Highlands-Covington Catholic Sidenotes

Bluebirds Creep Closer to Ending Losing Streak Against Colonels

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

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

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

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

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

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

Class 5A, District 5 Update:

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

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

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

Scouting Cooper:

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

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

Bluebirds Notebook: Highlands Golf Completes First Day at State Tournament

Highlands Wins Seventh Straight Against Boone County

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

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

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

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

The second day of competition resumed Saturday.

Gessner Commits to NKU:

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

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

Scouting Covington Catholic:

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

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

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

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

Class 5A, District 5 Notes:

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

Series Against Boone County:

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

Highlands-Conner Notebook

Homecoming King, Queen Named

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

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

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

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

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

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

Class 5A, District 5 Results:

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

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

Looking at Boone County:

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

Highlands Weekend Notes

Highlands Freshman Girls Hoops Player Receives First College Offer

Highlands freshman 6-foot-2-inch post Marissa Green (right) recently received an offer from Morehead State.

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Standing at 6-feet-2-inches, Highlands Bluebirds freshman girls basketball player Marissa Green caught the eyes of the Morehead State University coaching staff at a camp this summer.

That turned into a scholarship offer from the Ohio Valley Conference school. The Head Coach is Cayla Petree. But Highlands Head Coach Jaime Walz-Richey said the hope is that is the first of many more offers.

Green saw action in 15 games last year. She scored 34 points and nabbed 24 rebounds.

"She's put in a lot of work since our season ended in March," Richey said. "She just has to continue to get better. We have to continue to work on her post moves and continue to work on her overall game so she can get to where she wants to be."

Highlands finished 20-7 last year winning a seventh straight 36th District Tournament championship. The Bluebirds lost 54-42 to eventual 9th Region champion Dixie Heights in the region semifinals. Highlands graduated five seniors from that team meaning the team will need the likes of Green, junior point guard Alyssa Harris, sophomore guard Laney Smith and senior center CC Shick to pick up their game.

"We just need to work together to build the team back up and we'll be good," Green said. "We've been in the gym a lot. We'll see improvement. But we need more improvement as the days go by."

Green could form a nice combination in the post with Shick. Green said she's been working on her rebounding and blocking shots.

"If you put the work in, then you'll see the goal achieved," Green said. "I hope to be more explosive. I need to jump more and grab the ball out of the air. You have to get in there and be aggressive."

The first basketball practices begin Oct. 15. The first game listed on the schedule is Dec. 2 against Dixie Heights at 7 p.m.

Sphire, Local Connections at College, Pro Levels:

Cincinnati Bengals Tight End C.J. Uzomah played for Highlands Head Coach Bob Sphire during his time at North Gwinnett. Sphire coached there from 2006 until 2016 after leading Lexington Catholic to the Class AAA state championship in 2005.

Uzomah is in his seventh season for the Bengals after playing college football at Auburn University. He had two catches for 35 yards including a 32-yard reception helping the Bengals to a 27-24 win over Minnesota to open the season.

"Other than injuries which are part of the game, he's done a great job in the NFL," Sphire said. "He did a great job at Auburn and he obviously did a great job for us. That's always exciting to see your guys have success and be solid people in the community, which I know he is."

Sphire served as the head coach at Camden County in southeast Georgia between 2016 and 2020. University of Cincinnati Bearcats defensive lineman Myjai Sanders played for Sphire during that time.

Sanders has one solo and four assisted tackles for the 3-0 Bearcats this season and four quarterback hurries. The nationally-ranked Bearcats defeated Indiana University, 38-24 in Bloomington on Saturday.

Class 5A, District 5 Results:

The district finished 2-2 on Friday. Undefeated 5-0 and defending Class 2A state champion Beechwood knocked off Covington Catholic (2-3), 27-7 in Fort Mitchell.

Conner took down Campbell County, 38-7 on Friday. The Camels are 0-3 against the district. Cooper had its bye week and Boone County (3-2) downed Walton-Verona, 21-13 on the road.

Highlands-McNicholas Sidebar

Highlands Students Turning Out in Force at Games

PHOTO: Ed Harber. Highlands junior wide receiver Carson Class makes a move Friday.

The Highlands students are glad to be back at games this season home and away.

