Weather is starting to get a little bit cooler now and the calendar has turned to October. That means open gyms have started and tryouts are around the corner for the NKY area middle school basketball teams. The road to the 8th grade championship is going to be a fun one. With three Boone County teams loaded with talent. Ockerman, the defending champions, got richer in the off season. Sean McNeil transferred in from Walton. Add him to the back court with his AAU running mate Dante Hendrix and they should give teams fits. Grey also got a big transfer from Walton in Braydon Cheesman. Will someone tell Walton the last one out to turn off the lights, wow they losing kids. Cheesman is a very solid PG with freshman experience. He, Jared Webster and Brent Angel will give teams match up problems. The other Boone County team that is in the mix is Conner. Spencer Hemmrick has started to develop his entire game and gotten away from only shooting jumpers. Like Webster for Grey, he is a bigger stronger kid that is going to be tough to stop going to the rim.
The Kenton County schools at the 8th grade level tend to be a little weaker because their high school teams let them play up a grade if good enough. Camron Racke of Twenhofel played up last year as a 7th grader for Simon Kenton. Jake Ohmer of Woodland will also play up this year and will run the PG position for Scott's freshman team. JC Hawkins of Summit View is another kid that may play up. I know he has been working out with the SK freshman but I can't get any information about if he is playing up there. If he stays at Summit View that team will be very solid as they won a school record 35 games last year and won the middle school regular season. Before being upset in the opening round of district play by Ohmer and Woodland. If Hawkins is back at SV they would be the only Kenton County school I would think that could be mentioned to win the championship. A few other Kenton County kids that may play up are Hunter Meyer of Turkeyfoot and Lucas Benson of Beechwood. Cole Vonhandorf I hear is not going to be playing for Blessed Sacrament this season. I don't know if Covington Catholic is changing some rules or if he is transfer somewhere else. But I got it from a good source that he will not be in a Blessed Sacrament uniform this year.
I will post soon about the upcoming 7th grade teams. But I need help with this year 6th grade teams. If you know of any solid kids or teams. Please email and give me some names and I will check them out.
Well let the games begin, I am ready for some hoops action.
