Highlands Weekend Notes

Playoff Opponent for Highlands Unknown Until Next Week

PHOTO: Ed Harber. Highlands sophomore wide receiver Brody Benke (8) hauls in a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter against Cooper.

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The Highlands Bluebirds football team (5-5 overall) does not know who the opponent will be in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs.

The Bluebirds created doubt in that regard after a 35-7 win against the Cooper Jaguars (6-3) on Friday. The only thing decided is Covington Catholic (6-3) will again be the top seed after another 4-0 run through the current District 5 alignment. The Colonels finished off the run with a 27-7 win over Conner.

Highlands, Cooper and Conner finished 2-2 in district play going 1-1 against each other. That means the Ratings Percentage Index will decide the seedings for the playoffs.

"That math is way over my head. I'm a high school football coach," said Bob Sphire, Highlands Head Coach. "You have to play the same teams over. Who gives a hoot whether you play them the first week, second week or whether you play them home or away? We've played equally or maybe even better on the road than we have at home. We just have to be ready to come play football like we did (Friday)."

The Kentucky High School Athletic Association said the RPI is way to compare a team's relative strength to others based on their strength of schedule. It is calculated from the team's Winning Percentage (WP), the Opponent's Winning Percentage (OWP) and the winning percentage of opponents of teams they have played (OOWP).

Sphire pointed out the win over Cooper brought the Bluebirds a lot of RPI points. The Jaguars have a winning percentage of .667 based on six wins divided by nine games played. 

The X-factor is Highlands and Cooper have played one out-of-state opponent each and Conner has played none. Out-of-state opponents have different values than in-state opponents do. That hurt Highlands last year in terms of having to go to Conner for the first round of the playoffs compared to playing at home after a loss to Cincinnati (Ohio) Moeller. Highlands lost 27-21 at Cincinnati (Ohio) McNicholas on Sept. 10 and Cooper defeated Madison (Indiana) on the road, 51-19 on Oct. 1.

Highlands finished 1-3 at David Cecil Memorial Stadium and 4-2 in games not played there. That included a 21-18 win over Bowling Green at the neutral Western Kentucky University to open the season Aug. 21.

The Bluebirds have their bye week the last week of the regular season entering the playoffs. But things will be settled after the other four district opponents play non-district games this Friday. Cooper hits the road to play Louisville Butler and Conner plays host to George Rogers Clark. Covington Catholic plays host to Ryle and Boone County travels to Tates Creek.

Highlands is currently slated to travel to Covington Catholic for the first round of the playoffs with a .51791 winning percentage as the fourth seed. But Conner is one spot ahead of Highlands with a .52033 percentage. Cooper is second with a .56239 percentage.

9th Region Volleyball Pairings:

Highlands (28-7 overall) will have to overcome a huge challenge to advance in the 9th Region Tournament on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at Conner. The Bluebirds lost twice to the Lady Jaguars (21-11) during the regular season and have lost 15 straight against Cooper. 

Highlands has one win in school history against Cooper. It came in a 2-1 (25-17, 17-25, 15-13) win on Sept. 19, 2009. Cooper opened in 2008.

The Bluebirds won their fifth consecutive 36th District championship on Wednesday. They are 12-7 against region opponents overall including a 4-6 record against teams in the 9th Region Tournament. The winner faces either St. Henry or Covington Holy Cross on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

Highlands Volleyball Soundly Advances in 36th District Tournament

Highlands Faces Newport Central Catholic for District Championship

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands senior Sophia Sarakatsannis (10) prepares to bump the ball in a recent game.

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The Highlands Bluebirds volleyball team (27-7 overall) mainly had to hit the serving targets to soundly advance to a 10th consecutive district championship game.

Host Highlands landed 23 aces in a sound 3-0 (25-6, 25-12, 25-11) win over the Bellevue Tigers on Tuesday in the 36th District semifinals. The Bluebirds earned a dominant top seed in the tournament and were the only team not to play on the first of three days Monday.

"I was proud of them," said Katelyn Sallee, Highlands Head Coach. "We were excited to get out there. Bellevue had a great game (Monday) in a hard-fought victory against Dayton. I'm just really glad we came out and took care of business against them."

Highlands will face Newport Central Catholic (13-22) for the district championship for the 10th straight season on Wednesday at 7 p.m. back at Russell Bridges Gym. The Bluebirds are seeking their fifth straight district crown and sixth in the last 10 years.

