Highlands Girls Drop Close Game Against West Carter

Bluebirds Have Lost Five of Last Six Games

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands freshman Alyssa Harris (right) makes a move in a recent game.

The Highlands Bluebirds girls basketball team (4-6 overall) could not pull out another win in the LaRosa's Holiday Classic on Saturday.

The West Carter Lady Comets (4-4) edged the Bluebirds, 63-62 in overtime in the fifth-place game. Faith Conn is in her first year as head coach of West Carter.

Friday Highlands Results

Bluebird Teams Record Tournament Victories

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands sophomore Oliver Harris (13) and senior Hunter Ahlfeld (14) get in position in a recent game. The Bluebirds moved to 9-0 Friday with another convincing win.

Another sound victory Friday displayed how sound the culture is in the locker room of the Highlands Bluebirds boys basketball team.

Highlands stayed undefeated at 9-0 with a sound 92-54 victory over the Clark Montessori Cougars (2-7 overall) out of Cincinnati in the Carespring Holiday Classic at Russell Bridges Gym. The Bluebirds have scored 85 or more points in seven of the nine games.

Highlands Girls Hoops Drops Fourth Straight

Bluebirds Lose First Game of LaRosa's Holiday Classic

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands junior Emma Mallery (second from right) puts her hands up defensively in a recent game.

The Highlands Bluebirds girls basketball team (3-5 overall) lost another close one in the opening game of the LaRosa's Holiday Classic on Thursday, 60-56 to the Lexington Dunbar Lady Bulldogs (6-3).

The annual tournament takes place at Conner. The Bluebirds finished runner-up in the tournament last year.

Highlands Alums Lead Lindsey Wilson to National Semifinals

Bunning, Dougherty Leave Marks on Blue Raider Program

Lindsey Wilson Photo. Lindsey Wilson center Lou Bunning (with ball) prepares to snap the ball during a game this season. The 2015 Highlands alum helped the Blue Raiders average 40.3 points per game this season. Lindsey Wilson lost in the national semifinals of the National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics football playoffs finishing 12-1 this year.

Lindsey Wilson Photo. Blue Raider kicker Jared Dougherty (right) sets up to kick the ball during the season. The 2016 Highlands alum led Lindsey Wilson with 93 points this past season.

Lou Bunning and Jared Dougherty came from a high school football program steeped in tradition.

The 2015 and 2016 Highlands graduates played key roles leading the Bluebirds to the last of 23 state championships in 2014. They ventured to play for the Lindsey Wilson College Blue Raiders from the Mid-South Conference of the National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics down in Columbia, Kentucky with the opportunity to help raise the standards. They helped a program that revived in 2008 do just that.

The NAIAs sixth-ranked Blue Raiders completed the best season in school history with a 12-1 season. They finished the regular season 10-0 including a 7-0 mark in MSC play, qualified for the NAIA playoffs and drove all the way to the national semifinals before losing 34-24 to Marian University out of Indianapolis (Indiana). That marked the furthest the Blue Raiders have driven in the playoffs.

Bluebirds Lose Final Game at Lexington Catholic

Boyd County Beats Highlands in Overtime

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands junior guard Kenzie Nehus gets down on defense in a recent game.

The Highlands Bluebirds girls basketball team (3-4 overall) dropped a third game at the Traditional Bank Holiday Classic at Lexington Catholic on Sunday by a 64-61 score to the Boyd County Lady Lions (4-5).

Highlands led by two with 5.5 seconds left in the game. But Boyd County junior shooting guard Harley Paynter took the ball the length of the court and made a lay-up to send the game to overtime.

Highlands Girls Drop Another at Lexington Catholic

Lady Trojans Down Bluebirds

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands sophomore point guard Anna Greenwell steps into a pass in a recent game while senior forward Meghan Walz (right) runs up-court.

The Highlands Bluebirds girls basketball team (3-3 overall) dropped a second straight game at the Traditional Bank Holiday Classic at Lexington Catholic on Saturday.

Friday Highlands Hoops Round-Up

Bluebirds Pull Away from Indians

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands senior forward Jack Delagrange (left) digs in defensively against Madison Central on Friday. The Bluebirds turned in their best defensive effort of the season in a 57-44 over Madison Central at Harrison County on Friday.

The Highlands Bluebirds boys basketball team knew it would be tough to keep scoring at the high-octane pace of just more than 85 points per game it averaged in the first six games in this match-up.

So instead, Highlands put together its best defensive effort of the season scoring-wise in a 57-44 win over the Madison Central Indians (2-5) at the Mike Reitz Classic at Harrison County on Friday. The Bluebirds stayed undefeated at 7-0 with the victory.

