Newsletters

Alumni Affairs

We are proud of the partnership between the school and the Alumni Association. The Alumni Association remains committed to supporting the needs of our students—academically, athletically, and in every activity that strengthens the Fern Creek experience.

We honor our legacy while opening new doors for today's Tigers. Our past guides us, and our future is full of promise. If you are an alum of Fern Creek High School and are willing to lend your time, voice, or support, we would be thrilled to have you join us. Please reach out — we would love to welcome you back home.

Once a Tiger, Always a Tiger!

Let us know what you are doing!

• Be sure to JOIN THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION!
  Take Action - Visit the website, join the Facebook Group to stay in touch with your fellow Alumni.
• We would love to highlight you in the Newsletter with your accomplishments, please reach out and let us know. Contact us at info@ferncreekalumni.com
• Be sure to NOMINATE a fellow Alum for the Alumni Association Hall of Fame. We have made it even easier to nominate someone via the Alumni Website with our new online form. Nominations are due each year by June 30 to be considered. Areas considered are: Overall career success, Creative and Artistic Accomplishment, Civic and Community Involvement, Public Service for the Common Good, and Athletic achievement while a student or beyond. See the Hall of Fame area of the website for more information.
• Leave a lasting Legacy - We have AUDITORIUM SEAT ADOPTIONS for sale for $100. See our dedicated page on the website for more information. This would make a great honorarium/memorial holiday gift for your family members and help our Performing Arts Program at FCHS at the same time.

Website

• Class Reunion and Event Calendar
• Board Bios
• Thank You Notes
• Alumni Funding Support Categories
• Alumni Band Pics
• Football and Event Pics

Alumni Highlights

Facility Update

Some long awaited good news! Thanks to the hard work of our Head of Maintenance and FCHS Alum, Shawn Hamilton - the lights over the auditorium are once again ORANGE!

This took him time and some old fashioned Tiger ingenuity but he got it fixed! So when you drive by the next time and it is dark outside, be sure to look up and enjoy the orange lights beaming bright!

Class Reunions and Events

Class of 2006 is having their 20th Reunion. If you are from the Class of 2006 they are looking for you!! The reunion will be July 18th at Captain's Quarters on the River Deck, 5700 Captain's Quarters Rd, Prospect, KY 40059. For more information, you can contact: Branden Nicheols, 502-714-8749, Branden11287@gmail.com

If you graduated between 1970 and 1985 mark your calendars now for Saturday, June 20, 2026 from 7-11pm! All FCHS Classes from 1970-1985 are invited to attend a reunion gathering at the Moose Lodge on Fegenbush Lane. Look for more information soon about cost and sign-up. Follow the Fern Creek High School Alumni Group Facebook page for more updates; All 70's can also check the All 70's Facebook page.

Class of 1996 - 30th Year Reunion
Saturday September 12th, 2026
Bud's Tavern in J-town — 6pm

The FCHS Classes of 1959 and 1960 meet EVERY MONTH for "Lunch Bunch". Follow the Fern Creek High School Alumni Group Facebook page for information on each month's date and location. You can also message Debby Murrell.

Visit the website, join the Facebook Group to stay in touch with your fellow Alumni.

Shout out and CONGRATULATIONS to Class of 2014 grad Justin Nichols on being named the new HEAD COACH of our very own FERN CREEK TIGERS FOOTBALL program. Not only is Justin an alum and former FCHS football player, he has been on the football staff for the past 7 years, is currently the Head Girl's Wrestling Coach, and works on staff in the building every day! We are truly blessed to have such a dedicated and hardworking, bleed-orange & black Creeker to lead FC Football into the future!

Congratulations to Class of 1988 grad Stephan Johnson on his retirement from WDRB and on his new position as the Director of Communications for the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department. So excited for your new adventures Stephan!

Class of 2021 grad CeArius Warren was selected 15th overall to the NBA G-League Texas Legends! We are so proud of CeArius!!

