Knights Out: Highlands heading back to state championship with convincing win

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter

When you think the Highlands Bluebirds football team will not do something, Class 4A’s top-ranked squad proves you wrong.

The Bluebirds (13-1) came into Friday’s state semifinal matchup against the fourth-ranked Lexington Catholic Knights as favorites. But few expected them to beat the Knights worse than last year’s record-setting squad and eclipse their season averages of points, touchdowns and offensive output.

But the Bluebirds did just that in a convincing 61-28 win over LexCath (11-3) on Friday at David Cecil Memorial Stadium for their 29th consecutive playoff win. Highlands moved to 13-1 overall, including an 86-3 mark since the start of 2007.

Highlands responds to hype with big win over CovCath

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter

Following a week of the usual hype that saw even some well-known figures get into the act, it was time to decide things on the football field.

The result proved similar to the last seven meetings between the two Northern Kentucky powers. The Highlands Bluebirds showed they are still the team to beat in Class 4A with a 35-21 win over the arch-rival Covington Catholic Colonels on Friday at David Cecil Memorial Stadium in the District 7 opener for both teams.

Highlands moved to 78-2 since the start of 2007 including 8-0 against CovCath. The Bluebirds (5-0 overall, 1-0 district) have won 25 in a row and 43 straight at home. The Bluebirds also improved to 42-17 all-time against the Colonels.

The Bluebirds did it once again with their offensive versatility. They played quick-strike football the first four games. But in this contest, Highlands moved the quick Colin Seidl into the backfield and grinded things out from many different angles in the victory and kept CovCath’s potent offense off the field.

“It is a great defense,” said Dale Mueller, Highlands Co-Head Coach, of the Colonel defense. “They have a lot of starters back and we have a lot of respect for them. We felt the run was there and we have a pretty versatile offense so we went with that.”

The Bluebirds ran the ball 61 times for 291 yards for an average of just more than 4.77 a contest. Quarterback Donovan McCoy led the way with 29 carries for 110 yards and a touchdown. Seidl finished with 86 yards on 11 carries with a touchdown and Zach Harris had 75 yards on 16 carries with two touchdowns.

Highlands prepares for another big game vs. CovCath

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter

The date of Nov. 11, 2006 seems like ages ago.

The Highlands Bluebirds ventured to Covington Catholic and fell 25-15 in the second round of the Class AAA playoffs. The Colonels won the state championship weeks later in the final year before the Kentucky football playoffs expanded to six classes.

But since then, it has been all Blue and White. The Bluebirds have racked up seven consecutive over their arch-rivals going 77-2 since that day just more than 70 months ago. This includes two victories last year, 42-39 at CovCath in the regular season and 42-14 in Fort Thomas in the state quarterfinals en route to a fifth straight state championship. Highlands increased its all-time record to 41-17 against CovCath with those two wins.

The atmosphere at David Cecil Memorial Stadium should again be rocking Friday when the two Northern Kentucky football powers meet again. The Bluebirds enter the game with a perfect 4-0 mark and the Colonels come in at 4-1 in the Class 4A, Region 4, District 7 opener for both squads.

Covington Catholic’s lone loss came on Aug. 31, 27-11 at Cincinnati La Salle of the Greater Catholic League South Division. The Lancers used stellar defense to win the game and scored when senior defensive back Jaleel Hytchye intercepted CovCath quarterback Blake Bir and returned it 66 yards for a touchdown.

La Salle forced four Colonel turnovers in that game. Freshman running back Jeremy Larkin returned a punt 65 yards and defensive back Lemuel Weyer picked up a fumble and brought it back another 10 yards for two more Lancer touchdowns.

Playing in big games is nothing new for either squad. During the 77-2 run, Highlands also has huge wins over Greater Catholic League South powers Cincinnati Elder and Cincinnati St. Xavier. The Bluebirds opened the year with huge wins over Boyle County and Scott County. Since losing 60-37 in Fort Thomas on Aug. 24, Scott County has won three in a row over Harrison County (61-6), Madison Central (41-16) and Tates Creek (71-13) to move to 4-1 overall.

