Highlands to Retire Jared Lorenzen's #22 and the UK Marching Band Visits Fort Thomas

“The UK Marching Band will perform in Fort Thomas at the same football game in which Highlands High School retires former QB Jared Lorenzen’s jersey number.”

Fort Thomas Independent Schools have announced that the University of Kentucky Marching Band will perform this season at the Highlands High School varsity football game on Friday, October 4th against Conner.  Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

The evening’s festivities in Fort Thomas will also include the jersey retirement for former Highlands quarterback Jared Lorenzen, who earned distinction as the Mr. Kentucky football award winner in 1998. He’ll be inducted into the Highlands Athletics Hall of Fame this fall in his first year of eligibility.

Orangetheory Fitness, Newport Pavilion. 

“Highlands High School is proud to honor Jared Lorenzen and his family by retiring his iconic #22 football jersey,” said Kevin Nieporte, Athletic Director at Highlands.  “We are proud to have had the privilege of watching him play and calling him a friend.  He will forever be a Bluebird.”

The Wildcat Band, also known as Kentucky’s College Marching Band, realizes that not everybody has the opportunity to watch their performances at UK’s home football games in Lexington so they like to “take the show on the road” and travel across the commonwealth to share their talents with audiences throughout Kentucky whenever possible.

While in Fort Thomas, the group plans to collaborate with Highlands band students, perform renditions of the “Star Spangled Banner" and “My Old Kentucky Home”, and inject energy into David M. Cecil Memorial Stadium with the other music they will play.

“Performing at Highlands is a wonderful opportunity for the tremendous Highlands Marching Band to see what’s possible for them after graduation,” said Dana Biggs, UK’s Director of Athletic Bands.  “College marching band is an experience like nothing else.  It gives students that love being in a band the chance to perform on a huge stage.”

The night promises to be special because it blends so many of Jared Lorenzen’s passions into one setting:  football, family and friends, the University of Kentucky, his beloved Highlands Bluebirds and the Fort Thomas community.

After graduating from Highlands in 1999, Lorenzen starred at quarterback for the University of Kentucky Wildcats and ranks 8th all-time in career passing yards (10,354) in the SEC.  Lorenzen also won a Super Bowl ring in the NFL as a backup to Eli Manning with the New York Giants.

Lorenzen was 38 years old when he died on July 3, 2019.