Bluebirds dedicate season to lost relatives of Co-Head Coaches

Photo by G. Michael Graham. The Highlands Bluebirds celebrated their 22nd state championship Friday at Western Kentucky University and sixth in a row. The Bluebirds moved to 87-3 during that run.

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter

BOWLING GREEN – This year’s Highlands Bluebirds football team saw Co-Head Coaches Dale Mueller and Brian Weinrich lose someone close to them.

The Bluebirds (14-1) dedicated the season to those relatives. Mueller’s mother-in-law passed away in Ithaca, N.Y. earlier in the week and Mueller did not coach in Highlands’ 47-0 Class 4A state championship win over the Collins Titans (11-4) on Friday.

“Even though he’s not here calling the plays, this is just a well-oiled machine of a coaching staff,” said Donovan McCoy, Highlands senior quarterback. “We could have our three top offensive coaches go down and we’d still have someone there that could just go in and call the plays like he would and we’d execute the game plan. That’s how Highlands works. (Mueller) wasn’t here physically. But he was here spiritually and emotionally.”

Mueller handles a lot of responsibilities handling with the offense. The Bluebirds improved to 237-34 since Mueller came on staff in 1994.

“We met with (Mueller) Wednesday night before he left,” Weinrich said. “We do what we do and he trusts us. We’re a whole team top to bottom. They’re a great group of guys. We all rally around each other and we’re there for each other through everything.”

Highlands wore the initials, JEH for Weinrich’s grandmother Janet Hewling all season. The longtime Fort Thomas Independent School District employee passed away prior to the regular-season meeting against Covington Catholic.

Final Numbers:

The Bluebirds finished the season with 781 points, 111 touchdowns and 7,424 yards of total offense. Those averaged about 52 points, 7.4 touchdowns and 495 yards per contest.

Highlands also improved to 87-3 since the run of six consecutive state championships started in 2007. That includes a sparkling record of 82-1 against teams from Kentucky.

Final game for 25 Seniors:

The Bluebirds said goodbye to 25 seniors after the win Friday.

Highlands finished an impressive 58-2 in this class’ four years of high school. That was also the mark of last year’s class led by Patrick Towles, Austin Sheehan and Drake and Devin Bruns.

As far as the skill positions go, McCoy, running backs Colin Seidl, Ryan Donovan and wide receivers Jac Collinsworth, Luke Turner, David Christian, J.C. Mettens and tight end Jack Grimm graduate. The offensive lineman that will graduate are Richie Whitford, Jason Thome and center Mitch Dee.

On the defensive side, linemen Gabe Schultz, Austin Peterson, Taylor Fossett, and Trevor Kraft will graduate. The linebackers to graduate are Reid Schroder, Joe Paolucci, Jehad Henderson and Connor Poston. The defensive backs that played their last games Friday are Quentin Murray, Jake Lester, Blake Myers, Ben Streeter, Blake Schutte and Jake Heck.

Far from Bare:

The graduation of 25 seniors tends to set programs back. But not Highlands.

“We have a great group of underclassmen that are keeping (the tradition) going,”Schroder said. “They’re talking to all the freshmen and eighth graders keeping them in it and keeping the spirit alive for Highlands football.”

Drew Houliston is the leading candidate to take over at quarterback. But Beau Hoge could push for that spot as well.

They could throw to a number of receivers such as Ryan Greene, Luke Brockett, Brandon Hergott, Justin Weyer or even tight ends like Nick True or Jack Telek. Running backs Zach Harris and Jaylen Hayes will return for their senior seasons next year.

The offensive line returns a number of solid players. They will be led by Tyler Schweitzer, Bryan Saunders, Kendall Kramer and Scott Turner. The offseason programs generally begin in January.

“They are long and intense, but have a lot of fun with them,” Saunders said of Highlands' offseason workouts. “The contributors on this team survive them. You can’t get where we are without putting in that hard work.”

Seth Hope returns to anchor the defensive line along with Nathan Merkle and Matt Gall. The linebacking crew will be led by Brady Murray, Joey Cochran and Connor Bleser. The defensive backs will be led by Jackson Bardo, Griffin Urlage and Andrew Abner.

National Level:

The Bluebirds entered the season ranked second in the country for the most wins in school history. The picked up seven victories on the top team in the Valdosta Wildcats of south Georgia.

Valdosta has 23 state championships and 876 wins dating back to 1913. Highlands owns 842 victories since 1915. But Valdosta has not won a state title since 1998 playing in a tough region in the largest of six classes in Georgia.

The Bluebirds now rank 11th all-time in the country with the most football state championships in school history. Valdosta ranks 10th. The national leader is Sioux Falls Washington (S.D.) with 38.