“We purposely try to play in big games to get ready for the big games,” said Dale Mueller, Highlands head coach. “So many guys on our team have been playing sports for so long. They’ve been good athletes and have played in championship games so they’re used to playing in big games.”

The best news for Highlands is the Bluebirds come in after playing their most complete game of the year in a 61-3 Homecoming domination of Mason County. Highlands increased its season averages to eight touchdowns, 56 points and 529 yards of offense per contest and also increased its average margin of victory to 32.5 points.

The Bluebirds hope to use their depth to win another big contest. Out of their spread offense, the Bluebirds have run for 1,164 yards and passed for another 952. Quarterback Donovan McCoy leads the balanced attack with 326 yards rushing on 35 carries with nine touchdowns for an average of just more than 9.3 a carry. He’s also completed 58-of-98 passes for 864 yards and 10 touchdowns.

The Bluebirds fine-tuned their passing game against the Royals. McCoy completed 33-of-44 passes for 400 yards and six touchdowns. Highlands did not run the ball much until late in the game. The offensive line gave McCoy plenty of time to throw.

Fourteen different receives have catches for the Bluebirds. Luke Turner leads the way with 10 catches for 193 yards and Colin Seidl has nine for 136. Turner, Ryan Greene and Nick True have two touchdown receptions each.

“It throws (defenses) off a lot because they have to worry about the run and the pass,” said Brandon Hergott, Highlands junior wide receiver. “When we’re running up the middle, it makes teams tighten up their defense so we can throw the ball over the top. We go as hard as we can every play. That makes us so successful.”

Highlands ran the ball well against Boyle County and Scott County before reverting to a balanced attack against Louisville Western. The Bluebirds have four guys with more than 200 yards rushing. After McCoy, they are Zach Harris with 320 yards rushing on 50 carries with six touchdowns for an average of 6.4 per touch; Ryan Donovan, 217 yards on 18 carries with two touchdowns for just more than 12 yards a carry; and Jaylen Hayes, 208 yards on 17 carries and two touchdowns for an average of just more than 12.2 a carry.

Highlands will face a stingy Covington Catholic 3-3 stack defense. The Colonels have blanked three opponents allowing just 33 points this year for an average of 6.6 a contest. Sophomore linebacker Sam Burchell leads the Colonels with 41 tackles and senior defensive lineman Dan Hellman has 32. The Colonels have picked off four passes and recovered two fumbles.

“I’ve been real impressed with how they’ve played,” Mueller said. “Each guy is quick on the field and has been doing his job. They’re playing a great as a team. You can see football means a lot to them.”

The Bluebird 3-4 defense squares off against a prolific CovCath spread offense led by Bir. Bir is being recruited by Northwestern University, Duke Univeristy, Indiana University and Mississippi State. Bir has completed 82-of-144 passes for 1,315 yards and 17 touchdowns.

“We just have to keep our depth and keep everything in front of us,” said Griffin Urlage, Highlands sophomore defensive back. “Their receivers are very good and (Bir) is really good. (Bir) has a really good arm and he’s really accurate. We have to know who we’re covering and know our keys.”

Eleven different receivers have catches for CovCath. Junior Evan Braun leads the way with 19 catches for 328 yards with three touchdowns and senior Ethan Egbers has five catches for 305 yards and three touchdowns.

Bir is also dangerous on the ground. He ran some quarterback draws against Campbell County. He has 120 yards rushing on 25 carries for an average of 4.8 per carry.

“It’s difficult when you’re playing a quarterback who can do so many things,” Mueller said. “He throws it short and deep well. He also runs it well so you have to play great team defense.”

The Colonels thought Sam Dressman would emerge as a solid running threat in place of the graduated Gabe Gray. Dressman has just 40 yards on 13 carries with two touchdowns. Bir’s younger brother Luke and Bobby Beatrice have carried the load so far running the ball. Beatrice has 214 yards on 42 rushes and a touchdown averaging just more than five per attempt and Luke Bir has 208 yards on 29 carries for an average of just more than 7.1 per attempt. Beatrice and Luke Bir have one rushing touchdown a piece.

The Highlands defense has done a good job recording turnovers all season. The offense constantly turns the turnovers into points. The Bluebirds scored a combined 39 points off turnovers against Boyle County and Scott County.

