100th Season Celebration: Bluebirds hit uncharted territory in Mueller's first 11 years

Contributed Photo. Highlands graduate Derek Smith (right) makes a play for the Bluebirds in the late 1990s. Smith started for three years at Tight End and Defensive End for Highlands helping the Bluebirds to the state championships in 1996 and 1998.

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter

Editor’s Note: This is a series of stories about past teams leading up and into the 100th season of Highlands football.

It was the offseason after the 1993 campaign. Highlands lost 29-26 in overtime to Conner in the second round of the Class 3A playoffs in Tom Duffy’s final season. Duffy took the job at Henderson County.

Family chimes in on Mueller's retirement from coaching

Contributed Photo. Recently retired Highlands football Head Coach Dale Mueller (glasses) listed spending more time with family as a big reason for his retirement.

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter

One of the big reasons Dale Mueller listed for retiring from coaching is family.

Mueller spent the last 20 seasons as Head Coach of the vaunted Highlands Bluebirds football team. The Bluebirds went 250-36 during that time with 11 state championships, three state runner-up trophies and 17 district championships. That win total is good for 18th in Kentucky High School Football history.

Mueller's Successor to be named Monday

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter

The anticipation will come to a climax Monday.

Peggy Hughes, spokesperson for the Fort Thomas Independent School District, sent out an e-mail announcing Highlands High School will have a press conference announcing the successor to Dale Mueller as Head Coach of the vaunted Highlands Bluebirds. It will take place at 3 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center. Everyone is invited to attend.

Mueller announced his retirement from the position on Dec. 9 of this past year after 20 years on the job. Mueller guided the Bluebirds to a record of 250-36, 11 state championships and three state runner-up finishes making him the winningest and longest-tenured coach in the 99 years of the program.

Mueller's outstanding tenure at Highlands comes to close

G. Michael Graham Photo. Dale Mueller (center) goes over strategy in the scrimmage at Louisville Trinity in August. Mueller retired as Head Coach of the Highlands Bluebirds following a 20-year tenure that included a record of 250-36, 11 state championships and three runner-up finishes. He was 309-67 as a head coach overall in 29 season.

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter

The great tenure came to an end today.

Dale Mueller stepped down as Head Football Coach of the vaunted Highlands Bluebirds today. He finished 309-67 in 29 years as a head coach and 250-36 in 20 seasons at Highlands.

HHS Football web site has own unique story

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter

Joseph Williams had a vision while in medical school at the University of Kentucky.

That vision hit cyberspace in 2005 when he put together http://www.highlands-bluebirds.com. The web site provides detailed information of the winningest football team in Kentucky such as year-by-year records.

Bluebird Notebook: Highlands still not taking CovCath lightly

 

G. Michael Graham Photo. Highlands defensive back Jackson Bardo (3) tackles Covington Catholic wide receiver Logan McDowell (18) in the first quarter. Highlands beat Covington Catholic, 42-6 to extend its winning streak to 10 games over its big rivals.

 

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter

PARK HILLS – Head Football Coach Dale Mueller and staff do not buy into the argument that the annual Highlands Bluebird-Covington Catholic Colonel game is not a rivalry anymore.

This comes even after Highlands dominated Saturday’s game, 42-6 to stay undefeated. The 6-0 Bluebirds have won 10 straight against Covington Catholic improving to 93-3 since the start of 2007. The Colonels (3-2) are the team Highlands has beaten the most during this run.

“It’s big, big, big, big,” Mueller emphasized. “Every day of my life, I think about playing CovCath. It’s the whole season. Historically, the CovCath-Highlands winner is winning the state championship. This one isn’t the important one. The one in the playoffs, if and when we play in the playoffs, is the important one.”

Road Swing takes Bluebirds to Paducah

G. Michael Graham Photo. Highlands junior wide receiver Beau Hoge looks for running room in Saturday's game at John Hardin. The Bluebirds meet Paducah Tilghman on Saturday for the first time since 1994 at 6 p.m. Eastern Standard Time in Paducah.

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter

The next opponent may not be familiar to the current football players.

But the name brings back many memories of great games, especially during Tom Duffy’s time as the Head Coach of the Highlands Bluebirds. The Bluebirds and Paducah Tilghman Blue Tornado met five times between 1989 and 1994.

Highlands claimed both Class 3A titles under Duffy against Tilghman at Louisville in 1989 (27-3) and 1992 (15-6). But what some people might forget is Highlands and Tilghman also met during the regular season in both years. Tilghman beat Highlands, 25-24 in the Hall of Fame Bowl at Hendersoun County in 1989 for its lone win in the series in five games and the Bluebirds beat the Blue Tornado, 25-19 in the Thoroughbred Bowl at Lexington Takes Creek in 1992.

The two schools met again in the Thoroughbred Bowl in the same location in current Highlands Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator Dale Mueller’s first year in 1994. The Bluebirds won 26-6 led by current Campbell County Head Coach Stephen Lickert and Justin Frisk.

The two will meet again for the first time on either home field on Saturday at 6 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The Bluebirds travel to the western part of the state for the first time since winning 48-21 at Hopkinsville on Oct. 4, 2008.