Sioux Falls Washington and Honolulu (HI.) St. Louis have both won 14 straight state titles. A title next season would put Highlands among the nation’s elite with seven in a row and would tie five other schools. Massillon Washington (Oh.) had two separate runs of seven straight state titles in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s.

Bluebirds achieve Race for Seis for 22nd state championship

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter

BOWLING GREEN – Every championship comes with its own unique flavor, especially in Caketown.

This football state championship comes with a recipe for a state-record six consecutive titles and 30 consecutive playoff wins. Class 4A’s top-ranked Highlands Bluebirds (14-1) grabbed that record all to their lonesome Friday with a 47-0 thrashing of the Collins Titans (11-4) at Western Kentucky University’s Houchens/L.T. Smith Stadium.

Boyle County set the mark with five consecutive titles between 1999 and 2003. Highlands snapped Boyle County's 29-game playoff winning streak with a 22-6 win against the Rebels in the 2004 Class 3A title game.

The Bluebirds recorded their second shutout of the year dominating both sides of the ball. They outgained the Titans, 476-173 in total offense. Highlands also garnered 22 first downs to 17 for Collins.

The Titans averaged about 40 points per game and knocked off the previously undefeated, third-ranked Warren East Raiders, 58-7 in the state semifinals last week.

“We didn’t think (a shutout) was going to happen,” said Brian Weinrich, Highlands Co-Head Coach. “We knew we had to play great to give ourselves a chance to win. They have a lot of explosion on offense. We just tried to make them drive the field with no big plays. That’s what we did.”

Collins made its first appearance in the state championship despite forming from Shelby County in 2010. The Titans lost to Louisville Western in the 2010 Region 2 title game before falling to Franklin-Simpson in the semifinals last year.

Highlands once again ran the ball well behind another strong performance from the offensive line that did not allow a quarterback sack. The Bluebirds garnered 323 yards on 41 carries and five touchdowns for an average of 7.9 a carry.

Highlands nearly saw three players go for more than 100 yards on the ground. Colin “Frog” Seidl led the way with 115 yards on six carries for an average of 19.2 a touch. Quarterback Donovan McCoy followed with 15 carries for 105 yards and two touchdowns for an average of seven a carry and Zach Harris had 14 carries for 96 yards and two touchdowns averaging 6.9 a carry.

“I couldn’t have rushed for more than 200 yards last week against Lexington Catholic without (the offensive linemen),” McCoy said. “We couldn’t have beat CovCath twice without them. They’re the spark of this offense. Without them, we don’t run like we do or pass like we do.”

Highlands added some passing to keep the Collins defense guessing. McCoy completed 10-of-15 passes for 153 yards, two touchdowns to four different receivers and two interceptions. Luke Turner once again led the Bluebirds with four catches for 48 yards and a touchdown and Ryan Greene added three catches for 34 yards and a touchdown.

“We’re fortunate to have a lot of great, talented athletes,” said Jason Lynch, Highlands offensive line coach. “They make it easy to do a lot of different things. We have some tight end formations and four-wide formations. We throw a lot on the table to make teams prepare. It’s a testament to the kids and the hard work they do. They put a lot of time into it in the offseason studying film and it showed (Friday).”

On the other side, Highlands put constant pressure on Collins quarterback Lawson Page. Page completed just 12-of-26 passes for 106 yards. Teammate DeAndre Farris led the Titans with 60 yards rushing on 10 carries and eight catches for 65 yards.

The Bluebirds sacked Page seven times totaling 81 yards in losses. Defensive lineman Seth Hope had a team-high 10 tackles and five sacks. Teammates Trevor Kraft and Gabe Schultz had the other two sacks.

“The main thing we were trying to do was make sure he didn’t get outside and beat us with the run,” Hope said. “We knew he wouldn’t be able to scramble on us. All the plays we made and pressure we had were good bonuses.”  

Also on defense for Highlands, Joey Cochran and Quentin Murry also had tackles for a loss with Thomas Wrobleski, Connor Poston and Jackson Bardo broke up passes with Schultz forcing Page to make one hurried pass.

Highlands also converted better on third and fourth-down and in the Red Zone. The Bluebirds completed their lone fourth-down attempt, all five opportunities in the Red Zone and 6-of-9 for 67 percent on third down.

The Titans managed just 3-for-13 on third for 23 percent and 1-of-6 on fourth down for about 17 percent. They also did not score on either trip to the Red Zone. Collins punted four times for an average of 33.2 yards and Highlands punted just once for 19 yards.

