Pre-sale tickets for the regional football final match-up at Highlands will be available Wed-Fri this week in the main school office from 7:30 am to 3:00 pm. Kickoff is set for Friday, Nov. 21 at 7:00 pm at Ft. Thomas Highlands.

By: River City News

This article appears via KyForward and is written by Ryan Clark, the New Media Editor/Instructor at Northern Kentucky University. He can be reached at clarkr9@nku.edu

When Brad Fritz rolls into a room, he speaks volumes – and he does it without saying a word.

It's because of the accident, which makes it difficult for him to speak at all. He uses a typing machine that talks for him, called a Lightwriter, which means his every word – a joke, a swear, etc. – comes out in a computer-sounding voice. Slowly, he will type, a letter at a time, and his words are read aloud by the machine.

At first people in the audience don't know how to react. They're a bit uncomfortable, even though Brad is smiling. It could be the wheelchair, or the way Brad's past traumas are given away by his bent posture and shaky hand gestures. It makes sense – almost dying can leave behind that kind of evidence.

But then Brad starts typing/talking. "Ask me anything you want," the computer voice says, slowly, as he keys in the words.

And usually, one by one, the audience gets more comfortable. They ask him about the accident, if he remembered being thrown from the car and hitting the tree. They ask him if later, when he'd realized his entire life had changed, if he wanted to die. And Brad always wins them over with his personality.

He tells them about graduating from Covington Catholic High, then from Thomas More College. He baits the audience on this one.

"What was your major?" a student asks.

Brad smiles, typing his answer.

"Pimping," he says.

The classroom waits a beat. You can see them thinking: Did he just say that?

The next moment they erupt in laughter. It's one of the biggest laughs he gets all night. He's won them now, and they'll listen to everything he says.

This is Brad Fritz's life: He wants to help save others.

A youthful mistake

Fifteen years ago, Brad was an all-star high school athlete. As a sophomore at Covington Catholic High he established himself as a standout football player. He had a pretty girlfriend. The world was his end zone.

Then, one night after a particularly painful loss, he decided to get into a car with some friends who'd been drinking.

Like that, everything changed.

When Brad woke up he'd been in a coma in the hospital for three months.

The police report said the three teenagers were driving in a cemetery, going about 55 miles per hour around a curve when they clipped a headstone, spun around twice and hit a tree. Brad, who'd been wearing his seatbelt, was still thrown from the car. He hit the tree, and when paramedics arrived he had a collapsed lung, a broken jaw and his head had swollen to the size of a basketball.

Doctors were certain he wouldn't survive. But after three months he awoke from his coma. He couldn't stand up. He couldn't speak. Technically, he had suffered severe brain damage. He could still feel everything, but he could barely use his arms, legs or hands.

He was 15 years old. To him, his life was over.

"I was so angry and confused that I didn't even want to be alive," Brad says in his presentation.

Starting life over

Five months after the crash he was released from the hospital. He still couldn't even stand by himself. He was mad at God. He was mad at those who survived the crash. He was mad at the world.

He says it was that anger that helped him, in a way. It pushed him to try and walk and talk, to try and get better.

At least, for a while.

For Brad, life started over at 15. He continued his rehabilitation. He went back to school. He learned he would have to repeat his sophomore year. As time crept on, he remembered more from his accident, and the horrific scenes of his life kept rolling through his mind. As the year anniversary of the wreck approached, he thought of other awful things.

"Everyone always expected me to smile, and, even though I was unhappy, I smiled," he says. "Even though I was smiling, my unhappiness soon grew to pure hatred. Suicide began to cross my mind."

But being raised Catholic, he was taught suicide wasn't an option. Still, that didn't really matter when so much had been taken away.

Classes and life went by, unhappily, each day. As the school year turned once more, Brad again felt pain when he learned his cousin died in the World Trade Center during the 9-11 terrorist attacks.

"One week later marked two years since the wreck," he says. "I started considering how I would kill myself. This went on for around a month. There were constant reminders on TV and the radio of what had happened that day. I think everyone knew what was going through my head. My friends told me that in October they were going on retreat. They asked me if I was going on it. I decided I might as well."