The two schools have a combined 25 state championships. Highlands has won six in a row going 91-3 since the start of 2007 and Tilghman has three state championships in 2009, 1985 and 1973. Tilghman competes in Class 3A, District 1 with Fort Campbell, Trigg County and Webster County.

“Once I saw Highlands on film, I told my staff that our kids need to learn to play the way they play,” said Randy Wyatt, Tilghman Head Coach. “They are a combination of the Army, Navy, Air Force and the Marines. They take orders and carry them out 110 percent. They were that way when we played them back in the last 1980s and nothing has changed.”

Both teams that sport blue and white want to right the ship in different ways. The Class 4A top-ranked Bluebirds (4-0) hope to put away an opponent better than Saturday’s 33-26 win at John Hardin. It took senior Zach Harris recovering a Bulldog onside kick with 43 seconds left to seal the win.

Highlands averaged 53 points a game entering that contest and still averages 48. Turnovers kept the Bluebirds from putting away the Bulldogs. The finished minus-2 in that department losing three fumbles while recovering just John Hardin mishap.

“We’ll have a greater emphasis on that (in practice),” Mueller said. “We’ll do a good bit of center-quarterback-running back (exchanges). In big games, ball security is the most important aspect of winning the game.”

Tilghman wants to get back into the win column entering the game at 1-3 following three straight losses to Evansville (Ind.) Reitz (28-16), Mayfield (28-21) and Graves County (30-27) in overtime. The Blue Tornado opened with a 24-23 win over newly-formed McCracken County High comprised of former Lone Oak, Reidland and Heath students. Opponents are outscoring them about 27-22. Tilghman has had problems scoring at key times in ballgames.

“We are still confident in our season,” Wyatt said. “After this week, we will be entering the second half of our season, and I feel that we are so close despite our 1-3 record. Everything we are doing is self-inflicted. We are our own worst enemy.”

The Highlands Spread offense is averaging 443 yards a contest. The Bluebirds have scored 16 touchdowns in 18 drives into the Red Zone for 89 percent. Highlands quarterback Drew Houliston has completed 74-of-105 passes for 1,281 yards, 18 touchdowns and just one interception. Senior running back Zach Harris leads the Bluebirds with 362 yards rushing on 47 carries with eight touchdowns and 14 receptions for 233 yards and five touchdowns.

Twelve different Bluebirds have catches this year. Junior Jensen Feggins follows Harris with 13 catches for 191 yards and three touchdowns.

Some have wondered about the rushing production of senior Jaylen Hayes. Hayes has 68 yards rushing on 15 carries with one touchdown. Mueller joked that he needs to petition the Kentucky High School Athletic Association for three balls so he can spread the wealth to more of the playmakers like Hayes. But Mueller said Hayes’ time will come like it will with other talented skill position players.

The Bluebird offensive line continues to block well. Highlands has allowed just three sacks on the year and held John Hardin 6-foot-6-inch, 330-pound defensive lineman Matt Elam, an NCAA Division I recruit, to just one tackle in the win Saturday.

“The offseason gets us ready to go against pretty much any competition we face,” said Kyler Dalton, Highlands junior offensive lineman. “Going against Matt Elam, we knew he was a big guy. We had to block him as well as we could. We ended up blocking him well as an offensive line, especially Bryan Saunders and Tyler Schweitzer. They had a heck of a game.”

Tilghman runs a stack 3-3 defense and does have players going both ways. The Blubirds face another talented offensive and defensive lineman in Blue Tornado senior Derik Overstreet. Overstreet led the team with 21 tackles after two games. Highlands tends to wear down teams that have players going both directions.

“They play a multiple-front defense and give you different coverages,” Mueller said. “They blitz a wide variety of guys so they can really keep you guessing. You have to be prepared for multiple stunts. They’re the kind of team that will come up with a new stunt specifically for you.”

The Highlands 3-4 defense will also face a Tilghman Spread. Sophomore quarterback Jessie Dunigan completed 26-of-48 passes for 342 yards, three touchdowns and an interception in the first two games. Dunigan’s top targets were seniors Darrius Spivey-Nunn with 11 catches for 155 yards and a touchdown and Michael Davis with eight catches for 141 yards and two touchdowns. Junior Djuan Sherrill led Tilghman after two games with 204 yards rushing on 32 carries and a touchdown.

“It sure doesn’t seem to me that they are struggling to score,” said Brian Weinrich, Highlands Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator. “We are fine and will continue to improve each day on everything we do.”

Opponents have averaged 23.8 points a game and 361.8 yards a contest against the Bluebirds. Brady Murray and Seth Hope lead the Highlands 3-4 defense with three tackles for a loss and Braden Hicks has the team’s lone quarterback sack. Griffin Urlage and Rocco Pangallo have one interception each for Highlands while five different players own one fumble recovery each. Weinrich said the team does not like to overanalyze opponents.

“(The defensive coaches) break (the game) down so simple,” said Avery McDaniel, Highlands senior defensive lineman. “Once we go over it in film (sessions), we practice it out on the field. It gets simpler and simpler. It’s about knowing the bases come game time.”