Highlands Bowling Teams Win

The Highlands Bluebirds bowling teams won both games against Covington Holy Cross on Thursday at LaRu Lanes.

Senior Jordan Cole had the high game for the Highlands boys with a 253. Seniors Zane Goodwin and Jonathan Egan shot 223 and 219 respectively. Juniors Tessa Killen and Abby Bach shot 183 and 181 respectively to lead the Highlands girls.

Highlands also won the match on Tuesday against Newport and swept the Boone County singles tournament on Saturday. Gabbard won the boys tournament and Bach won the girls tournament.

Highlands does not play again until Jan. 7 against Boone County. The match starts at 3:30 p.m. at Erlanger Lanes.

Monday Highlands Results

Bluebirds Win 36th District Opener

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands sophomore Zach Barth (10) watches while teammate Sam Vinson (with ball) sets up to shoot a free throw in a recent game.

The Highlands Bluebirds boys basketball team (6-0 overall) knew this game mattered more than the first five because of 36th District seeding implications.

But the Bluebirds continued to play as well as they have all season recording a 92-49 victory over the Dayton Greendevils (1-6) on Monday at Russell Bridges Gym. This marked the fifth time in six games that Highlands has scored 85 or more points.

Highlands Hoops Drops 89 on Bracken County

Bluebirds Move to 5-0 on Season

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham. Highlands sophomore forward Oliver Harris (13) and junior guard Evan Rom (4) get in defensive position in a recent game.

The Highlands Bluebirds boys basketball team (5-0 overall) fell one point shy of another 90-point game with an 89-66 win over the Bracken County Polar Bears (1-5) in the John Turner Classic at Newport High on Saturday.

Thursday Highlands Results

Bluebirds Move to 4-0 on Season

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands junior point guard Sam Vinson (3) signals a play in the 85-72 win over Scott on Friday. Vinson scored 34 points as the Bluebirds moved to 4-0 on the season.

If this pace keeps up, it will be a fun show night-in and night-out for the Blue and White.

The Highlands Bluebirds boys basketball team again used its athleticism to best the visiting Scott Eagles in an 85-72 non-region win Thursday. The Bluebirds stayed undefeated on the season at 4-0 while Scott dropped to 1-3.

Highlands Girls Hoops Rolls to District Win

Bluebirds Up District Win Streak to 31

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham. Highlands junior guard Katelyn Vaught (5) gets in defensive position while junior forward Emma Riccobene (31) watches. Highlands downed Bellevue, 79-27.

The streak against 36th District opponents reached 31 straight Wednesday with a convincing 79-27 road victory.

The Highlands Bluebirds girls basketball team (3-1 overall) opened district play against the Bellevue Tigers (3-1) four days after the first loss of the season. Highlands has not lost to a district opponent since a 55-45 loss at Newport Central Catholic in the district title game on Feb. 27, 2014.

Monday Highlands Results

Highlands Lights Up Scoreboard in Region Victory

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. The Highlands Bluebirds boys basketball team moved to 3-0 on the season with a 96-65 win over Covington Holy Cross on Monday.

The Highlands Bluebirds boys basketball team shot an amazing 35-for-50 from the field for 70 percent on its way to a 96-65 9th Region victory over the Covington Holy Cross Indians in Fort Thomas on Monday.

Princeton Hands Highlands First Loss of Season

The Cincinnati (Ohio) Princeton Vikings (1-3 overall) handed the Highlands Bluebirds girls basketball team (2-1) its first loss of the season by a 69-29 score in the Hoops for Harvest Classic at Dixie Heights on Saturday.

Highlands girls Hoops Dominates St. Henry

The Highlands Bluebirds girls basketball team (2-0) dominated the St. Henry Lady Crusaders, 82-53 in the first 9th Region game of the season at Russell Bridges Gym on Friday.

Thursday Highlands Round-Up

Bluebirds Basketball Moves to 2-0

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands senior Hunter Ahlfeld (right) looks to make a pass against Ryle on Tuesday.

Head Coach Kevin Listerman said the Highlands Bluebirds boys basketball team faced some adversity in the second game of the regular season against the in-county rival Bishop Brossart Mustangs.

But the Bluebirds overcame it to move to 2-0 on the young season with a 65-58 win over the Mustangs (1-2). Highlands has won four straight against Bishop Brossart.

"(The Mustangs) are a typical Brossart team," Listerman said. "They're well-coached. They're very fundamentally sound, especially defensively. They're very physical with things in terms of the offense. (Bishop Brossart Head) Coach (Mike) Code had them ready to go. We dictated more of the tempo in the first half. Brossart dictated the tempo a bit more in the second half. But in all, I was really proud with the way our kids responded. We were pretty unselfish."