A true awakening

The retreat was a religious-based event, called Christian Awakening, and Brad heard many stories of survival.

"I heard a lot of different stories – rape stories, adoption stories, drug stories – and my story didn't seem so tough anymore," he says. "I realized everyone suffers. The whole point of life is to suffer. It's what we do in that suffering that makes us human."

And life began to change.

"I felt selfish that I thought my story was any more difficult than anyone else's," he says. "It brought back my faith in God because I realized that I hurt myself, and God kept me alive."

Brad went on to graduate high school, and then college, before he decided to take his story on the road. Now he presents for a living, traveling across Kentucky and Ohio to teach young people to value their lives.

"I invite Brad to speak to my University 101 class early each fall semester as we approach the subject of personal responsibility and accountability," says Tom Ramstetter, an instructor at Northern Kentucky University. "His message really captivates students and compels them to look at their own behaviors inside and outside the classroom, good and bad. Sharing his experience and personal growth is beneficial to students of all ages."

Elizabeth Garcia was a freshman in that class when she first met Brad Fritz and listened to his presentation.

"He put into perspective that people take life for granted, myself included," says the junior English major at NKU. "I realize I think about the negative way of life more than what positives I do have. I think about how I should be thankful that I have all that I have, and that more people should cherish your life, because it could take a turn for the worse at any time."

Elizabeth was so moved by the presentation – and by Brad's message – that she composed a poem based on his story.

"I focus on what it felt like to sit there and hear this presentation and to see with my own eyes what happens to someone before and after something like this," she says. "I felt what Brad went through and I saw the pain in his voice through his writing. Meeting Brad influenced me to step inside his shoes and see my life as his is now. It was a remarkable presentation."

Elizabeth ended her poem with these lines:

His dreams crying out with one last breath
as they died along with the happiness of a youthful boy.
Ruined.
But not his will to live, his courage, his perseverance, his ability to heal,
Not his ability to reach out and touch lives.

Brad laughs when the class finally opens up to him.

Wise — and giving

Now 30, Brad smiles easy. He can speak, though his words come out slow and difficult. He still looks young, like he did in his old football pictures. But he's wise, too.

He uses his motorized wheelchair to get around. He lives with his brother, and his mother drives him to his speaking engagements. After doing this for years in the tri-state area, he has since expanded his reach to present in places as far away as Rhode Island and Missouri. He'll speak to groups of various sizes and professions – from classes of student drivers to staff and patients at hospitals. He's now working on a book about his experience.

"I had heard Brad's story while in high school and then he reached out to me to see if we would be interested in having him come in and speak," says Molly Hug, a teacher at Boone County High. "We did and he has come in twice a year since. It is so important for our students to understand the importance of the choices we make in life, especially those that involve substance abuse and the consequences that come along with those choices."

Mary Porter, a teacher at Saint Ursula Academy in Cincinnati, says Brad's story is relatable to young people.

"Brad allows my students to understand how decisions affect countless numbers of people," she says. "(He) also focuses on his faith and how he questioned it during his rehabilitation. (He) teaches about not taking life for granted and the importance of a strong family support system."

Hannah Blankenship, a senior at Cincinnati, says that when faced with a difficult task, she thinks about Brad's presentation.

"He could have easily just given up on his life," she says. "What really surprises me is that he persevered through something so difficult in order to love his life, and now he uses his life and the things he overcame to have an impact on other kids' lives. It goes to show that life circumstances aren't determiners for what you make your life to be. Brad defies all odds and expectations."

Above all, these are the reasons he opens up – to help people, he says.

"I hope students take out of it whatever they need," Brad says, "whether it's them going through tough times and they need some help finding strength, or they're struggling with their faith or finding meaning in life. Maybe they need help finding strength when faced with difficult decisions, or they even just need perspective."

There's one thing Brad no longer searches for – meaning. He says he knows now why God spared his life. Everyday, he says, he can travel the region, delivering his message of not taking anything for granted.

"If I speak to a class and I help just one person, just one student, make the right decision," he says, "then I've done my job."