This marks the final tune-up for Highlands before traveling to arch-rival Covington Catholic on Sept. 28 at 1 p.m. The Colonels used their bye week to prepare for the game.

Bluebirds Notebook: Mueller earns 300th win as Head Coach

G. Michael Graham Photo. Highlands senior Zach Harris (center) pounces on the ball after a John Hardin onside kick attempt with about 43 seconds left in Saturday's game while teammates like Luke Brockett (88) and John Hardin's DaQuan DeVille (33) converge. Highlands held on for a 33-26 non-district victory to move to 4-0 on the year.

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter

RADCLIFF – Like many coaches, Highlands Bluebirds football Head Coach Dale Mueller may not be crazy about his record.

But one can only admire the body of work done since the 1973 alum came back to his alma mater in 1994. Mueller recorded his 300th win in 29 seasons as a head coach in Highlands’ 33-26 win over the John Hardin Bulldogs on Saturday.

Mueller’s record is 300-65 overall and 241-34 at Highlands with 11 state championships, including the last six in a row. Mueller guided Cincinnati Withrow to a 48-12 mark and Cincinnati Sycamore to an 11-19 mark before coming back to Fort Thomas.

“We wanted to win the game, but numbers aren’t that big of a thing to me,” Mueller said. “What really means a lot to me is being a high school football coach for so long. I’m just so blessed that this is what I can do for a living. That’s what I’ll look back on (when retired).”

The Bluebirds are 846-225-26 overall good for second in the country so about 35 percent of the wins in school history have come since Mueller became head coach. That includes a 91-3 mark since the start of 2007.

The milestone win puts him there with the elite coaches in Kentucky. Mueller’s record at Highlands ranks 21st in all-time wins in Kentucky. The Kentucky High School Athletic Association only recognizes wins in the state of Kentucky toward its coaching wins list.

Of those 20 coaches ahead of him, only five are still actively coaching in Kentucky. Longtime Newport Central Catholic Head Coach Bon Schneider (second with an overall record of 345-183-2 in 44 seasons) still assists current head coach Dan Wagner and 32-year Danville Head Coach Sam Harp (fifth at 326-106) took a job east of Nashville in Lebanon to be closer to his daughter and family who live in Hendersonville just north of Nashville.

The leader for the most wins in Kentucky is 39-year veteran Belfry Head Coach Philip Haywood. Haywood’s record is 365-124 at the 3A school located in Pike County of eastern Kentucky.

Mueller can pass two coaches this year. Longtime Murray Head Coach Preston “Ty” Holland finished 249-159-28 in 43 seasons and Hilliard Howard finished 244-69-1 in 25 seasons at Pikeville and Letcher County Central.

Improvements needed on Defense:

The Bluebirds know things need to improve on defense with Covington Catholic and Cincinnati Elder on the horizon. Highlands has allowed an average of 361.8 yards a contest on 252 plays for an average of 5.7 a play. Teams have run for 617 yards and passed for 830.

“The big plays just killed us,” said Patrick Schoepf, Highlands junior linebacker. “We just want to keep them short and get three-and-outs. Other than that, I thought we did pretty well. They didn’t pull (offensive linemen) as much as University Christian. They were more of a get downfield team.”

On the other side, the Bluebird offense averages 443 yards per game on 203 plays for an average of 8.7 yards a play. Highlands has passed for 1,316 yards and run for 456.

Record against schools in Hardin County:

Saturday’s game marked the first time in school history Highlands played a regular-season game against a team located in Hardin County just south of Louisville.

Highlands has won both meetings against John Hardin. The other one came 35-7 in the 2009 Class 5A state championship game.

The only other two times Highlands faced a team from Hardin County came when the Bluebirds beat the Elizabethtown Panthers twice for two of their state-record 22 state championships. The first came in the 1981 Class 3A title game, 40-24 in Louisville. The other came in the 1968 2A title game, 32-7 in Lexington when Mueller was in the eighth grade.

Highlands has never played North Hardin or Central Hardin. Central Hardin is in Class 6A and North Hardin is in Class 5A, District 3 with John Hardin.

More Saturdays on the Road:

Highlands plays the second of three straight road Saturday games at Paducah Tilghman on Saturday. Game time is 7 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

“Honestly, the bus rides are a lot of fun. It helps us focus too,” said Beau Hoge, Highlands junior wide receiver/quarterback. “We go over things on the bus. I think it’s an advantage because we have time together compared to the other team. We make sure things are down 100 percent.”

The Blue Tornado enter the game on a three-game losing streak at 1-3 overall. Tilghman opened the year edging newly-formed McCracken County, 24-23 comprised of players from the old Heath, Lone Oak and Reidland High Schools.

But since then, Tilghman has lost to Evansville (Ind.) F.J. Reitz (28-16), 1A power Mayfield (28-21) and Graves County (30-27) in overtime.

Highlands is 4-1 all-time against Tilghman. That includes the two Class 3A state championships in Louisville when Tom Duffy was head coach. The Bluebirds won the 1992 game 15-6 and the 1989 contest 27-3.

