Four teams shared first-place votes in a close poll of 9th Region girls basketball preseason coaches

Will Cooper’s three-year reign as Region 9 girls basketball champion come to an end this season?

In a preseason poll of 9th Region coaches, four teams received the top spot on the 15 ballots submitted. Although Cooper received the most voting points to secure the top spot, the Jaguars were only three points ahead of No. 2 Notre Dame and six points ahead of No. 3 Highlands.

The other team that received first-place votes was Ryle, which has been the region runner-up the past three years. The Raiders are ranked No. 4 heading into preseason practice, which begins Wednesday for all Kentucky high school basketball teams.

Cooper made it to the state semifinals last season with four seniors in the starting lineup. The team’s only returning starter is sophomore forward Haylee Noel, who averaged 7.8 points and 5.8 rebounds during the team’s 31-5 season.

Both Notre Dame and Highlands have most of their starters returning and their rosters include two of the top three players in the coaches’ poll.

Highlands senior center Marissa Green was selected No. 1 by the coaches after going 22-9 last season and averaging 15.6 points and 9.0 rebounds and reaching the 9th Region semifinals managed.

Notre Dame senior center Sophia Gibson averaged 13.1 points and 7.8 rebounds and was picked No. 3, one spot behind Newport Central Catholic senior guard Caroline Eaglin, the No. 9 Region’s leading scorer last season with an average of 21.9.

Here are the results of the Northern Kentucky Girls Basketball Coaches Association polls that selected the top teams and top players in both the 9th Region and the Northern Kentucky tri-county region.

TOP 10 TEAMS IN THE 9TH REGION
(First place votes in brackets)
1 – Cooper (5) 131, 2 – Notre Dame (3) 128, 3 – Highlands (4) 125, 4 – Ryle (3) 109, 5 – Dixie Heights 92, 6 – Holy Cross 82, 7 – Newport Central Catholic 50, 8 – Conner 37, 9 – Bellevue 25, 10 – St. Henry 22.

TOP 10 TEAMS IN NORTHERN KENTUCKY
(First place votes in brackets)
1 – Notre Dame (5) 165, 2 – Cooper (7) 157, 3 – Highlands (6) 153, 4 – Simon Kenton 113, 5 – Ryle (2) 108, 6 – Campbell County 90, 7 – Holy Cross 77, 8 – Dixie Heights 73, 9 – Conner 26, 10 – Brossart 21.

TOP 10 PLAYERS IN THE 9TH REGION
Marissa Green (Highlands), Caroline Eaglin (NewCath), Sophia Gibson (Notre Dame), Haylee Noel (Cooper), Jaelyn Jones (Ryle), Aumani Nelson (Holy Cross), Catherine Buddenberg (Dixie Heights), Maya Lawrie (Notre Dame ). ), Aniyah Carter (Holy Cross), Joslyn LaBordeaux-Humphrey (Notre Dame).

TOP 10 PLAYERS IN NORTHERN KENTUCKY
Marissa Green (Highlands), Caroline Eaglin (NewCath), Sophia Gibson (Notre Dame), Brynli Pernell (Simon Kenton), Haylee Noel (Cooper), Jaelyn Jones (Ryle), Aumani Nelson (Holy Cross), Isabella Jayasuriya (Campbell County ). ), Catherine Buddenberg (Dixie Heights), Braylin Terrell (Walton-Verona).