Seniors Madison Clore and Sophia Sarakatsannis led Highlands with seven aces each. Sarakatsannis added five kills. Senior Honor Valentine had four. Senior Josie Steppe and junior Kenzie Vennefron had two each.

The Bluebirds also had 31 kills and assists, one solo block by senior CC Shick and 22 digs. Clore had seven digs and Steppe had five. Senior Lauren Buemi had seven kills and Shick had six. Seniors Avery Cavacini and Nicole Ossege had five and four kills respectively.

Vennefron had 16 assists. Senior setter Madison Opitz added 13.

Some of the younger players saw action in the game. That included sophomore Rachel Ossege, who is cousins with Nicole Ossege.

"(The seniors) talk a lot to each other. They get along really well," Rachel Ossege said. "They all work really well as a team. They have fun while they're doing it."

The last time Highlands did not advance to the district title game came in 2011 in the program's last year in the old 37th District and 10th Region. The Bluebirds lost to Newport Central Catholic in the old blind draw days in the 37th semifinals. Highlands won the 36th District crown in 2012 in the first year in the current format.

Highlands-Covington Catholic Sidenotes

Bluebirds Creep Closer to Ending Losing Streak Against Colonels

PHOTO: Ed Harber. Highlands senior defensive linemen Henry King (6) and Kissee (69) tackle Covington Catholic senior quarterback Preston Agee (11).

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The 8-7 loss Friday against Covington Catholic marked the closest the Highlands Bluebirds football team (4-5 overall) has come to beating the Colonels (5-3) during the eight-game losing streak in the series.

There have been times where the Bluebirds have been lucky to score on the Colonels during this losing streak. CovCath has shut out Highlands four times during this streak including a 42-0 blanking in Park Hills during the regular season last year.

Highlands lost 21-14 to Covington Catholic in Fort Thomas on Oct. 12, 2018. But in the rematch to decide the Class 5A region championship weeks later, CovCath shut out Highlands, 36-0 in Park Hills on the way to a state runner-up finish.

The Bluebirds still lead the all-time series, 49-25. But the two could meet again in the first round of the playoffs in few weeks if CovCath beats Conner in Hebron next week and Highlands loses at Cooper. 

History shows the team that improves the most in between the two games wins the rematch. The Bluebirds last beat the Colonels, 44-22 in the region title game on Nov. 20, 2015 doubling up the Colonels after escaping with a 14-10 win in Park Hills on Oct. 17 of that year.

Class 5A, District 5 Update:

Covington Catholic and Conner meet next week to decide the top seed for the Class 5A playoffs. CovCath is 3-0 in district play and Conner is 2-1.

Cooper beat Boone County, 34-0 in Union on Friday. The Rebels will miss the playoffs for the third straight year finishing 0-4 in district play. Highlands travels to Cooper on Friday to finish the regular season.

The Bluebirds hope to throw things for a loop with a win over the Jaguars. Highlands and CovCath wins would give the Colonels the top seed in the playoffs and leave Highlands, Conner and Cooper tied for second at 2-2. The Ratings Percentage Index would decide the seeds at that point. Cooper leads the way with a .59233 index and Conner is second at .53693. Highlands stands third at .49034.

Scouting Cooper:

The Jaguars are 6-2 having a big season behind the dynamic rushing duo of senior Brendon Tye and junior Eli White. Senior quarterback Drew Warth made his return after missing most of last year with an injury.

Cooper came to Highlands and won 48-21 last year putting up 401 yards rushing. The Bluebirds hope to penetrate the backfield better this year to contain Tye and White.

Highlands Tuesday Results: Boys Soccer Wins Region Quarterfinal Game

Volleyball Falls on Senior Night

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham. Highlands junior Casey Stiles (41) makes a move in a recent game.

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The Highlands Bluebirds boys soccer team (18-4-1 overall) has done a good job scoring first in recent games.

But the Bluebirds hoped to keep it up Tuesday to help keep their postseason alive in the 9th Region quarterfinal match-up against the Cooper Jaguars (13-6-3) at Tower Park. They did that in a 4-1 victory.

"If you look at the course of the season, some of our tougher results or games where we weren't super satisfied at the end were a lot of times traced back to a slow start then playing a little bit of catch up," said Chad Niedert, Highlands Head Coach. "As of late, we've been taking it to teams. We have guys that are eager and willing to do the dirty jobs and put themselves in position to score more so than earlier in the year. So I'm really proud of how this team has evolved."