This comes a week before the annual showdown at Covington Catholic in Sept. 28. That game starts at 1 p.m. in Park Hills.

District 7-4A update:

All three Highlands district opponents played Friday. Covington Catholic also traveled west and won 18-0 over Henderson County. The Colonels are 3-1 with the only loss coming 45-7 to defending Ohio Division I champion Cincinnati Moeller. Moeller is the high school alma mater of Colonel Head Coach Dave Wirth.

Covington Holmes also improved to 3-1 with a 27-14 home win over Class 2A Walton-Verona. Holmes and first-year Head Coach Ben Nevels have only lost to undefeated Class 5A Scott, 40-14 on Aug. 30.

Harrison County fell to 2-2 with a 41-19 home loss to Mason County. The Thoroghbreds have still doubled last year’s win total.

Valdosta update:

Highlands’ overall record since starting the program in 1915 ranks second in the country only behind Valdosta of south Georgia. The Wildcats entered the year at 876-209-34.

So far, the Bluebirds have gained just one game on the Wildcats because they started their season one week earlier. Valdosta moved to 3-0 on the year with a 40-6 win over Crisp County (Georgia) on Friday.

The Wildcats started their program in 1913. They have one non-region game left before venturing into play in the rugged Class 6A (largest in Georgia), Region 1.

Highlands escapes no-quit Bulldogs, 33-26

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter

RADCLIFF – The Highlands Bluebirds football team learned why it has to prove itself each and every game Saturday.

The undefeated 4-0 Bluebirds have not been challenged much during their 91-3 run since the start of 2007, especially in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. But the John Hardin Bulldogs (2-2) made them earn a 33-26 non-district victory on their home turf forcing the starters to play the entire game.

“(John Hardin) played well. You have to give them some credit,” said Dale Mueller, Highlands Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator. “If we don’t turn the ball over, I think we have a better outcome. It’s a John Hardin team that had won 77 games in six years and we’d won 87 so it was a good game between two teams used to winning.”

Ryle, Covington Catholic and in the playoffs, Lexington Bryan Station in 2008 and Johnson Central in 2010 were among the few Kentucky teams that have challenged the Bluebirds during that time. Ryle handed the Bluebirds their lone loss to a team from Kentucky, 28-26 on Oct. 28, 2010 since the start of 2007.

Highlands senior quarterback Drew Houliston and senior running back Zach Harris once again led the Bluebirds to victory. Houliston completed 20-of-29 passes for 281 yards and four touchdowns. Harris rushed for 64 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown and caught five passes for 59 yards and a score.

“It’s like coaching a (National Football League) quarterback,” Mueller said. “He just reads things so well. (Houliston) can come over and tell me what’s there. It’s so much fun coaching him. Drew plays so well one game after another.”

Harris also made sure John Hardin did not receive a chance to tie the game. He pounced on an onside kick with about 45 minutes left. That let Highlands go into victory formation and run out the clock.

Nine different receivers caught passes for the Bluebirds. Beau Hoge, Jensen Feggins and Brandon Hergott followed Harris with three each for 63, 34 and 29 yards each and Alex Veneman had two catches for 53 yards. Hergott scored two touchdowns and Feggins added the other.

The receivers did a good job finding holes to complete third-and-long situations. Highlands converted 6-of-9 on third-down and 2-of-3 on fourth down. John Hardin coverted 9-of-16 on third and 1-of-4 on fourth.

“Coach Mueller does a great job with the play calls on third-and-long situations,” Hoge said. “He gets us in good position to make those kind of plays. Once we get the ball, it’s easy.”

The Bluebirds did reach the Red Zone inside the John Hardin 20 on all seven possessions. The reason they did not score the other two times is they lost two fumbles. John Hardin also recovered an oneside kick near the end of the first quarter.

The Highlands offensive line did another fantastic job limiting John Hardin to just one quarterback sack. The Bluebirds contained Bulldog senior 6-foot-6-inch, 330-pound defensive lineman Matt Elam and even got him to jump offside a couple times. Elam has offers from several NCAA Division I schools such as Ohio State, Alabama and Kentucky.

“We didn’t game plan for (Elam) any differently,” said Tyler Schweitzer, Highlands senior offensive lineman. “I made sure I got low and moved my feet just like I would for anyone like Campbell County or (Covington Catholic). We didn’t care who he was. We’re just trying to win the game and win state.”

John Hardin had 14 penalties for 116 yards compared to nine for 67 for Highlands. The Bulldogs gained three first downs on penalties compared to one on penalties for the Bluebirds.

The big reason for the close score is John Hardin put up 466 yards of total offense to 341 for Highlands. That included 253-60 on the ground. That statistic did not please Highlands Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator Brian Weinrich.

“It was a crazy game,” Weinrich said. “(The Bulldogs) played well and executed their offense. It’s a bad situation right now. We have to figure some things out.”

John Hardin controlled the time possession holding the ball for 33 minutes and three seconds of the game’s 48 minutes in its ball-control Wing-T attack. The Bulldogs ran 75 plays to 47 for Highlands and garnered 24 first downs to 15 for the Bluebirds. Highlands had 6 first downs via the ground compared to 14 for John Hardin.

