they will face Owen County, who knocked the Indians out last year on their way to winning the state tournament.