[Stardust]

By Richard Skinner • Enquirer contributor • March 24, 2009

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The frustration of coming close to winning a state title so many times before and for a community that has been divided over schools closing in its district was all forgotten Monday morning during a pep rally to celebrate and honor the state championship won by the Holmes High School boys' basketball team over the weekend.


Several busloads of students from Two Rivers Middle School (one of the schools to be closed) were brought to the event and helped pack Evans Field House along with the Holmes High School student body and many long-time fans and supporters to create a raucous and enthusiastic atmosphere.

Holmes had been state runner-up in 1978 - a loss swirled in controversy because an opposing player had blocked a potential last-second game-winning shot by putting his arm through the basket - in 1990 and last season before capturing the championship on Saturday with a dramatic double overtime victory over Louisville Central.

"It seems like every couple of months there's something in the newspaper about Covington Independent Schools, and it's usually not positive, but this is just about as good as it gets," said Holmes coach David Henley, whose teams went from the state semifinals in 2007 to state runner-up last season to state champion this season. "Our community takes a lot of pride in the basketball team."

The championship was special for plenty of students and fans, but perhaps none more than math teacher and basketball scorekeeper Gary Huhn, who has been teaching at the school for 42 years and keeping the scorebook for 37.

"I think this will really bring the community together," said Huhn.

"I live in Covington," Huhn said, "and I know a lot of things that go on. We need something like this just to bring the community together. This could be the one thing we've been looking for."

Before the team and coaches came onto the floor, former Holmes standouts Dicky Beal and Doug Schloemer were introduced. Beal was a sophomore on the 1978 team and eventually played at the University of Kentucky and Schloemer was a senior on that team and was selected Kentucky Mr. Basketball that season.

"There's been a lot of years of frustration, but to see what these kids do what they did is very special and it's great for the community," said Beal, who owns an insurance agency in Covington.

Said Schloemer, "It just takes me back in time and makes me wish we could have accomplished something like this, because you know how hard and how special it is."

The crowd was whipped into a frenzy by assistant principal Sean Bohannon and math teacher Monique Greene as both led cheers. Bohannon, who also helps out with the basketball program, even told the crowd that they were no longer operating on Eastern Standard Time, but rather, "Bulldog Time."

"What Time is It?" Bohannon shouted into the microphone. "What Time is It?"

The crowd responded loudly, "Bulldog Time."

Greene, who also coaches the girls' cross country team, donned a mask that resembled a basketball with eyes cut out of it that she wore over head and face and then danced for the crowd.

After a few words from principal Dennis Maines, who called the pep rally, "an amazing assembly of spirit," and from long-time athletic director Ron Madrick, who told the crowd, "I've never been so proud in my life. We all had an opportunity to put ourselves - the fans, the students and the team - in a positive light and we did that," it was time to honor the team.

The crowd erupted wildly as seniors Brandon Housley, Dominque Johnson, JaMel Riley and James Rice emerged from a wooden entrance area dubbed the "Dawg House," carrying the large championship trophy with a net from the title game draped over it.

Each of the four seniors made a brief statement to the crowd as did state tournament MVP Ricardo Johnson.

The soft-spoken Henley, wearing a red sport coat he borrowed from Bohannon for the occasion, also said a few words.

There was then a video tribute featuring highlights from the state tournament played to the musical score, "One Shining Moment," that traditionally closes the CBS television coverage of the NCAA Tournament. Madrick became misty-eyed during the video, and Henley got choked up watching it.

Covington Independent Schools superintendent Linda Jackson also spoke to the crowd, saying of the players, "Teamwork is fueled by common people that accomplish uncommon goals and that's what you guys did. We learned a lot of of lessons from you all from all season through the state tournament and for that we thank you. People don't understand the tireless hours you all spent in this gym practicing. They don't understand the perseverance, the attitude and teamwork and everything you had to do to get that trophy."

Jackson followed up her comments by performing a dance she had promised Bohannon she'd do if the team won the title. She performed it along with Bohannon, calling it the "Bulldog Shuffle." It brought cheering and laughter from the crowd.