Tuesday Highlands Results

Highlands Basketball Teams Open Season with Victories

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands junior Luke Muller waits in the corner against Ryle on Tuesday. Muller scored 19 points making 5-of-9 three-point tries in the 87-58 Highlands win.

The Highlands boys basketball team started off the season with a convincing 87-58 9th Region victory over the Ryle Raiders at Russell Bridges Gym.

Junior point guard Sam Vinson led the way with 27 points including 24 in the first half to go with 11 rebounds and six assists for a double-double. Junior forward Luke Muller added 19 points to go with nine rebounds and five assists. Muller made 5-of-9 three-point tries.

Highlands Bowling Result

The Highlands Bluebirds girls bowling team defeated Conner, 6-0 on Monday at LaRu Lanes in Highland Heights.

Highlands Bowling in SK Bash

The Highlands Bluebirds bowling teams participated in the Simon Kenton Baker Bash on Saturday. Both teams finished third at Super Bowl Bellewood in Bellevue.

The Highlands girls take on Conner on Dec. 2 at LaRu Lanes. The match starts at 3:30 p.m.

Bluebirds Win Co-Ed Bowling Match

The Highlands Bowling Team defeated Bishop Brossart, 6-0 at Southern Lanes Bowling Alley in Alexandria on Thursday.

Highlands Bowling Loses to Covington Catholic

The Highlands Bluebirds boys bowling team lost 6-2 to Covington Catholic on Tuesday at Erlanger Bowl.

Highlands Sub-Varsity Report

Bluebird Freshman Team Lost Just Once This Season

PHOTO: Ed Harber. Highlands junior offensive lineman Jackson Roy (66) watches after completing a block against Conner in the first round of the playoffs Friday.

With the graduation of 31 seniors, Highlands could see a number of contributors move up from the junior varsity and freshman squads.

The junior varsity team finished 5-4. The Bluebirds defeated Campbell County, Ryle, Conner, Boone County and Cooper and lost to Simon Kenton twice, Covington Catholic and Cincinnati St. Xavier.

Highlands Bowling Wins First Matches

Bluebirds Take Down Crusaders

Twitter Photo. Highlands senior Gunner Gabbard (senior) and junior Abby Bach (right) helped the Highlands Co-Ed Bowling Team to a victory on Thursday at LaRu Lanes.

The Highlands Bowling teams opened with a co-ed victory over St. Henry by 2,515 pins to 2,188 at LaRu Lanes in Highland Heights.

Playoff Outlook for Highlands

Bluebirds Hit Road to Open Playoffs

PHOTO: Ed Harber. Highlands senior defensive lineman Brennan White (99) puts pressure on Cooper quarterback Drew Warth (5).

The Highlands Bluebirds football team (6-4 overall) will travel to face the Conner Cougars (7-2) in the opening round of the Class 5A playoffs in two weeks.

Conner came to Fort Thomas on Oct. 4 and won 20-17 on a touchdown pass in the final minutes. Highlands set up the rematch with a 14-7 win at Cooper combined with Conner's 45-7 loss to Covington Catholic up the road in Hebron. Cooper will travel to undefeated Covington Catholic.

Highlands Freshman Football Loses First

The Highlands Bluebirds freshman football team (8-1) lost 10-3 at Ryle on Thursday for the first loss of the season.

Highlands travels to Beechwood on Thursday. Game time is 6 p.m.

JV Football Loses to CovCath

Bluebirds Unable to Solve Colonels

PHOTO: Ed Harber. Highlands junior quarterback Jake Fahlbusch looks for running room in a recent varsity game.

The Highlands Bluebirds junior varsity football team (4-4) lost to Covington Catholic in Park Hills by a 14-0 score on Saturday.

Highlands concludes the season at home against Cooper on Saturday. Game time is 10 a.m.

Highlands Thursday Results

Bluebirds Complete Regular Season with Dominating Win

Twitter Photo. Five Highlands volleyball seniors and one manager celebrated Senior Night on Thursday. They are, from left, Ava Hockney, Rylee Kirschenbaum, manager Navaeh Votel, Audrey graves, Casey Dunn and Brooke Biltz.

The five Highlands seniors had one last show at the home gym in the final regular season game of the year.

The Bluebirds (26-7 overall) took care of business like usual with a 3-0 (25-13, 25-21, 25-19) win over the Conner Lady Cougars. Highlands has won all three meetings against Conner this year and moved to 13-5 against 9th Region opponents.

"(We just) wanted to get more into a rhythm," said Katelyn Sallee, Highlands Head Coach. "Coming out of our Louisville weekend, we just felt out of sync. At Cake (Classic), we got kind of back in rhythm. Then this week, even more so. We just wanted to build some confidence off the things we've done well the majority of the season making sure we're keying on those things."

