Evangel Christian wins boys’ All ‘A’ Classic; Covington Holy Cross takes girls’ title

Private schools reigned in Sunday’s championship games of the boys’ and girls’ All “A” Classic tournament at Eastern Kentucky University’s Baptist Health Arena in Richmond.

In the boys’ finals, Evangel Christian held off a late rally by Covington Holy Cross and an MVP performance by its senior guard Jacob Meyer, to win 65-62 and become the first Louisville school to claim this small-school state championship.

In the girls’ finals, Covington Holy Cross was the victor with a 65-61 win over Bethlehem. Led by tournament most valuable player Julia Hunt’s 21 points, 19 rebounds and eight blocks, the Indians captured the second All “A” Classic state title in program history.

Evangel takes control

Evangel, a legitimate contender for the 6th Region title and trip to the every-school Boys’ Sweet 16, secured their victory by outplaying Holy Cross in the second and third periods and dominating the boards with a 46-25 rebounding advantage.

Evangel learned from losing to eventual 2022 Classic champion Pikeville in last season’s semifinals, players and coaches said.

“They just manhandled us, so we got in the weight room,” Evangel Coach Larry Miller told the Courier Journal. “Right after our season was over, we started the very next day. That was huge.”

Christian Doerr led three Eagles players in double figures, scoring 18 points, including two key free throws in the final minute. Kyran Tilley and Johnny Djema added 15 and 12 points, respectively.

The Eagles went on a 17-6 run in the second quarter led by a balanced attack that included scores by six different players while Holy Cross could only counter with Meyer who made six of his 11 shots in the period as his teammates went 0-for-3.

Evangel led 36-28 at halftime and stretched the advantage to 55-44 after three quarters. Ben Tshaka Mukadi’s tip-in with two seconds left in the third quarter proved pivotal as Holy Cross rallied in the fourth.

Meyer scored 15 of the Indians’ 18 points in the fourth quarter as Holy Cross cut Evangel’s lead to one twice. Holy Cross trailed 61-60 with 1:26 left in the game but could get no closer. After a pair of missed Evangel free throws with the score at 64-62 with 20 seconds left, Meyer’s drive to tie the game rolled off the rim and left 0:04 on the clock after a Holy Cross foul. Aaron Taylor made one free throw for the final margin.

Meyer milestones

Despite the loss, Holy Cross’s Meyer earned tournament most valuable player honors. Not only did he set the Classic’s single-game points mark on Sunday with 49, he also became the all-time All “A” scorer in a single tournament with 157 points in four games.

During Sunday’s finals, Meyer also surpassed 3,000 points for his career, a mark that puts him in the same category as three active players, North Laurel’s Reed Sheppard (3,455), Bracken County’s Blake Reed (3,267) and Lyon County’s Travis Perry (3,859).

“I think he put the state on notice,” Holy Cross Coach Casey Sorrell told the Courier Journal. “I hope the narrative about him changes. People can say what they want, but he’s a leader and he’s a winner. He’s more than just a guy who scores points and shoots shots.”

Holy Cross girls win

Covington Holy Cross’s girls’ team built as much as a 12-point lead early in the fourth quarter, but had to hold off a late Bethlehem rally to claim the championship.

Indians’ 6-foot-2 center Julia Hunt dictated play on both ends of the floor. Hunt had four of her eight blocks in the first period and scored nine of her 21 points in the third period as Holy Cross established a 44-34 lead going into the fourth. Senior forward Nejai Lewis provided Holy Cross with another scoring and rebounding threat as she contributed 20 points and 11 rebounds.

“I gave us a tough schedule in December to prepare us for these moments and I think it showed today in a big way,” said Holy Cross head coach Ted Arlinghaus as quoted by the Cincinnati Enquirer from the team’s postgame broadcast. “To their credit, they might be the loosest bunch I’ve ever been around. This team has chemistry. They’ve got each other’s back and I think that shows the way they play on the floor.”

Bethlehem’s Carlie Thurmond scored 12 of her team-high 25 points in the fourth period, but the Banshees could get no closer than 63-61 with nine seconds to play. Emma Filiatreau and Tessa Miles added 20 and 10 points for Bethlehem, respectively.

Saturday’s semifinals

Evangel advanced to the boys’ finals with a 55-46 win over Owen County on Saturday. Covington Holy Cross beat Owensboro Catholic 70-46 in the other semi.

Bethlehem topped Whitefield Academy on Saturday morning 76-43 to make the Banshees’ third finals appearance. Covington Holy Cross defeated Pikeville 48-32 in the other semi.

Dating to 1980, but becoming full-fledged in 1990, the All “A” Classic is Kentucky’s midseason state championship for small schools each year, although it is not run by the Kentucky High School Athletic Association. It’s open to the state’s smallest 125 schools by enrollment.

Boys’ box scores online: allaclassic.org/boys-stats/

Girls’ box scores online: allaclassic.org/box-scores/