Highlands takes on Covington Catholic at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the region semifinals at St. Henry. The championship game takes place Saturday at 4 p.m. at Boone County. All four district champions advanced to the region semifinals.

It started when their leading point-scorer in junior forward Colin Pieper scored on a free kick in the first half. The Bluebirds did not look back from there.

Pieper scored two goals and had an assist in the first half to help the Bluebirds build a 3-1 halftime lead. He played a through ball to senior Jordan Frisk for the second Highlands goal. After Cooper earned one back, Pieper hit a dazzling free kick from 30 yards out to give the Bluebirds that halftime advantage. 

Sophomore Chad Gesenhues scored his 10th goal of the season for the lone goal of the second half to make the final score for the Bluebirds. Senior Joel Kendall played a free kick into the box and junior Casey Stiles headed into Gesenhues for his fourth assist of the season.

"It's been a big part of our game this season," Kendall said. "We've gotten a lot of goals off free kicks much more than last year. That's decided a lot of tight goals for us."

Pieper has a team-high 22 goals and nine assists for a team-high 53 points. Frisk has 18 goals and a team-high 11 assists for 47 points.

Highlands had 13 shots with five on goal to nine shots for Cooper. Sophomore goalkeeper Jack Wilson made eight saves.

Highlands had 16 fouls, one corner kick and six offsides calls. The Bluebirds did not have any red cards. The Bluebirds beat Cooper, 2-1 on Sept. 1 in Union. But the Jaguars scored first.

The Bluebirds have advanced to at least the region semifinals the previous six seasons. The last time they did not advance past the region quarterfinals took place Oct. 20, 2015 when Covington Catholic edged Highlands, 2-1 on penalty kicks in the 9th Region quarterfinals at Dixie Heights.

Volleyball:

Cooper 3, Highlands 0:

The Bluebirds (26-7) concluded the regular season honoring the nine seniors who have helped Highlands to three seasons of 25 or more wins outside of the 13-8 2020 campaign shortened by the Coronavirus 2019 pandemic during their four years of high school.

But Highlands could not find a way to beat 9th Region nemesis Cooper (20-10). The Lady Jaguars escaped in three sets by 25-16, 25-21, 25-23 scores. Cooper also beat Highlands in the Bluegrass Invitational in Lexington on Aug. 28.

This marked the 15th straight loss to the Lady Jaguars. Highlands last beat Cooper, 2-1 (25-17, 17-25, 15-13) on Sept. 19, 2009. Cooper opened in 2008.

Senior CC Shick is a four-year starter for Highlands. She had 10 kills, seven digs and one assisted block in the loss. The other eight seniors are Madison Clore, Honor Valentine, Madison Opitz, Lauren Buemi, Avery Cavacini, Sophia Sarakatsannis, Josie Steppe and Nicole Ossege.

Highlands had three aces, 35 kills and assists, two solo blocks by Buemi, two assisted blocks by Cavacini and Shick and 55 digs. Clore had 13 digs and Valentine had 10. Buemi had 11 kills and two digs. Sarakatsannis had nine digs and five kills. Opitz had 27 assists and eight digs and Ossege had seven kills.

Monday Highlands Round-Up: Girls Soccer Advances Soundly in Region Quarterfinals

Highlands Volleyball Downs Bellevue

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands junior forward Anna Melson makes a move in a recent game. Melson scored twice in the 6-0 9th Region Quarterfinal win over Ryle.

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The Highlands Bluebirds girls soccer team (13-4-1 overall) saw its second postseason post a similar result to the first in another 6-0 victory.

Highlands beat the Ryle Lady Raiders (9-5-5) at Tower Park to open the 9th Region Tournament. The two did not meet during the regular season.

The wins sets up a semifinal game against Dixie Heights (15-6-2) in the semifinals at Boone County on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. All four district champions won their quarterfinal games. Highlands beat Dixie Heights, 4-3 in Crestview Hills on Sept. 22.

Highlands recorded 19 shots to six for Ryle. Highlands senior goalkeepers Meg Gessner and Hailey Parks had four and two saves respectively.

"We were all over them," said Chris Norris, Highlands Head Coach. "We're playing great soccer now. It was great to see."

The Bluebirds scored three goals in each half. Sophomore forward Laney Smith led the way with two goals and two assists for six points. She has 20 goals and 13 assists on the season for 49 points. All are team-highs.

Junior forward Anna Melson scored the last goal of the first half and the second one of the first half. Melson has four goals on the season.