Blake Schutte leads Highlands with two interceptions. Urlage had one against Mason County last week.

Game time is 7 p.m. in Fort Thomas.

Bluebirds welcome Mason County for Homecoming

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter

Even though they are putting up jaw-dropping numbers, any of the coaches and players for the top-ranked football team in Class 4A would tell you they can play better.

The Highlands Bluebirds enter tonight’s Homecoming contest against Mason County at 3-0 overall fresh off their biggest win of the season, 51-23 at Louisville Western. The Bluebirds are outscoring teams 54.3-30.3. They are also outgaining opponents, 512.3-370.3 in total offense including 336.3-264.3 rushing and have a plus-five turnover ratio.

But the Bluebirds were not happy with the slow start, the defense against the running game up the middle and the special teams play against Western. Highlands hopes to clean those things up against an improving Royals team that comes in 1-3 off a 37-22 victory against Harrison County, a Class 4A, District 7 opponent of Highlands. The win snapped a seven-game losing streak for the Royals.

The Bluebirds led just 10-0 at halftime before Western scored eight straight to pull within two at 10-8. The Bluebirds recorded an interception and scored. After that touchdown, Highlands senior center Mitch Dee. shouted, “We score every time, not just once.” The Bluebirds led 30-8 at halftime and did not put the game away until the fourth quarter.

In the win over Western, Highlands allowed 279 yards rushing on 44 attempts for 6.3 a carry. The Bluebirds also gave up 278 yards on nine kickoff returns for an average of 31 per return and had four turnovers.

Two running backs rushed for more than 100 yards for Western. Cory Durham ran for 147 yards on 18 carries for an average of just more than 8.1 a touch and Dion Sutton ran for 123 yards on 16 carries for an average of just more than 7.6 a touch.

The Bluebirds will line up their 3-4 defense against another offense capable of putting up big numbers on the ground. The Royals line up in an I-formation set and ran for 247 yards against Harrison County. Junior Rashon Nelson had 191 yards on 35 carries for an average of just under 5.5 a carry and two touchdowns to lead Mason County.

“The key is playing great team defense,” said Dale Mueller, Highlands head coach of defending Nelson. “It’s about everyone doing their job.”

While Highlands focuses on those things, Mason County knows it could be overmatched against the deeply talented Bluebirds. Highlands is 76-2 since the start of 2007 and owns a 41-game home winning streak with 23 straight wins overall.

“We are really impressed with them,” said David Buchanan, Mason County head coach. “We are going to try to be sound and get the best keys and reads we can get. They have great players and their schemes are very good as well.”

Highlands ran for 798 yards total in home wins over Boyle County and Scott County. But the Bluebirds passed for a season-high 256 yards at Western out of their spread offense. Quarterback Donovan McCoy completed 16-of-35 passes for 256 yards and three touchdowns to nine different receivers. McCoy also ran for 94 yards on 11 carries.

Overall, McCoy has completed 25-of-54 passes for 456 yards and four touchdowns. Luke Turner and Colin Seidl lead the Bluebirds with seven catches each for 121 and 120 yards respectively.

McCoy, Zach Harris and Jaylen Hayes have rushed for more than 200 yards. Harris has 320 yards on 50 carries with six touchdowns for an average of 6.4 a carry and McCoy has 296 yards on 32 rushes for an average of 9.25 a run and eight touchdowns. Hayes did not have any carries against Western but still has 208 yards on 17 carries for just more than 12.2 a carry and four scores.

Mason County mixes up its coverages on defense. Western keyed on the running attack. But that did not bother Highlands.

“We plan on doing whatever the defense gives us and being good enough to take advantage of it,” Mueller said. “They are a well-coached team with 11 good defensive players.”

Mason County struggled to a 2-8 campaign last year after going 10-2 in 2010 losing to eastern Kentucky power Belfry, 27-14 in the second round of the 3A playoffs. Highlands beat Mason County, 71-8 last year in Maysville.

The Royals went 11-1 with an undefeated regular season in 2009 before losing 26-23 to Pike County Central in the second round of the 3A playoffs. Mason County is in Class 3A, District 6 with Fleming County, East Carter, West Carter, Russell and Lewis County. Buchanan has been the head coach since 1996.

