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.