John Hardin quarterback Patrick Anderson led the way completing 17-of-26 passes for 213 yards and a touchdown. Anderson also rushed for 51 yards on eight carries and a touchdown.

Khalil Frazier led the Bulldogs with 79 yards on 12 carries and DaQuan Deville had 79 on 14 carries. Elijah Smith had the other rushing touchdown.

Dimitri Cooper and Justin Carter led John Hardin with four catches each for 89 and 66 yards respectively. Cooper also had a touchdown reception.

“I don’t think they did anything we were not prepared for,” said Matt Gall, Highlands junior defensive lineman. “We just didn’t do our jobs collectively as a unit. We let our hearts get in the way. We didn’t play with our heads at the end of the game. It’s about better focus and I’m sure we’ll work on that this week.”

Highlands jumped out to a 12-0 lead to start the first quarter. Harris hauled in a 7-yard touchdown from Houliston with 9:14 left and Hergott caught a 5-yard touchdown minutes later.

John Hardin cut the margin to 12-6 with two Jacob Drexler field goals. The second one came with 7:42 left in the half.

Highlands increased its lead to 20-6 after Harris scored from five yards out before adding the two-point conversion run. Highlands missed the first extra-point attempt and did not convert the two-point attempt after the second touchdown.

The Bluebirds looked to put the game away in the third quarter when Hergott hauled in a 16-yard touchdown pass from Houliston. But Smith responded with an 11-yard touchdown. That left the score at 27-12 in favor of Highlands after three quarters when John Hardin failed to convert the two-point try.

Houliston then completed a 12-yard touchdown strike to Feggins. That put Highlands up 33-12 with 11:43 remaining.

But John Hardin did not quit. Anderson completed a 41-yard touchdown to Cooper with 8:50 left before Anderson scored from two yards out to make the final score with 48.3 seconds left in the game setting up Harris’ onside kick recovery.

Highlands hits the road again Saturday at the Paducah Tilghman Blue Tornado. Game time is 7 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

Highlands, John Hardin meet in 2009 5A title rematch

G. Michael Graham Photo. Highlands running back Jaylen Hayes (23) turns the corner in Friday's 62-44 win over Lexington Bryan Station while teammates like Justin Weyer (4) block. The Bluebirds hit the road for the first time this year with a 6 p.m. game in Elizabethtown against John Hardin.

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter

It may not be conventional to play three consecutive road Saturday football contests.

But the Highlands Bluebirds play the first of them Saturday in Elizabethtown against a team they’ve beaten for a state championship during the current run of six in a row and 30-game playoff winning streak. Highlands takes on the John Hardin Bulldogs at 6 p.m. in a rematch of the 2009 Class 5A title game that Highlands won 35-7 in the only other meeting in school history. This comes after three home games to start the year.

One may assume Highlands scheduled things on Saturday to prepare for the big game at Covington Catholic in two weeks. But Highlands Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator Dale Mueller said that’s how the schedule worked out.

“It was merely set up because we are so struggling to find games,” Mueller said. “Those are the only games we could find. I’d like to say we do that based on some reason. But the only reason we do it is because of who will play us.”

The undefeated Bluebirds (3-0) own a record of 90-3 since the start of 2007 and the Bulldogs have experienced similar success. John Hardin is 77-7 during that time with just one regular season loss in 2008.

John Hardin has had a tough time winning semifinal contests going 1-4 in five straight appearances including two straight losses to two-time 5A champion Bowling Green. The Bulldogs led the Purples, 13-6 late in the fourth quarter. But Purple quarterback Devin Hayes completed a short pass to standout wide receiver Nacarius Fant. Fant then tossed the ball to teammate Blake Pillow on a lateral and Pillow ran 74 yards for a touchdown with 1:36 left in the game. Fant then caught the two-point conversion pass from Hayes for the game-winner for the Purples, 14-13.

John Hardin opened in 2001 and the Bulldogs have not had a losing season since going 3-7 that year. They are 2-1 this year entering the game fresh off a 17-7 win over 6A Meade County on Friday.

The Bulldogs opened the year with a 35-6 win over Louisville Seneca before 2012 Class 2A semifinalist Louisville DeSales edged the Bulldogs, 25-20 on Aug. 30. That loss snapped a 43-game regular season winning streak that dated back to a 27-21 loss at Louisville Doss on Oct. 24, 2008.

John Hardin has a new head coach in Chad Lewis after Mark Brown led the Bulldogs in their first 12 seasons before retiring in January. But Lewis had been an assistant under Brown since the program’s inception including the last four as defensive coordinator.

“Most people would love the opportunity to play in semifinal games as we have the past five years,” Lewis said. “Unfortunately, it seems like this game is the game we hit a roadblock. A lot of that has to do with Bowling Green High being an outstanding program. We have been right in all five semifinal games except for one. If we catch a break here or there, then we would have been in more state title games.”

Highlands has a major advantage coming into the game as a two-platoon team with nearly 100 players. John Hardin has players going both directions with about 40 players listed on the roster.

