Basketball season for 2013/2014 should provide another exciting year. What should we expect from Highlands? Remember, please be constructive.

Basketball season for 2013/2014 should provide another exciting year. What should we expect from Highlands? Remember, please be constructive.

 

Ahhh, something I like to talk about!!

 

They will be good this year. However, they are young and not as deep as last year. I believe they will only have one senior and I don't expect her to start, but she will contribute. They are very athletic and filled with girls with a ton of AAU experience.

 

They should be able to get after you on defense and pick up where last year's team (and maybe even more pressure) left off. They lose size to graduation, but that will be replaced with young speed! You will have to be ready to be guarded all over the court and protect the ball. They will be coming after you with speed and athleticism!

 

Personally, I think they will struggle a little on offense until they learn to live without the senior scorers they had last year. That showed a little over the summer. However, they also showed they can all handle the ball and shoot it well at times. If they can spread you out and become consistent shooters, I would not want to play them in the region! I don't expect them to be able to consistently play with the big teams in the region and I think it's a year where they will surprise someone on one night and then drop a game they shouldn't the next! Next year, they should be a legit contender again.

 

They will be very entertaining to watch (and I'm sure frustrating at times too). I would put them anywhere from 4th to 8th in the preseason in NKY.

Your first game out of the gate should be an exciting one because Sacred Heart will be a very quick and fast team as well.

Who will the Birds have to play in the post this year? Did not see many games other than the Varsity and they lost a lot of size in Schaefer and Daley. They have many kids with varsity experience which is a good thing to have, they just need some kids to step up and be leaders on and off the court.

Your first game out of the gate should be an exciting one because Sacred Heart will be a very quick and fast team as well.

 

They will be a challenge!!! We've played them the last two years and Ruffin is an absolute beast! We haven't slowed her down for the last two years, so I'm not sure what the game plan is this year!

Who will the Birds have to play in the post this year? Did not see many games other than the Varsity and they lost a lot of size in Schaefer and Daley. They have many kids with varsity experience which is a good thing to have, they just need some kids to step up and be leaders on and off the court.

 

They have a couple 6 footers, but I wouldn't consider them post players. I think they are fine defending the post, because they are long and athletic and this team swarms from all over. But I'm not sure how much scoring will be done with straight up post work (like Daley from last year). I would think most scoring in the paint would be from taking someone off the dribble and shooting or dishing. The one attribute they have that is strong is their top 6-7 can shoot, handle it and drive, even the big girl. So you will have to defend the entire half court all the time. Not saying they are world beaters by any means, just saying when shots are falling, they will be very difficult to guard because all of them can handle the ball and have experience. And their bigs are fast and long. They are just a much different team than last year. And if Coach plays to their strengths (which I have all the confidence she will), they will be fun and be able to compete. It should be fun for them as well...the style I'd see them playing. Get shots up!!!!

As rcc9 said, they will be fun and frustrating at the same time. They will need someone to step up as a leader and a go to. They will have a team where any of 5 could put up 20 or they all put up 10. It will be fun and I'm sure coach will have them ready and competitive.

They are a good post player away from being amazing

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter

It had been a while since they made it to the successful postseason level of last year’s team.

The Highlands Bluebirds girls basketball team finished 26-8 last year. That included its first 36th District championship since 2008 and a spot in the 9th Region title game at the Bank of Kentucky Center at Northern Kentucky University. Highlands beat opponents by an average of about 56-46.

Highlands won the most games in a season since veteran Head Coach Jaime Walz-Richey took over in 2002. The Bluebirds are 202-125 entering her 12th season as head coach.

The season ended with a 63-44 defeat to the eventual state runner-up and rival Notre Dame Pandas. But that marked the first time Highlands had been to the region championship game since 2002.

But Highlands graduated six seniors from that team. They are Leah Schaefer, Jesse “Dirt” Daley, Ava Abner, Vanessa Fisse, Emilie Parton and Kelsey Clark. Three are playing college sports at the next level. Schaefer (11 points, 6.5 rebounds) took her talents to nearby Xavier University and Daley (9.9 points, 4.9 rebounds) was to be playing at Thomas More, but may not because of a car accident over the summer. Abner is playing soccer at Arkansas State University.