To get Brad Fritz to speak to your group, contact him at brad@thebradfritz.com or visit his website at http://bradfritz.org/.

By: River City News ( Staff Report)

A $200,000 National Football League Foundation Grassroots Grant will be awarded to Covington Catholic High School next week when executives and players from the Cincinnati Bengals plan to come to Park Hills for a presentation.

The money will be used to help build a new athletic field at the school and the official announcement will be made just before kickoff prior to the Colonels' Homecoming game against Beechwood on Saturday, October 4 at 12:45 p.m.

On Friday, December 5, the Covington Catholic community, led by the CCH class of 2015, will come together to raise awareness for DIPG, a very rare form of brain cancer that usually afflicts children.

The Colonels will be raising money and awareness for Operation Grace White. Grace White is the daughter of CCH alum Scott White '93 and NDA alum Amy Cobble White '94. Grace was diagnosed with the terrible disease after a nasty fall while attending Mass with her family in North Carolina. Her father Scott, is a Lt. Colonel in the United States Army and was brought back home to Northern KY from serving in Afghanistan. The family has re-located to Northern KY, to be closer to Cincinnati Children's Hospital.

T-shirts will be available to the CCH student body during the week of Dec. 1 for $10 with all proceeds going to Operation Grace White for DIPG research. The T-shirt will also serve as the student's ticket for entrance to the opening home basketball game on Dec. 5, against Holy Cross. T-Shirts for the general public will be made available at a later date.

The goal of the senior class is to show a unified front from the Colonel Crazies for Grace and her family against DIPG.

Donations for Operation Grace White will also be accepted during the triple header in the lobby of the CCH gym.

Doors will open at 4:00pm for the Freshman game at 4:30, the J.V. game will follow at 6:00 and the Varsity game is scheduled for a 7:30 tip off. Tickets at the door will be $6 for adults, $4 for students and $4 for seniors.

For more information on Operation Grace White, click in the following links.

http://www.helpfightdipgforgrace.org/

https://www.facebook.com/OperationGraceWhite

https://twitter.com/OpsGraceWhite

De Oppresso Liber, Nous Defions, Never Quit...Never Surrender, and With a Spirit that Will Not Die!

Source: River City News

Perfect Again: Second Covington Catholic Student Scores 36 on ACT

Giving Tuesday kicks of Holiday Giving Season

By: James Weber

KENTON COUNTY Covington Catholic won't have record-setting point guard Nick Ruthsatz and several other graduates from last year's team, which set many milestones in going 33-2.

That's a way of life for just about any team that wins a state championship, which the Colonels did with a stirring win over Scott County in the Sweet 16 state final last March. Head coach Scott Ruthsatz (77-23 overall at CCH) will turn to talented returning veterans to aide in a title defense.

Sophomore guard Cole VonHandorf averaged 10 points, four assists, four rebounds and three steals a game last season. Senior forward Bo Schuh, 6-foot-6, averaged eight points, five rebounds and two assists per contest. They are the two returning starters for the team.

"With Nick leaving, there was a leadership spot open. I felt that it was my job to take it over," Schuh said. "I feel like this is the year for our seniors to take over. We haven't had as much experience, so there's a lot of doubt coming with us when we play. We're all ready to go out there and show what we're made of."

According to coach Ruthsatz, Cooper Theobald has had a great preseason and will handle the point guard duties for the Colonels. Grant Romes was a key contributor off the bench last season and will provide a great amount of athleticism on both ends of the court. Andy Flood, Noah Lenhof and Matthew Shumate are good outside shooters and all starters for last year's JV regional championship. Will Heppler and Hunter Ziegelmeyer are both aggressive post players and 6-foot-6.

The Colonels will have plenty of tests this season as they look to strengthen their mettle for their postseason defense. Cov Cath will play two of the state's top teams early on, going to Trinity Dec. 12 and Knott County Central Dec. 20 (at Rowan County). Cov Cath will also return to the prestigious Republic Bank Classic Dec. 27-30. In January, Cov Cath will go to Moeller Jan. 13. Regional showdowns with Newport Central Catholic (Jan. 16) and Holmes (Jan. 23) will both take place at the Bank of Kentucky Center. Overall, CCH will play at least seven of the top 20 teams in the preseason state Kentucky poll.