“When you have as many players as Highlands (does), it allows you to play waves of kids throughout the game,” Lewis said. “We don’t have near that many players so we don’t have the opportunity to platoon. I wish we did, but we are not in that situation.”

The Bulldogs return just two offensive starters from last year including senior quarterback and free safety Patrick Anderson. Lewis said the offense flows through him in John Hardin’s double-slot Wing-T formation.

Anderson completed 5-of-7 passes for 48 yards and two touchdowns against Seneca to go with three interceptions and a fumble recovery defensively. Anderson completed 79-of-146 passes for 1,837 yards, 29 touchdowns and six interceptions last year.

“We will stop the run and react to the pass,” said Brian Weinrich, Highlands Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator. “(Anderson) is a good athlete that makes plays. We will continue to focus on being fundamentally sound in all aspects of our defense. We don’t spend much time worrying about the other team with our guys. ‘Paralysis by analysis’ is what we do not want. Our game plan rarely changes from week to week. We worry about us.”

John Hardin graduated its top rusher and receiver from last year. Wade Holtsclaw rushed for 1,225 yards on 101 carries and 20 touchdowns last year with Dorian Collins hauling in 36 passes for 1,022 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Khalil Frazier and DaQuan Deville are trying to make up for Holtsclaw’s production in the backfield. Frazier ran for 75 yards on 11 carries and two touchdowns against Seneca with Deville rushing for 94 yards on seven carries with a score. Deville also had two catches with Lavonte Wilson recording the longest reception of 28 yards.

The Highlands 3-4 defense has allowed an average of 23 points per game and 327 yards. Braden Hicks, Brady Murray and Joey Kruse lead the Bluebirds with two tackles for a loss with Hicks recording a sack. Joey Cochran, Matt Gall, Jake Parker and Thomas Wrobleski all have one fumble recovery with Griffin Urlage and Rocco Pangallo making one interception a piece. The Bluebirds faced a Wing-T team in University Christian to start the year.

“Basically, you focus on your (defensive) keys and keep everything in front of you as a secondary,” said Grayson Heck, Highlands junior defensive back. “(Facing University Christian) is going to help. Getting as many (repetitions) as we can against (a Wing-T offense) will help us.”

Highlands will counter with a Spread offense that is averaging 53 points and 477 yards of offense per game. The Bluebirds love to hustle to the line of scrimmage after the play ends and snap the ball quickly out of their no-huddle offense.

“We’re running all the time in winter weights,” said Sean Lemmons, Highlands senior offensive lineman. “That’s one of Coach Mueller’s main focuses. He always says if we save five seconds a play, we’re going to have five extra minutes at the end of the game with how many we plays we run. It just gives us a big advantage in tiring teams down. With our offseason program, we don’t get tired like they do.”

The Bluebirds scored eight touchdowns on eight possessions in the first half of the 62-44 win over Lexington Bryan Station on Friday. They’d love a similar start after not scoring any points in the first quarter of home wins over University Christian (Fla.) and Campbell County.

The Bluebirds are led by quarterback Drew Houliston and running back Zach Harris. Houliston has completed 54-of-76 passes for exactly 1000 yards, 14 touchdowns and one interception. Harris has rushed for 298 yards on 34 attempts and seven touchdowns and caught nine passes for 174 yards and seven touchdowns.

Junior Jensen Feggins leads the Bluebird receivers with 10 catches for 157 yards and two scores. Twelve different Bluebirds have catches this year.

The Bulldog 4-4 defense is led by senior 6-foot-6 inch, 335-pound senior defensive lineman Matt Elam, junior linebacker Maleek Moody and senior linebacker Chris Smith. Moody and Smith led John Hardin with nine tackles each against Seneca.

“They’re big and fast,” Mueller said. “They really play a well-disciplined defense. We’ve been playing some three-man fronts so a four-man front can be a different look for you. If they blitz a guy, now they’ve got five guys coming. You have to first be able to block those guys before you can run a play.”

A Bluebird win would equal the 300th career victory as head coach for Mueller. Mueller’s record is 299-65 overall, including 240-34 at his alma mater. The 1973 Highlands alum went 48-12 at Cincinnati Withrow and 11-19 at Cincinnati Sycamore before coming back to Fort Thomas in 1994.

Highlands earns 90th win since 2007

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter

The train shot out of the gate a lot faster in this game.

By the time everyone in attendance blinked, the Highlands Bluebirds football team put up a typical 27 points on the scoreboard in the first quarter before adding 28 more in the second quarter to build a 55-14 halftime advantage in their 62-44 non-district win over the Lexington Bryan Station Defenders on Friday at David Cecil Memorial Stadium. Undefeated Highlands (3-0) had not scored any points in the first quarters of the previous two games against University Christian (Fla.) and Campbell County.

But the Bluebirds made sure that changed quickly on their first possession. They fed the ball to senior standout running back Zach Harris and he finished off the 80-yard drive with a 14-yard touchdown on a swing pass from Drew Houliston just 1:56 into the game and Highlands never looked back in improving to 90-3 since the start of 2007.

