Highlands Volleyball Season Ends in Region Quarterfinals

Bluebirds Put Up Fight Against Lady Jaguars

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands juniors, from left, Lauren Buemi, CC Shick and Nicole Ossege line up in the region quarterfinal game against Cooper on Tuesday.

The Highlands Bluebirds volleyball team (13-8 overall) has not beaten three teams that consistently make the 9th Region Tournament since the current 9th Region alignment started in 2012.

Those three teams are Notre Dame, St. Henry and Cooper. Highlands drew the 33rd District runner-up Cooper Lady Jaguars (13-4) to open the 9th Region Tournament at Covington Holmes on Tuesday after winning a fourth straight 36th District Tournament on Thursday.

Highlands battled Cooper in a 3-1 loss. The Bluebirds took the first game, 25-22 and fought hard in the second in a 25-23 defeat. But Highlands could not keep up the face in the next two games losing 25-14 and 25-16.

"We've played them this season and that was super helpful for us because we had film," said Katelyn Sallee, Highlands Head Coach. "We didn't always get to scout and prepare as well as we did so we came into this match really prepared, really focused, as ready as you can be for weapons like that and I feel like we handled that really well in the first two sets. We also knew that we had to be at our very best. We didn't have a lot of room for errors and a lot of runs. Then you get a little later in the match, maybe some fatigue sets in. I think there was a little bit of a release that caught up with us."

Weekend Roundup: Schroeder Wins Region Cross Country Crown

Highlands Girls Soccer Loses on Penalty Kicks

Twitter Photo. Highlands senior Maggie Schroeder won the Class 2A, Region 4 meet Saturday in 18 minutes, 51.08 seconds.

Highlands senior Maggie Schroeder ran away for an individual Class 2A, Region 4 cross country championship at the Mason County Athletic Complex.

The senior and 2018 individual Class 2A state champion won the race in 18 minutes, 51.08 seconds. Scott freshman Maddie Strong took second in 19:21.57 out of 44 runners.

Both Highlands teams finished region runner-up. The Highlands girls missed out on the region crown by a point with 49 to Scott's 48. The Highlands boys scored the same amount. But Lexington Catholic won it with 36 points.

Highlands Volleyball Captures Fourth Straight District Crown

Bluebirds Best 'Breds in Five

The Final point in Game Five.

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands senior setter Maria Little (3) goes up for a set while Laura Winkler (14) and CC Shick (23) get in position.

When Highlands Bluebirds junior middle blocker/right side hitter CC Shick and Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds senior middle blocker Madison McCloskey wound up and followed through, the balls slammed to the ground more often that not.

It turned into a matter of which team made fewer mistakes, found them, the other hitters and made their supporters roar better in determining the 36th District champion at Dayton High on Thursday. Trailing 2-1 entering the fourth set, Highlands (13-7 overall) responded pulling out the fourth set (25-19) then the deciding fifth set (15-4) to beat the improved Thoroughbreds (15-10), 3-2 for a fourth straight district championship.

"I think this season (shortened because of Coronavirus 2019) has been a tough one for a lot of teams including us," said Katelyn Sallee, Highlands Head Coach. "We had to fight to just kind of figure out who we were as a team after losing (five seniors to graduation from last year) and clawing back against I think the best NC team we've seen in a few years. It was a hard fight. We were ready for it and we came out strong."

Highlands Volleyball Advances in District Tournament

Bluebirds Face NewCath for District Crown

Highlands sophomore outside hitter Emma Daly (9) goes up for the ball in a recent game.

The Highlands Bluebirds volleyball team (12-7 overall) had won eight straight district semifinal games entering Wednesday and did not let the hosts end that streak.

The Bluebirds added to the streak with 3-0 (25-11, 25-12, 25-10) win over the host Dayton Lady Devils (14-7). Highlands takes on Newport Central Catholic (15-9) at 6 p.m. in the 36th District championship Thursday back at Dayton.

Highlands Soccer Has Mixed Results in Region Semifinals

Highlands Girls Face Dixie Heights in Region Championship

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands senior Austin Frazier (middle) gets in position against Ryle in the 9th Region semifinals Monday.

The Highlands Bluebirds soccer teams faced undefeated 33rd District champion teams in the 9th Region semifinals on Monday.

The host team advanced in each case. Over at Tower Park, the Highlands girls soccer team (14-1-2 overall) shut out the Cooper Lady Jaguars (13-1-2), 3-0 to advance to the region championship for the third straight season. Over in Union, the Ryle Raiders (14-0-1) stayed unbeaten on the season with a 3-1 win over the Bluebirds (10-4-2) denying Highlands a fourth straight trip to the region championship game.

Highlands Saturday Sports Roundup

Highlands Soccer Teams Advance in Region Tournament

PHOTO: Matt Carothers. Highlands senior goalkeeper Jasmine Rehberger (0) congratulates freshman Laney Smith (1) after a goal earlier this season.