Senior Dance Team member Macy Kocher is one who has been seen at many fall sports events including volleyball and soccer. Senior golfer KJ Toole has led a lot of cheers this season in front of limited students and last year. The student section dressed in National Basketball Association uniforms in the Friday game at Cincinnati McNicholas.

"I think going to the games and seeing everyone be super dedicated to the themes and cheering everyone on as a group and as a school and representing Highlands has been probably been the best part," Kocher said. "It is so exciting to watch the football feed off our energy."

The dance team performed at halftime of the 42-7 win over Campbell County. Macy Kocher's twin brother Cole helped the Highlands boys basketball team to the first state championship in school history in April.

"It means everything to be able to continue to show our school spirit and support toward the football team and especially all the other sports that we've tried to get to," Macy Kocher said. "When we're doing pre-game then when we go to halftime, we're still trying make every performance our best performance and show that we want to keep the energy alive for the second half of the football game as well."

No Contract:

McNicholas Head Coach Mike Orlando admitted he's glad the Rockets do not play the Bluebirds next year because the Bluebirds will only improve going forward. He said this meeting is a one-time deal. Normally teams do two-year contacts unless they play in bowl games. 

The 27-21 McNicholas win is the first time in school history these two teams have played each other. Highlands has not played any other current team in the Greater Catholic League Co-Eds.

Class 5A, District 5 Results:

Covington Catholic improved to 2-2 with a 24-8 win over Dixie Heights. Boone County also moved to 2-2 with a 26-6 win over Lloyd Memorial.

All four Highlands district opponents won over the weekend. Cooper downed Campbell County, 33-0 to move to 3-1 and Conner beat Scott, 28-3 to improve to 2-2.

Scouting Ryle:

The Raiders come into Fort Thomas on Friday more balanced than usual. They'd relied on the run for success in recent years.

They've won three straight since losing 24-21 at home to 4-0 Lexington Catholic. The Raiders defeated Louisville DeSales on Friday. The Colts have had success in recent years. But they are struggling at 0-4 this season including a Coronvirus 2019 forfeit result only scoring 13 points on the season.

Highlands-Campbell County Notebook

Highlands Volleyball Wins Twice

PHOTO: Ed Harber. Highlands senior Jake Welch returned a punt for a touchdown in the win Friday.

The first home football game saw a filled student section for the first time since 2019.

The Highland O-Zone typically does theme days for football games. They dressed in country themes.

"I think it's amazing to see the student body. I think that goes a couple ways," said John Darnell, Highlands Principal. "It's not just necessarily at ballgames. But we're seeing it throughout the school day as well. We have students that are excited on game days that aren't athletes. But to have a student section out there that's supporting our team and our entire community, that's what you hope for."

Senior Benjamin Vaught attended the game sitting close to the front as seniors typically do. Vaught swims the 200 intermediate.

"It's a great environment out here in the O-Zone," Vaught said. "We're here in full force and we're here to have some fun. It's great to see everyone win. It makes the experience a whole lot better."

Captains for Game:

Four seniors took the field with Head Coach Bob Sphire for the coin toss. They were wide receiver Aiden Halpin, defensive lineman Henry King, linebacker Isaac Surrey and wide receiver Jake Welch.

Pre-Game Introductions:

The Bluebirds still introduce players on the scoreboard. Players state their names then say the Elementary School the came from.

State Championship Basketball Team Honored:

Members of the state championship basketball team were honored at halftime. Head Coach Kevin Listerman and the Bluebirds received their rings earlier in the week.

The Bluebirds earned the first state championship in school history in April. Led by seniors Sam Vinson and Luke Muller, Highlands defeated Elizabethtown, 79-60 at Rupp Arena in Lexington. Vinson is playing college basketball at Northern Kentucky University and Muller is golfing at NKU.

Series Against Campbell County:

The Bluebirds won their fifth straight against Campbell County and eight of the nine meetings since the series resumed in 2013. The only loss during that time came 24-21 on a last-second field goal in Alexandria on Aug. 26, 2016.

Highlands is 58-10 all-time against Campbell County. The teams did not play between 2005 and 2012.

All Four Class 5A, District 5 Opponents Lose on Friday:

The district finished 1-4 Friday as all four district opponents for the Bluebirds lost. Lexington Catholic came to Park Hills and knocked off Covington Catholic, 34-27. The blue Colonels are 1-2 on the season.