Highlands scored on all eight possessions of the first half. The Bluebirds outgained the Defenders, 459-206 in total offense in that half and 521-455 for the game.

Harris and quarterback Drew Houliston once again paced the Highlands attack. Houliston completed 15-of-22 passes for 311 yards and six touchdowns. Harris finished with 110 yards rushing on 13 carries and two touchdowns to go with four catches for 81 yards and two more touchdowns.

“Our focus all week was to get off to a good start,” said Dale Mueller, Highlands Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator. “The guys really responded. They just executed well right off the bat.”

The duo had plenty of help. Evan Allen had three catches for 46 yards and Jensen Feggins grabbed two touchdown passes for 45 yards.

The Highlands offensive line gave Houliston plenty of time. The Defenders did not sack him once.

Bryan Station made the score more respectable in the second half. The Defenders kept their best players in the game while the Bluebirds played many reserves. Bryan Station won the second half, 30-8.

The Defenders also ran a Spread offense. Quarterback Ora Johnson completed 32-of-49 passes for 404 yards. CJ Walker led the way with nine catches for 62 yards with Tequan Claitt catching eight passes for 157 yards and a touchdown. Walker also had three kick returns for 125 yards and a touchdown.

Defender wide receivers K-Ci Carmichael and Ke-I Carmichael added five catches each for 68 and 66 yards respectively. K-Ci Carmichael had two touchdowns.

Highlands recorded 27 first downs to 21 for Bryan Station. The Bluebirds also scored on all five trips to the Red Zone and the Defenders converted on 3-of-4 trips inside the Bluebird 20.

“We were concerned about keeping the quarterback in the pocket,” said Brian Weinrich, Highlands Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator. “They have good athletes and they’re going to be a good team as the season goes along.”

Highlands faced a Spread offense last week in Campbell County. But Bryan Station threw the ball better. The Bluebirds contained the Defender offense for the most part in the first half. Johnson rolled out of the pocket and even scrambled when things broke down.

“We’ve been sticking to keeping the quarterback contained in practice,” said Michael Ayers, Highlands senior linebacker. “We knew (Johnson) had some talent. We wanted to keep him in front, wrap up and make tackles.”

Highlands extended the lead to 20-0 with 3:40 left in the first quarter. Harris scored from a yard out and added a 23-yard touchdown on another shovel pass after a muffed punt gave the Bluebirds the ball at the Defender 23.

After Claitt scored on a 76-yard pass from Johnson, Harris scored again from a yard out. Jared Dougherty’s extra-point kick gave the Bluebirds a 27-7 lead before Walker returned the kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown. Highlands led 27-14 after the first quarter.

Highlands extended its lead by outdoing its previous season-high of 27 points in a quarter with 28 in the second quarter. The Bluebirds scored 27 points in the third quarter of the season-opening win over University Christian.

Luke Brockett started the scoring with a 35-yard touchdown reception. Feggins scored his two touchdowns from 12 and 33 yards out and Hayes had a 3-yard touchdown run.

The Defenders cut the margin to 55-28 entering the fourth quarter. Johnson scored on a 2-yard run and K-Ci Carmichael hauled in a 7-yard touchdown pass from Johnson. Bryan Station then cut the lead to 19 at 55-36 after K-Ci Carmichael scored from 21 yards out with 11:48 left in the game.

“We put our twos in and they kept their ones in and were doing onside kicks, which I don’t blame them at all,” Mueller said. “They were trying to win the game. Their ones were better than our twos. They have some guys that can score quickly. We had to put our ones back in even with the running clock. That sent a message that our ones are pretty good.”

But Highlands put its first-string offense back in the game and put up a quick touchdown. Houliston found Alex Veneman in one-on-one coverage for a 52-yard touchdown to put Highlands up 62-36.

“We were just trying to pass the ball so the twos could get back in,” Veneman said. “I just got open and scored the touchdown. I just try to run faster than (opposing defensive backs) and I succeeded that time. The only thing I think about is trying to catch the ball and not miss the ball.”

The Bluebird defense ended another Bryan Station drive in the fourth quarter when Rocco Pangallo picked off a Johnson pass. Seth Hope added a fumble recovery for the Bluebirds in the first half.

Bryan Station’s last score came with 2:09 left in the game. Marcus Floyd scored on an 8-yard pass from Johnson.

Highlands continues action on Saturday at John Hardin in Elizabethtown. Game time is 6 p.m.

Bluebird Notes: Linemen getting healthy

G. Michael Graham Photo. Highlands sophomore quarterback Austin Hergott (21) hands the ball off to running back James Grau (26) in Friday's game against Lexington Bryan Station while Bailey Schell (73) and Sam Little (69) block. The Bluebirds won 62-44 to improve to 90-3 since the start of 2007.

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter

The Highlands Bluebirds football team is getting a lot of guys healthy and that will make things even scarier for opponents as the season progresses.

Senior defensive lineman Seth Hope returned along with junior defensive back Andrew Abner. They’d been out with injuries, but made an impact in Friday’s 62-44 win over Lexington Bryan Station. The 22-time state champions moved to 3-0 with the win.

