Monday Highlands Round-Up: Girls Soccer Advances Soundly in Region Quarterfinals

Highlands Volleyball Downs Bellevue

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands junior forward Anna Melson makes a move in a recent game. Melson scored twice in the 6-0 9th Region Quarterfinal win over Ryle.

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The Highlands Bluebirds girls soccer team (13-4-1 overall) saw its second postseason post a similar result to the first in another 6-0 victory.

Highlands beat the Ryle Lady Raiders (9-5-5) at Tower Park to open the 9th Region Tournament. The two did not meet during the regular season.

The wins sets up a semifinal game against Dixie Heights (15-6-2) in the semifinals at Boone County on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. All four district champions won their quarterfinal games. Highlands beat Dixie Heights, 4-3 in Crestview Hills on Sept. 22.

Highlands recorded 19 shots to six for Ryle. Highlands senior goalkeepers Meg Gessner and Hailey Parks had four and two saves respectively.

"We were all over them," said Chris Norris, Highlands Head Coach. "We're playing great soccer now. It was great to see."

The Bluebirds scored three goals in each half. Sophomore forward Laney Smith led the way with two goals and two assists for six points. She has 20 goals and 13 assists on the season for 49 points. All are team-highs.

Junior forward Anna Melson scored the last goal of the first half and the second one of the first half. Melson has four goals on the season.

"Getting the third goal is definitely a confidence booster for the whole team because it puts you up a lot," Melson said. "I just think that we come out ready. When we have to do our job, we get it done."

Senior forward Chloe Bramble added one goal and two assists. Bramble has eight goals and 11 assists this year for 27 points.

Freshman defender Kate Fausz scored her second goal of the season. Freshman Claire Cavacini recorded her fifth assist of the season and senior midfielder Faith Broering tallied her sixth assist.

Highlands has advanced to the region semifinals nine years in a row. The last time the Bluebirds lost in the region quarterfinals came in 2012.

Volleyball:

Highlands 3, Bellevue 0:

The Bluebirds (26-6) handled the host Tigers (8-16) by 25-7, 25-6 and 25-10 scores to finish off a perfect record in the four 36th District seeding games.

All 16 players saw action in the victory. Highlands had 41 kills and assists, 18 digs, one solo block and 19 aces. Senior Lauren Buemi led the Bluebirds with two aces, eight kills, one solo block, one assist and three digs. Senior CC Shick had four aces, 10 kills, eight assists and four digs. Senior Josie Steppe had three aces and junior Emma Daly had eight kills.

"They took really good care of that opportunity," said Katelyn Sallee, Highlands Head Coach. "They didn't let a lot of runs happen. They did a good job of taking care of business. It was a really good night."

Senior setter Madison Optiz had 19 assists with junior Kenzi Vennefron recording 11 to go with three aces. Senior Sophia Sarakatsannis had four digs.

"We can see how we can improve our energy, especially since we have nine seniors leaving after this year," said Bailey Houston, Highlands junior. "We're like a family. We always say we love each other after every point no matter what. I think that's what makes us in sync and be able to play well. It's okay to make mistakes. But we're always here for you."

Highlands concludes the regular season against Cooper (19-10) on Tuesday. Game time is 7 p.m.

Highlands Saturday Sports Round-Up

Bluebirds Down Generals

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands senior Jordan Frisk makes a move in a recent game.

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The Highlands Bluebirds boys soccer team (12-3-1 overall) concluded an outstanding week with an impressive 3-1 win over the Lexington Lafayette Generals (8-3-2) at Tower Park.

"They've beaten some decent teams," said Chad Niedert, Highlands Head Coach. "In Lexington, you typically don't have an easy night out. We scored early and set the right tone then we just kind of took it from there. I thought that we had a pretty good game overall."

Highlands had 20 shots including 14 on goal to go with nine fouls, one corner kick and one yellow card. Junior goalkeeper Connor Mathis made six saves and sophomore goalkeeper Jack Wilson had two.

