By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM
Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter
Editor’s Note: This is the third of four stories of
Highlands football leading into the 100th season in school history.
The Boyle
County Rebels set the mark for the most consecutive football championships
in Kentucky with five straight from 1999 to 2003.
The Highlands Bluebirds ended that run in 2004 with a 22-6 victory in Louisville. Chuck Smith coached those dominant Rebel teams that included current NFL player Jacob Tamme and Brodie Overstreet. Smith left Boyle County for an assistant coaching job at the University of Kentucky after the 2004 campaign. He is returning as head coach to Boyle County this season.
Highlands
hoped to break that mark one day. It happened in 2012.
“Highlands has always been the team that tries the
hardest in the state,” said Dale
Mueller, retired Highlands head football coach. “I believed (the Rebels) were out-Highlandsing Highlands so we decided
that we had to out-Boyle Boyle. We said they played like 11 Marines and we had
to play like 11 Navy Seals. I don’t really know the difference between a Navy
Seal and a Marine, but the point was we had to outwork them.”
Few teams have been as consistent as the Bluebirds throughout the years. They have not had a
losing season since going 4-5-1 in 1955. Reid Schroeder, a senior linebacker on
the 2012 team, said the seniors talked to the freshmen about the hard work and
dedication it takes to keep the tradition going.
“It all starts with the winter weight
program,” said Grant Beiting, former
Highlands player. “It’s not just
weights. It’s a lot of fun games to keep everyone going. Highlands puts out
those agile teams year in and year out. They might not be the biggest and the
strongest. But each year, we have the best feet. That’s something you don’t
necessarily see unless you’re on the team. Other than that, it’s about each guy
buying into the playbook and doing exactly what they need to do and just really
stepping up.”
The
Bluebirds made the region finals the following year, but lost 17-0 to eventual
state champion Lexington Catholic. The Bluebirds have not been shut out in 117
straight games since then.
That also
marked one of two times a team other than Covington Catholic kept the Bluebirds
from playing for a state championship in Mueller’s 20-year head coaching
tenure. The other time came in the 2002 3A semifinals when Rockcastle County
beat Highlands, 45-6 in Mount Vernon. That marked current head coach Brian
Weinrich’s first season as Defensive Coordinator.
“I felt all 20 of the Highlands teams that I coached
had the talent, work ethic and should have won the state championship,” Mueller said. “I
could have done a better job motiving and coaching those teams and we could
have won 20 in a row. Ultimately though, it wasn’t about how many games or
championships we won, but what we got out of it as men. Nobody is living a
happier or more successful life based on how many high school football games
you won but you are living a happy and better life due to the characteristics
that you have developed and I believe your faith in God. People who see that
there is something bigger than themselves and the great strength of the human
spirit tend to develop a stronger faith in God.”
The streak
started like the run of three straight between 1998 and 2000 with one big
similarity. The Bluebirds lost to Covington Catholic in the playoffs the prior
season. The Colonels edged the Bluebirds, 25-15 in the second round of the 3A
playoffs in 2006 to close out the last year of the four-class system in
Kentucky. District opponents met in the first two round of the playoffs that
year.
But the
following year, Highlands returned the favor and beat the Colonels twice
including a 40-0 verdict in the second round of the 5A playoffs. Highlands
finished 15-0 winning the 5A title, 28-7 over Bowling Green.
Highlands
recorded four shutouts that year allowing just 153 points all year for an
average of just around 10 points per game. Joe Fitzgerald and Jake Turner led
Highlands defensively with two fumble recoveries each and sophomore Austin
Collinsworth had six interceptions.
Josh Conner
and quarterback Clay Cecil led the Highlands offense. Conner rushed for 1,719
yards on 216 carries and 28 touchdowns. Cecil completed 63-of-106 passes for 1,076
yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions.
The
Bluebirds saw two teams come within 10 points of them that year. They were
Trotwood-Madison (a 24-20 Highlands win) and at Louisville Central (a 21-13
Bluebird victory). The win over Trotwood-Madison game took place at the
University of Cincinnati’s Nippert Stadium.
“All the powers that be picked us to lose that (Trotwood-Madison)
game,” Cecil said. “They had all this Division I talent. To go
and beat a big team from Ohio gave us a boost to begin the year. We were all
really confident. It was cool to do it at Nippert Stadium on a big stage like
that.”
The 2008
squad repeated as 5A state champions with a 35-15 win over Christian County.
They outscored opponents, 653-187. Clint Crawford led Highlands with 123
carries for 901 yards and 16 touchdowns. Quarterback Tony Guidugli completed
147-of-222 passes for 2,702 yards, 21 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Collinsworth
led the Bluebirds with 46 catches for 840 yards and five touchdowns.
The
Highlands defense recorded four shutouts that year on its way to a 14-1 year
with the only loss coming at Cincinnati Colerain. Collinsworth had four
interceptions to lead the Bluebirds and Kody Rosenhagen had three fumble
recoveries.