The Cooper Jaguars (2-1) lost 14-7 for the first time this season at home against Ryle. Conner and Boone County are 1-2 on the season. Conner lost 42-26 at Dixie Heights and Boone County lost 28-14 to Covington Holmes in Florence.

Scouting Cincinnati (Ohio) McNicholas:

Highlands travels across the river to face the Rockets (3-0) in the first meeting in school history Friday at 7 p.m. It is the annual Skyline Crosstown Showdown game.

The Rockets knocked off Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, 41-0 on Friday. McNicholas opened the season with a 28-13 win over Cincinnati Indian Hill before beating New Richmond, 34-14.

Scheduling Guidelines:

A lot has come out about the online charter school in Columbus (Ohio) known as Bishop Sycamore, which lost 58-0 to Florida powerhouse IMG Academy in Canton on Sunday two days after playing a team from Pennsylvania. Bishop Sycamore had a game scheduled at Johnson Central forfeited on Friday.

Highlands Director of Athletics Wes Caldwell said it is up to the coaches to check openings and make schedules. But he said he personally would not schedule a game against a team he has never heard of.

Highlands Volleyball in September Slam:

The Bluebirds (12-2 overall) won both games in the September Slam soundly Friday.

Highlands recorded a big win over Dixie Heights on Thursday. The Bluebirds hoped to carry it into the tournament.

"It was really intense. We had a big O-Zone and we were being really loud on the bench," said Josie Steppe, Highlands senior. "That was a very happy moment. We took our energy and our attitude from that (game) and we brought it to Scott (Friday). We started slow. But I think eventually we picked it up and we got the job done."

Highlands took care of Boone County, 2-0 (25-15, 25-16) for its first win in three tries against a team from the 33rd District. Highlands had five aces, 19 kills and assists, two solo blocks and 50 digs.

Junior setter Kenzi Vennefron had 17 assists and nine digs for the Bluebirds. Senior setter Madison Opitz had two aces.

Senior CC Shick led Highlands with 10 kills and four digs. Senior Avery Cavacini had four kills and four digs with senior Sophia Sarakatsannis making eight digs and one kill.

Senior defensive specialist Madison Clore had 10 digs and two assists. Senior Honor Valentine recorded seven digs.

The Bluebirds then defeated Campbell County for the second time this season 2-0 (25-19, 25-14). Highlands had 27 kills and assists, one ace and 34 digs.

The Bluebirds used two setters in the game. Opitz had 13 digs and Vennefron had 12.

Sarakatsannis had seven kills and seven digs. Senior Lauren Buemi had six kills and two digs. Shick had five kills and three digs. Clore again led Highlands with 13 digs.

Highlands faces Dixie Heights for the second time in three days at 9 a.m. before completing pool play against Covington Holy Cross at 11 a.m.

Highlands-Bowling Green Notebook

Simon Kenton Next for Highlands

PHOTO: Lou Class. Highlands junior wide receiver Brennan Kelsay (17) hauls in a touchdown pass against Bowling Green on Saturday.

Bob Sphire joined a long list of head football coaches that won their debuts with the Highlands Bluebirds.

Highlands ventured down to Bowling Green and knocked off the defending Class 5A state champions, 21-18 on Saturday. The game took place at Western Kentucky University.

Sphire is the 20th head coach in the 107th season of Highlands Bluebirds football. The last six head coaches in Brian Weinrich, Dale Mueller, Tom Duffy, Bill Herrmann and Roger Walz and seven others of the 20 have won their head coaching debuts. Highlands knocked off Campbell County, 23-16 in Weinrich's debut in 2014 and Highlands beat Paducah Tilghman, 26-6 in Mueller's debut in 1994.

Weinrich took over the Newport Wildcats program in the off-season. Newport lost 16-7 against Mason County at home on Friday to open the season.

Four have lost their head coaching debuts and two tied in their coaching debuts. The last head coach to lose his debut was Mike Murphy. Dayton beat Highlands, 13-6 to open the 1967 season.

New Rule:

Highlands senior linebacker Jackson Higgason drew a 15-yard blindside block personal foul penalty against Bowling Green.

The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Football Rules Committee established the definition of a blindside block as "a block against an opponent other than the runner, who does not see the blocker approaching" at a meeting that took place January 20 through 22, 2018 in Indianapolis. The hope is to reduce injuries. The National Football League outlawed blindside blocks in 2019.

