How Billy Ray Cyrus ties into last time NKY football teams missed KHSAA final

A Northern Kentucky streak nearly five-decades long ended on Nov. 28 when Ryle, Lloyd Memorial and Beechwood lost their Kentucky high school football state semifinal games.

Those three teams were the final Northern Kentucky teams standing in the Kentucky High School Athletic Association state tournament. With their losses, no Northern Kentucky team reached the KHSAA football state finals for the first time since 1978, according to KHSAA records.

In 1978, Fort Campbell defeated Paintsville 15-13 for the Class 1A title, Mayfield beat Somerset 22-6 in Class 2A, Russell beat Woodford County 17-7 in Class 3A and Louisville St. Xavier beat Tates Creek 42-21 in Class 4A.

That Russell Red Devils' state championship team had a future country singing star on the team in senior Billy Ray Cyrus, who wore No. 46 and played for coach Ivan McGlone. Cyrus went on to play baseball on scholarship for Georgetown College before leaving to pursue a music career.

Since 1978, Northern Kentucky has won 50 football state titles across seven schools. Those winners were Beechwood (18 titles), Highlands (16), Covington Catholic (8), Newport Central Catholic/Newport Catholic (5), Holy Cross (1), Conner (1) and Bellevue (1).

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: The last time no NKY high school football team made KHSAA state finals