Highlands sophomore center Kasey Gross and junior guard Ellie Walz try to cut off a driver during a recent game.
The Highlands Bluebirds girls basketball team (9-15 overall) dropped a road decision against the Simon Kenton Lady Pioneers (16-10) on Monday.
The Bluebirds had no answer for Simon Kenton eighth grade forward/guard Anna Kelch. She made four triples on her way to 20 points. The Lady Pioneers made 4-of-9 free throws for 44 percent.
Highlands made 8-of-17 free throws for 47 percent. Junior point guard Alyssa Harris led the way scoring 10 points. Freshman center Marissa Green and senior guard Meg Gessner scored eight points each.
Struggles Against Top Teams in Region Continues for Bluebirds
PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands sophomore Laney Smith (19) dribbles into position in a recent game.
The struggles against the top teams in the 9th Region continued Saturday for the Highlands Bluebirds girls basketball team (9-14 overall).
Highlands has yet to score more than 29 points in any game against a team ranked in the top seven in terms of the Ratings Percentage Index in the region in six games. The Bluebirds recorded their season-low in a 53-16 loss at the Conner Lady Cougars (21-3).
The Bluebirds made just 6-of-30 shots for 20 percent including just 1-of-15 from three-point range for seven percent and 3-of-9 free throws for 33 percent. Highlands collected 27 rebounds to go with 26 turnovers, five assists and three steals.
Freshman 6-foot-20-inch center Marissa Green had seven points and six rebounds to lead the Bluebirds. Freshman guard Ellie Mohr also had six rebounds.
Conner had two players score in double figures. Senior forward Lauren Hawthorne had a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Junior forward Juliet Strange added 11 points.
The Lady Cougars made 20-of-56 shots for 36 percent including 7-of-27 from three-point range for 26 percent and 6-of-11 free throws for 55 percent. Conner also collected 34 rebounds.
Bluebirds Earn Third Seed in 36th District Tournament
PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands junior point guard Alyssa Harris sets up to shoot a free throw in a game earlier in the week.
The Highlands Bluebirds girls basketball team (9-13 overall) knew another district loss would mean having to win twice in the 36th District Tournament to make it to the 9th Region Tournament.
The Bluebirds made sure that did not happen dominating the Newport Ladycats (15-6), 50-13 on Friday at Russell Bridges Gym. Highlands finished 1-2 in district play and will be the third seed in the district tournament to be played at Bellevue.
"It was great how the girls responded from that (52-45) loss at Bellevue (on Wednesday)," said Jaime Walz-Richey, Highlands Head Coach. "We watched film from that game for about an hour or so then came back up and went over things for about 45 minutes. Film is such a teachable tool we try to use whenever we can. The things that we did on Wednesday aren't things that we're supposed to do. When they saw that on film, they were like, 'Oh.' So we made sure we didn't do the same things (Friday)."
Highlands saw nine different players score in the win. Junior point guard Alyssa Harris led the way with 13 points making three three-pointers and freshman 6-foot-2-inch center Marissa Green scored 10. Green also had nine rebounds.
Highlands made 19-of-41 shots for 46 percent including 7-of-19 three-point shots for 37 percent and 3-of-4 free throws for 75 percent. The Bluebirds also had 17 assists, 12 steals, 14 turnovers and 23 rebounds.
"We preach that to them," Richey said. "When we're watching film, some of those girls didn't get in. In the film, it's one person. But it's really all of them that we're talking to so we don't make the same mistakes."
Newport did not have anyone score more than five points. The Ladycats made 2-of-4 free throws for 50 percent.
The win marked the 401st since Richey took over the program in 2002. That ties her for 35th on the all-time wins list for Kentucky girls basketball head coaches with 25-year Villa Madonna Head Coach Don Shields, who retired in 2014.
PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands sophomore Laney Smith (1) gets in defensive position in a recent game.
Two days after a huge win, the Highlands Bluebirds girls basketball team (8-13 overall) dropped a 36th District contest.
Highlands built a 29-19 halftime lead. But ended up losing 52-45 to the Bellevue Tigers (14-7) on Wednesday. The Bluebirds are 0-2 in district play.
Free throws made a huge difference in this game. Bellevue made 12-of-15 for 80 percent and Highlands made just 8-of-18 for 44 percent.
