Friday, December 03, 1999
CovCath No. 1 despite losses
Just 2 starters return, but team still talented
BY JOHN P. WISE
Enquirer contributor
Covington Catholic lost six seniors from last year's 21-10 team that advanced to the Ninth Region championship game before losing to Highlands. Time to rebuild, right? Not exactly.
The Colonels earned the top spot in The Cincinnati Enquirer's coaches poll, and 15th-year coach Dan Tieman is excited to start the season with this week's Turfway Tipoff Tournament.
|
COACHES POLL
|
1. Covington Cath. (15) ....... 208
2. Holmes (6) ....... 202
3. Newport C. Cath. (1) ....... 157
4. Dixie Heights ....... 119
5. Highlands ....... 113
6. Scott ....... 110
7. Campbell County ....... 82
8. Lloyd ....... 68
9. Simon Kenton (1) ....... 59
10. Conner ....... 48
Others: Boone County 36; Ryle 32; Bishop Brossart 27; Holy Cross, Walton-Verona 6; St. Henry 2.
|
“I like this tournament this early, because it's a good gauge to see how far you've come since your first practice, what you still need to work on and how you stack up against the other area teams,” he said.
This week's tournament is the first test for Tieman's squad. Senior guards Steve Purdon and Brian McQuade are the only returning starters, but the team is loaded with potential.
Seniors Brett Dietz, a 6-foot-3 swingman, and guard Justin Baute also will start.
“We've got a pretty good group of kids here with good, young talent,” he said.
Tieman, who turned 59 Tuesday, may have more to celebrate this season. He could push his 293-137 record to 300 wins before the end of the century.
“Our young kids are good enough,” he said. “They're just not yet tested.”
Both the freshman and reserve teams won regional titles last season. This year, seven sophomores and seven juniors will shuffle between the varsity and reserve teams.
Said Purdon, who averaged 15.5 points a game last year: “We lost a lot of guys from last year's team, but we've got more talent this year.”
Purdon said chemistry will be a factor in determining whether CovCath can win its first regional title since 1992.
“We'll decide our own destiny,” he said. “Everything's going to depend on how hard we work. If we can come together and jell by the end of the season the way last year's team did, we'll go pretty far.”
Tieman said the same applies to other schools in the area. At tournament time, he said, you have to be wary of the so-called sleepers.
“There's so much parity around here,” Tieman said. “Any year in Northern Kentucky you can have six or eight teams all capable of winning the region.”
Sports Stories
Niners turn into decliners
Nothing wrong with Coslet, Walsh says
Pals become foes when Xavier plays ETSU
Schott movie coming to cable
UC bows out of NCAA volleyball