"Last year we were mainly a man-to-man team," Ruthsatz said. "We had really good basketball players, but we weren't really athletic. This year we're a lot more athletic. We can use our defense to trap and do some other things to generate some offense in the backcourt, which I'm excited to see."

Educating Young Men Spiritually, Academically, Physically and Socially. Be a part of the Tradition! Be a Colonel!
High school placement test and parent breakfast on Sat. 12/13. Register today by clicking on the link below.

CCH High School Placement Test

By: Bob Lind (cch IT coordinator & Robotics club moderator)

By: Rick Broering (Cincinnati.com)

Photo By: Tony Tibble (The Enquirer)

Covington Catholic got off to a dominant start in the Kentucky High School Athletic Association 4A state playoffs Saturday afternoon by beating Greenup County 39-8 at Wooten Field in Park Hills.

The Colonels scored all 39 of their points and rolled up 289 yards of total offense in the first two quarters, setting the KHSAA's running clock mercy rule into effect for the entire second half. Junior Ryan McGinness caught, rushed, and passed for a touchdown while racking up 204 all-purpose yards in the win.

It wasn't all positive news for the home team, though, as starting quarterback Adam Wagner, who missed eight games last season with an ACL injury and two earlier this season with a concussion, left the game midway through the second quarter with a left knee injury. He watched the rest of the game on crutches from the sideline, after completing 6-of-7 passes for 116 yards with three touchdowns and one interception.

"We'll take a look at it and see what it is," coach Dave Wirth said. "We'll see what the deal is later on today or tomorrow and go on from there. It's a very unfortunate part of the game, especially when it happens to these kids that you love a lot and that have worked as hard as Wags or any of them. Hopefully it's nothing real bad and we can get him back."

McGinness held the Colonels together when Wagner went down. The senior gained experience in a quarterback crisis situation earlier this year when both Wagner and junior backup Ben Dressman went down with injuries in back-to-back weeks. He finished the game 4-of-7 for 77 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

"He's one of those type of players," Wirth said. "He's a multi-talented kid. He's athletic, tough and he has enough of an arm to keep the defense honest on play-action and those types of things. Everyone has a lot of confidence in Ryan. He has a lot of Mojo."

Greenup County caught one of its few breaks of the day on the opening kickoff when it recovered an unintentional short popup of an onside kick at the CovCath 31. The Musketeers turned it over on downs just four plays later against CovCath's hard-hitting defensive front.

CovCath's first offensive series couldn't have been scripted more perfectly by offensive coordinator Matt Roberts nor executed better by his players. Speedy senior wide receiver Logan McDowell took a sweep around the end for a 21-yard gain on the first play, Wagner hit senior tight end Luke Foertsch over the middle for a 21-yard gain on the second, Wagner sprinted up the middle for 15 yards on a keeper and then he hit senior receiver Jake Erpenbeck on a quick pass to the right sideline that Erpenbeck was able to use his speed to turn into a 20-yard touchdown to complete a four-play, 77-yard scoring drive.

After the defense forced a quick three-and-out, McGinness put the Colonels up 12-0 by taking another quick pass from Wagner, turning the corner on the first wave of defenders and stiff-arming a wannabe tackler in the secondary on his way to a 53-yard touchdown.

Greenup County's offense moved the chains for the first time on their ensuing possession, but CovCath senior Drew DeMarsh stole any hope at gaining momentum by intercepting a pass by junior quarterback Jared Hunt and returning it into Musketeers' territory. That pick set off a wave of turnovers, as Wagner returned the favor on the first snap of the Colonels' drive, but then CovCath got the last laugh when senior Caleb Summe picked off Hunt again two plays later and returned it 21 yards for a touchdown to make the score 18-0. CovCath missed its first three extra-point attempts while trying out inexperienced replacement kickers junior Mitch Macknight and freshman Grant Dyer, who were filling in for the injured Marshall Hornsby.