The Bluebirds won the opening kickoff and marched 57 yards on eight plays for the only touchdown they needed to win the game. McCoy found Greene for a 14-yard touchdown just 2:20 into the game. McCoy completed a 13-yard pass to Turner on 4th-and-9 from the Titan 33 during that drive.

On the ensuing drive, Collins marched into Highlands territory. But Poston stuffed Collins’ Masai Whyte for no gain on 4th-and-1 from the 41.

Two possessions later, Highlands took a 13-0 lead. McCoy found Turner for a 21-yard touchdown pass with 2:53 left in the quarter.

The Bluebirds pulled away with three touchdowns on five possessions in the second quarter to go up 33-0 at halftime. Harris stated the onslaught with an 8-yard touchdown just three seconds into the quarter.

On its next possession, Highlands started at its 43 and scored on five plays. Seidl broke down the left sideline and scored from 30 yards out.

The final touchdown of the half came with 2:03 remaining. Harris ran in from three yards out.

The Bluebirds added one touchdown in each of the final two quarters. McCoy scored from seven yards out with 3:56 left in the third and added a 12-yarder with 11:01 left in the fourth.

This year’s senior class becomes the third one to win state championships in all four years of high school. The Bluebirds have played 90 games in the past six years. That is more than any team in the state during that run. Louisville Trinity has played in 89 during that same span.

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.

Highlands obliterates Mason County, 61-3

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matter Sports Reporter

Everyone associated with the Highlands Bluebirds football team knew this was bound to happen.

The Bluebirds had been playing good, but not great football by their standards. So they had an intense week of practice and ended up thrashing the visiting Mason County Royals, 61-3 at David Cecil Memorial Stadium on Friday for Homecoming.

“We’re really pleased with what we did in all aspects of the game,” said Dale Mueller, Highlands head coach. “We really feel we have a number of All-State caliber players and we hadn’t been doing that yet.”

Class 4A’s top-ranked Bluebirds moved to 4-0 overall for its 24th consecutive win and 42nd straight home win improving to 77-2 since the start of 2007. Mason County dropped to 1-4. They Royals are 3-12 since the start of 2011 after two straight seasons losing in the second round of the Class 3A playoffs.

Highlands came into the game with an average margin of victory of 24 points and also averaged 54.3 points and 512.3 yards per contest. The Bluebirds obliterated the first average and ended up topping the other two outgaining the Royals, 571-128 in total offense.

The Bluebird defense played its best game of the year coming out and hitting hard. The first three opponents averaged 30.3 points and 264.3 yards per contest rushing. Highlands held Mason County to 51 yards rushing on 25 carries for an average of just more than two yards a touch.

The Bluebirds keyed on Mason County standout tailback Rashon Nelson holding him to 45 yards on 13 carries. Nelson ran for 191 yards on 35 carries and two touchdowns in Mason County’s 37-22 win over Harrison County last week.

“We really worked on what we messed up against Louisville Western,” said Austin Peterson, Highlands senior defensive lineman. “We stayed closer to the line (of scrimmage), stayed lower and made sure we kept our gaps and played fast.”

The Bluebirds moved the ball up and down the field at will against the Royals mostly through the air and did not punt in the contest. Senior quarterback Donovan McCoy completed 33-of-44 passes for 75 percent. His completions to 11 different receivers netted an even 400 yards of total offense with six touchdowns.

Sophomore backup quarterback Beau Hoge completed Highlands’other pass attempt. It was a 16-yarder to Ryan Donovan in the fourth quarter.

Highlands opened up its passing game more against Louisville Western after dominating Boyle County and Scott County on the ground to open the season. McCoy completed 25-of-54 passes for 456 yards and four touchdowns in the previous three contests.

Nick True led Highlands with seven catches for 83 yards and two touchdowns and Jac Collinsworth had five receptions for 54 yards and a touchdown. Jensen Feggins, Ryan Greene and Luke Turner had one touchdown reception each for the Bluebirds.

“We knew we had to get our passing game going,” Collinsworth said. “We’d had our running game going for a while now. We wanted to work on our routes, get Donovan some throws and really get our guys going. We really took our biggest step up as far as our passing game.”

Highlands only ran the ball 11 times in the contest. Most of the runs came in the second half with the game out of reach. Donovan led the Bluebirds with 125 yards rushing on eight carries with two touchdowns. McCoy had the other three carries for 30 yards and his ninth rushing touchdown of the year.

Highlands opened the game with an oneside kick and recovered it. The Bluebirds drove down the field and scored when McCoy zigged and zagged through the Mason County defense for a 7-yard score to put the Bluebirds up for good at 6-0.

Highlands scored two more touchdowns in the first quarter to go up 20-0. Feggins hauled in a 6-yard pass and Collinsworth hauled in his first touchdown pass of the year from a yard out.