Class of 2025 grad LaKendrick "LJ" Morris is a starter for Spalding University in his freshman year and made his first double-double of his college career on Saturday, November 15, 2025 with 16 points and 16 rebounds. Way to go LJ! Keep grinding!

Class of 2011 grad Jamon Brown – Fern Creek Tigers legend, former Louisville Football standout, and NFL veteran – is officially the new head football coach at Valley High School. Congrats Coach Brown!

Congrats and good luck to Class of 2025 grad Parker Bowdy earning his spot in the next Fern Creek Fire Department Fire and EMS Academy. Huge shout-out to our Fire Science pathway for helping prepare him to reach his career goal of becoming a firefighter! We're so proud of his accomplishment—and even better, he'll be right across the street!

FCHS School Highlights

The Creek is Rising! You too should be proud of your alma mater as Fern Creek placed near the top of all JCPS schools! Our school KSA Scores are in and we had growth in ALL tested areas! We are so proud of our students and teachers for all of their hard work. Way to go Creek!

Postsecondary Readiness Indicator score: 93% (up 3% from 23-24)

• 10th grade Reading: up 4%
• 10th grade Science: up 18%
• 11th grade Social Studies: up 2%
• 11th grade Writing: up 10%

Our English Learners Progress Indicator increased significantly and scored in the "Blue" which is the highest level to score!

As an FYI, 23% of our students qualify for multilingual (ML) services 41% of our students speak something other than English at home.

To keep families and interested parties informed, JCPS has added a new report to each school's website titled ACADEMIC AND CULTURE SNAPSHOT. This report will provide monthly updates around the district's attendance, achievement, and behavioral goals for each school. At FCHS, we are committed to transparency and continuous improvement. We believe that by sharing our data openly, we can work together as a community to ensure every student succeeds.

View our current School Snapshot

Areas of Celebration

We are proud to share that we are currently On Track in Suspension Reduction. Our current data reflects a 15.4% decrease in Suspensions from the 24-25 school year.

More importantly, we continue to show growth in all Academic Areas tested on the Kentucky Summative Assessment.

Areas for Opportunity

Our data also shows where we need to continue to focus. We are currently Off Track in the following areas, and we are taking immediate action to address them:

Focus Areas: Chronic Absenteeism Reduction and Referral Reduction

Our Response Plan: To improve outcomes in this area, we are implementing the following strategies:

• Tier II and Tier III supports for students who are chronically absent, including increased parent communication, home visits, and alternative learning plans, as well as family outreach and support services to remove barriers to attendance.
• PBIS supports including the implementation of Character Strong curriculum for the entire school and increased Tier II and Tier III supports for students with multiple behavioral referrals.

Signs of Progress: While we are still working toward our ultimate goal, we are encouraged by these recent data points:

• Chronic Absenteeism Reduction: Decrease in total chronically absent students from last school year to current (from 523 to 495)
• Multilingual learners have shown significant improvement, with a 34.5% reduction in chronically absent students (from 194 to 127).
• Hispanic students experienced a meaningful drop in their chronic absenteeism rate, from 44.1% to 41.1%.

• Referral Reduction: We have seen a reduction in overall referrals from last school year to the current year (from 3,644 to 3,354).
• Students qualifying for exceptional child education referrals decreased substantially by 30% (from 802 to 561).
• Referrals for free/reduced lunch students dropped by 15.7% (from 2,859 to 2,409).

Moving Forward Together: Our mission is the success of every student, and we look forward to celebrating ongoing growth throughout the school year. This Snapshot will be updated monthly with our progress toward each of these goals.

Our Youth Service Center Coordinator would like to send a huge "Thank You" to all the Tigers and Alumni. There are no words to express the joy we were able to provide with your help. Our super staff and alumni not only accepted the call for help but went above and beyond our expectations. Fern Creek High School was able to provide holiday help to 19 families and 37 individuals. We love the big kids but there is nothing better than to see the joy from the little ones as well. Thank you.