Highlands placed two players in double figures. Freshman center Marissa Green and freshman guard Ellie Mohr scored 11 points each. Eighth grade guard Kaylee Mills scored eight.
Bellevue had one player reach double digits in senior forward Jaden Bivens with 12. Two freshmen in guard Sydni Massey and forward Courtney McCarty scored nine points each.
PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands juniors Alyssa Harris (4) and Megan Calme (30) get in position defensively in the win over Roger Bacon on Monday.
The balance pleased the coaching staff more than anything.
With almost everyone healthy, the Highlands Bluebirds girls basketball team (7-12 overall) put four players in double figures in a 50-40 win over the St. Bernard (Ohio) Roger Bacon Spartans (5-15). Highlands equaled its longest winning streak of the season with its second straight win.
"It's great to see all these girls stepping up, playing to their potential and doing whatever the team needs them to do," said Jaime Walz-Richey, Highlands Head Coach. "There in the beginning, we took some lumps because my younger girls got great experience. It's great to see we have so many players we can put in the game."
Roger Bacon's head coach is former Highlands assistant Joe Finnegan. Leah Schaefer, a 2013 Highlands alum, is one of his assistants. Roger Bacon has recorded winning records in each of the past five seasons. That includes a 20-8 record in 2020 that resulted in a Greater Catholic League Co-Ed, Sectional and District championships in Ohio's second-largest Division II. Roger Bacon lost 41-38 to Dayton (Ohio) Carroll in the region championship game.
Highlands 6-foot-2-inch freshman center Marissa Green led the way scoring 13 points to go with six rebounds. Green hit 4-of-8 field-goal attempts and 5-of-7 free throws.
"It's pretty tough. You have to pretty physical (inside)," Green said. "If they get in your head, you just have to be the bigger person. We're rebounding and protecting the ball better. We're not losing the ball and giving easy lay-ups up and we're closing out and not giving up easy three-pointers."
Things opened up down low because the Bluebirds had a nice game shooting from outside making 7-of-15 three-point tries for 47 percent and 17-of-41 total for 41 percent. Highlands hit 9-of-14 free throws for 64 percent to go with 13 assists, four steals, 27 rebounds and 11 turnovers.
The three most-experienced guards combined to hit the seven three-pointers for Highlands. Senior Meg Gessner made three and two free throws on her way to 11 points. Junior Alyssa Harris and sophomore Laney Smith made two on their way to 10 points each. Smith hit one as time expired in the third quarter to put Highlands up 37-22 entering the fourth quarter.
Highlands built a 15-6 lead after the first quarter. That lead doubled to 26-13 at halftime. That allowed Highlands to go to a four-corner spread offense. Players such as eighth grader Kaylee Mills took good care of the ball.
"We push the ball and we cheer each other on," Mills said. "That makes it a better environment. It kind of says we trust each other. We pick each other up."
Roger Bacon made three three-pointers and 11-of-16 free throws for 69 percent. Junior forward Krystin McWhorter led the way scoring 15 points and junior guard Isabel Ernst scored 11. Richey credited the Bluebirds for rebounding well, especially the guards coming in to help Green and senior 6-1 center CC Shick. Gessner had five rebounds and four assists and Harris led Highlands with two steals.
The Spartans tried to get back in the game employing some zone and man full-court presses. Richey said the Bluebirds tried to new wrinkle in their press offense.
"We just wanted to see if they could execute it," Richey said. "We will learn from it and won't make the same mistakes."
Bluebirds Receive Contributions from Many Players in Win
PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands freshman center Marissa Green (10) had a double-double of 20 points and 12 rebounds in the win at Lloyd Memorial on Saturday.
The Highlands Bluebirds girls basketball team (6-12 overall) won its first 9th Region game of the year in seven tries with a 58-39 road win at the Lloyd Memorial Juggernauts (7-12).
"I was really proud of how the girls came out and competed," said Jaime Walz-Richey, Highlands Head Coach. "It was a great contribution from everybody."
It started inside with double-doubles from their two tall centers. The 6-foot-2-inch freshman Marissa Green had 20 points and 12 rebounds with 6-1 senior CC Shick scoring 13 and grabbing 10 rebounds.