Highlands Volleyball Records 25th Victory

One Game Left in Regular Season for Bluebirds

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands sophomore CC Shick goes through a drill earlier in the season.

The Highlands Bluebirds volleyball team (25-7 overall) had a chance to equal the win totals from the previous two years and took care of business quickly Tuesday just down the road.

Highlands defeated Bellevue, 3-0 (25-3, 25-12, 25-11) to finish 4-0 in 36th District seed play. The Bluebirds finished 25-11 the previous two years winning two district titles.

Weekend Highlands Results

Region Pairings Set for Highlands Soccer Teams

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. The Highlands girls take on Beechwood on Monday in the 9th Region quarterfinals at 7 p.m. at Tower Park.

The Highlands soccer teams learned their next opponents Sunday.

The Highlands girls soccer team received a great draw with arch-rival Notre Dame and St. Henry getting paired on the other side of the bracket of the 9th Region Tournament. The 36th District champion Bluebirds (14-3-5 overall) face 35th District runner-up Beechwood (8-9-3) on Monday at 7 p.m.

Highlands Makes History with Win

Bluebirds Second Team in Country to Reach 900 Program Wins

PHOTO: Ed Harber. Highlands senior Brycen Huddleston (1) sets up for a block in the 49-0 win at Boone County on Friday. That marked the 900th victory for the program.

Coming into the season, three teams in Kentucky had the chance to reach the 900-win plateau in school history.

The Highlands Bluebirds led that group needing just five wins while the Louisville Male Bulldogs and Mayfield Cardinals needed eight and 13 respectively. Highlands has 23 state championships in school history with Mayfield and Male recording 12 and eight respectively.

People wondered if Highlands would get there first after the two-game losing streak. But the Bluebirds earned it first with the 49-0 win over the Boone County Rebels on Friday in Florence. The Bluebirds are 900-243-46 dating back to the first season in 1915.

The Bluebirds are second in the country for the most all-time wins. The Valdosta Wildcats from south Georgia lead the country at 931-234-34.

"That means a lot to me personally growing up and wanting to be a part of Highlands football," said Joe Buten, Highlands junior running back. "It's cool to accomplish something like that."

Highlands Thursday Results

Bluebirds Go for 21st Win of Season Friday

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. The Highlands volleyball team lost at home to Cooper on Thursday.

The Highlands Bluebirds volleyball team (20-6 overall) dropped a 3-0 (25-20, 25-23, 25-18) 9th Region decision at home to the Cooper Lady Jaguars (19-8).

Highlands fell to 10-4 in region play. The Bluebirds dropped both region games this week.

Tuesday Highlands Results

Bluebirds Lose in Three to Pandas

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. The Highlands volleyball team lost at Notre Dame on Tuesday.

The gap between the Highlands Bluebirds volleyball team (20-5 overall) and the two teams that form what Head Coach Katelyn Sallee calls 'the wall' in the 9th Region has closed in recent years.

Highlands Dominates Dayton

Bluebirds Play for District Title on Wednesday

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham. Highlands knocked off Dayton, 11-0 on Monday to move on in the 36th District Tournament.

The Highlands Bluebirds girls soccer team (13-3-5 overall) dominated the Dayton Lady Devils, 11-0 in the semifinals of the 36th District Tournament at Tower Park on Monday.

Saturday Highlands Results

Highlands Soccer Wins on Road

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands junior Austin Frazier and the Bluebirds won the final game of the regular season, 1-0 on Saturday.

The final warm-up for the Highlands Bluebirds boys soccer team (12-5-4 overall) ended in victory on the road Saturday, 1-0 over Cincinnati (Ohio) Indian Hill.

Highlands-Conner Football Sidebar

Highlands Faced Conner for First Time Since 2006

PHOTO: Ed Harber. Family members of the late Highlands quarterback Jared Lorenzen stand at midfield before the Highlands-Conner football game. In the middle wearing number 22 jerseys are Lorenzen's son Tayden (white jersey) and his daughter Taylar (blue jersey).

The Highlands Bluebirds and Conner Cougars had not met since 2006.

It ended up being the third Cougar win all-time against the Bluebirds. Conner last defeated Highlands, 29-26 in the second round of the playoffs in 1993.

Thursday Highlands Results

Highlands Boys Soccer Earns Much-Needed Win 

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. The Highlands Bluebirds boys soccer team knocked off Cincinnati (Ohio) Madeira on Thursday, 3-0.