FCHS Staff Highlights

Staff Sgt. Jacob Wachob was highlighted on Veterans Day for turning his leadership experience into a teaching career thanks to the Department of Defense's SkillBridge program. He is now doing his student teaching with us here at FCHS and preparing for his next mission: education. He has been a fabulous addition to our classroom and school and introduction to this vital program for JCPS.

Mr. Robert Hughes, History Teacher and Army Veteran, was also highlighted by our own alum, Stephan Johnson from WDRB, on Veterans Day for his service to the country and turning his military service into a teaching mission at FCHS; he is also Staff Sgt. Wachob's mentor in the classroom. Mr. Hughes spent 6 years in the Army and also had a tour to Afghanistan. He is now one of our amazing History teachers here at FCHS and we are honored to have him as a staff member.

Ms. Abigail Riley, English Teacher, has received her National Board Certification! She is an amazing teacher and we are so proud of her!

Fern Creek High School Head Football Coach Josh Abell stepped down from his position effective January 5, 2026. Coach Abell leaves behind a legacy defined by competitive success, strong leadership, and an unwavering commitment to student-athletes. During his tenure, Coach Abell compiled an impressive 79–58 overall record while competing in one of the most challenging districts in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

His total ranks second all-time in wins in Fern Creek High School football history and includes 12 playoff victories, the most in program history. Under his leadership, the Tigers reached the Final Four in 2015 and 2016, marking one of the most successful eras the program has ever experienced.

Beyond the wins and postseason accomplishments, Coach Abell earned widespread respect for his dedication to the personal, academic, and athletic development of his players. "Josh Abell is as good a teacher and coach as any parent could ever ask for their student-athlete," said Troy Johnson, Athletic Director at Fern Creek High School. "He truly cares about every aspect of their lives and always strives to help make every student successful in life, on and off the field."

Coach Abell consistently represented Fern Creek High School with integrity and professionalism, building strong relationships with players, families, staff, and the greater community. His influence extended far beyond Friday nights, as he emphasized accountability, character, and preparation for life after high school.

Fern Creek High School sincerely thanks Coach Josh Abell for his years of service, leadership, and dedication to Tiger football. His accomplishments and lasting impact will remain an important part of the school's athletic history, and the Fern Creek community wishes him continued success in his future endeavors.

Congratulations Ms. Nicole Sheffer, one of our health and physical education teachers at FCHS, is the SHAPE America Southern District Teacher of the Year! This prestigious award honors outstanding performance in school health education across the Southern District, which represents 13 states from Virginia to Texas. Way to go Ms. Sheffer! We are so proud of you.

FCHS Student Highlights

Below is the highlight of the incredible work our AE students are doing.

Last semester, our Automation Engineering students partnered with Ford on a challenge project alongside J-Town High School. The experience culminated in a final presentation to more than 20 Ford leaders. Watching our students collaborate, problem-solve, and confidently present their work was truly impressive. Fern Creek Engineering Instructor, Dr. Aldo McLean did an outstanding job leading and supporting these students throughout the process. Please take a moment and check out the video linked below!

Read the full story

Below is the highlight of the incredible work our C&V students are doing. Live in Lou featured our Cinematography and Video Productions pathway in their most recent blog, focused on the growing opportunities for filmmakers in Louisville. I want to also send out congratulations and a shout out to the awesome job Mr. Basemore and Mr. Skrodenis are doing with these students!

Read the full story

I hope you enjoyed the videos and felt the same excitement and pride that I did in witnessing the incredible work of our Fern Creek Tigers. Their talent, dedication, and innovation are clear reminders that the future is truly bright. In the coming newsletters, I look forward to continuing to highlight each of our academic pathways and showcasing the outstanding work being done every day by our students and staff. Thank you for your continued support of Fern Creek High School and the remarkable Tigers who make our community so special.

Student Leadership & Academics

Student Y: With financial help from the Alumni Association, three Student Y Chapter students attended their first Kentucky Youth Assembly, where they presented a mock bill to a mock Kentucky Legislature. One student also participated in mock Supreme Court programming. Students are excited for their next Student Y Conference.