Eight different Bluebirds scored in the win. Highlands made 23-of-50 shots for 46 percent including 2-of-12 three-point tries for 17 percent. The Bluebirds also made 10-of-12 free throws for 84 percent to go with 38 rebounds, 16 assists, five steals and 17 turnovers.
Sophomore guard Laney Smith led Highlands with six assists and sophomore center Kasey Gross had two steals. Third-year starting point guard Alyssa Harris made her return to the line-up a few weeks ago. Harris was the lone starter returning from last season. Harris was not able to play soccer or run cross country in the fall.
"It's been amazing to finally get back out on the court," Harris said. "Obviously getting to still see the girls play before when I was hurt, it was nice to be a part of the team. But finally being able to do something that could make a change to the game was really nice."
PHOTO: G. Michael Graham. Highlands sophomore center Kasey Gross listens in a huddle during a recent game.
The Highlands Bluebirds girls basketball team (5-12 overall) had the opportunity to record a win in its first game in two weeks.
With more than two seconds left, Highlands received a good look near the basket. But it did not go down resulting in a 56-55 loss to the North Oldham Lady Mustangs (8-12).
Freshman 6-foot-2-inch center Marissa Green led the Bluebirds with a double-double of 25 points and 16 rebounds. Sophomore center Kasey Gross followed with nine points.
Highlands made 23-of-46 shots for 50 percent, but just 1-of-6 three-point tries for 17 percent and just 8-of-19 free throws for 42 percent. The Bluebirds also grabbed 33 rebounds.
Senior power forward Riley Neal led North Oldham with 18 points and sophomore shooting guard Gracie Sipes made four triples on her way to 17 points. The Lady Mustangs made 11-of-17 free throws for 65 percent.
PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands eighth grade point guard Kaylee Mills gets in position in a recent game.
The Highlands Bluebirds girls basketball game at Newport Central Catholic scheduled for Friday will not be played.
If games can not be made up because of Coronavirus 2019 concerns, they go down as forfeits. Highlands is 5-9 for now and NewCath is 13-5. Highlands Head Coach Jaime Walz-Richey has not been able to be at the last four games.
"The Highlands girls basketball team is pausing activity because of positive cases on the team," said Wes Caldwell, Highlands Director of Athletics. "The health and safety of the players and their families are our top concern. We will reevaluate on Tuesday. We hope to reschedule our game with NCC."
The Highlands girls also had a home game scheduled against Cincinnati (Ohio) Ursuline Academy on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
Bowling:
Highlands Teams Defeat NewCath:
The Highlands boys are 3-3 with the 5-2 win at Bellewood Lanes. Junior Jake Veneman bowled a 213 with juniors Dana Brown and Kurrin Frank bowling 180 and 178 respectively.
The Highlands girls moved to 5-1 with a 6-1 win. Senior Jade Rehberger led the way bowling 185 with senior Macy Hedenberg bowling 170 and 166. Seniors Chloe Bramble and Madison Clore both bowled 164.
Highlands takes on Pendleton County at La Ru Lanes on Tuesday. Match time is 4:15 p.m.
PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands sophomore center Kasey Gross posts up in a recent game.
The Highlands Bluebirds girls basketball team (5-8 overall) saw the lone returning starter from last year return in junior point guard Alyssa Harris.
But Highlands could not produce consecutive victories falling 55-28 at St. Henry. The Bluebirds are 0-5 against 9th Region competition this year.
Senior center CC Shick led Highlands with 11 points. Shick made 5-of-7 shots and grabbed five rebounds.
The Bluebirds made 12-of-40 shots for 30 percent including 1-of-13 from three-point range for eight percent and 3-of-12 free throws for 25 percent. Highlands also had seven assists, eight steals, 30 turnovers and 24 rebounds.
Highlands travels to Newport Central Catholic (11-5) on Friday. Game time is 7:30 p.m.
Bowling:
Highlands Loses Both Matches against Campbell County:
The Highlands girls fell to 4-1 and the boys are 2-3 following the losses to the Camels at Bellewood Lanes.
PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands freshman forward Adrienne Harris runs up-court in a recent game.
The Highlands Bluebirds girls basketball team (5-7 overall) faced another 37th District team Saturday at Russell Bridges Gym and put out a much better result.