"Getting the third goal is definitely a confidence booster for the whole team because it puts you up a lot," Melson said. "I just think that we come out ready. When we have to do our job, we get it done."

Senior forward Chloe Bramble added one goal and two assists. Bramble has eight goals and 11 assists this year for 27 points.

Freshman defender Kate Fausz scored her second goal of the season. Freshman Claire Cavacini recorded her fifth assist of the season and senior midfielder Faith Broering tallied her sixth assist.

Highlands has advanced to the region semifinals nine years in a row. The last time the Bluebirds lost in the region quarterfinals came in 2012.

Volleyball:

Highlands 3, Bellevue 0:

The Bluebirds (26-6) handled the host Tigers (8-16) by 25-7, 25-6 and 25-10 scores to finish off a perfect record in the four 36th District seeding games.

All 16 players saw action in the victory. Highlands had 41 kills and assists, 18 digs, one solo block and 19 aces. Senior Lauren Buemi led the Bluebirds with two aces, eight kills, one solo block, one assist and three digs. Senior CC Shick had four aces, 10 kills, eight assists and four digs. Senior Josie Steppe had three aces and junior Emma Daly had eight kills.

"They took really good care of that opportunity," said Katelyn Sallee, Highlands Head Coach. "They didn't let a lot of runs happen. They did a good job of taking care of business. It was a really good night."

Senior setter Madison Optiz had 19 assists with junior Kenzi Vennefron recording 11 to go with three aces. Senior Sophia Sarakatsannis had four digs.

"We can see how we can improve our energy, especially since we have nine seniors leaving after this year," said Bailey Houston, Highlands junior. "We're like a family. We always say we love each other after every point no matter what. I think that's what makes us in sync and be able to play well. It's okay to make mistakes. But we're always here for you."

Highlands concludes the regular season against Cooper (19-10) on Tuesday. Game time is 7 p.m.

Highlands Saturday Round-Up: Boys Golf Achieves Goal at State

Third Top 10 Finish at State in Four Years for Bluebirds

Contributed Photo. The Highlands Bluebirds Boys Golf Team finished ninth at state this year.

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Highlands Bluebirds boys golf Head Coach Bert Richey has set a bar for the team.

That is a top 10 finish at state. The Bluebirds had a huge excuse looking them in the eyes if that did not happen this year with the graduation of two NCAA Division I golfers from the school's best-ever sixth-place team in 2020 in Luke Muller and Justin Gabbard. They golf for Northern Kentucky University and Xavier University respectively.

But the Bluebirds came through and hit that goal winning their third Region 8 title in four years and finishing ninth at state shooting a 389 on the par 72 Bowling Green County Club course. Highlands shot the fourth-best team score of 39-over par 327 on the second day to move from 11th to ninth place.

"We didn't play well (Friday)," Richey said. "The kids did well keeping the ball below the hole and minimizing their mistakes. We didn't do a very good job (Friday) of playing like we should have and (Saturday), we did." 

The Bluebirds shot a 62-over par 350 on the first day. But four of the five scores improved from the first day.

Junior Joel Craft led Highlands on the second day shooting a two-over 74 for his career best round in six tries at the state tournament. Craft shot a two-day total of 160 good for a tie for 52nd overall. Craft has also played on the 2020 and 2018 region tournament championship teams. The Bluebirds placed eighth in 2018.

Highlands senior Jack Schneider and freshman Hank Shick returned from last year's state tournament team. Shick shot an 85 Saturday after shooting a state-best 81 Friday for a two-day total of 166 to tie for 69th out of 105 total who golfed both days. 

"I had to be more of a leader this year and just teach the three freshmen how to play and how to act on the golf course," Schneider said. "The nerves of playing at state for the first time are extremely high. As young as these kids are, it probably hit them a big harder. It's just go out and have fun on day two. You play best when you're relaxed. We were relaxed (Saturday) and people were enjoying the golf course because it was their last day no matter what."

Schneider shot his best round at state Saturday with an 81. He garnered a two-day total of 167 after shooting 86 on Friday. That tied for 71st.

Two freshmen made their first appearances at the state tournament this year in Nate Surrey and Oliver Golden. Surrey improved his score by 10 strokes Saturday going from a 97 to an 87 for a two-day total of 184 to tie for 101st. Golden shot a 98 Saturday after not finishing Friday.

"Coach Richey helped us out. He told us we could be good again," Surrey said. "I knew Oliver and I had to step up being the four and five guys. The (BG Country Club course) is really difficult so I think learning to stay with and stay in the game is really important just because it's a long course. If you have a double or triple bogey, you have to bounce back and have a comeback hole."