Freshmen Academy: The Freshmen Academy held its Commitment to Graduate Ceremony on November 7, marking a major milestone in students' high school journey. The ceremony was led by Academy AP Mr. Sermersheim, Counselor (and FC alum) Mrs. Clemmons, Academy Coach Mrs. Abell, and Teacher Leader Ms. Esterle.

Individual Recognition

Freshman Brooklynn McClellon was nominated for the Optimist Club Youth of the Year 2024 through a Youth Appreciation project. Nominated by the Boys & Girls Club of Kentuckiana, she will receive formal recognition.

Fine Arts & Performing Arts

Musical Theatre

• Musical Theatre students competed at the KTA State Competition and earned a 3rd-place finish.
• Junior Kiah Searcy Badon finished as Overall Best Performer in Kentucky.
• Senior Ajaya Dickerson earned All-Star Performer, and Seniors Florence Uwizeye and Hijran Idrees received Director Awards.

Music

Junior Andrew Smith was selected for the KMEA All-State Honor Choir, representing the top choral students in the state.

Two students were named to the JCPS All-County Band:

• Owen Chagala (Sophomore): Flute
• Isaiah Carter (Freshman): Clarinet

Film

The Fern Creek Film Club and Cinematography Pathway premiered their third feature-length film, Divided Still Makes Noise, on November 15, 2025. The film sold out three showings at Baxter Avenue Theatres. The Alumni Association proudly supported the Red Carpet premiere and additional screenings.

Orchestra

Congrats to the following students who participated in the 2026 KMEA Solo and Ensemble assessment on 02/12/2026 at Atherton High School! All entries were self prepared by the students! Excellent work everyone!

Soloists:

• Senior Medin Pasanbegovic - Distinguished
• Freshman Ireland Vaughn - Distinguished
• Freshman Nathalia Becerra Figuera - Distinguished
• Freshman Vagif Madzhitov - Proficient
• Sophomore Aidan Phillips - Proficient

Ensembles:

• Sophomore Nicol Nappi and Senior Medin Pasanbegovic - Distinguished
• Freshman Anika Castillo and Freshman Anlly Henrriquez Navarro - Proficient
• Sophomore Lia Krausen, Freshman Ireland Vaughn, and Freshman Vagif Madzhitov - Distinguished

MCJROTC & Drill Team

National Recognition

Fern Creek High School's MCJROTC unit received the Marine Corps Reserve Association (MCRA) Award, recognizing the single most outstanding MCJROTC unit in the nation. District Superintendent Dr. Yearwood attended the national recognition ceremony.

Drill Team Highlights

The Leatherneck Drill Team, led by Senior Nolyn Singleton, earned:

Floyd Central Drill Meet:

• 3rd place overall
• 1st place Platoon Exhibition and Armed Squad
• 2nd place JV Color Guard, securing 1st place overall in the JV Team category
• 3rd place by the first-ever Unarmed Exhibition Platoon in school history
• Cadet Makayla Roach earned 3rd place in Individual Armed Knockout

Male High School Drill Meet:

• JV Team took 1st place Color Guard and Overall
• Leatherneck Drill Team earned 1st place Exhibition Drill Platoon

Mt. Juliet Marine Corps JROTC Drill Meet:

• Overall 1st Place
• 1st place Color Guard
• Armed Platoon Regulation
• Unarmed Platoon Regulation
• Unarmed Squad
• Unit Leader

Drone Team

The Flying Tigers Drone Team showed significant improvement:

• Team A (6th place): Jayden Humbles & Ryder Chozu
• Team B (7th place): Isabella Rincon & Leslie Machorro
• Team C (9th place): Addyson Puckett & Comeron Settle
• Cadet Humbles finished just 28 seconds off 3rd place.

FCHS Athletics

From the FCHS Director of Athletics and Activities, Troy Johnson

Fern Creek Athletics

The winter athletic season brought energy and excitement to campus as our student-athletes carried forward the proud legacy of our school's sports tradition. Through hard work, competitive play, and teamwork, they represented the orange and black with pride while continuing to strengthen the foundation for future success. As we turn our attention to the spring season, we look forward to building on this momentum and cheering on our teams as they take on new challenges and opportunities.