"You can lead with your hands and you can kind of absorb the guy," Sphire said. "But you can't launch. You can't lead with your shoulders, your helmet or any of that and that (foul) was pretty blatant. It's a good rule because that takes concussions and stuff out of the game a whole lot more. Nobody likes it because everyone always wants to see that big hit from the stands. But it's not good for the health of the kids."

Rest of Schedule:

This marks the longest road trip of the year for the Bluebirds. They had just two opponents on the schedule from outside the Kentucky's northern three Boone, Kenton and Campbell Counties.

The other game against an opponent outside the northern three Kentucky counties is Sept. 10 at Cincinnati (Ohio) McNicholas at 7 p.m. That trip is just above 10 miles from Highlands.

Class 5A, District 5 results:

The district finished 2-2 on Friday and 3-2 overall for the first week of the season. Cooper won 30-3 at George Rogers Clark and Conner knocked off Lexington Lafayette, 35-12. Covington Catholic lost 28-6 at Cincinnati (Ohio) Elder and Boone County lost 19-6 at home against Russell.

Series Against Bowling Green:

Highlands moved to 4-1 all-time against the Purples. The two programs had not met in the regular season since 1961 when Homer Rice was the head coach of the Bluebirds. Highlands beat Bowling Green, 26-13 in 1960 then 49-46 in 1961.

The two split in state championship games in Dale Mueller's 20 years as head coach. Highlands beat Bowling Green, 28-7 in the Class 5A title game at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium in Louisville. Highlands assistant coach Matt Reed played on that team.

Bowling Green's lone win in the series came in the 1995 Class 3A title game. The Purples beat the Bluebirds, 28-12 in Mueller's second season. Kevin Wallace was the head coach of Bowling Green in both title games.

Scouting Simon Kenton:

The Pioneers lost 35-29 to the Oldham County Colonels on Friday in Independence. Simon Kenton allowed 410 yards defensively in the loss with 145 on the ground and 265 in the air.

Junior quarterback Chase Crone is in his third season starting for the Pioneers in their Spread offense. Crone completed 10-of-21 passes for 174 yards and two touchdowns. He also led the Pioneers with 105 yards rushing on 17 carries and a touchdown for an average of just more than six yards per carry.

Highlands is 27-5 all-time against Simon Kenton. But the Pioneers are 4-2 against the Bluebirds since resuming play in 2015. The two had not met since 1998 before resuming the series.

Highlands Alums Lead Lindsey Wilson to National Semifinals

Bunning, Dougherty Leave Marks on Blue Raider Program

Lindsey Wilson Photo. Lindsey Wilson center Lou Bunning (with ball) prepares to snap the ball during a game this season. The 2015 Highlands alum helped the Blue Raiders average 40.3 points per game this season. Lindsey Wilson lost in the national semifinals of the National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics football playoffs finishing 12-1 this year.

Lindsey Wilson Photo. Blue Raider kicker Jared Dougherty (right) sets up to kick the ball during the season. The 2016 Highlands alum led Lindsey Wilson with 93 points this past season.

Lou Bunning and Jared Dougherty came from a high school football program steeped in tradition.

The 2015 and 2016 Highlands graduates played key roles leading the Bluebirds to the last of 23 state championships in 2014. They ventured to play for the Lindsey Wilson College Blue Raiders from the Mid-South Conference of the National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics down in Columbia, Kentucky with the opportunity to help raise the standards. They helped a program that revived in 2008 do just that.

The NAIAs sixth-ranked Blue Raiders completed the best season in school history with a 12-1 season. They finished the regular season 10-0 including a 7-0 mark in MSC play, qualified for the NAIA playoffs and drove all the way to the national semifinals before losing 34-24 to Marian University out of Indianapolis (Indiana). That marked the furthest the Blue Raiders have driven in the playoffs.

Highlands Sub-Varsity Report

Bluebird Freshman Team Lost Just Once This Season

PHOTO: Ed Harber. Highlands junior offensive lineman Jackson Roy (66) watches after completing a block against Conner in the first round of the playoffs Friday.

With the graduation of 31 seniors, Highlands could see a number of contributors move up from the junior varsity and freshman squads.

The junior varsity team finished 5-4. The Bluebirds defeated Campbell County, Ryle, Conner, Boone County and Cooper and lost to Simon Kenton twice, Covington Catholic and Cincinnati St. Xavier.