Highlands returns four golfers with state tournament experience for next year. The next goal would be to finish in the top five. 

"They improved the whole year. We played in a lot of tournaments," Richey said. "We got a lot of experience. I really don't worry about how we play until the end because I want to peek at the right time. We kept playing more consistent. Their confidence is growing. Jack and Joel did a great job of mentoring those kids along."

Bluebirds Notebook: Highlands Golf Completes First Day at State Tournament

Highlands Wins Seventh Straight Against Boone County

PHOTO: Ed Harber. Highlands junior defensive lineman TreVaughn Woods celebrates after recovering a fumble against Boone County on Friday.

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The Highlands Bluebirds boys golf team found itself in 11th place out of 12 teams in the state golf tournament after the first day shooting a total of 350. 

The Christian Academy of Louisville shot 297 on the first day to lead Madison Central by a stroke after the first day. The par for the Bowling Green Country Club course is 72.

Freshman Hank Schick led Highlands shooting an 81 on that day. The next two scorers in senior Jack Schneider and junior Joel Craft shot 86. The fourth scorer in Highlands freshman Nate Surrey shot 97. Freshman Oliver Golden is in his first state tournament.

The second day of competition resumed Saturday.

Gessner Commits to NKU:

Highlands freshman goalkeeper Meg Gessner has committed to play collegiately at Northern Kentucky University. She'll join former Highlands players Lindsey Meyer and Lauren Deckert.

Highlands faces Ryle in the 9th Region Quarterfinals on Monday. Game time is 7 p.m.

Scouting Covington Catholic:

The Colonels come into the game Friday at 4-3. They defeated Boone County, 39-6 after holding off Coopers, 31-24 in overtime to move to 2-0 in district. The Colonels have won five consecutive district titles. CovCath has not lost three games in a season since going 9-4 in 2016 losing in the region title game to Louisville Fern Creek.

Sixth-year Head Coach Eddie Eviston led CovCath to a 44-1 mark between 2017 and 2019 with undefeated state championship seasons in 2017 and 2019. Current Miami (Ohio) quarterback AJ Mayer and younger brother Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer had a lot to do with that run.

CovCath did make it all the way back to the state semifinals last year losing 20-0 to eventual state champion Bowling Green. The Colonels finished 5-8 in Eviston's first season in 2015, but have not had a losing season since then.

The Colonels have won seven straight against the Bluebirds. Highlands is still seeking its 50 win all-time against CovCath still leading the overall series 49-24.

Class 5A, District 5 Notes:

The Cooper Jaguars (5-2) and Conner Cougars (5-3) met in a crucial game Thursday and CovCath took its bye week. Cooper destroyed Conner, 43-7 giving the Colonels sole possession of first place in district play at 2-0. Cooper and Conner are 2-1 in district play. Highlands trails at 1-1 and Boone County is 0-3. The Rebels will miss the playoffs for the third straight year.

Series Against Boone County:

The Bluebirds beat the Rebels for the seventh straight year since the series resumed in 2015 following a four-year hiatus.

Highlands Volleyball Earns 25th Victory

Bluebirds Defeat Boone County for Second Time This Season

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

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With a convincing 3-0 (25-15, 25-19, 25-13) win over the Boone County Lady Rebels (11-15 overall), the Highlands Bluebirds volleyball team improved to 25-6 on the season earning a fourth season of 25 or more wins in the last five seasons.

Highlands Eighth Grader Hayden Gessner watched her older sister Olivia Gessner lift the Bluebirds to consecutive 25-11 seasons in 2017 and 2018 before the 2019 team finished 29-8 overall. A Coronavirus 2019-shortened season last year left the Bluebirds at 13-8.

"We really just want to keep on with the legacy and keep bringing the energy," Hayden Gessner said. "It's just really exciting for everyone to see what we can possibly do and keep up with. It's really interesting to see what can happen during a game and how everyone is coming together as a team and making sure everyone has each others' backs."

The Bluebirds connected for 45 kills on 108 attempts with 17 errors for a .259 hitting percentage. Seniors Lauren Buemi had 16 kills with senior Avery Cavacini connecting for 10 and CC Shick adding nine.

Highlands also had 12 aces, two solo blocks, 60 digs and 45 assists. Seniors Madison Clore, Madison Opitz and Honor Valentine had three aces each and Shick had two. Cavacini and Buemi had one solo block each. Senior Sophia Sarakatsanis had 12 digs with Clore contributing nine. Opitz and senior Nicole Ossege had eight each. Opitz also had 44 assists.

