In Covington, Kentucky, the Holmes High School football program is taking significant steps to rebuild after a tough few seasons. Recently, the Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) approved the school’s request to withdraw from postseason play for the next two years, specifically the 2025 and 2026 seasons. During this time, Holmes will play an independent schedule that will not include any of their district rivals.
The decision was made in light of Holmes’ struggles on the field, finishing the last two seasons with a dismal record of 0-20. In those games, the team managed to score a mere 42 total points while allowing over 44 points per game. Athletic director Ken Ellis noted that the recent KHSAA realignment played a significant role in this decision. Holmes was moved into a challenging district with strong teams like Covington Catholic, Grant County, Harrison County, and Mason County, making competition even tougher.
Last year, CovCath made it to the 4A state semifinals, while Highlands reached the 5A state semifinals. The other teams in the district have had reasonable success as well, with Mason County finishing 8-4 and Grant County at 6-5. In stark contrast, Holmes lost their four district games last season with an average score of 49-0. As Ellis put it, “It’s a safety issue with our kids playing CovCath and Highlands. They just can’t compete,” emphasizing the need for a change.
Last season, Holmes had only 23 players on the roster, and of those, just ten were seniors, with only a few having significant varsity experience. The younger players are mainly freshmen and sophomores, indicating that there will be no experienced seniors in the coming season. From 2019 to 2022, the Bulldogs had some successes under former head coach Ben Nevels, winning two district titles and going 29-15.
Ellis remains hopeful, as he mentioned that the middle-school football team is performing well and has many players. He aims for the high school program to rejoin its district in two years when the current middle school players will have more experience. The varsity schedule for 2025 is planned to be filled with teams facing similar challenges, including local rivals Boone County and Holy Cross.
“We want the kids to be successful,” Ellis stated. “We don’t want kids to get discouraged and quit, go somewhere else.”
Holmes’ struggles are not limited to football alone. The girls’ basketball team, which had notable runs in the Sweet 16 state tournament, did not field a varsity team this year after a 3-28 record last season. Building up the younger levels in that program has become a priority.
The school plans to drop to Division III in the Northern Kentucky Athletic Conference in the 2025-26 school year, a division that includes smaller schools like Bellevue and Dayton. “We have a chance to win the conference and accomplish some goals,” Ellis remarked. The focus is now on making sports enjoyable for students while prioritizing their education.