Acting Head Coach Kayla Umberg challenged the Bluebirds in the fourth quarter of the loss at Scott on Friday to hustle better among other things. They put together a better fourth quarter in that game and it carried over to the next day resulting in a 57-50 win over the Campbell County Camels (6-7).
"It was like a whole other team out there," Umberg said. "We had a really good film session before the game. (6-foot-1-inch center) CC Shick, our only senior, really challenged the girls. (She) kind of told them what Highlands basketball is from the last girl on the bench to the girls on the floor and I think that really motivated the girls. It was really exciting to see all the girls involved, how excited the bench was and celebrating the win with the girls on the court."
Umber has served as acting head coach the past three games. Head Coach Jaime Walz-Richey has not able to be there during that time.
Shick led the way with a double-double of 23 points making both three-point shots, 11 rebounds, five assists and three steals. Freshman Marissa Green at 6-2 followed with 14 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Eighth grade guard Saylor Macke followed with eight including a crucial bucket down the stretch.
"(On Friday) our effort was really not there. It was good coming out (Saturday)," Macke said. "It always helps when our bench energy is up."
Highlands made 22-of-51 shots for 43 percent including 3-of-17 from three-point range for 18 percent and 10-of-14 free throws for 71 percent. The Bluebirds also had 38 rebounds, 17 assists, 11 steals and just 14 turnovers.
Junior forward Keauna Cullum led Campbell County with 12 and sophomore Alli Collins scored 11. The Camels made 7-of-14 free throws for 50 percent, 17 two-point shots and three three-pointers.
Highlands travels to St. Henry on Tuesday. Game time is 7:30 p.m.
Archery:
Highlands placed third out of eight teams in the Camp Ernst Middle School Shoot-Out in Burlington over the weekend with 3,154 points. Cooper won it with 3,244 points.
Bluebirds Record Largest Margin of Victory This Season
PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands junior forward Megan Calme looks to make a pass in the game against Robertson County on Thursday.
The Highlands Bluebirds girls basketball team knew this could be a game where many players could come in and develop as long the players did not fall into a huge temptation.
That's looking at the opponent and thinking, "Oh, they're no good. We can take the day off." That did not happen as the Bluebirds (4-5 overall) took care of the struggling Robertson County Lady Devils (0-11), 76-39 Thursday afternoon at Russell Bridges Gymnasium. It is the largest margin of victory for Highlands this season.
"That was my challenge before the game. We had to give effort every single time we stepped out onto the court," said Jaime Walz-Richey, Highlands Head Coach. "We have to go, go, go. We can't jog. We can't be loafing it. We have to play hard every single second we're out there and I thought the girls did an outstanding job of doing that."
Highlands took advantage of its athleticism finding a lot of easy paths to the basket as 10 different Bluebirds scored. Highlands made 32-of-67 shots for 48 percent including 5-of-22 from three-point range for 23 percent and 7-of-12 free throws for 58 percent.
"We've had a lot of practice time working on our skills just making sure the girls understand what our strength is," Richey said. "We have to be able to get the posts touches and let them kick it out before we just start shooting a bunch of threes."
Freshman 6-foot-2-inch center Marissa Green led the way with a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds. Senior guard Meg Gessner followed with 14 points and freshman forward Adrienne Harris scored 10. Sophomore center Kasey Gross, freshman guard Ellie Mohr and eighth grade guards Saylor Macke and Kaylee Mills scored seven points each.
Highlands had 31 rebounds, 18 assists, 19 steals and 11 turnovers. Gessner had a team-high four assists. Mills, Macke and sophomore guard Laney Smith had three steals each. Junior forward Megan Calme had six rebounds. The Bluebirds responded well when things did not go their way.
"Something we tell each other is forget and focus," Smith said. "Just go on with the play. It's how you respond to the play, not what happens on the play. So if you get blocked like I did a couple times, just get back on defense. That's what (Richey) teaches us and it works out well in games."
Highlands is almost healthy. Richey said the lone returning starter from last year in junior point guard Alyssa Harris has been cleared to resume some team activities and hopes to make her season debut soon. She also said junior guard Elie Walz will be returning soon as well.
But players such as Mohr have made the most of their opportunities to adjust to the varsity level. Mohr has seven made triples on the season, which is second behind Gessner's eight.