"Honestly, the first two sets were both a little flat in just kind of finding our rhythm," said Katelyn Sallee, Highlands Head Coach. "We actually did a good job though of getting a lot of people involved offensively. It's probably the most balanced we've been all season. I feel like as we progress into the postseason, we have to be sure to move the ball around so that we can beat some bigger opponents. We did that (Thursday)."

Highlands Senior Girls Golfer Shoots Best Round of Career at State

Toole Ties for 29th Overall

Twitter Photo. Highlands senior KJ Toole shot an 80 on the second day of the state tournament Wednesday. Her two-day total of 164 tied her for 29th overall.

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Highlands senior girls golfer KJ Toole had one round of golf left in her career Wednesday and she made the most of it.

Toole shot a career-best eight-over 80 on the 18-hole par 72 course on the final day of the state tournament at the Bowling Green Country Club. That total went down by four strokes from the 84 shot Tuesday to make the individual cut to the second day for a two-day total of 164 good for a tie for 29th overall.

"I've been blessed and really lucky, especially having (Highlands Head) Coach Mike (Lipscomb) my high school years," Toole said. "I've worked hard and I really enjoyed it. The outcome is just a byproduct of what I've put in. It means a lot."

Bullitt East junior Macie Brown won the individual title shooting a two-day total of 141 shooting a three-under par 69 on the second day. Marshall County won the team title.

Toole improved her score by eight strokes from last year when she finished 58th overall. She shot an 88 on the second day last year for a two-day total of 172. She also shot an 84 on the first day last year.

"I'm so proud of her and all that she accomplished in her fantastic golfing career," Lipscomb said. "The school and our team couldn't have sent a better representative of Highlands to the state tournament. I would have to say that KJ is one of the best female golfers to come through Highlands. The sky is the limit for her and I can not wait to see what she does with her future."

Toole made the tournament for the third year in a row. She did not make the individual cut in 2019.

"This year, I even struggled some," Toole said. "This week, I've been kind of battling a back injury some so you can see it reflected in my scores. (Tuesday) in the front nine, I was three over. (Wednesday) on the front nine, I was one over. Then on the back, it's kind of hard to keep up that pace and that play when you have a little injury bothering you. I just hung in there mentally. No one wants to walk away in your final round down there and not feel too good."

Toole also helped the Bluebirds win their first tournament since Lipscomb took over the program in 2018. Highlands won the Northern Kentucky Athletic Conference Division II title. She earned medalist honors shooting a 78.

Tuesday Highlands Results

Volleyball Squeaks Out Exciting Win Over South Oldham

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands senior Madison Opitz (left) and Madison Clore (right) get in position in a recent game.

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The Highlands Bluebirds volleyball team (24-6 overall) had to outlast the South Oldham Lady Dragons (16-12), 3-2 in a home battle at Russell Bridges Gym on Tuesday.

Highlands won the first game 25-20 before losing the next two 25-21, 25-19. The Bluebirds trailed in the fourth game before rallying for a 25-23 victory then taking the fifth game 15-6. They've beaten South Oldham twice this year. The other win came in the Cake Classic Tournament.

"Our team and community showed some incredible fight. The whole entire gym was a part of that win," said Katelyn Sallee, Highlands Head Coach. "South Oldham is a really aggressive and incredibly talented group of athletes. I'm so very proud of the fight in our team."

Highlands has not used two setters since Sallee took over as head coach in 2014. But they have this year with senior Madison Opitz and junior Kenzi Vennefron. Opitz had 33 assists and Vennefron 12. Opitz had four aces and Vennefron had two.

"I think it took us a while to get in a groove," Vennefron said. "But in the fifth set, I think it really just clicked. We came out strong and did our best."

Highlands had 12 aces, 46 kills and assists, four solo blocks and 88 digs. Senior Sophia Sarakatsannis had 17 digs, seven kills and two aces. Senior Madison Clore added 27 digs. Senior CC Shick had 18 kills, one solo block and 10 digs. Senior Nicole Ossege had five kills, two solo blocks and 11 digs.

Senior Lauren Buemi had two aces, six kills and two digs. Senior Avery Cavacini had six kills, one solo block and one dig. Senior Honor Valentine had nine digs and one ace.

Highlands takes on Boone County on Thursday. Game time is 7 p.m.