Sophomore forward/midfielder Chad Gesenhues put home after junior forward Colin Pieper shot one off the post for the game's lone goal of the first half. That is the sixth assist for Pieper and sixth goal of the year for Gesenhues.

The Bluebirds built a 2-0 advantage in the second half off another rebound. Junior midfielder Caden Schroeder put one off a shot from junior midfielder/forward Casey Stiles. Schroeder has six goals and Stiles tallied his first assist of the season.

But the Generals scored their lone goal with 20 minutes left in the game. Highlands senior forward/midfielder Jordan Frisk. That marked Frisk's 10th goal of the season.

"Usually whenever we get scored on in the game, it doesn't usually phase us," Frisk said. "Early this week, we played (Newport Central Catholic) and let in two early goals. But neither of them really defined the rest of the game. We ended up coming back and playing stronger after the goals."

The Bluebirds travel to Covington Holmes on Tuesday. Game time is 7 p.m.

Soccer, Girls:

Notre Dame 3, Highlands 0:

The Bluebirds (8-3) trailed just 1-0 at halftime in the championship game of the Lady Knights Challenge Cup. They stayed in it until the Pandas (15-0) scored twice in the last 10 minutes of the game. Notre Dame has outscored opponents, 57-2 on the season.

Notre Dame had 14 shots on goal to five for Highlands. Highlands senior goalkeeper Hailey Parks recorded 11 saves.

"It was a tough game against a really strong team," said Chris Norris, Highlands Head Coach. "We changed our formation late to get more players upfield. They found a seam and followed up a saved shot. We felt like we needed to do something to put more pressure on them."

Highlands also lost 3-0 to Notre Dame at Tower Park on Aug. 30. The Bluebirds have lost in the Lady Knights Challenge Cup title game the last three years.

Highlands travels to Dixie Heights on Wednesday. Game time is 8 p.m.

Thursday Highlands Results

Bluebirds Shut Out Camels

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands junior forward/midfielder Ashton Foley (22) pursues the ball in the 5-0 win over Campbell County on Thursday.

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The Highlands Bluebirds boys soccer team once again made sure the visiting Campbell County Camels did not sneak up and sneak out with a victory.

The Bluebirds (11-3-1 overall) shut out the county rival Camels (5-7-1), 5-0 at Tower Park for their sixth shutout of the season. Highlands and Campbell County did not play each other last year. But the Bluebirds have outscored the Camels, 15-0 in those three meetings since Campbell County beat Highlands, 1-0 on Aug. 29, 2017 at Tower Park in Chad Niedert's first season as head coach of the Bluebirds.

"We've always got a little bit of an axe to grind with them," Niedert said. "We always like to get out and get after them. We thought we played pretty well. We had 23 different guys play. So to dominate the game with possession offensively and defensively and still get a shutout out of it speaks to the type of guys we have here playing and contributing right now, but also the potential we have moving forward."

Junior forward Colin Pieper led the way with a hat trick of three goals and an assist for seven points. Pieper has a team-high 13 goals and five assists on the season for 31 points.

Pieper had an assist on the first goal playing a through ball to senior forward/midfielder Jordan Frisk for Frisk's ninth goal of the season. The Bluebirds never looked back leading 2-0 at halftime after Pieper scored on a free kick from senior defender/midfielder Joel Kendall. That marked Kendall's sixth assist of the season.

"We set goals at the beginning of every game," said Thomas Gray-Torsell, Highlands senior defender. "We want to dominate the first few minutes. If you dominate the first few minutes, it's usually a roll from there to victory. We try not to dwell on the team record or anything. We try to start every game like it's the best team we'll play."

Junior midfielder Caden Schroeder assisted Pieper's second goal for his third assist on the season. Frisk added his team-high seventh assist on the season on Pieper's third goal.

Sophomore forward/midfielder Chad Gesenhues assisted junior midfielder Peyton Helminiak's first goal of the season to make the final score. That is Gesenhues' third assist of the year.

"It was a struggle at first. But we're getting better play up top with Colin and others connecting every (pass)," said Wyatt Thompson, Highlands senior forward. "We're getting better every game with trying to get everyone to score a goal."