Wagner hit Lee McClure with a jump pass toward the left hash mark while avoiding oncoming pass-rushers early in the second quarter, and then McClure cut back towards the middle of the field for a 19-yard touchdown. Wagner's two-point conversion run made the score 26-0 with 8:30 left in the half.

Wagner left the game with his knee injury on the Colonels' next offensive series midway through the second quarter.

McGinness took over and promptly hit McDowell for a 31-yard gain on a jump ball down the field. A few plays later Wagner's twin brother Alex Wagner left the game with what looked to be a right ankle injury. Despite the obvious concern for their teammates, McGinness managed to keep the Colonels focused and eventually completed the 10-play, 92-yard drive with his own 2-yard touchdown run. Dyer nailed the extra-point to make it 33-0.

"I just came in and tried to fill my role," McGinness said. "I prefer playing running back, but I just try to do my job. With the injuries, similar to last year, I have to step up. I went to quarterback to running back, and now possibly back to quarterback again here with Wags going down, but we've got it under control. We've been in this situation before, so I think everyone's used to it by now."

The Colonels scored their final touchdown on a 23-yard catch-and-run by McClure from McGinness to put the running clock in effect with 2:09 left in the half.

Greenup County's only points came on a 67-yard interception return by senior Rusty Wells when he broke on a third quarter bubble-screen pass by McGinness perfectly.

CovCath will travel to take on 11-0 Johnson Central next week in the second round of the 4A state playoffs

The Colonels travel to Louisville this weekend to play both Lousiville Trinity and Louisville St. Xavier. The CCH Internet radio crew will be broadcasting for both J.V and Varsity for each game.

Game Schedule:

Friday vs. Louisville Trinity: J.V 6:00 & Varsity 7:30

Saturday Vs. St. X : J.V 3:00 & Varsity 4:30

Local radio station, Q102, awarded the CCH Chamber Choir 1st place in their annual Christmas Choir competition for their performance of the holiday song, Hark, The Herald Angels Sing/Angels We Have Heard On High arranged by Director Jim Wolfe. This marks the third year for the competition as well as the third year the Chamber Choir has placed first. Morning shows hosts Jeff and Jenn presented a check for $5,000 to members of the Chamber Choir and Mr. Wolfe on Friday, December 12 during class.

Senior Jacob Erpenbeck has been honored with the award for Athlete of The Year in class 2A track and field for his accomplishments in the 2014 season. Last season, Erpenbeck set the school record in the 100m Dash with a time of 10.82 sec, and in the 200m dash with a time of 22.00 sec.

He was the driving force of the team at the state meet combing for 31 of the teams 45 points. His State meet performance included:

1st place - 100m dash

2nd place - 200m dash

4th place - 4x200 team

2nd place - 4x100 team

Jake looks to lead the team again this season as the track and field colonels push for a state championship. Congratulations Jacob on your outstanding Accomplishment!

Video link.

Jason Frakes, jfrakes@courier-journal.com

Trinity High School's Sam Stockton and Newport Central Catholic's Jacob Hensley have been honored as the top offensive and defensive players in the state by the Kentucky Soccer Coaches Association.

Stockton was named Offensive Player of the Year, and Hensley was named Defensive Player of the Year. The Mr. Soccer award will be announced this weekend.

Other winners were Frankfort's Sherrill Smith (Small School Coach of the Year), Trinity's Dale Helfrich (Private School Coach of the Year) and Fern Creek's John Pedro (Large School Coach of the Year).

Stockton was among five players from the Louisville area named the All-State West first team, representing Regions 1-8. The others were Trinity's Greg Fischer, South Oldham's Christian Lister and Joseph Profancik and Collegiate's Harper White.

The complete All-State teams:

WEST (REGIONS 1-8)

* First team: Sam Stockton, Greg Fischer (Trinity); Nick Gregory (Henderson County); Christian Lister, Joseph Profancik (South Oldham); Exodus Bargblor (Bowling Green); Mitch O'Kelly (Greenwood); Nolan Mattingly (Daviess County); Fahrudin Dervisevic (South Warren); Zach Fonda (Central Hardin); Harper White (Collegiate).