Girls Golf State Tournament:

Highlands senior KJ Toole qualified for the second day of the state golf tournament at the Bowling Green Country Club shooting an 84 and finishing tied for 28th out of the individuals not on region champions that qualified for state. 

The top 42 qualified for the second day. Claira Beth Ramsey of Madison Central and Macie Brown of Bullitt East shot an even par 72 to lead the way after the first day that was called off early because of darkness.

Toole shot 12-over on the par-72 course to tie for 45th overall. She tees off at 10:27 a.m. Wednesday.

Highlands Earns Statement Win to Conclude Regular Season

Bluebirds Explodes for Four Goal in First 15 Minutes of Second Half

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands junior defender Evan Jones (19) and senior Cole Lorenzen (11) get in position on a corner kick.

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The Highlands Bluebirds boys soccer team (16-4-1 overall) wanted nothing more than to earn a huge win entering district tournament play.

In a battle of two teams with deep postseason aspirations, Highlands not only defeated but blitzed the 11th Region's Dunbar Bulldogs (13-3-2) from Lexington's west side, 5-2 at Tower Park on Saturday. The Bulldogs entered the game ranked second in the Commonwealth of Kentucky's MaxPreps rankings and Highlands ranked 11th.

"It's really comforting and it makes us confident because we've grown over these 21 games from where we started," said Chad Niedert, Highlands Head Coach. "They just put it to (Dunbar) from the beginning. It sends a message to our future opponents here nearby and hopefully, some that we'll see along the way. I'm just really proud of how our guys played across the board. We weren't letting ourselves get content with any of the goals that were coming as the second half wore on."

Highlands bounced back from a 5-0 loss on the road Thursday at Cincinnati Wyoming. The Bluebirds have won eight of their last nine games and finished 3-0 against teams from Lexington.

The Bluebirds had 20 shots including 15 on goal to 13 on goal for the Bulldogs. Highlands sophomore goalkeeper Jack Wilson recorded 11 saves.

The weather turned out nice and sunny with some clouds and light rain at one point during the game. But in the second half on the field when it rained, it poured for the Bluebirds. They turned a 1-1 halftime tie into a 5-1 lead in the first 15 minutes of the second half.

"We were actually pretty comfortable with where we were at halftime," Niedert said. "I don't know if I necessarily thought we were going to go up 5-1 with three goals real quick. We didn't feel like we needed to make a whole lot of adjustments. We just needed to continue doing what we were doing. Wyoming kind of exposed something in our attack and we were prepared to adapt for it. When we went up 3-1 against Dunbar, we tried that out and two goals came from it. I'm feel like we're going to be better suited going forward."

It started with a call Niedert said the team felt it should have received, but did not. The Bluebirds kept playing and their leading point-scorer in junior forward Colin Pieper found himself in a one-on-one situation on the right side overpowering the defender and scoring just under two minutes into the second half to put Highlands up for good at 2-1.

"I think Colin adjusted quickly realizing this game can be a little physical," Niedert said. "We like to tell our guys to control what you can. I'm loud on the sidelines. I get it. But at the same time, that's because I'm advocating for these guys. They know that I've got their back. But at the same time, we ultimately aren't going to be the ones that make the calls. We just have to respond to them."

Pieper finished the day with a hat trick of three goals. Pieper has a team-high 15 goals and eight assists for a team-high 44 points.

"We knew how tough (Dunbar) was going to be. We just had to come out strong in the second half," Pieper said. "We knew they had a new (goalkeeper) in goal. We knew what they looked like from the whole first half so we knew what to exploit so we talked about it at halftime. We came out stronger than them."

Pieper scored the lone Highlands goal of the first half with just under 26 left. Senior midfielder Cole Lorenzen played a through ball to him for the score. That marked Lorenzen's first assist of the season. The Bulldogs tied the game with 16:03 left in the half on a corner kick.

Senior Jordan Frisk put in a rebound off the pole from a junior midfielder Caden Schroeder shot to give Highlands a 3-1 advantage. Schroeder has five assists.

Minutes later, the Bluebirds drew a foul just outside the top of the box. Following a fake from a teammate, Pieper put one in for the hat trick giving Highlands a 4-1 advantage.

The final Highlands goal came with 25:34 left in the game. Frisk found junior midfielder Peyton Helminiak for the score that curled into the upper 90. Helminiak has three goals and Frisk 10 assists on the season.