Playoff Outlook for Highlands

Bluebirds Hit Road to Open Playoffs

PHOTO: Ed Harber. Highlands senior defensive lineman Brennan White (99) puts pressure on Cooper quarterback Drew Warth (5).

The Highlands Bluebirds football team (6-4 overall) will travel to face the Conner Cougars (7-2) in the opening round of the Class 5A playoffs in two weeks.

Conner came to Fort Thomas on Oct. 4 and won 20-17 on a touchdown pass in the final minutes. Highlands set up the rematch with a 14-7 win at Cooper combined with Conner's 45-7 loss to Covington Catholic up the road in Hebron. Cooper will travel to undefeated Covington Catholic.

Highlands Freshman Football Loses First

The Highlands Bluebirds freshman football team (8-1) lost 10-3 at Ryle on Thursday for the first loss of the season.

Highlands travels to Beechwood on Thursday. Game time is 6 p.m.

JV Football Loses to CovCath

Bluebirds Unable to Solve Colonels

PHOTO: Ed Harber. Highlands junior quarterback Jake Fahlbusch looks for running room in a recent varsity game.

The Highlands Bluebirds junior varsity football team (4-4) lost to Covington Catholic in Park Hills by a 14-0 score on Saturday.

Highlands concludes the season at home against Cooper on Saturday. Game time is 10 a.m.

Highlands Makes History with Win

Bluebirds Second Team in Country to Reach 900 Program Wins

PHOTO: Ed Harber. Highlands senior Brycen Huddleston (1) sets up for a block in the 49-0 win at Boone County on Friday. That marked the 900th victory for the program.

Coming into the season, three teams in Kentucky had the chance to reach the 900-win plateau in school history.

The Highlands Bluebirds led that group needing just five wins while the Louisville Male Bulldogs and Mayfield Cardinals needed eight and 13 respectively. Highlands has 23 state championships in school history with Mayfield and Male recording 12 and eight respectively.

People wondered if Highlands would get there first after the two-game losing streak. But the Bluebirds earned it first with the 49-0 win over the Boone County Rebels on Friday in Florence. The Bluebirds are 900-243-46 dating back to the first season in 1915.

The Bluebirds are second in the country for the most all-time wins. The Valdosta Wildcats from south Georgia lead the country at 931-234-34.

"That means a lot to me personally growing up and wanting to be a part of Highlands football," said Joe Buten, Highlands junior running back. "It's cool to accomplish something like that."

Highlands-Conner Football Sidebar

Highlands Faced Conner for First Time Since 2006

PHOTO: Ed Harber. Family members of the late Highlands quarterback Jared Lorenzen stand at midfield before the Highlands-Conner football game. In the middle wearing number 22 jerseys are Lorenzen's son Tayden (white jersey) and his daughter Taylar (blue jersey).

The Highlands Bluebirds and Conner Cougars had not met since 2006.

It ended up being the third Cougar win all-time against the Bluebirds. Conner last defeated Highlands, 29-26 in the second round of the playoffs in 1993.

Highlands-Boyle County Sidebar

Latest Chapter of Great Highlands-Boyle County Rivalry Belongs to Rebels

Submitted Photo. Highlands graduates Jared Dougherty (10) and Lou Bunning (50) pose after the Lindsey Wilson College Blue Raiders defeated the Warner University (of Lake Whales, Florida) Royals, 73-29.

After Boyle County defeated Highlands, 30-0 at Rebel Field on Friday, Boyle County veteran Head Coach Chuck Smith said it is a good rivalry even though it marked just the seventh time the teams have met.

"We've had some great games," Smith said. "It's always intense and always a good game."

Highlands still leads the series, 4-3. The home-and-home series returns to Fort Thomas next season.

Monday Highlands Results

Highlands Girls Soccer Ties East Central

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands senior Kelsey Mathis (12) gets in position against East Central on Monday.

It was one of those games where the team scored in the first half and hoped to make it stand.

Sophomore forward Chloe Bramble put the Highlands Bluebirds girls soccer (9-1-5 overall) team up 1-0  just 12 minutes into the game. Bramble's team-high eighth goal of the season and the second assist from senior midfielder Natalie Ossege stood for a long time.

But the visiting East Central (from St. Leon, Indiana) Trojans tied the game with six minutes to go. Highlands could not answer so the teams settled for a tie.