READ MORE: Male, Trinity, X up for best football program

* Second team: Alex Gray (Ballard); Haji Abdikadir (Collegiate); Donald Aviles, Gilio Aviles (Bowling Green); Trent Stigler (St. Xavier); Austin Moore (Hopkinsville); Drew Goetz, Eric Goranflo (Trinity); Azer Sabanovic (South Warren); Secou Drame (Fern Creek); Griffin Smith (South Oldham).

* Honorable mention: Ryan Freer, Jacob Stanley, Josef Winkler (Daviess County); Tucker Monheimer (Ballard); Micah Linscott (North Hardin); Cody Bridges (Elizabethtown); Isaac Koryor (Fern Creek); Felicius Bucyukundi (Collegiate); Christian Bonfield (John Hardin); Raul Guillen (Warren Central); Clayton Wirth (Oldham County); Ben Stinbruner, Seth Junion (North Oldham); Caleb Mattingly (South Warren); Alex Knowles (McCracken County); Jordan Oden (Hopkinsville); Demond Taylor (Owensboro); Colin Kremer (St. Xavier); Matthew Higdon (Bowling Green); Dylan Barth (Manual); Jacob Stauffer (Henderson County); Nathan Solomon (Marshall County).

EAST (REGIONS 9-16)

* First team: Chris O'Brien, Logan Williams (Cooper); Collins Rose, Thomas Ueland (Henry Clay); Edwin Garcia (Tates Creek); Jacob Hensley (Newport Central Catholic); Kyle Settle (Boyle County); Parker Kenny (Covington Catholic); Ricky Clemente, Tyler Joy-Brandon (Paul Dunbar); Zac Blades (Woodford County).

READ MORE: Athlete of the Week | Ballard football's David Daniels

* Second team: Aime Mabika (Henry Clay); Alex Lewis, Luke Norris (Paul Dunbar); Bryce Day (Covington Catholic); Caswell Fuller (Montgomery County); Chubaka Mutayongwa (Tates Creek); Jax Young (Woodford County); Jeff Paulin, Mark Goller (Bishop Brossart); Larry Whelan (Rowan County); Pat Louis (Newport Central Catholic).

* Honorable mention: Adam Snow (Cooper); Alex Green (St. Henry); Allan Mays, Trevor P'Simer (Rowan County); Amadi Mubelela (Tates Creek); Andrew Yoder, Noah Valencia (Model); Chris Hunt (Henry Clay); Christian Ramirez (Woodford County); Church Gray, Travis Skelton (Frankfort); Dylan Dobson (Madison Central); Garrett Dean, Sawyer Ransdell (Mercer County); Jonathan Miller (West Jessamine); Lucas Canineu, Tulio Canineu (Corbin); Nathan Roe (Ryle); Nolan Moser (Montgomery County); Tanner Kidwell (Madison Southern); Thomas Hayes (Lex

Trailing at halftime, Covington Catholic outscored Henry Clay by 16 points in the second half en route to a 73-58 win on Tuesday afternoon.

CovCath dominated the glass, outrebounding Henry Clay 40-27. Senior forward Bo Schuh scored a game-high 20 points for the Colonels, while also grabbing nine rebounds and dishing out four assists. Sophomore guard Cole VonHandorf added 16 points and four rebounds, while senior guard Cooper Theobald scored 14.Henry Clay was led by Isaiah Tisdale, who scored 16.

Covington Catholic, ranked No. 2 in the Northern Kentucky Enquirer area coaches' poll, improved to 8-3 this season. The Colonels will play again on Friday at Highlands at 7:30 p.m.

By: James Weber Community Recorder (Cincinnati.com)

On Tuesday, Jan. 6, the Covington Catholic High School wrestling team will host its first ever home wrestling match in the gym against Holmes, Roger Bacon and Western Hills. Athletic director Mike Guidugli confirmed the meet is still on.

Matches for the junior varsity team will begin at 6 pm with varsity following at 6:30 pm. The event will also be "Senior Night," to honor the senior Colonel wrestlers Joe Marino, Craig McGhee and Alex Beckes for their hard work and leadership in the first two years of CCH wrestling.