The Highlands Bluebirds soccer teams opened the 9th Region quarterfinals Saturday at Tower Park against the Covington Holy Cross Indians teams playing as consistent as they had been lately.

The Highlands girls (13-1-2 overall) started the afternoon continuing its offensive explosion of late shutting out Holy Cross (8-8-1), 7-0 before the Highlands boys (10-3-2) overtook the Indians (10-5-1), 2-0. That marked the 12th shutout for the Highlands girls including the last six games and the seventh for the Highlands boys including the last four games.

Highlands Volleyball Stops Skid

District Tournament Starts Next Week

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands junior Sophia Sarakatsannis prepars to serve in a recent game.

The Highlands Bluebirds volleyball team (11-7 overall) snapped a five-game losing streak in the last game of the regular season with a 3-0 (25-5, 25-7, 25-12) win over the Bellevue Tigers (7-11).

Highlands Tuesday Sports Round-Up

Losing Streak Continues for Bluebirds

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands Head Coach Katelyn Sallee monitors the action in a recent game.

The Highlands Bluebirds volleyball team (10-7) could not snap its skid in a 3-1 (25-13, 16-25, 25-19, 25-17) loss at Dixie Heights (11-7).

Highlands and Dixie Heights have met in the region quarterfinals the last three years. The Bluebirds won two of them.

Highlands Boys Soccer Hits More Milestones

Bluebirds Earn Fifth Straight Win

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands junior Joel Kendall (30) makes a move on Newport Central Catholic's Ryan Barth (11) in the 36th District championship Tuesday. The Bluebirds won 6-0.

The Highlands Bluebirds boys soccer team (9-3-2 overall) hit its stride late in the season and it continued in the 36th District championship at Tower Park on Tuesday.

The Bluebirds rolled to a 6-0 victory over the Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds (8-5-1) for their fifth consecutive district championship and 10th straight win over the Thoroughbreds. The result and streaks are similar to what the Highlands female counterparts accomplished later in the day.

"We like to win games regardless of the steaks," said Chad Niedert, Highlands Head Coach. "But our region, as tough as it is, we set ourselves up in a better position with a one seed. But in our region at the same time, two seeds are pretty strong, too. We get another home game out of it."

Highlands has won six of its last seven games posting four shutouts with a 2-2 tie against Cincinnati (Ohio) Wyoming. The Bluebirds beat Louisville Trinity, 3-0 Saturday to conclude the regular season.

"It was a pretty good performance," said Eli Karnes, Highlands senior defensive midfielder. "It really shows what we can do further on in the year. The passing was really good. We worked on it in practice (Monday). If you get bodies across the goal, you can get it in. That's what we did."

Highlands Girls Soccer Blanks NewCath

Bluebirds Roll to Fifth Straight District Crown

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands senior Kenzie Nehus (middle) and freshman Claire Cavacini (5) go after a corner kick in the 36th District championship Tuesday. Highlands won 6-0.

The first goal came just two minutes into the game.

The Highlands Bluebirds girls soccer team (12-1-2 overall) rolled to a fifth consecutive 36th District championship and 10th straight win over the arch-rival Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds (8-8) by a 6-0 count at Tower Park. The result is similar to what the Highlands boys soccer team did earlier Tuesday.

Highlands Weekend Results

Highlands Boys Soccer Posts Huge Victory

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands junior Jordan Frisk (28) goes after the ball while senior Carter Smith (15) watches in a recent game.

The Highlands Bluebirds boys soccer team (8-3-2 overall) earned a huge win entering the post-season beating the Louisville Trinity Shamrocks, 3-0 on Saturday at Tower Park.

Highlands had been playing Trinity (6-4-1) on an annual basis since 2014. But the Bluebirds had not managed to beat the Shamrocks until Saturday. 

"We've been on the upswing lately. We knew this was going to be a challenge," said Chad Niedert, Highlands Head Coach. "They've had some losses lately. But when you play the teams they play every game, they're going to take some bumps even if they're just slightly down. We knew we had to stick to the game we've been playing. We knew we'd be sending messages at the right time with a statement win. That's exactly what we got out of it."

Trinity came to Fort Thomas two years ago when Highlands finished state runner-up and led 1-0 in the first half. But lightning caused the cancellation of the game.

Highlands-Boone County Notebook

Bluebirds Enter CovCath Battle with Momentum

PHOTO: Ed Harber. Highlands sophomore defensive back Aiden Nevels gets in position in the second half against Boone County.

There is not time to put up consecutive shutouts than in the first two district games.

Highlands followed up a 36-0 blanking of Conner a week ago with a convincing 43-0 win over Boone County at David Cecil Memorial Stadium on Saturday. Things were a major question mark entering the Conner game. But after the win in Hebron, people expected Highlands to roll to another running clock win against the Rebels and the hosts did not disappoint. Conner had beaten Boone County, 40-0 on Sept. 25.