Winter Sports Celebrations

Bowling – Coach Ryan Cook (Fern Creek Alum)
Tiger Bowling made history this winter, winning the first Regional Championship in school history and earning a berth in this week's KHSAA State Tournament — a milestone for our program.

Girl's Basketball – Coach Joni (Bray) Brown (Fern Creek Alum)
Under Coach Joni Brown, Tiger Girl's Basketball finished second in the district and enters postseason play with a strong chance to advance to the Regional Tournament for the first time in 10 years.

Wrestling – Coach Kohl Dodd (Fern Creek Alum)
Tiger Wrestling advanced to the Dual State Championship this season and boasts two wrestlers ranked in the top three statewide in their respective weight classes — a testament to their dedication and growth.

Football – Coach Justin Nichols (Fern Creek Alum)
We are excited to introduce Justin Nichols as the new Head Football Coach at Fern Creek. A proud Tiger alum, Coach Nichols brings passion and a deep connection to our community as he leads the next chapter of Tiger Football.

Football

Seven players were named to the 4th District All-District 1st Team:

• Junior Javis Wallace – Quarterback
• Senior Jayden Jackson – WR/OB
• Senior Dayelen Burton – Offensive Line
• Junior Manny McGee – Defensive Line
• Senior Dallas Hankins – Defensive Line
• Junior Kyeshon Young – Kick Returner
• Senior James White – Safety

Boys Basketball

• Competed in the Planet Fitness Central Hardin Holiday Tournament, finishing 5th overall.
• Junior Francky Ngindu was named Player of the Game in wins over Louisville Southern and Green County, posting a double-double (16 points, 10 rebounds) against Green County.
• Sophomore Jesiah JD Flippins was named Player of the Game in the Ronald McDonald House Classic at Oldham County on 2/7/26 with 14 points

Girls Basketball

Senior Sephora Mbanzabgu was named Player of the Game in the Ronald McDonald House Classic at Oldham County on 2/7/26 with 14 points and 6 rebounds.

Athletes of the Month

• January:
  Boy's Basketball: Sophomore Jesiah "JD" Flippins (3.0 GPA)
  Archery: Junior Leila Black (3.54 GPA)
• December:
  Girl's Basketball: Sophomore Adeline Parrino (4.0 GPA, 98 points, 40% FG)
  Wrestling: Senior Riley Burton (3.65 GPA, undefeated in December, tournament champion)
• November:
  Swimming: Senior Kiera Christian (4.3 GPA, PR improvement in 50m Freestyle)
  Bowling: Senior Nathan Woods (2.95 GPA, first-ever Perfect Game – 300, 205 average)

Wrestling

Gladiator Tournament (Hosted by Fern Creek):

Finishers:

• 138 – Aydin Kadirov (2nd)
• 215 – Shoron Briscoe (4th)
• 285 – Trent Woodford (4th)

Champions:

• 164 (Girls) – Divine Mujanukaire
• 190 – Riley Burton

King of the Bluegrass Tournament:

Finishers:

• 138 – Aydin Kadirov (3rd)
• 175 – Alan Rivera (4th)
• 285 – Trent Woodford (4th)

Champion:

• 190 – Riley Burton

Tournament of Champions (Lou City/Queen City):

The girls team finished 4th overall; the Boys team finished 5th overall.

Individual finishers:

• 107 (F) – Aaliyah Bronger (2nd)
• 126 (F) – Maliyah Caloca (2nd)
• 138 – Aydin Kadirov (3rd)
• 165 (F) – Divine Mujanukaire (2nd)
• 215 – Shoron Briscoe (2nd)
• 285 – Trent Woodford (4th)

Champion:

• 190 – Riley Burton

Duals State Competition:

• Qualified for State Duals for the first time since 2019
• Finished 10th at the 3A State Duals

Girls Wrestling State Tournament:

Three FCHS female wrestlers had a team finish of 12th out of 26th!