Highlands had 29 shots with 16 on goal with seven shots on goal for Campbell County. Junior goalkeeper Connor Mathis had three saves and sophomore goalkeeper Jack Wilson had four.

The Bluebirds had three offsides calls, 11 fouls and six corner kicks. But Highlands did not have any yellow or red cards.

Highlands plays host to the Lexington Lafayette General (8-2-2) on Saturday. Game time is 7 p.m.

Volleyball:

St. Henry 3, Highlands 0:

The home crowd tried to push the Bluebirds (17-4 overall) to a potential monumental victory. But the Crusaders (17-5) proved too much to handle as St. Henry left with a 25-13, 25-13, 25-15 victory.

Highlands put in a tall line-up in the front row trying to counter the talented St. Henry front line including seniors CC Shick, Sophia Sarakatsannis and junior Carly Cramer. The Bluebirds recorded 29 assists and kills with Shick leading the way with 11 and Sarakatsannis had six.

The Bluebirds landed one solo block from senior Lauren Buemi. Buemi had eight kills. Highlands saw senior setter Madison Opitz record 14 assists and junior setter Kenzi Vennefron had 12.

Highlands dug up 41 balls. Senior Honor Valentine led the way with 12 and senior Madison Clore had nine. The Bluebirds landed no aces.

The Bluebirds take on Ryle on Tuesday. Game time is 7 p.m.

Notre Dame Hands Highlands Girls Soccer First Loss of Season

Bluebirds Hope to Bounce Back at NCC

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands junior forward Anna Melson (3) gets in position in the game against Notre Dame on Monday.

The hype going into the rivalry game led the usual high turnout.

The Highlands Bluebirds and Notre Dame Pandas girls soccer teams came into the game a combined 10-0. It had the makings of another good game in the storied histories of these two solid programs. It also marked the debut of two new head coaches in the rivalry in Chris Norris for Highlands and Suli Kayed for Notre Dame.

But this game belonged to the visitors. The Pandas (8-0 overall) scored 16 minutes into the game when senior Macie Feldman hit a free kick from about 50 yards out that bounced through everyone into the net and added two more in the second half on the way to a 3-0 shut-out over the Bluebirds (3-1). Highlands had won the previous three meetings against Notre Dame.

The Pandas have outscored opponents, 30-1 on the season with seven shutouts. Cincinnati (Ohio) Mercy McAuley is the only team to score on Notre Dame this season in a 3-1 loss in Park Hills on Aug. 21.

The second Notre Dame goal of the game came with 28 minutes left in the game. Senior Ella Simkonis raced down the right side and scored.

"At the beginning of the second half, I thought we had them a little bit on the ropes," Norris said. "We were attacking, attacking, attacking and they happened to catch a ball on top of the (18-foot-line) and take it 90 yards for a goal. Once we were down by two, you could kind of just see their confidence shoot through the roof. They were just pass, pass, pass. We ended up chasing them and couldn't get a handle on the ball."

Feldman added her second goal later in the second half making the final score. Feldman has four goals on the season.

Notre Dame saw all 10 shots go on goal with Highlands recording four shots including three on goal. Highlands senior goalkeepers Hailey Parks and Meg Gessner recorded four and three saves respectively.

"I think (the Pandas) had three blue collar goals," Norris said. "I think they worked hard for them. I thought we did a pretty good job of limiting their players. But we two freshmen in the back and they're learning how to play at the varsity level. Notre Dame has good speed. They have a good first touch. They know what they're doing and it paid off in the end for them."

Highlands takes on Newport Central Catholic (5-2-1) in a 36th District game Wednesday. Game time is 6:30 p.m. at Morsher Field.

Highlands Soccer Teams Open Season with Victories

Weather Forces Early Stoppage of Games

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. The Highlands soccer teams opened the season Thursday with wins.

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The hot day gave way to the night.