"The wrestlers on this team have put a great deal of time and effort into a very tough and physical sport. It is not a sport that typically allows even great athletes to enjoyimmediate success. Our match on Tuesday night is an opportunity to introduce the sport of wrestling to the Covington Catholic community and hopefully give the home crowd something to get excited about, " said Coach Dave Johnson.

Wrestling was added to the winter sports season during the 2013/2014 school year. Currently 17 students comprise the Covington Catholic High School wrestling team.

James Weber, jweber@communitypress.com

(Photo: Jim Osborn for the Recorder)

The first Senior Night in the history of Covington Catholic wrestling was a memorable one for the three 12th-graders on the fledgling Colonels program.

Craig McGhee, Alex Beckes and Joe Marino had perfect nights Jan. 6, going 2-0 in their matches with a combined four pins out of six contests. They helped the Colonels roll to big meet wins over Cincinnati foes Roger Bacon and Western Hills.

Not only were the three seniors honored in a ceremony, but the night marked the first time Cov Cath has hosted a wrestling meet in its two-year existence as a program. Holmes was also at the meet and wrestled the two Cincy foes as well.

The Cov Cath community gets boisterous in support of its sports, and the new sport in town was no exception.

"It was a really great night," said head coach Dave Johnson. "We had a great turnout from the student body, the faculty and alumni. A lot of folks were curious and it was a great way to give exposure to the sport. A lot of people came up to me after and said they were excited to see what it was all about. I got a lot of texts and calls. I took nothing but positives from the whole night."

Michael Meyer, Daniel Branch and Jacob Lentsch also went 2-0 in the meet. CCH improved to 6-6 in dual matches, an improvement over 1-7 last season.

"I really liked that the school was able to get together, and that was the best part," Marino said. "It was great to get some support from the school and the faculty. Our principal and AD gave us a pep talk. Our performance that night was a result of the school backing us up. I'm glad we did as well as we did."

Marino was the team's first state qualifier last year, advancing in the heavyweight division. He has expanded on that to go 21-3 so far this season, including a runner-up finish in the conference championships Jan. 2. He is the first NKAC finalist in team history. He has won 12 matches by pin.

"My coaches are a big part of it," Marino said. "I always listen to my coaches and I take their advice to heart. Whenever there's a pause, I'll look over to (Johnson) and he'll give me tips. My main thing is listening to my coaches and I get in extra time in training."

Marino is hoping to attend school at a service academy and has been training for a fitness exam as part of that process. Marino was elected a co-captain this season.

"He's a second-year wrestler, and he's competing against guys who have been doing it for a lot longer," Johnson said. "He is quickly closing the gap."

Marino's father was a high-school star wrestler in Connecticut but Joe never had an opportunity to try the sport himself until the Colonels started their program.

"I fell in love with it ever since I was a kid," he said. "I know we have a lot of top-notch programs at Cov Cath and wrestling was different and I was ready...The only people that can succeed in wrestling are the people who have strong character because it's such a difficult sport that if you weren't a strong person, you wouldn't be able to come back each day and do everything wrestling demands."

CCH has 17 wrestlers in the program. Meyer is 16-11, with 11 wins by pin. Daniel Branch (11-10), McGhee (11-9), Luke Rolfsen (11-10) and Lentsch (10-11) are also in double digits in wins, with Cullen Higgins (9-4) about to get there.

Lentsch finished fourth at 160 in the conference tournament, and Meyer was fifth at 152. The NKAC doesn't have Walton-Verona, who always has several strong wrestlers, but the conference meet is often a good indicator of how the Region 6 tournament will go. The top four finishers in each weight class at regionals go to the state meet.

"We hope to send more than one guy to state," Johnson said. "We have guys who are competitive enough and should be in the mix."

Follow James on Twitter, @JWeberSports

USA today is hosting a poll to see what the best High School basketball programs in the country are. In order for Covington Catholic to be recognized we need your vote. This is a great way to promote our school and basketball team on a National Level. We are currently ranked in the top 30 in voting. With your votes we can definitely crack the top ten You are able to vote multiple times. Follow the link below to vote, by checking the box that says " I am not a robot". Thank you for your support & spread the word. Go Colonels!

Vote Here!