The Highlands Bluebirds boys soccer team (11-5-4 overall) came together for a 3-0 non-region win in the final home game of the regular season over the Madeira (Ohio) Mustangs.

Highlands Head Coach Chad Niedert said the Bluebirds built off the second half of the 3-2 loss at Loveland (Ohio) on Tuesday. Highlands won the half, 1-0 despite being two players down because of two red cards.

Highlands Volleyball Victorious in District Play

Bluebirds Take Care of Business at Dayton

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. The Highlands volleyball team knocked off Dayton on Wednesday to move to 3-0 in 36th District play,

The Highlands Bluebirds volleyball team is playing three straight days and won the most important of the three Wednesday in 36th District play.

Highlands (17-2 overall) ventured to Dayton and defeated the Lady Devils, 2-0 (25-6. 25-20) in a best-of-three match. The Bluebirds have won seven in a row. They are 3-0 in district play and 8-1 against 9th Region opponents.

Tuesday Highlands Results

Highlands Golf Finishes Third at Region

Twitter Photo. Highlands juniors Luke Muller (left) and Justin Gabbard (right) qualified for the state tournament Tuesday.

Entering the season, the Highlands Bluebirds boys golf team knew repeating as region champs would be tough.

Highlands placed third at the 8th Region Tournament on Tuesday at Eagle Creek Golf Course in Dry Ridge shooting a 322 as a team. The Grant County Braves won the region to qualify for state as a team and the Henry County Wildcats took second with 321. Only the region champ advances to state as a team unlike previous years when the region champ and runner-up advanced to state.

Monday Highlands Results

Two Individuals Headed to State Golf Tournament for Bluebirds

Twitter Photo. Highlands junior Ellie Rowland shot a 79 at the 8th Region Tournament to take third and qualify for state along with sophomore KJ Toole.

The Highlands Bluebirds girls golf team put together a solid outing in the 8th Region Tournament.

Highlands did not qualify for state as a team shooting a 359 to take third place. Grant County won the region tournament at AJ Jolly Golf Course in Alexandria with 344 points and Owen County took runner-up honors at 346. Unlike previous years when the region champion and runner-up made state, only the region champ qualified for state team-wise.

But the Bluebirds did see two individuals make it to the state tournament. Junior Ellie Rowland shot a 79 to finish third and sophomore KJ Toole shot an 82 to take fifth. The top seven individuals not on the region champion team go to state.

"The girls played their hearts out," said Mike Lipscomb, Highlands Head Coach. "As a team, we played the best we ever have."

Saturday Highlands Results

Bluebirds Post Convincing Region Win

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. The Highlands girls soccer team beat Covington Holy Cross, 5-1 on Saturday for a second straight win.

The Highlands Bluebirds girls soccer team (11-1-5 overall) recorded another impressive 9th Region victory.

Highlands pulled away from the Covington Holy Cross Lady Indians, 5-1 at Eva G. Farris Sports Complex/John Wysong Field in Covington. Highlands moved to 7-1-1 against region opponents.

Highlands-Boyle County Sidebar

Latest Chapter of Great Highlands-Boyle County Rivalry Belongs to Rebels

Submitted Photo. Highlands graduates Jared Dougherty (10) and Lou Bunning (50) pose after the Lindsey Wilson College Blue Raiders defeated the Warner University (of Lake Whales, Florida) Royals, 73-29.

After Boyle County defeated Highlands, 30-0 at Rebel Field on Friday, Boyle County veteran Head Coach Chuck Smith said it is a good rivalry even though it marked just the seventh time the teams have met.

"We've had some great games," Smith said. "It's always intense and always a good game."

Highlands still leads the series, 4-3. The home-and-home series returns to Fort Thomas next season.

Thursday Highlands Results

Bluebirds Down Holy Cross

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands senior setter Audrey Graves had 45 assists in the win at Covington Holy Cross on Thursday.

Entering the 9th Region match-up at the Covington Holy Cross Lady Indians, the Highlands Bluebirds volleyball team had lost just eight sets all season.

During the 14-2 start, Highlands won the swept through the best-of-three or best-of-two matches in the September Slam in 13 of their 14 wins. The only game the Bluebirds won where they lost a set came on Sept. 3 in a 3-2 (25-18, 18-25, 25-18, 23-25, 15-7) win at Walton-Verona.

The All "A" State champion Lady Indians (19-4) pulled off the first set, 31-29. But the Bluebirds regrouped and won the next three by 25-18, 25-23, 25-11 scores to win the match. They have won five straight and are 8-1 against region opponents. Highlands is 2-0 against Holy Cross this year.

Highlands Girls Soccer Posts Convincing Win

Bluebirds Make Lead Stick

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. The Highlands OZone student section has been coming out in full force this year.