But shortly after the darkness overtook the sky, lightning came with it. Luckily for the Highlands Bluebirds soccer teams, they played the necessary half to make their games official and record 9th Region wins in their season openers. The Highlands boys defeated Beechwood, 1-0 at Tower Park and the Highlands girls took down Beechwood, 4-1 in Fort Mitchell. The Highlands girls played six minutes in the second half before officials called the game.

It marked the first game for the Highlands girls new Head Coach Chris Norris. Senior Hailey Parks played the entire game recording seven saves for the Bluebirds.

"I feel like the girls are starting to buy into the system a little bit now," Norris said. "In particular, they were getting the balls into the middle then making some connection passes off that and getting the balls to corners for crosses."

Senior defender Jade Rehberger worked with the likes of senior Hailey Barton, juniors Ruby Smith, Bianca Hemsath and freshman Kate Fausz in the defensive backfield. Barton said the team saw that it can improve on there.

"I think our defense did really well," Barton said. "We just need to work on communication a little bit better. I think the seniors are going to try to keep everyone in high spirits and trying to be a team so that we can work toward all of our big goals and even our individual goals."

Senior forward Chloe Bramble found sophomore Claire Cavacini for the first Highlands goal. The next two goals came off Rehberger corner kicks. Senior midfielder Faith Broering scored the first one and sophomore Ava Lawhorn scored the second one. Bramble scored the game's final goal off a Lawhorn assist.

Highlands does not play again until traveling to Louisville Assumption on Aug. 21. Game time is 11:30 a.m.

Highlands and Beechwood had four shots each in the boys game. But junior goalkeeper Connor Mathis saved all four for the Bluebirds.

"We weren't able to train (Wednesday) because of the heat. The heat has been an issue lately," said Chad Niedert, Highlands Head Coach. "There are just some things we're not sharp on. It could have been two or three-up. To be fair, Beechwood had some chances, too. Connor didn't have to make too many big saves. But when he was called on, he did his job. It wasn't a bad performance. I hope our guys leave knowing we didn't really show what we're capable of."

The game's lone goal came with 6:21 left in the first half. Junior forward Colin Piper scored it on an assist from junior midfielder Peyton Helminiak.

"It's good to get the first win. But we have a lot to improve on," said Joel Kendall, Highlands senior defender/midfielder. "We just need to keep working together getting used to each other and getting used to the formation so we mesh really well."

Highlands Saturday Sports Roundup

Highlands Soccer Teams Advance in Region Tournament

PHOTO: Matt Carothers. Highlands senior goalkeeper Jasmine Rehberger (0) congratulates freshman Laney Smith (1) after a goal earlier this season.

The Highlands Bluebirds soccer teams opened the 9th Region quarterfinals Saturday at Tower Park against the Covington Holy Cross Indians teams playing as consistent as they had been lately.

The Highlands girls (13-1-2 overall) started the afternoon continuing its offensive explosion of late shutting out Holy Cross (8-8-1), 7-0 before the Highlands boys (10-3-2) overtook the Indians (10-5-1), 2-0. That marked the 12th shutout for the Highlands girls including the last six games and the seventh for the Highlands boys including the last four games.

Saturday Highlands Results

Highlands Soccer Wins on Road

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. Highlands junior Austin Frazier and the Bluebirds won the final game of the regular season, 1-0 on Saturday.

The final warm-up for the Highlands Bluebirds boys soccer team (12-5-4 overall) ended in victory on the road Saturday, 1-0 over Cincinnati (Ohio) Indian Hill.

Thursday Highlands Results

Highlands Boys Soccer Earns Much-Needed Win 

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. The Highlands Bluebirds boys soccer team knocked off Cincinnati (Ohio) Madeira on Thursday, 3-0.

The Highlands Bluebirds boys soccer team (11-5-4 overall) came together for a 3-0 non-region win in the final home game of the regular season over the Madeira (Ohio) Mustangs.

Highlands Head Coach Chad Niedert said the Bluebirds built off the second half of the 3-2 loss at Loveland (Ohio) on Tuesday. Highlands won the half, 1-0 despite being two players down because of two red cards.