"It's really about reading the defense and everything being faster and stronger," Mohr said. "It was a hard adjustment, but we're growing. I'm really excited for Alyssa to be back. (Seeing shots go in) makes your confidence grow a lot. You kind of go on a run and your adrenaline goes. You want to keep going and shooting the ball."
Robertson County did see two players score in double figures making 4-of-7 free throws for 57 percent. Sophomore guards Krysta Hamm and Ruby Gay scored 13 and 11 points respectively. Hamm came in averaging 17.5 points per game and Gay averaged 12.2.
Robertson County has just one senior in power forward Abby Earlywine. The closest the Lady Devils have come to a win this year is a 65-57 loss at Augusta on Dec. 6.
Highlands led 15-7 after the first quarter and 39-19 at halftime. The Bluebirds enforced the running clock in the second half leading 64-28 entering the fourth quarter.
PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands freshman Marissa Green (middle) gets in defensive position in a recent game.
The Highlands Bluebirds girls basketball team (3-5 overall) hoped to earn a holiday tournament championship days before Christmas.
But it did not happen. Highlands fell 52-27 against the Pikeville Lady Panthers (8-1). Pikeville has won three straight 15th Region championships.
Pikeville saw three players score in double figures making all four free throws. Sophomore Rylee Theiss led the way scoring 16 points with freshman Leighan Jackson and sophomore Kristen Whited scoring 10 each.
Highlands did not place anyone in double digits. Sophomore 6-foot-2-inch center Marissa Green led the way with eight points.
The Bluebirds made 10-of-45 shots for 22 percent including 2-of-17 from three-point range for 12 percent and 5-of-8 free throws for 63 percent. They also had eight steals, eight assists, 21 turnovers and 29 rebounds. Senior 6-1 center CC Shick had seven rebounds and senior guard Meg Gessner had seven rebounds and three steals. Eighth grade forward Katie Bucher had four assists.
PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands eighth grade point guard Kaylee Mills (3) dribbles in position in a recent game.
The Highlands Bluebirds girls basketball team (2-4 overall) earned a win in its first game in 10 days.
The Bluebirds defeated the Trimble County Lady Raiders (1-7), 56-36 to open the Assumption Rockets Christmas Tournament in Louisville. It also marked the first win of the season for Highlands against a Kentucky opponent.
Highlands saw seven different players score. Freshman 6-foot-2-inch center Marissa Green scored a career-high 26 points making 12-of-21 shots and both free throws to go with 13 rebounds for a double-double along with two assists and two steals. Senior center CC Shick and sophomore center Kasey Gross followed with eight points and seven rebounds each.
"That's what we challenge them with every day. If it's a game or a practice, we have to get better every day individually and as a team," said Jaime Walz-Richey, Highlands Head Coach. "One thing we've been stressing is that we have to be able to get the ball to our post players. We did a much better job of that and you can see they scored a lot of points for us."
The Bluebirds received a nice boost from eighth grade guard Natalie Hinegardner. She made two triples for six points and nine rebounds.
"I think for the younger players at least for me (seeing the ball go through the hoop) brings more confidence in how I will play most of the game," Hinegardner said. "If I miss a shot, I'll probably be mad at myself. But if I make it, I will be like, 'Hey. I got this. This is how I've been playing my whole entire life. If I miss it, I usually focus on getting the rebound. If I don't get the rebound then I'll just focus on making a good play on defense to counter the missed shot."
Highlands made 25-of-73 shots for 34 percent including 3-of-14 from three-point range for 21 percent and 3-of-4 free throws for 75 percent. The Bluebirds also had 53 rebounds, 15 assists, 12 steals and 10 turnovers. Senior guard Meg Gessner had four assists and three steals.
Trimble County saw six different players score making both free throws. Sophomore Payton Butters led the way with nine.
PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands freshman Marissa Green (10) and senior CC Shick (25) get into defensive position in the game Monday against Owen County. Green scored 20 points in the Highlands loss.
Freshman 6-foot-2-inch center Marissa Green dazzled inside the paint on both ends, especially when she took the ball near the top of the paint and drove.
Green finished with 20 points making all four free throws. She also had a number of rebounds and blocks using her size along with senior 6-1 center CC Shick in the middle.