The Highlands Bluebirds girls soccer team appears to have its swagger back.

The Bluebirds (10-1-5 overall) ventured to Dixie Heights on Wednesday and came away with a 3-0 victory. Highlands junior goalkeeper Jasmine Rehberger stopped four shots from the Lady Colonels (10-7-1) in the eighth shutout of the season for the Bluebirds.

"It was a very impressive game," said Alex Dean, Highlands Head Coach. "We started clicking from the beginning, connecting passes and doing things that we really hadn't seen this year like switching from the back, finding a center mid(fielder) and getting (the ball) to the other side. The intensity just kind of grew and then we made sure we got that shutout."

Tuesday Highlands Roundup

Highlands Volleyball Records Huge Home Win over Ryle

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands sophomore CC Shick (left) gets in position. In the back, from left, are seniors Casey Dunn, Rylee Kirschenbaum and Brooke Biltz.

Russell Bridges Gym at Highlands High School has turned into an atmosphere of excitement in recent years in the fall.

The rise of the Highlands Bluebirds volleyball team has more than been a huge reason for it. The atmosphere has especially helped Highlands record huge wins over 9th Region opponents.

Highlands (14-2 overall) and Ryle (8-7) came into the match-up Tuesday tied for third in the latest Kentucky Volleyball Coaches Association 9th Region poll. They are both ranked in the Top 25 as well at 12th for Ryle and 18th for Highlands.

For years, Ryle has been at the top of the region led by veteran Head Coach Tasha Lovins. Lovins has been at that position since 2002. The Lady Raiders have won 11 district championships and have only missed the region tournament once since Lovins became head coach. But like many teams, the Lady Raiders have not been able the region wall of St. Henry and Notre Dame.

Highlands figured some things out in the first set after not starting off strong and won it 27-25. The Bluebirds then took control to win the game, 3-0 winning the next two sets 25-16, 25-17. Highlands owns wins over Dixie Heights and has beaten two top-ranked region teams in Campbell County from the 10th Region and Pulaski Southwestern from the 12th Region.

Monday Highlands Results

Highlands Girls Soccer Ties East Central

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands senior Kelsey Mathis (12) gets in position against East Central on Monday.

It was one of those games where the team scored in the first half and hoped to make it stand.

Sophomore forward Chloe Bramble put the Highlands Bluebirds girls soccer (9-1-5 overall) team up 1-0  just 12 minutes into the game. Bramble's team-high eighth goal of the season and the second assist from senior midfielder Natalie Ossege stood for a long time.

But the visiting East Central (from St. Leon, Indiana) Trojans tied the game with six minutes to go. Highlands could not answer so the teams settled for a tie.

Weekend Highlands Results

Highlands Comes Home from Indiana 0-1-1

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. The Highlands boys soccer team finished 0-1-1 in the Evansville Reitz Memorial Tiger Invitational over the weekend.

The Highlands boys soccer team (9-4-3 overall) finished 0-1-1 in the Tiger Invitational at Evansville (Indiana) Reitz Memorial.

Highlands-Ryle Sidebar

Highlands Heads South for Final Non-District Game

PHOTO: Ed Harber. Highlands senior Mason Schwalbach (4) celebrates after a defensive touchdown against Ryle on Friday.

The Highlands Bluebirds football team is about to finish non-district play with one final game Friday.

The Bluebirds will head to Danville to take on the undefeated Boyle County Rebels (5-0). The Rebels have outscored opponents, 265-42. That's the most points of any team in Class 4A. They have two NCAA Division I commits in Landen Bartleson (Notre Dame) and senior wide receiver/defensive back Reese Smith (West Virginia).

Highlands Thursday Round-Up

Bluebirds Win Third Straight

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. The Highland Bluebirds volleyball team knocked off Bishop Brossart to move to 13-2 overall on Thursday.

The Highlands Bluebirds volleyball team (13-2 overall) handled the visiting Bishop Brossart Lady Mustangs (11-8), 3-0 (25-10. 25-14, 25-13) for its third straight win.

Highlands is 4-0 against its Campbell County rivals on the season. Bishop Brossart recently won the All "A" 10th Region title and went 3-3 in the All "A" State Tournament.

Wednesday Highlands Results

The Highlands Bluebirds girls soccer team moved to 8-1-4 on the season following a tight 1-0 win over the Bishop Brossart Lady Mustangs on Wednesday at Pendery Park in Melbourne.

Tuesday Highlands Results

Highlands Boys Soccer, Volleyball Record District Victories

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. The Highlands Bluebirds boys soccer team defeated Newport Central Catholic, 4-3 on Tuesday.

The main thing that mattered in the end was the 4-3 victory.

