Intrigue in the Ninth Region of the Kentucky Girls Basketball District Championships

Ryle, Notre Dame Academy and Dixie all succeed as underdogs.

Notre Dame Academy Pandas guard Joslyn Labordeaux-Humphrey looses possession of the ball in the second half of a Kentucky Ninth Region girls basketball final game between the Cooper Lady Jaguars and Notre Dame Academy Pandas, Friday, March 7, 2025, at Truist Arena in Highland Heights, Ky. Lady Jaguars won 60-57. / Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

District basketball championships on paper always seem to be a lock for the favored and ranked team that plays among the court jesters who wait like extras, biding their time on the set.

And invariably, each year, some extras become the central character, the star player.

Ryle Overwhelms Cooper by 39

No. 9 Cooper lost to No. 16 Ryle in the 33rd District Championship. It wasn’t just a “loss,” it was a demolition. A demolition with a 39-point margin. At one point this season, Cooper held the No. 1 spot in the SI rankings. However, Ryle has demonstrated tenacity and resiliency all year, and it seems we’ve been seeing the best version of themselves lately. The Lady Raiders are 11-2 since Jan. 17, and 4-1 in the last five contests, two of which were victories against ranked programs, and a 69-63 loss was to No. 5 North Laurel.

Freshman Jayden McClain terrorized the Lady Jaguars, notching a double-double of 22 points and 11 rebounds. Freshman teammate, Emerson Dowell, contributed 15 points and four rebounds, while senior Jaelyn Jones (averages 20.7 points per game) added 14 points and six rebounds. Some heady production from the Ryle big three. Cooper didn’t post its stats from the contest, but the outcome begs the question, “What happened to junior Haylee Noel?” The Jaguar standout had secured a top-10 scoring leader's foothold early in the season and remained there throughout the regular season. She has now dropped to 25.

Notre Dame Academy Springs an Upset on Holy Cross-Covington

No. 13 Holy Cross-Covington was upset by No. 18 Notre Dame Academy, 60-43, in the 35th District Championship. Like Ryle, the Pandas have been performing exceptionally well as of late, going 4-1 the past two weeks. They’ve defeated three ranked teams — Campbell County, Sacred Heart, and, of course, Holy-Cross-Covington. The loss was to No. 2 George Rogers Clark.

In Friday night’s victory, Notre Dame junior Sarah Young earned a double-double, registering 14 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. Young averages 9.2 rebounds and 10.3 points per contest.

Dixie Heights Surprises St. Henry

And I’d be remiss not to mention Dixie Heights (13-15) toppling St. Henry (17-12), 59-47, in the 34th District Championship.

St. Henry has been a mainstay in the Ninth Region top seven all season. At first glance, this one was a win for the Lady Crusaders. But the Lady Colonels, who have won their last four games, had aces up their sleeve in the forms of junior Asia Carner and sophomore Peyton Gibson. Gibson tallied 17 points and six rebounds. Carner led the Colonels with 23 points. Carner ranks tenth in the state in scoring (24.8 ppg) and is 40 percent from 3-point land.

All of these programs are in the Ninth Region, arguably the most intriguing region in the state. Many of its teams have rotated in and out of the rankings for the past couple of months. Six of its teams have cracked the rankings in 2025-26, and four still reside there as of the final rankings.

I predicted that Cooper would meet Johnson Central (15th Region) in the first round of the Sweet 16. Thankfully, I implied that’s subject to change.

The Ninth Region begins its tournament Sunday at 1 p.m., when Notre Dame tips off against St. Henry at Northern Kentucky University. That will be followed by Cooper playing Highlands at 2:30 p.m., and Dixie Heights meeting Holy Cross at 6:30 p.m. Lastly, Ryle faces Newport Central Catholic at 8 p.m. All games will be played at NKU.