We have two State Qualifiers for the State Tournament

• Aaliyah Bronger – Girls Regional 3rd Place
• Divine Mujanukaire – Girls Regional 2nd Place

JV State Tournament:

We have one JV State Qualifier

• Freshman Ridvan Rustamov – JV Regional 4th place

Indoor Track & Field

Congrats to our Indoor Track and Field Team! They have been breaking and setting school records the entire month of December! Here are some highlights!

Senior Carmen Guerrero breaking school record twice in one week: first with a 5:39 mile and then a 5:26 mile Junior Kyeshon Young finished 2nd in both the 60m and the 200m

Junior Kyeshon Young finished 2nd in both the 60m and 200m and set a new school record in the 200m (22.88) and also broke the school record with a 22.88 in the 200m

Senior Ibrahim Soumare, in one week, finished 3rd in long jump and 2nd in high jump (on Thursday) and then finished 1st in the triple jump and 3rd in the long jump (on Saturday)

Freshman Djamal Aliyev recorded times of 57 in the 400m and 2:20 in the 800m.

Congrats to Indoor Track and Field Team’s Ibrahim Soumare and Carmen Guerrero continuing to set records competing at the Eastern Indoor Relay’s HS Invitational on Saturday, February 7.

• Senior Ibrahim Soumare 2nd in triple jump with a PR and New School Record and 5th in the 60mh with a PR of 8.62.
• Senior Carmen Guerrero set a new PR and School Record of 5.23.30 in the mile.

At their meet on Sunday, February 8, more awards were won:

• The women's 4x200 team placed 3rd in the meet
• Senior Ibrahim Soumare won 1st place and matched the meet record of 44:11.45 in the triple jump
• Freshman Arianna Martin placed 2nd in the pole vault and set a new school record

The Indoor Track and Field Team competed at the City Indoor Track and Field Meet the first weekend in February and they showed up ready for business and continued to set records. Both the Girl’s and Boy’s team combined finished in 6th place!

• Senior Carmen Guerrero finished 4th place in the 800m with a new PR of 2.32
• Senior Rohey Sallah finished 3rd place in the Long Jump and was Runner-up in the Pole Vault
• Freshman Sydney Ramey finished 5th place in Shot Put with a throw of 25 feet — a new PR!
• Senior Ibrahim Soumare finished 4th place in the 60mh with a new PR of 8.62.

City Champions

• Senior Ibrahim Soumare was named MVP of the JCPS City Championship for winning two field events
• Ibrahim Soumare: Long Jump Champion with new PR of 21.25
• Ibrahim Soumare: Triple Jump Champion with a 45.05
• Freshman Arianna Martin: Pole Vault Champion with new School Record of 8.6 feet!

The February 13th Track Meet came with more records and winners

• Freshman Sydney Ramey threw a new PR in Shot Put of 26.7
• Senior Riley Burton finished 5th in hurdles and Senior Ibrahim Soumare placed 6th
• Senior Ibrahim Soumare finished 1st in the long jump and hit a new PR
• He also had a PR in the triple jump and broke the meet record with a 47.6.25
• FCHS now owns the record and is ranked 1st in KY in the triple jump thanks to Ibrahim!

Spring Sports Preview

Baseball – Coach Zach Beckmann (1st Year)
Tiger Baseball begins a new era under first-year head coach Zach Beckmann, focused on fundamentals, accountability, and building a strong program foundation.

Softball – Coach Eric Bowles
Tiger Softball returns with experience and toughness under Coach Eric Bowles, continuing a tradition of competitive play.

Boys Volleyball – Coach Melissa Tabor (Fern Creek Alum)
Boys Volleyball continues to grow under Coach Melissa Tabor, with improved depth and athleticism heading into the spring.

Track & Field – Coach David Lopez
Coach David Lopez leads a diverse Track & Field program with Tigers competing across all events this season.

We appreciate the continued support of our alumni and community and hope to see you back on campus this spring.

Once a Tiger, always a Tiger. Go Tigers! 🐯

Troy Johnson
Athletic Director
Fern Creek High School