After slow start and adversity, CovCath had chance to ‘make some noise’
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Sweet Sixteen stories
The 2020 Boys’ Sweet 16 was postponed before it began because of the coronavirus pandemic. The stoppage of our annual high school basketball state tournament denied 16 schools and their communities — for many — a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for recognition on one of Kentucky’s most prominent stages. In the absence of basketball, the Herald-Leader is telling their stories. Click below to read the stories published so far.
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Editor’s Note: The 2020 Boys’ Sweet 16 was postponed before it began because of the coronavirus pandemic. The stoppage of our annual high school basketball state tournament denied 16 schools and their communities — for many — a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for recognition on one of Kentucky’s most prominent stages. In the absence of basketball, the Herald-Leader is telling their stories.
Boys’ Sweet 16 champions in 2018, regional winners again in 2019, the Covington Catholic Colonels had it all heading into 2019-20 — experience, size, an unusually deep bench and the confidence that comes from being a traditional powerhouse.
And then life happened.
Not just the life we are experiencing now with the coronavirus pandemic that forced the suspension and possible cancellation of this year’s Boys’ Sweet 16, but the adversity the Colonels overcame to win their third straight regional title for another trip to Rupp Arena.
“We didn’t have many injuries,” Covington Catholic Coach Scott Ruthsatz said, “but we had a lot of sickness throughout our team.”
Noah Hupmann, a 7-foot-1 center who joined the team when his mother transferred from Evansville to the Fifth Third Bank in Cincinnati, was out with strep throat early in the season. He returned just in time to shine during Covington Catholic’s play in a Florida tournament, only to be diagnosed with mononucleosis.
“He was out for the rest of January,” Ruthsatz said. “When he came back, it took some time to get him back in shape.”
Joey Moser, a 6-1 senior guard, suffered a concussion in the season’s first game, a 59-58 loss at Lexington Catholic. After missing a few games, Moser returned only to be involved in a car accident that caused him to miss a few more. “After the concussion and the car accident, we let him take his time coming back,” Ruthsatz said.
And in time, the Colonels developed into the team most expected. After a 1-3 start, the Colonels ripped off 17 straight victories before a 55-49 loss at Cincinnati St. Xavier. They then won five in a row before a loss at Male.
“We played a really tough schedule,” Ruthsatz said.
They rolled through the postseason, winning the 35th District before defeating Highlands 59-54 in the regional finals at Northern Kentucky University. Region MVP Neil Green, a 6-5 senior, led the way with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Hupmann added 12 points and five rebounds. Moser scored 12 points on four made three-pointers. Moser and Grant Disken, a senior guard, hit key free throws down the stretch.
“Disken and Green were sophomores on that 2018 (state champion) team,” Ruthsatz said. “The torch was kind of passed to Grant as a junior and Neil as a senior to get us back to Rupp.”
After defeating Scott County for the 2018 title, CovCath lost to the Cardinals 64-61 in the first round of the 2019 tournament.
“Both of them played at an incredibly high level,” Ruthsatz said of Green and Disken. “They were both leaders on and off the floor.”
It was the team’s depth that set this Colonels team apart from Ruthsatz’s others.
“We had so many boys coming off the bench who could play, which was kind of good and bad,” said Ruthsatz, who won his fifth 9th Region title. “It was kind of revolving door figuring out who our sixth, seventh and eighth man were.”
Such depth left little room for error. If a player wasn’t performing well, Ruthsatz could go with another. “Especially at guard,” the coach said. “That was kind of our secret sauce.”
Despite the fact he’ll lose so much experience — Jay Jackson was another senior who played a valuable role — Ruthsatz feels good about his prospects next season. Donovan Stocks came on throughout the year. Sophomore Colin McHale started for part of the year. Reece Murphy and Chandler Starks will be back. Walker Horn, son of Northern Kentucky head coach Darrin Horn, “is going to be a tremendous asset. We were just so guard heavy this year.”
And as for the incomplete status of this year?
“It’s tough for the seniors, especially when you really have a chance to make some noise,” Ruthsatz said. “We were very confident in our team and our schedule. Then when you get down there, that’s the greatness of the tournament.”
This story was originally published April 6, 2020 at 7:42 AM.