Highlands
equaled its school record with its third straight state championship in 2009,
35-7 over John Hardin. The Bluebirds outscored the opposition, 597-166 that
year and finished third in the Super 25
USA Today final poll.
The biggest
win over that year came 12-7 over Cincinnati St. Xavier at David Cecil Memorial
Stadium on Sept. 25. Highlands saw Patrick Towles, now at the University of
Kentucky, come on and lead the Bluebirds to the victory at quarterback in place
of the injured Will Bardo. Middle linebacker Brandon Roller had a crucial interception
in the third quarter of that game.
“It validated our team. St. Xavier was the number one
team in Ohio,” Roller said. “They had beaten the number one team in
Indiana. It was almost more exciting than winning the state championship.”
Towles
completed 53-of-109 passes for 1,138 yards, 10 touchdowns and two
interceptions. Collinsworth moved to running back and rushed for 1,502 yards on
172 carries and 23 touchdowns. Nick Buten led the Highlands receivers with 33
catches for 796 yards and eight touchdowns. Drake Bruns led Highlands with four
interceptions and Cameron Dierig had three fumble recoveries for the Bluebird
defense.
Highlands
continued to roll the next season winning its first nine games to win a
school-record 37 in a row in 2010. Ryle ended the streak with a 28-26 win in
Union to finish the season. The Bluebirds won their fourth straight 5A state
championship with a 50-0 throttling of Christian County. They outscored the
opposition, 604-204.
Towles led
Highlands running and passing the ball. Towles ran for 880 yards on 153 carries
and 18 touchdowns and completed 122-of-239 passes for 2,471 yards, 21
touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Jordan Streeter (590 yards) and Corey Compton
(465) complimented Towles in the backfield. He had plenty of solid receivers to
throw the ball to led by Daniel Gold’s 881 yards and nine touchdowns.
Bruns and
Carter New led the Highlands defense with five interceptions each. Ethan Bishop
had a team-high four fumble recoveries. The Bluebird defense recorded three
shutouts that year.
“It’s got to be the coaching,” Beiting said. “Week-in
and week-out, they’re up (in the office) until (Midnight) watching film, giving
us scouting reports and getting us ready to go. It just carries down
year-to-year to the next class.”
The
following year saw Highlands equal the state record with its fifth straight
state championship and 15-0 mark. The Bluebirds handled Franklin-Simpson, 42-14
for the 4A title.
The biggest
win that year came 34-29 at Cincinnati Elder. That marked the first-ever win
over the Panthers. Donovan McCoy played quarterback for Highlands in place of
the injured Towles and threw a late touchdown pass to David Christian to help
the Bluebirds to the win.
“It was pretty big for our class coming from our
freshman year,” said Drew Napier,
former Highlands player. “We lost to
Dixie Heights pretty bad. We just kept building as a team and once we did that,
we knew we hit a new milestone.”
Towles
earned the Mr. Kentucky Football Award that year. He completed 181-of-279
passes for 3,820 yards, 42 touchdowns and just one interception. Austin “Ozzie”
Sheehan led all receivers with 29 catches for 1,013 yards and eight touchdowns.
McCoy hauled in 36 catches for 723 yards and seven touchdowns. Towles, Zach
Harris and Jake True rushed for more than 500 yards each for Highlands that
year.
The
Bluebirds set a state record for most points in a season with 849. They allowed
just 191 points including four shutouts. New led Highlands with six
interceptions with several recording two fumble recoveries each.
McCoy moved
to quarterback and led Highlands to its sixth straight title. He rushed for
1,144 yards on 163 carries and 22 touchdowns with Harris rushing for 1,001
yards on 144 carries and 20 scores. Jaylen Hayes and Colin Seidl also made
things tough on opponents.
McCoy
completed 169-of-267 passes for 2,769 yards, 32 touchdowns and 13
interceptions. Luke Turner was his leading target with 42 catches for 843 yards
and eight touchdowns. Quentin Murray led Highlands with five interceptions and
younger brother Brady Murray had a team-high two fumble recoveries.
Highlands
shut out Collins, 47-0 in the 4A state championship game. Seth Hope had five quarterback
sacks in the contest with Trevor Kraft and Gabe Schultz recording one each.
Highlands
recorded its second shutout of the year outgaining the Titans, 476-173 in total
offense. The Bluebirds won the game without Mueller on the sideline because his
mother-in-law passed away in New York.
Collins
snapped the streak in last year’s title game. The Titans scored on fourth down
with seven seconds left to win the 4A title, 37-34 last year. But the Bluebird
players continue to reach out to younger players in Fort Thomas. That have a
camp in the summer.
“Our players have always been great role models for
the younger players,” Mueller said. “We believe that the four things that make
you a great high school football player ( trying hard, having a vision, being a
protector of others, and being an unselfish part of a team) are the same
qualities that will make you a successful man. By no means do you have to play
football to develop those qualities, but on the football team that was our
focus. We live in a community where people are raised with a great work ethic
and hard work pays off.”
The 100th
season of Highlands football starts on Aug. 29. The Bluebirds travel to
Campbell County for a 7 p.m. contest.
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