“It is the same formula as always,” Buchanan said. “We try to get better on a daily basis and we try to play one play at a time the best we can. We still have a long way to go, but we really like this group.”

Game time is 7:30 p.m. in Fort Thomas.

Bluebirds tame Warriors, 51-23

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter

LOUISVILLE – The Louisville Western Warriors football team gave its best punch on its home field Friday.

But the Class 4A top-ranked Highlands Bluebirds responded every time and left with a 51-23 victory. Highlands still recorded its largest margin of victory this year after opening with 52-31 and 60-37 victories over Boyle County and Scott County at home. The Bluebirds’ average margin of victory is 24.

“We made some mistakes,” said Dale Mueller, Highlands head coach. “But we’re 3-0 and ready to move on to the next (game).”

But the Warriors of Class 4A, District 4 made the visitors earn the win despite falling to 0-3. The Highlands starters played the entire game. Western lost 13-12 to Collins in the state quarterfinals last year and lost 56-0 to Highlands last year in Fort Thomas.

The Warriors could not match the Bluebirds’ offensive balance. Highlands outgained Western, 467-296 in total offense. That included 256-17 in the air.

Highlands came into the game averaging 399 yards per contest on the ground. But Western ran a 5-3 stunting defense and held the Bluebirds to 211 carries on 32 rushes for an average of just under 6.6 a carry.

Thus, the Bluebirds attacked through the air and had a lot of success throwing deep. Highlands quarterback Donovan McCoy had career-highs completing 16-of-35 passes for 256 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. McCoy also rushed for 94 yards on 11 carries with two touchdowns for an average of just more than 8.5 a carry.

“We’ve been running the ball more (lately),” Mueller said. “But in this game, we passed it more. We’re pleased with (the offensive balance) because we have a lot of good athletes.”

McCoy completed passes to nine different receivers. Luke Turner led the way with three catches for 46 yards and Colin Seidl had three catches for 35 yards. Teammates Ryan Greene, Brandon Hergott and Zach Harris all had two catches each for 74, 32 and 27 yards respectively.

“Getting separation and coming down with the ball is the most important thing,” Greene said. “(The quarterbacks and receivers) just have to get in sync with each other. It will come. We have a good quarterback in Donovan McCoy and good receivers.”

Harris also ran for 86 yards on 14 carries. McCoy has eight rushing touchdowns for the season and Harris has six.

Highlands still may have some work to do with its passing game. But it has made some strides since struggling in the scrimmage against Louisville Trinity. McCoy completed 9-of-19 passes for 200 yards with just a 33-yard touchdown to Turner against Scott County.

On the other side, Western quarterback Bryson Harris completed just 2-of-11 passes for 17 yards and three interceptions to Blake Schutte, Quentin Murray and Brady Murray. Ryan Love had both receptions for Western.

The Warriors turned the ball over five times to four for the Bluebirds. Both teams lost two fumbles each. Both Highlands’ lost fumbles came on onside kicks.

Western did have some success lining up in the I-formation and attacking between the tackles but could not convert on fourth-down inside the Red Zone. The Warriors also had some success on special teams (see sidebar).

Highlands took the lead for good at 10-0 after the first quarter converting on two Western turnovers. Harris scored from two yards out and Luke Brockett hit a 32-yard field goal.

The Warriors did gain some momentum in the second scoring eight points. But the Bluebirds answered with 20 to go up 30-8 at halftime. McCoy scored on a 32-yard run before throwing touchdowns of 35 and 21 yards to Greene and Brockett.

Western cut the margin to 30-15 in the third. But the Bluebirds answered quickly. Harris ran it in from a yard out to put Highlands up 37-15 after three.

McCoy had a hand in both Highlands touchdowns in the fourth quarter. He scored from 14 yards out and found Hergott from 13 yards out with 8:15 left in the game.

Highlands recorded two sacks by Schutte and Thomas Wrobleski for a loss of 17 yards. On the other hand, the Warriors sacked McCoy three times resulting in a loss of 21 yards.

Highlands returns home Friday to take on Mason County (1-3). The Homecoming game starts at 7:30 p.m.