Tuesday Highlands Results

Highlands Golf Finishes Third at Region

Twitter Photo. Highlands juniors Luke Muller (left) and Justin Gabbard (right) qualified for the state tournament Tuesday.

Entering the season, the Highlands Bluebirds boys golf team knew repeating as region champs would be tough.

Highlands placed third at the 8th Region Tournament on Tuesday at Eagle Creek Golf Course in Dry Ridge shooting a 322 as a team. The Grant County Braves won the region to qualify for state as a team and the Henry County Wildcats took second with 321. Only the region champ advances to state as a team unlike previous years when the region champ and runner-up advanced to state.

Saturday Highlands Results

Bluebirds Post Convincing Region Win

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. The Highlands girls soccer team beat Covington Holy Cross, 5-1 on Saturday for a second straight win.

The Highlands Bluebirds girls soccer team (11-1-5 overall) recorded another impressive 9th Region victory.

Highlands pulled away from the Covington Holy Cross Lady Indians, 5-1 at Eva G. Farris Sports Complex/John Wysong Field in Covington. Highlands moved to 7-1-1 against region opponents.

Highlands Girls Soccer Posts Convincing Win

Bluebirds Make Lead Stick

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. The Highlands OZone student section has been coming out in full force this year.

The Highlands Bluebirds girls soccer team appears to have its swagger back.

The Bluebirds (10-1-5 overall) ventured to Dixie Heights on Wednesday and came away with a 3-0 victory. Highlands junior goalkeeper Jasmine Rehberger stopped four shots from the Lady Colonels (10-7-1) in the eighth shutout of the season for the Bluebirds.

"It was a very impressive game," said Alex Dean, Highlands Head Coach. "We started clicking from the beginning, connecting passes and doing things that we really hadn't seen this year like switching from the back, finding a center mid(fielder) and getting (the ball) to the other side. The intensity just kind of grew and then we made sure we got that shutout."

Weekend Highlands Results

Highlands Comes Home from Indiana 0-1-1

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. The Highlands boys soccer team finished 0-1-1 in the Evansville Reitz Memorial Tiger Invitational over the weekend.

The Highlands boys soccer team (9-4-3 overall) finished 0-1-1 in the Tiger Invitational at Evansville (Indiana) Reitz Memorial.

Wednesday Highlands Results

The Highlands Bluebirds girls soccer team moved to 8-1-4 on the season following a tight 1-0 win over the Bishop Brossart Lady Mustangs on Wednesday at Pendery Park in Melbourne.

Tuesday Highlands Results

Highlands Boys Soccer, Volleyball Record District Victories

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. The Highlands Bluebirds boys soccer team defeated Newport Central Catholic, 4-3 on Tuesday.

The main thing that mattered in the end was the 4-3 victory.

The Highlands Bluebirds boys soccer team (9-3-2 overall) ventured to Morscher Field in Silver Grove and came away with that 36th District victory over the Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds (9-5-1). But the Bluebirds know some things need to be ironed out with seven games left in the regular season.

Saturday Highlands Results

Rough Day for Highlands Soccer Teams

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. The Highlands Bluebirds boys soccer team lost on the road Saturday to Louisville Collegiate, 5-2.

The Highlands Bluebirds girls soccer team (7-1-4 overall) dropped the first game of the season to the arch-rival Notre Dame Pandas (8-1-3) in the title game of the Lexington Catholic Lady Knights Challenge Cup on Saturday.

Highlands has not won this tournament since 2006. The Bluebirds last appeared in the title game in 2016.

Victories for Highlands Soccer Teams

Bluebirds Win Fourth Straight Against Colonels

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. The Highlands Bluebirds trap the ball in a recent home game. Highlands edged Covington Catholic, 1-0 on Monday in Park Hills.

It may look as though the Covington Catholic Colonel boys soccer team is struggling based on the 3-6 record.