The Highlands Bluebirds boys soccer team (9-3-2 overall) ventured to Morscher Field in Silver Grove and came away with that 36th District victory over the Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds (9-5-1). But the Bluebirds know some things need to be ironed out with seven games left in the regular season.

Monday Highlands Golf Results

Highlands Boys Beat NC in Dual Match

Twitter Photo. Highlands girls golf Head Coach Mike Lipscomb (left) stands with the members of the team on Senior Nite.

The Highlands Bluebirds boys golf team knocked off Newport Central Catholic, 176-198 at Highland Country Club.

Saturday Highlands Results

Rough Day for Highlands Soccer Teams

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. The Highlands Bluebirds boys soccer team lost on the road Saturday to Louisville Collegiate, 5-2.

The Highlands Bluebirds girls soccer team (7-1-4 overall) dropped the first game of the season to the arch-rival Notre Dame Pandas (8-1-3) in the title game of the Lexington Catholic Lady Knights Challenge Cup on Saturday.

Highlands has not won this tournament since 2006. The Bluebirds last appeared in the title game in 2016.

Thursday Highlands Results

Highlands Handles NewCath in 36th District Battle

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands senior Rylee Kirschenbaum (12) follows through on a serve in a recent game.

The Highlands Bluebirds (11-2 overall) found themselves in a challenge to play their fast-paced brand of volleyball and not down to the level of the opponent, even in the rivalry game.

Highlands senior setter Audrey Graves said the team was fired up before the game. But once the game started, the seniors made sure everyone stayed on an even keel. That propelled the Bluebirds to a sound 3-0 (25-15, 25-19, 25-15) 36th District victory. NewCath (2-5) has lost five straight.

"It's always going to be an exciting game. On the court, (it was) about looking to each and being like, 'Hey, take a deep breath. We're good. Get this pass' really grounded everybody so that they could do the jobs that we needed to do," Graves said. "We do that anyway. Whether it's hand hugs or anything like is really helpful to keep your mind right."

Highlands Girls Move on in LexCath Tournament

The Highlands Bluebirds will be playing in the championship game of the Lexington Catholic Lady Knights Challenge Cup.

Highlands (7-0-4 overall) defeated the host Lady Knights (8-2-1), 7-6 on penalty kicks in the semifinals of the winner's bracket to advance to the title game for the first time since 2016. Highlands will play Saturday at 7 p.m. for the title against either Sacred Heart, Notre Dame or Lexington Tates Creek.

Tuesday Highlands Results

Highlands Soccer Wins Again; Volleyball Loses to Region Power

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands sophomore CC Shick (right) goes up for a kill in a recent game.

The Highlands Bluebirds girls soccer team will end up playing three times in three days.

Highlands (6-0-4 overall) shut out the Beechwood Lady Tigers, 4-0 on Tuesday at Tower Park. The Bluebirds moved to 4-0-1 in 9th Region play.

"They've been trending upwards in terms of their skill," said Alex Dean, Highlands Head Coach. "They definitely have a good amount of skill and they definitely play with effort. (Beechwood Head Coach Josh Young) is in his first year, but he definitely did a good job making sure that his girls played hard."

Victories for Highlands Soccer Teams

Bluebirds Win Fourth Straight Against Colonels

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. The Highlands Bluebirds trap the ball in a recent home game. Highlands edged Covington Catholic, 1-0 on Monday in Park Hills.

It may look as though the Covington Catholic Colonel boys soccer team is struggling based on the 3-6 record.

But the Highlands Bluebirds (7-2-2) did not fall for that deceptive record making a first-half goal stand in a 1-0 victory on the road. The Colonels have lost to the likes of Lexington Henry Clay, Cincinnati (Ohio) Country Day, Dayton (Ohio) Carroll, Columbus (Ohio) St. Francis de Sales and Cincinnati (Ohio) Archbishop McNicholas.

Highlands has won four straight in the series against the Colonels including a 2-1 win in the 9th Region championship in Park Hills last year. Highlands is 4-0-1 in region play.

"We've realized in these games we're going to grind it out," said Chad Niedert, Highlands Head Coach. "When we're the better team, it's a 50/50 game. When we're the lesser team, it's a 50/50 game. It really doesn't matter what kind of record you got."

Highlands had 16 shots to 10 for the Colonels with three on goal to six for CovCath. Highlands senior goalkeeper Nick Fischer had three saves.

The lone goal came 13 minutes into the game. Junior Max Farris dribbled into the box and fired off a shot. Senior Caymon Stevie put the deflection home for the score.

"When you have the team chemistry that Highland has, it takes a couple passes and maybe a couple dribbles though people," Farris said. "It just all worked out."

