Oct. 2 will be a special night at Owen Hauck Stadium as the Boone County Rebels host Conner in a Class 5A, District 5 game.
Before the game, the Rebels will recognize the 1986 team that went 13-3 and played in the first of back-to-back state championship games, as well as retiring the No. 44 jersey of former player David Trosper. It is also Boone County's homecoming game.
Trosper, a 1988 graduate, was a three-year varsity starter under Hauck, and was a team captain and all-state honoree as a senior. He later played at Union College, where he still holds a record with 19 tackles in a single game. He began his coaching career at Union, then moved to Morehead State before coming back to Northern Kentucky to coach at Holmes and Conner.
Trosper died
in the summer of 2025 at 55 years old. At the time, he was Northern Kentucky's longest-tenured football coach, having taken over at Conner in 2007. He was also inducted into the Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.
The 1986 team that Trosper was a part of finished the regular season ninth in the state in the Kentucky Post ratings, compiled by Dave Cantrall. Led by Craig Mullins, Jon Smith, Chris Combs and John Ransdell, the Rebels upset top-ranked Boyd County in the first round of the playoffs, then beat George Rogers Clark and Warren Central before falling to Louisville St. Xavier, 27-14.
Boone County is currently 2-1 with wins over St. Henry and Holmes. The Rebels face a test at Mason County on Sept. 18, but will be fresh off a bye week when they host the Cougars. Conner is 0-3 under first-year head coach Chase Floyd. The Cougars travel to Newport Central Catholic and Simon Kenton before opening district play against Cooper.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Boone County football to honor David Trosper, 1986 team on Oct. 2