Mason County put together its longest drive to start the second quarter completing some short passes. The Royals hit a 30-yard field goal to cut the margin to 20-3. But Highlands responded with 14 in the quarter to go up 34-3 at halftime when Greene caught an 8-yard touchdown pass and Turner hauled one in from 47 out.

“We just started playing (the short passes) better,” Mueller said. “Sometimes, you can get a play on our defense once. But it’s hard to come back and get it a second time because once we’ve seen it, we’re pretty much ready for it.”

Highlands put the game away in the third to force the running clock. True hauled in 5 and 8-yard touchdown receptions and Donovan scored from two yards out in the third and four in the fourth for their touchdowns.

The Bluebirds return home Friday to face Blake Bir and the arch-rival Covington Catholic Colonels (4-1) back at David Cecil at 7 p.m.

 

 

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.

Highlands heads to Louisville for first road game Friday



By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM
Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter
The deep talent pool does not just help Class 4A's top-ranked Highlands Bluebirds football team physically.
It also helps the Bluebirds' mental approach in games they're supposed to win handily. If a player goes in thinking, "They're no good, so we can take the night off," that player will come out. But generally, Highlands has not had this issue over the years.
"Our guys work at football year-round," said Dale Mueller, Highlands head coach. "We have maybe 200 practices a year and we only have 15 games so when they get a chance to play a game, they're looking forward to that game. So we never have a problem overlooking anybody."
The 2-0 Bluebirds hit the road for the first time to take on the Louisville Western Warriors of District 4. Western is also in Class 4A with Highlands. The Warriors finished 7-6 last year losing 13-12 in the regional title game to Collins, including a 56-0 loss in Fort Thomas.
Western is 0-2 in two home games so far this year under new head coach Torrey Shinholster. The Warriors fell 20-6 to Louisville Ballard on Aug. 17 before losing 28-0 to Louisville Male.
Male happens to be the second-winningest program in Kentucky with 818 wins all-time behind Highlands' 830. Highlands and Male rank second and third in the country behind Valdosta (Ga.) with 870 wins.
The Warriors have struggled finding an offensive identity in the first two games. They've tried a number of formations like the Power-I and the Spread.
"They have some good players on (offense)," Mueller said. "When they find what they're good at, they're going to be dangerous."
Highlands will counter with its 3-4 defense. The Bluebirds have allowed 815 yards of total offense, including 514 on the ground. Scott County ran for 253 yards as a team, but most of that came in the second half with the Bluebirds up comfortably.
The Bluebirds constantly disrupted the Scott County Traditional Wing-T attack in the first half. The Cardinals had to take to the air down big and Blake Schutte and Ben Streeter picked off passes to set up Highlands scores. Schutte also recovered a Cardinal fumble. The Bluebirds have a plus-4 turnover margin and have scored 39 points off those turnovers to none off two turnovers for opponents.
"(Pressure on quarterbacks) definitely helps because the quarterback has to make a quick decision," Streeter said. "Many times, he ends up throwing it to the wrong guy so you get interceptions. If it is a run, defensive penetration helps linebackers because the running back will bounce outside or cut in (to the other defenders)."
The Highlands offense will face a Western 5-3 defense that likes to stunt a lot. Male quarterback Tyler Erny threw for more than 300 yards and three touchdowns in Male's win Friday.
"They're difficult to block," Mueller said. "They're really looking to disrupt your game because they'll bring eight different guys. They put you in bad field position. They've made a lot of teams go three-and-out regularly."
The Bluebirds will bring their prolific spread offense to Western. They average eight touchdowns, 535 yards and 56 points per game.
Highlands has averaged 399 yards per contest rushing the ball. Zach Harris leads the Bluebirds with 36 carries for 234 yards with Jaylen Hayes going for 208 yards on 17 carries and quarterback Donovan McCoy running for 202 yards on 21 touches. McCoy has six touchdowns with Harris and Jayes running for four each.
Highlands' offensive line has done a good job opening up holes. The linemen constantly push defensive linemen upfield. But their job does not stop when the runner gets 20 yards or more up the field.
"We are conditioned to run down the field and follow the ball because anything can happen," said Scott Turner, Highlands offensive lineman. "Balls can pop out or helmets get on the ball and the ball goes flying. You just have to be there to get the ball."
The Bluebirds can throw the ball if necessary. McCoy also has completed 9-of-19 passes for 200 yards and a 33-yard touchdown pass to Luke Turner. Senior wide receiver Jac Collinsworth said he hopes to make his season debut after sitting out the first two games with a hamstring injury.
Game time is 7:30 p.m. in Louisville.