Highlands had to overcome some free kicks in the second half not far from the goal. But the Bluebirds cleared every one of them. Neither team had a red card. But the Colonels did receive two yellow cards.

"Our midfield plays a lot of defense and a lot of offense," said Porter Hedenberg, Highlands senior. "You have to do both jobs, which is nice. We all three work together really well and we have good chemistry with our six on defense and our six on offense."

Highlands plays host to Covington Holmes (1-5) on Thursday. Game time is 7:30 p.m.

Soccer, Girls:
Highlands 4, Louisville DuPont Manual 2:

Highlands (5-0-4 overall) overcame a 2-1 halftime deficit against the Lady Crimsons (4-3-1) to win the first game at the annual Lexington Catholic Lady Knights Challenge Cup. Highlands takes on the hosts in the next round Wednesday at 8 p.m.

"In the first half, we didn't start slow, but we didn't have the start that we wanted," said Alex Dean, Highlands Head Coach. "We were a little fatigued and we kind of told the girls you don't have to go out and play 80 minutes. Just go out and give us five or 10 minutes of good effort. We were down at halftime. We had a talk at halftime. We can play with any team in Kentucky, but we have to act like it. We just can't think that we can walk out there and get a win. That was a good thing being able to overcome a halftime deficit."

Sophomores Faith Broering and Jade Rehberger had one goal and one assist each in the game for three points. Senior Kelsey Mathis and sophomore Macy Hedenberg had one goal each with sophomore Chloe Bramble tallying two assists. Bramble has a team-high seven goals to go with five assists for a team-high 19 points.

"The upperclassmen definitely encourage us," Macy Hedenberg said. "If we do something wrong, they're all so positive and encouraging and we're all best friends."

Highlands takes on Beechwood on Tuesday at Tower Park. Game time is 7:30 p.m.

Saturday Highlands Results

Highland Soccer Teams Tie Solid Opponents

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands senior goalkeeper Nick Fischer had four saves in the 1-1 tie against Lexington Henry Clay on Saturday.

The Highlands Bluebirds boys soccer team (6-2-2 overall) hoped to finish the week with three nice wins.

The Bluebirds earned a man advantage in the second half of the game against the Lexington Henry Clay Blue Devils, a state semifinalist last season, after the Blue Devils earned a red card. But Highlands could not capitalize and the teams settled for a 1-1 tie. Henry Clay came into the game ranked third in the state in the Maher rankings.

Highlands Boys Golf Wins Bourbon County

First Tournament Win of Season for Bluebirds

Twitter Photo. The Highlands Boys Golf team won the Bourbon County Invitational on Sunday.

The Highlands Bluebirds boys golf team won its first tournament of the season Sunday.

Highlands won the Bourbon County Invitational shooting a 321 team total on the Par-72 course. Junior Justin Gabbard led the way shooting a 74 and placing third individually. Gabbard won medalist honors at the Shelby County Invitational and the Beechwood Invitational earlier in the season.

Six Wins in Three Days for Highlands Volleyball

Bluebirds Fend off Lady Warriors for Tournament Title

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. The Highlands volleyball team celebrates after winning the September Slam at Scott High on Saturday. The Bluebirds are 10-1 on the season.

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. From left, Highlands sophomores CC Shick, Lauren Buemi and junior Laura Winkler set up in the front row before senior Casey Dunn sets to serve. In the back row are setter Audrey Graves (left) and senior defensive specialist Rylee Kirschenbaum (red jersey).

It came down to one last burst playing as much volleyball as the Highlands Bluebirds (10-1 overall) did over a three-day period.

Highlands found itself back in the championship game of the September Slam hosted by Scott after capping off pool play with two wins Saturday morning. The last opponent of the three-day stretch proved to be solid.

The Southwestern Lady Warriors located about two and a half hours away just outside the Pulaski County county seat of Somerset near Lake Cumberland came into the game with a sparkling 10-2 record. Southwestern's only losses came to host Lexington Lafayette and Station Camp (from the Nashville, Tennessee suburb of Gallatin) in the Bluegrass Invitational a little more than a week ago.

Southwestern has won the 12th Region a number of times over the years including last year. The Lady Warriors beat Paintsville in the state tournament before losing to Campbell County in the state quarterfinals. But Highland had beaten the Lady Warriors in each of the past two September Slam Tournaments.

The Lady Warriors came out the aggressors in the first game building a 10-1 lead. But once sophomore CC Shick landed a hard kill, the vaunted, fast-paced Highlands attack took off. Highlands rallied to win the best-of-three set, 26-24 then 24-19 to win its first September Slam title since 2008 when current Highlands assistant coach Molly Wehage-Maxwell was a senior.