The Bluebird offensive line had also been banged up. Seniors Kyle Thurston, Kendall Kramer and Scott Turner did not play last week. But Highlands found chemistry in that rotation from the beginning in the win. Turner returned against Bryan Station.

“The line did a good job,” said Sam Little, Highlands senior offensive lineman. “We still have a pretty good starting five linemen. They were blocking like they were supposed to do protecting (Highlands quarterback) Drew (Houliston).”

The Highands offensive line received some more good news this week. Senior offensive lineman Johnny Kemplin originally thought he would not play this year because of back issues. But Kemplin said doctors cleared him to play this week and he could play as early as Saturday at John Hardin.

Conditioning for the No-Huddle Offense:

Highlands spends all season conditioning to run the No-Huddle, Spread offense. The Bluebirds run up to the line of scrimmage and snap the ball almost immediately after officials place it on the ground. Highlands ran 57 plays in the win.

“The guys just work out so hard all year long so they are in great shape,” said Dale Mueller, Highlands Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator. “It really makes our defense get in great shape because our offense might go out there and only be out there for a minute. Really the whole team has to be in great shape.”

Eliminating the long, sustained drives:

Highlands did not score in the first quarter of the wins over University Christian (Fla.) or Campbell County. That was partially because both the Fighting Christian and Camel offenses went on long and sustained drives and ate up the clock.

Bryan Station runs a big-play, quick-strike offense like Highlands. That offense generally does not eat up the playclock. But the Bluebird defense came through on third down holding the Defenders to just 3-of-8 and 1-of-4 on fourth down.

“I thought we did well in the first half,” said Brian Weinrich, Highlands Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator. “We did what we wanted to do. We gave up one play. It happens. Then our twos got some great experience against a great offense. So it was a great night overall.”

Approaching Coaching Milestones:

Mueller earned his 299th victory as a head coach Friday. Mueller’s overall record is 299-65, including 240-34 in his 20th season as head coach of the Bluebirds.

Mueller finished 48-12 as head coach at Cincinnati Withrow and 11-19 at Cincinnati Sycamore before returning to his alma mater in 1994. Highlands has 11 state championships since Mueller became head coach including six in a row dating back to 2007.

Thoughts on New Mercy Rule:

Mueller gives Kentucky High School Athletic Association Commissioner Julian Tackett and staff a lot of credit for the way they handle a lot of things from the playoffs to spring football and the acclimation of pads. Tackett even earned a new four-year contract extension in July.

But Mueller said he does not agree with the new Mercy Rule originally created in 2001. The rule specifies that the running clock occurs when a team takes a 36-point lead unlike 45 last year.

“I’d rather we have no mercy rule because the guys from Bryan Station came here to play a game,” Mueller said. “They wanted to play Highlands and didn’t want the game cut short. They didn’t mind what the score would have been. They’d have loved to have played another 10 minutes of football.”

Debut Seasons:

Many sophomores have tasted their first varsity action this year with the exception of Jared Daugherty. Daugherty kicked off for the Bluebirds last years as a freshman.

This comes after two winter weight lifting and conditioning programs with the upperclassmen and coaches. Many look forward to the experience since elementary school.

“It’s a dream come true. I remember coming to (Fort Thomas) Junior League camp when I was in the second grade,” said Conner Welsch, Highlands sophomore outside linebacker. “I always looked up to (older Highlands football players). I thought it was the coolest thing just to get an autograph from one of those guys. Then to play is something special. I really appreciate the experience.”

Class 4A, District 7 Notes:

Highlands district rivals Harrison County and Covington Holmes also played Friday. The Thoroghbreds (2-1) lost for the first time this year, 28-19 to Montgomery County and the Bulldogs (2-1) beat Lloyd Memorial, 34-28.

Covington Catholic (2-0) faces defending Ohio Division I champion Cincinnati Moeller at 1 p.m. today.

Series Records vs. Lexington teams:

The Bluebirds moved to 22-9-2 all-time against squads from Lexington, including 4-1 against Bryan Station.

The most common opponent for the Bluebirds is Lafayette. Highlands is 9-5-2 against the Generals. They are 5-1 against Lexington Catholic, including state semifinal wins the last two years and 2-0 against Dunbar and 2-2 against Henry Clay.

Saturdays on the Road:

Highlands travel on three consecutive Saturdays starting with a trip to Elizabethtown to face 5A semifinalist John Hardin (2-1) at 6 p.m. The Bulldogs are coming off a 17-7 win over Meade County on Friday and have a new head coach in Chad Lewis. John Hardin was undefeated last year until losing 14-13 in the final minutes to eventual 5A champion Bowling Green.

The Bluebirds then travel to Paducah Tilghman (1-1) on Sept. 21 for another 7 p.m. contest. The drive is about 5.5 hours from Fort Thomas to Paducah. The Blue Tornado are coming off an 8-4 season last year losing 28-20 to Monroe County in the 3A second round last year. Tilghman won the 3A championship, 21-0 over Somerset in 2009.

Then the big one occurs when Highlands ventures to Park Hills to battle the arch-rival Covington Catholic Colonels at 1 p.m. on Sept. 28.