The Bulldogs scored their last goal with 16:09 left in the game. Senior forward Issac Cano scored on a penalty kick. Cano scored team-highs of 20 goals and recorded seven assists for 47 points entering the game. Niedert credited the back line particularly senior Joel Kendall for keeping things simple on Cano.

"We just make sure the defense steps up," said Luke Fedders, Highlands junior defender on defending scoring threats like Cano. "We pressure and cover. If one defender gets beat, there is another one behind him."

Highlands committed 11 fouls in the physical game and had three offsides calls, three corner kicks and one yellow card. Dunbar finished with one yellow card.

Highlands-Conner Notebook

Homecoming King, Queen Named

PHOTO: Ed Harber. Highlands junior quarterback Charlie Noon looks for running room in the game against Conner.

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Highlands held its annual Homecoming Game on Friday against the Conner Cougars and announced the Homecoming King and Queen at halftime.

Senior Cole Greenman won the King honors and senior KJ Toole won the Queen honors. Toole just qualified for the girls golf state tournament for the third straight year. But she is also active leading cheers at various sporting events.

"It was a lot of run," Toole said of the honor. "I'm glad to be a representative for the school that all grade levels can look to as a friend."

Greenman is mainly involved with a group called Young Life. The group meets after school three times per week and talks about something that goes beyond a person's time on Earth. Greenman admitted he once struggled with depression. But since coming to know Jesus, Greenman said he's build a connection with his parents and newer people he's met.

"I just hope that we can spread the word across the school and hopefully we can encourage people who are dealing with problems at home to come to us and they can learn about Jesus," Greenman said. "He helps them up."

Class 5A, District 5 Results:

Covington Catholic (4-3) stayed with Conner for the district lead at 2-0 with a sound 39-6 win over Boone County (3-4), which fell to 0-10 in district games in the current format.

The Cooper Jaguars (4-2) stepped out of district play Friday and won 51-19 at Madison (Indiana). The Jaguars feature a strong running game with senior Brendon Tye and junior Eli White.

Looking at Boone County:

The Rebels are in their third season under Head Coach Bryson Warner. They are 3-4 on the season, which is one more victory than last year.

Thursday Highlands Results

Highlands Girls Soccer Concludes Regular Season with Win

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands senior goalkeeper Hailey Parks gets in position in a recent game.

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The Highlands Bluebirds girls soccer team (11-4-1 overall) had one last tune-up for the postseason and came away with a 3-2 home win over the county rival Bishop Brossart Lady 'Stangs (12-7-1).

"It's fantastic for these girls," said Chris Norris, Highlands Head Coach. "We've played some tough teams this season and had some tough results. But this last week or so, they're just playing really, really good soccer. It was nice to get three goals in and give us a chance to try out a couple different formations as we head districts. We got some more players in. As many players as we can get experience, it's fantastic for this team. We're really coming together."

Highlands took 20 shots on goal to six for Bishop Brossart. Senior Hailey Parks had three saves at goalkeeper for the Bluebirds and senior Meg Gessner had three. The Bluebirds had seven corner kicks to two for the visitors.

Highlands sophomore forward Laney Smith scored her 15th goal of the season off an assist from sophomore forward Claire Cavacini to put the Bluebirds up 1-0 15 minutes into the game. Cavacini has four assists on the season.

Senior midfielder Faith Broering gave Highlands a 2-0 lead with 10 minutes left in the half on a penalty kick. She has nine goals this year.

The Bluebirds went ahead 3-1 after Smith second goal and 16th on the season. Senior defender Jade Rehberger recorded her ninth assist of the year.

Highlands received some good news. Junior defender Bianca Hemsath said she will return for the 9th Region Tournament. She has not been able to play since early in the year.

"I'm really excited. Just being a part of this team is awesome," Hemsath said. "Obviously, I'm very lucky that the coaches let me participate actively when I was injured on the sideline as a manager and keeping the stats. It's really wonderful being out there and playing some of your best friends."

The Bluebirds play in the title game of the 36th District Tournament on Wednesday at Morsher Field in Silver Grove. Game time is 5 p.m.

Volleyball:

Dayton Forfeits to Highlands:

A scheduling conflict gave the Bluebirds (23-6) a forfeit win. Highlands takes on South Oldham on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Soccer, Boys:

Cincinnati Wyoming 5, Highlands 0:

The Bluebirds (15-4-1 overall) saw their seven-game winning streak stopped.

Wyoming outshot Highlands, 14-9. Sophomore goalkeeper Jack Wilson had four saves for the Bluebirds.