But the Highlands Bluebirds (7-2-2) did not fall for that deceptive record making a first-half goal stand in a 1-0 victory on the road. The Colonels have lost to the likes of Lexington Henry Clay, Cincinnati (Ohio) Country Day, Dayton (Ohio) Carroll, Columbus (Ohio) St. Francis de Sales and Cincinnati (Ohio) Archbishop McNicholas.

Highlands has won four straight in the series against the Colonels including a 2-1 win in the 9th Region championship in Park Hills last year. Highlands is 4-0-1 in region play.

"We've realized in these games we're going to grind it out," said Chad Niedert, Highlands Head Coach. "When we're the better team, it's a 50/50 game. When we're the lesser team, it's a 50/50 game. It really doesn't matter what kind of record you got."

Highlands had 16 shots to 10 for the Colonels with three on goal to six for CovCath. Highlands senior goalkeeper Nick Fischer had three saves.

The lone goal came 13 minutes into the game. Junior Max Farris dribbled into the box and fired off a shot. Senior Caymon Stevie put the deflection home for the score.

"When you have the team chemistry that Highland has, it takes a couple passes and maybe a couple dribbles though people," Farris said. "It just all worked out."

Highlands had to overcome some free kicks in the second half not far from the goal. But the Bluebirds cleared every one of them. Neither team had a red card. But the Colonels did receive two yellow cards.

"Our midfield plays a lot of defense and a lot of offense," said Porter Hedenberg, Highlands senior. "You have to do both jobs, which is nice. We all three work together really well and we have good chemistry with our six on defense and our six on offense."

Highlands plays host to Covington Holmes (1-5) on Thursday. Game time is 7:30 p.m.

Soccer, Girls:
Highlands 4, Louisville DuPont Manual 2:

Highlands (5-0-4 overall) overcame a 2-1 halftime deficit against the Lady Crimsons (4-3-1) to win the first game at the annual Lexington Catholic Lady Knights Challenge Cup. Highlands takes on the hosts in the next round Wednesday at 8 p.m.

"In the first half, we didn't start slow, but we didn't have the start that we wanted," said Alex Dean, Highlands Head Coach. "We were a little fatigued and we kind of told the girls you don't have to go out and play 80 minutes. Just go out and give us five or 10 minutes of good effort. We were down at halftime. We had a talk at halftime. We can play with any team in Kentucky, but we have to act like it. We just can't think that we can walk out there and get a win. That was a good thing being able to overcome a halftime deficit."

Sophomores Faith Broering and Jade Rehberger had one goal and one assist each in the game for three points. Senior Kelsey Mathis and sophomore Macy Hedenberg had one goal each with sophomore Chloe Bramble tallying two assists. Bramble has a team-high seven goals to go with five assists for a team-high 19 points.

"The upperclassmen definitely encourage us," Macy Hedenberg said. "If we do something wrong, they're all so positive and encouraging and we're all best friends."

Highlands takes on Beechwood on Tuesday at Tower Park. Game time is 7:30 p.m.

Thursday Highlands Results

 Highlands Volleyball Records Huge Win; Boys Soccer Defeats Holy Cross

PHOTO: G. Michael Graham, Fort Thomas Matters. The Highlands Student Section known as the O-Zone is shown here at a soccer game. The O-Zone helped the Highlands volleyball team to a victory Thursday over Dixie Heights.

The Highlands Bluebirds volleyball team had this game marked on the schedule for a big reason.

The Dixie Heights Lady Colonels (4-2 overall) beat the Bluebirds (5-1) three out of four meetings last year including the 9th Region Quarterfinals, 3-0. But Highlands won the battle of top-five 9th Region teams, 3-0 (25-20, 25-17, 25-17) in Fort Thomas to move to 2-0 in region play.

Highlands Girls Soccer Dominates NewCath

Bluebirds Have Won Seven Straight vs. NCC

Twitter Photo. The Highlands Bluebirds girls soccer team led by this score at halftime in the showdown with Newport Central Catholic on Wednesday.

The Highlands Bluebirds girls soccer team (4-0-2 overall) picked a great time to play its greatest game of the season.