Girls State Golf Tournament Results

Toole Qualified for Final Day

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands senior Ellie Rowland (left) and junior KJ Toole golfed in the girls state tournament Friday. Toole is the first Highlands girls golfer to make it to the second day of the state tournament since 2010. The two also made the state tournament last year.

Highlands senior Ellie Rowland and junior KJ Toole ventured to the state tournament at the Bowling Green Country Club hoping to make it to the second and final day of the event.

Thursday Highlands Sports Round-Up

Highlands Soccer Teams Shut Out Region Opponents

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands junior Honor Valentine prepares to serve in a recent game.

The Highlands Bluebirds girls soccer team (11-1-2 overall) concluded the regular season with a convincing 9th Region road victory, 9-0 over the struggling St. Henry Lady Crusaders (4-8-1).

Tuesday Highlands Sports Round-up

Highlands Soccer Teams Both Beat Conner

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands senior goalkeeper Jasmine Rehberger watches during a recent game.

The Highlands Bluebirds girls soccer team (10-1-2 overall) had not faced the Conner Lady Cougars (5-6) since beating them 6-0 win at Tower Park on Aug. 25, 2005.

Highlands beat Conner, 4-0 on Tuesday in a 9th Region battle. That marked the ninth shutout of the season. Goalkeepers Meg Gessner and Jasmine Rehberger had one save each for the Bluebirds.

Highlands Girls Soccer Upends Newport Central Catholic

Winning Streak Hits Nine for Bluebirds Against Arch-Rivals

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham. Highlands senior defender Greta Noble throws the ball in against Newport Central Catholic on Monday. Noble had an assist in the 3-0 Highlands win.

The arch-rivals hung around for nearly 50 minutes.

But once the first goal came, the Highlands Bluebirds girls soccer team (9-1-2 overall) started rolling. They added two more to defeat the 36th District rival Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds, 3-0 Monday at Tower Park. That is the eighth shut-out for the Bluebirds.

Highlands has beaten NewCath nine times in a row. The Thoroughbreds last beat the Bluebirds, 2-1 at Tower Park in the 36th District championship on Oct. 15, 2015.

"I think we tried to play our best confidently as a team and not selfishly," said Margo Brandenberger, Highlands junior forward. "That really helps with confidence and doesn't let your emotions get to you on the field. It is a good rivalry game."

Highlands-Conner Football Sidebar

Two-Way Players Making Difference for Bluebirds

PHOTO: Ed Harber. Highlands sophomore wide receiver Jack Hendrix (25) tries to block Conner sophomore defensive back Alijah Thompson (12) trying to free up room for Highlands senior running back Mason South (2) in the 36-0 win Saturday.

The Highlands Bluebirds football team has benefitted from players going both directions more than recent years.

Highlands Head Coach Brian Weinrich said in the past things are different with each player. Some pick up the main position well and another.

Weekend Highlands Sports Round-Up

Highlands Soccer Teams Record Non-Region Wins

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands junior defender Jade Rehberger (6) had three assists on corner kicks in the 4-0 Highlands win over Lafayette on Saturday. 

The Highlands girls soccer team (8-1-2 overall) took down Lexington Lafayette (5-2-2) by a 4-0 count at Tower Park on Saturday.

"We had a great win," said Alex Dean, Highlands Head Coach. "Lafayette did lose on of its star players. Going into it, we knew they might be a little bit down because of it. But we couldn't take them lightly because they're one of the top teams this year. We could possibly see them advance (from) the 11th Region."

Thursday Highlands Results

Bluebirds Tie Ohio Opponent

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands sophomore goalkeeper Connor Mathis watches in a game earlier this season.

The Highlands Bluebirds boys soccer team (4-3-2 overall) may not have recorded a victory in its third game against an Ohio opponent.

But Highlands did not give up a late goal either. Highlands tied the Cincinnati Wyoming Cowboys, 2-2 at Tower Park.

"It's kind of nice to play some of these teams from across the (Ohio) River where the competition level that we get over there is at least as strong from within our regional tournament if not a little bit better," said Chad Niedert, Highlands Head Coach. "We also then don't have to be playing the same teams multiple times. They will exploit some weaknesses maybe so we know how to adapt accordingly. I think our guys have really done a good job of making those adjustments. We're turning that corner to where we have more of an identity of what we look like of how we play offensively and defensively. It is the right time to do that when we have the district and regional tournaments in our sights."

Wednesday Sports Roundup

Bluebirds Rally to Tie on Road

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands senior defender Kelsey Listerman (20) prepares to boot the ball on a free kick in a recent game.

The Highlands Bluebirds girls soccer team fell behind 2-0 against the Cincinnati (Ohio) St. Ursula Bulldogs on Wednesday, 2-0 on the road.

But Highlands (7-1-2 overall) fought back to tie the Bulldogs, 2-2. St. Ursula from the rugged Girls Greater Catholic League is a deceiving 3-6-2 overall. The Bulldogs recently lost just 3-2 to 10-0 Mount Notre Dame.