The issue for the Highlands Bluebirds girls basketball team (0-3 overall) is finding more help for Green. Shick scored four points as the next of seven scorers for the Bluebirds out of the 12 that played in a 52-37 loss to the Owen County Lady Rebels (2-1) at Russell Bridges Gym in Fort Thomas.
Highlands continued to struggle outside with inexperience. The other senior in guard Meg Gessner played for the first time Monday. The lone returning starter for the Bluebirds in junior point guard Alyssa Harris and sophomore guard Laney Smith were not able to play. Smith saw limited varsity action last year.
The Bluebirds made just two triples scoring the most points in a game this year. Gessner and freshman guard Ellie Mohr made one each. But they did make 7-of-8 free throws for 88 percent.
Owen County saw two players scoring in double figures. They were junior forward Gracie Ferguson with 20 and senior guard Lexie Moore with 14. The Lady Rebels made 8-of-10 free throws for 80 percent.
The Highlands Bluebirds girls basketball team (0-2 overall) once again struggled offensively on the 9th Region road Friday.
Highlands made just 8-of-36 shots for 22 percent including just 2-of-12 shots from three-point range for 16.7 percent in a 58-22 loss against the host Cooper Lady Jaguars (2-0). The Bluebirds also made just 4-of-10 free throws for 40 percent.
Senior center CC Shick led Highlands with 11 points making 4-of-5 shots. Freshman center Marissa Green followed with five points. Freshman guard Ellie Mohr and eighth grade forward Katie Bucher made one triple each for the other six Highlands points.
Highlands grabbed 33 rebounds. Green led the way with 10.
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 senior Meghan Walz (left) makes a move while Conner center Maddie Drummonds (right) defends. Highlands lost 48-44 to Conner in double overtime.
There were times that it seemed like the Highlands Bluebirds girls basketball team (21-11 overall) would find a way to move on to the 9th Region semifinals on Monday.
But in the end, the Conner Lady Cougars (21-11) escaped in double overtime for a 48-44 victory. This marked the latest defeat in either the first or second round of the region tournament at BB&T Arena on the campus of Northern Kentucky University for Highlands. Highlands lost in the first round to the 33rd District runner-up for the third time in four seasons.
"It's a huge credit to the character of these seniors and the character of all the girls I have in this program," said Jaime Walz-Richey, Highlands Head Coach. "We ended up having a great season. This sucks. It absolutely sucks to come every year and lose first or second round. It's nothing we want to do. We push our girls as hard as we can."
Bluebirds Ready for District Championship Thursday
PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands junior Emma Riccobene (left) goes up for a score in a recent game while Piper Macke (1) watches in a recent game.
The Highlands Bluebirds needed to go 1-0 to start the postseason and hit a significant win total.
Highlands defeated the Bellevue Tigers, 83-39 to move to 20-10 on the season and move on to the 36th District championship game Thursday against the Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds (20-11) at Newport. The Bluebirds hit the 20-win mark in the season for the eighth straight season. Bellevue's season ended at 12-16.
Highlands juniors Emma Riccobene (31) and Rory O'Hara (35) scored in double figures in the convincing win over Beechwood on Friday.
The Highlands Bluebirds girls basketball team (19-10 overall) did not have any issue winning the last game of the regular season recording a sound 63-20 victory over the Beechwood Tigers (9-20).
"We treated it like another game," said Jaime Walz-Richey, Highlands Head Coach. "We wanted to execute. We wanted to fine-tune things and get ready for Tuesday. We really worked on ourselves. We wanted to make sure all five of us were on the same page."
Highlands saw eight players score. Senior guard Piper Macke led the way with 14 points. Juniors Emma Riccobene and Rory O'Hara added 12 and 10 points each.
Highlands senior Piper Macke (left) steps toward a shooter in a recent game.
The Highlands Bluebirds girls basketball team has played the second through fourth-ranked teams in the latest Associated Press poll this season.
Highlands was not able to beat any of them falling 57-32 at second-ranked Simon Kenton (26-3) on Wednesday. In the last two weeks, the Bluebirds have also lost to third-ranked Louisville Butler and fourth-ranked Ryle. Louisville Sacred Heart is the top-ranked team in the state at 27-1 overall.