Highlands-Ryle Sidebar

Highlands Heads South for Final Non-District Game

PHOTO: Ed Harber. Highlands senior Mason Schwalbach (4) celebrates after a defensive touchdown against Ryle on Friday.

The Highlands Bluebirds football team is about to finish non-district play with one final game Friday.

The Bluebirds will head to Danville to take on the undefeated Boyle County Rebels (5-0). The Rebels have outscored opponents, 265-42. That's the most points of any team in Class 4A. They have two NCAA Division I commits in Landen Bartleson (Notre Dame) and senior wide receiver/defensive back Reese Smith (West Virginia).

Highlands Girls Move on in LexCath Tournament

The Highlands Bluebirds will be playing in the championship game of the Lexington Catholic Lady Knights Challenge Cup.

Highlands (7-0-4 overall) defeated the host Lady Knights (8-2-1), 7-6 on penalty kicks in the semifinals of the winner's bracket to advance to the title game for the first time since 2016. Highlands will play Saturday at 7 p.m. for the title against either Sacred Heart, Notre Dame or Lexington Tates Creek.

Highlands-Campbell County Sidebar

Younger Highlands Players See First Friday Night Lights Action

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. The Highlands Student Section known as the OZone had a Country theme in the game against Campbell County.

With the game out of hand in the second half in the first shut-out for the Highlands Bluebirds football team in two seasons, some players saw their first Friday Night action.

Sophomore wide receiver Jacob Welch made the most impressive debut with three touchdowns on four touches for the Bluebirds. Welch had two rushes for 22 yards and a touchdown and two catches for 38 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore offensive lineman Nate Weidner took over at center in the fourth quarter.

"I was excited to get out there and play," Weidner said. "You just have to get out there, know your plays well and get after it."

The last shut-out for the Bluebirds came on Oct. 6, 2017 by a 47-0 score over Dixie Heights in Fort Thomas. The closest Highlands came to that last season was a 40-3 win at Ryle on Sept. 7. 

OZone Goes Country:

The Highlands student section known as the O-Zone has a theme for most of the football games. Against Campbell County, it was a Country theme and it was a white-out against Scott to open the season. One senior who took part in the country them was Caraline Walsh. Walsh is a member of the Chamber Choir and the National English Honors Society.

"There's nothing better," Walsh said. "Every year when we play Campbell County, this is the go-to theme. I feel like it represents our school. I'm glad to show our pride."

Honoring Lorenzen:

Highlands senior quarterback Collin Hollingsworth wore number 22 instead of the usual 10 in honor of the late Highlands and University of Kentucky great quarterback Jared Lorenzen. Highlands painted the 22-yard lines blue in Lorenzen's honor before the season.

Around Class 5A, District 5:

The Bluebirds watched part of the fourth quarter of the Covington Catholic-Lexington Catholic game on the big screen in the locker room.

Covington Catholic trailed 38-24 in the fourth quarter, but came back to beat the Knights, 39-38 and stay undefeated at 3-0. Junior quarterback Caleb Jacob snuck it in from a yard out and senior running back Daniel Felix ran over the right side for the two-point conversion to give the Colonels for the first time in the game.

CovCath held on with a fourth-down stop at its 46. On 4th-and-1, LexCath quarterback Beau Allen lined up under center with five wide receivers. He tried the quarterback sneak, but the Colonel defense snuffed it out with around 1:32 left in the game.

Allen, a University of Kentucky commit, competed 23-of-32 passes for 448 yards and five touchdowns. Jacob threw for 247 yards and a touchdown. Senior tight end Michael Mayer had six catches for 71 yards for the Colonels.

The Colonels play host to Dixie Heights on Friday at 7 p.m.

Conner moved to 2-1 with a 35-0 win at Dixie Heights. The Cougars play host to Lloyd Memorial (2-1) on Sept. 14 at 7 p.m.

Cooper and Boone County both lost for the first time this season falling to 2-1. The Jaguars lost 20-16 in the battle of Union against Ryle at home on Friday and Lloyd Memorial beat Boone County, 22-14 in Erlanger.

Next Opponent for Highlands:

The Bluebirds travel to Independence to face the Simon Kenton Pioneers on Friday at 7 p.m. in a battle of 2-1 teams. The Pioneers opened the season with a 38-27 win over Lexington Henry Clay before facing two Ohio opponents.

