Newport boys' basketball to compete in King of the Bluegrass

The Newport boys' basketball team is set to participate in the King of the Bluegrass tournament, scheduled from December 18 to 21.

According to tournament organizers, Newport enters the competition as Ninth Region champions and holds a No. 5 ranking in this year’s state championship. On the first day of the tournament, they will face Bryan Station, which is ranked No. 10 in the state and was picked second in the Eleventh Region preseason poll.

The game is scheduled for Wednesday, December 18, at 9 p.m. at Fairdale High School.

The 43rd Annual Chad Gardner Law King of the Bluegrass event will feature a match-up between Newport's Yamil Rondon and Bryan Station’s Amari Owens.

Rondon, who plays as a point guard, transferred from Cooper to Newport after spring break in 2023. During that period, he spent time in Puerto Rico, his mother's birthplace. He was also selected for the Puerto Rico U-17 national basketball team in 2023.