Highlands ventured to Silver Grove and dominated the host 3-3 Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds, 8-0 in a 36th District showdown. Highlands has won the last seven meetings against NewCath.

Highlands Girls Soccer Wins Again

Third Straight for Bluebirds

PHOTO: Kevin Nieporte, Highlands Director of Athletics. From left, Highlands sophomore Chloe Bramble, senior Maria Broering and sophomore Macy Hedenberg had goals in the win over Ryle on Monday. Junior goalkeeper Jasmine Rehberger  (dark uniform) had five assists.

The Highlands Bluebirds girls soccer team (3-0-1 overall) won its third straight contest with a 3-0 win over the Ryle Lady Raiders (1-4) on a rainy Monday at Tower Park.

This marked the first shutout on the season for Highlands. The Bluebirds moved to 2-0-1 in 9th Region play.

Saturday Highlands Results

Girls Soccer Takes Down Defending Ohio State Champion

Twitter Photo. The Highlands Bluebirds soccer team knocked off Cincinnati (Ohio) Indian Hill on Saturday.

The Highlands Bluebirds girls soccer team (2-0-1 overall) knocked off an Ohio defending state champion Saturday at Tower Park.

The Cincinnati Indian Hill Braves had won the last two Division II state championships. But the Bluebirds beat the Braves, 3-1.

Anna Podojil led the Braves to those two state championships. The 5-foot-5-inch forward won the 2018-19 Gatorade Player of the Year award for Ohio last year and is now playing at the University of Arkansas. Her sister Ellie Podojil, a midfielder, is a senior and has also committed to Arkansas.

"(Ellie Podojil) is the real deal," said Alex Dean, Highlands Head Coach. "So we changed up our formation (Saturday). We had kind of an irregular formation. We took one of our outside wings and we turned it into a man-to-man (defense). We had two of our defenders switch off and we had one of our defenders stay with her the entire game. She did not get a lot of chances. That was one of the things we wanted to work on because in the future, we're going to face some teams that have that stellar player. Our defense did a good job of helping if the defender did get beat."

Sophomore Chloe Bramble scored the first goal for Highlands with around 35 minutes left in the first half. She also had an assist and leads the Bluebirds with two goals and two assists for six points on the season. The Bluebirds led 1-0 at halftime.

The second goal came from senior Maria Broering with 39 minutes left in the game. Sophomore sister Faith Broering scored with three minutes left in the game for the final score. Faith Broering and junior Greta Noble also had assists.

Highlands has yet to allow more than one goal in a game this year. Highlands had 14 shots with 11 on goal to eight shots for Indian Hill. Bluebirds junior goalkeeper Jasmine Rehberger had seven saves.

"I felt our defense held a very tight line and worked well together," said Parker Price, Highlands senior midfielder. "Our passing was extremely good. Our midfield held back a little to help the defense. Our offense was making fantastic runs and our balls were great over top."

Highlands plays host to Ryle (1-3) on Monday. Game time is 8 p.m.

Soccer, Boys:
Highlands 5, Trinity 3:

Highlands (4-1) lost for the first time this season.

Highlands had 15 shots with 11 on goal. Trinity had 10 shots with nine on goal. Highlands senior goalkeeper Nick Fischer saved four.

Senior Caymon Stevie, junior Max Farris and sophomore Cole Lorenzen had the goals for the Bluebirds. Junior Hank Cook had the assist. Farris has six goals and two assists on the season for a team-high 14 points.

Highlands takes on North Oldham on Tuesday. Game time is 7 p.m.

Golf, Boys:
Highlands plays in Mason County Invitational:

The Bluebirds tied for seventh with Pikeville with 322 in the event at Laurel Oaks Golf Course. Lexington Sayre won it with 310.

Junior Luke Muller led Highlands shooting a 74 with sophomore Justin Gabbard shooting a 75. Freshman Joel Craft shot a 79 with eighth grader Ryan Toole finishing out the scoring with a 94. Junior Mac Valentine also golfed shooting a 95.

Highlands plays Campbell County on Tuesday at Highland Country Club. Tee time is 3:30 p.m.