Simon Kenton lost to Cincinnati Anderson, 44-16. But the Pioneers bounced back to beat the Cincinnati Oak Hills Highlanders.

Volleyball:
Highlands Wins Two at September Slam:

The Bluebirds moved to 7-1 on the season with two wins in the September Slam on Friday at Woodland Middle School. Highlands bested Covington Holy Cross, 2-0 (25-15, 25-16) before taking out South Laurel from the 13th Region, 2-0 (25-9, 25-17).

"Our focus has been not only to maintain our composure, but our level of play," said Katelyn Sallee, Highlands Head Coach. "We want to control the tempo of the match regardless of who we're facing. This weekend is going to be a really big test to have five matches back-to-back-to-back. You have to stay disciplined. You have to stay on it and they did that."

In the victory over Holy Cross, Highlands had six aces, 16 kills, one block, 15 assists and 52 digs. Senior outside hitter Casey Dunn led the way with two kills, three aces and 14 digs. Senior setter Audrey Graves had 15 assists, one ace and seven digs. Sophomore middle blocker CC Shick had seven kills and assisted on a block.

Highlands junior Laura Winkler and sophomore Lauren Buemi had three kills each. Buemi also had two assisted blocks. Senior Ava Hockney had the team's lone solo block to go with an ace.

The senior defensive specialists also came up big. Senior Rylee Kirschenbaum had 12 digs and an ace with Brooke Biltz adding nine digs.

Against South Laurel, Dunn had seven kills, one assisted block and 10 digs. Graves had 18 assists, three digs, three kills and two aces and Hockney had three kills and two assisted blocks. Shick recorded four kills, one solo and one assisted block.

Winkler played some setter and had six assists and two digs. She also had two kills. Kirschenbaum had a team-high 11 digs. Buemi, Hockney and sophomore Nicole Ossege added three kills each.

"In a game of three, I feel like, 'Let's just get this over. Let's do what we can do," Ossege said. "We have to play to our level and not down to anyone else's level. We always focus on team and then we're very fast with whatever we do so I always feel that we need to maintain that speed and just try to run more things when we have the opportunity with the less-advanced teams."

Highlands continues pool play Saturday morning at Scott. The Bluebirds take on Calvary Christian (6-6) at 9 a.m. on court one and Conner (2-6) on court two at 10 a.m.

Soccer, Girls:
Highlands 1, Evansville (Indiana) Reitz Memorial 1:

Highlands (4-0-3 overall) tied the Tigers in the annual Zionsville (Indiana) Invitational on Friday. Zionsville is located northwest of Indianapolis.

Reitz Memorial (4-0-1) came into the game as the 16th-ranked team in the country in the Top Drawer Soccer Fab 50 poll. Reitz owns four state championships in school history.

"I felt that we played one of the best teams that we'll see this regular season. Going into the game, we kind of looked at what they've done so far this year," said Alex Dean, Highlands Head Coach. "We knew it was going to be tough. We wanted to make sure that we played well. If we could get a win, great. A tie is great. A one-goal loss where we're playing hard is a win for us. We were fighting hard. We gave up a goal pretty early. We made sure we didn't give up another one. Then, we had an outside back step up and hit one from about 18 (feet) out to tie the game then we kind of made sure we didn't lose the game after that. After the game. we were pretty excited. The other team was kind of upset. That was a good feeling even though it was just a tie."

Highlands senior midfielder Kelsey Mathis tied the game in the second half. That marked her first goal of the season.

"I think this team is really strong all-around and I think everyone contributes what they can," Mathis said. "I'm glad I could help the team. I think we played well considering we left school early, had to ride up a few hours and shortly warm up."

Both teams had 18 shots. Reitz had 14 on goal and Highlands had nine. Highlands junior goalkeeper Jasmine Rehberger had 13 saves.

Highlands plays Carmel (Indiana) at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday to conclude the tournament.

Weekend Highlands Results/Football Sidebar

Huddleston Receives Post-Game Recognition

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands senior linebacker Brycen Huddleston earned the Cumberland Falls Pigskin Classic Defensive MVP honors.

Highlands senior linebacker Brycen Huddleston earned the Defensive Most Valuable Player honors after the Cumberland Falls Pigskin Classic loss to Knoxville Catholic, 31-28 on Saturday.