Following the rally, Henley made good on a promise he had made his team by getting "lines" trimmed into the side of his already shortly-cropped hair as his players and several students and fans watched.

Henley said he didn't sleep at all following the game and slept just a couple of hours Sunday night as the adrenaline of the season still flowed.

"There were three or four times this morning I was just sitting there and started getting emotional," Henley said. "As a coach you ask so much and demand so much. You know most of the time they're giving you everything they got and when you step back and look at the big picture from Oct. 15 to March for every kid it's impossible to give everything they have everyday, but still as a coach you demand it and expect it and these guys were just awesome all year long."

[Stardust]

There used to be an urban legend that each NFL season when the last undefeated team suffered its first loss that members of the undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins would have a champagne toast to celebrate the continuing uniqueness of that feat.


Urban legend or not, don't think that members of the 1981 Simon Kenton High School boys' basketball team had been holding any similar celebration for the last 28 years when a Ninth Region team lost in the state tournament. In fact, one of the starters on that team actually joined in the celebration Sunday when the Holmes High School team returned from Lexington after capturing the state championship.

"I just think it's awesome," said Greg Ponzer. "I stopped down when they came back, because I know quite a few people in the program (like assistant coach John Wimzie) and I was happy for them and for happy for those kids."

Current Ryle coach Alan Mullins was the starting point guard on that Simon Kenton team, and he said he feels nothing but joy for Holmes, too.

"I just know how great it felt so I know how it must feel for those kids and those coaches and who would want to hold a grudge against that," said Mullins. "Nobody can take away from us what we did, just like no one can take this away from Holmes. It's been a long time coming for someone else in the 9th Region to win this, just like it was a long time coming for us. There's still been only two in 92 years and I hope there's a lot more in the next 92 years."

Was 1978 team better?
While the 1978 Holmes team came up just short of winning the state championship - thanks in a large part to what just about everyone agrees was a blown call - there are many area fans who claim it's the best Ninth Region team of all time.

Don't count at least one member of that 1978 team among them.

"We didn't win, and it's all about winning," said Dicky Beal, who was a sophomore guard on that team and went on to play for the University of Kentucky. "They took the title. That makes them the best set of players to ever come out of this school and I feel very comfortable in saying that."

I reminded Beal that his team was jobbed of the title in 1978 when Shelby County's Charles Hurt reached through the goal (as a photograph later revealed) to block a potential game-winning shot, but Beal wouldn't waver.

"It doesn't matter," he said. "This group went to three Final Fours in a row and two championship games and not many schools can say that."

Another member of that 1978 team, that year's Mr. Basketball Doug Schloemer, didn't want to debate which team was best.

"We were both very different," said Schloemer. "We averaged 85 points a game and they get it done playing solid halfcourt basketball. This is about what they accomplished, not what we almost did."

Beal did admit he was disappointed he didn't get a chance to have the feeling the current players are enjoying.

"One part of me is no doubt happy, but as a player I would have to done it and know how beautiful it is to win that championship," he said.

Answering Ernst's question
Ryan Ernst, The Enquirer's Northern Kentucky prep beat reporter, admitted he didn't quite understand why Ninth Region rivals almost always throw their support behind the regional winner in the Sweet 16. I think there are several reasons for it:

1. Northern Kentucky has a bit of an identity crisis. The rest of the state looks at the region as part of Cincinnati, and Cincinnati looks at it as part of Kentucky.

2. The lack of state tournament success - as far as winning state titles - has left everyone with an all-for-one, one-for-all mentality.

3. The feeling that perhaps Northern Kentucky didn't get a fair shake in officiating in some state tournaments in the 1960s and 1970s.

4. There are a lot of long-time friendships among the coaches.

"So many coaches are friends on and off the court," said Rick Myers, who serves as Northern Kentucky University's assistant vice president for marketing and communications and has been going to the state tournament since the 1970s.

"They all really root for each other. It's an incredible dynamic that whatever team comes from the 9th Region they all throw their support behind them."