“The returning girls want more (success),” Richey said. “Now it’s about getting them to understand the hard work needed to put into it. We lost a lot of seniors last year who provided a lot of leadership on and off the court. We’re still trying to find the person that will be the vocal leader on the court and who we can count on when we need points.”

The process starts with two returning sophomore starters in shooting guard Brianna Adler and point guard Haley Coffey. Adler averaged 9.3 points per game last year leading the team in three-pointers made making 55-of-141 for 39 percent.

Highlands shot well as a team last year. The Bluebirds made 657-of-1,580 shots for 41.6 percent, including 170-of-518 three-point attempts for 32.8 percent. They also made 433-of-635 free-throw tries for 68.2 percent and grabbed a total of 1,012 rebounds.

“We all have to step it up,” Adler said. “I think Haley and I have a lot of pressure just because we are returning varsity players and with us being sophomores, I think people expect a lot from us. We have to show them what to do in practice and show them if they’re doing something wrong.”

Highlands expects to pressure the ball all over the court this year. One player the team is counting on to pick things up this year is versatile junior guard/forward Lydia Graves.

“We’re going to have to play fast the whole time so we’re doing a lot of running to stay in shape,” Graves said. “That way we don’t take a play off.”

Junior Alex Combs could play inside or outside. She saw a lot of action in the paint last year along with sophomore McKenzie Leigh. Combs is the leading returning rebounder nabbing 116 last year for an average of 3.4 a game. Junior Kristyn Lukjan could also contribute in the post this year. The key there is staying out of foul trouble.

“I hear they’re going to call a lot of hand checks this year so I have to keep them in front of me and rely on help defense,” Combs said. “The main thing is talking. I’m also not going to get three fouls in the first half.”

Highlands also has a few other guards expected to contribute more on the varsity this year. They are senior Tomi Blanton and junior Whitney Quillen.

“It’s about getting better each day,” Richey said. “They have to push themselves to be in the best shape and know where they need to be at all times.”

Highlands opens the season on Dec. 3 at home against Louisville Sacred Heart. Game time is 7:30 p.m.

 

Fort Thomas Sports: HHS Girls Hoops Preview: Bluebirds working for success similar to last year

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter

It had been a while since they made it to the successful postseason level of last year’s team.

The Highlands Bluebirds girls basketball team finished 26-8 last year. That included its first 36th District championship since 2008 and a spot in the 9th Region title game at the Bank of Kentucky Center at Northern Kentucky University. Highlands beat opponents by an average of about 56-46.

Highlands won the most games in a season since veteran Head Coach Jaime Walz-Richey took over in 2002. The Bluebirds are 202-125 entering her 12th season as head coach.

The season ended with a 63-44 defeat to the eventual state runner-up and rival Notre Dame Pandas. But that marked the first time Highlands had been to the region championship game since 2002.

But Highlands graduated six seniors from that team. They are Leah Schaefer, Jesse “Dirt” Daley, Ava Abner, Vanessa Fisse, Emilie Parton and Kelsey Clark. Three are playing college sports at the next level. Schaefer (11 points, 6.5 rebounds) took her talents to nearby Xavier University and Daley (9.9 points, 4.9 rebounds) was to be playing at Thomas More, but may not because of a car accident over the summer. Abner is playing soccer at Arkansas State University.

“The returning girls want more (success),” Richey said. “Now it’s about getting them to understand the hard work needed to put into it. We lost a lot of seniors last year who provided a lot of leadership on and off the court. We’re still trying to find the person that will be the vocal leader on the court and who we can count on when we need points.”

The process starts with two returning sophomore starters in shooting guard Brianna Adler and point guard Haley Coffey. Adler averaged 9.3 points per game last year leading the team in three-pointers made making 55-of-141 for 39 percent.

Highlands shot well as a team last year. The Bluebirds made 657-of-1,580 shots for 41.6 percent, including 170-of-518 three-point attempts for 32.8 percent. They also made 433-of-635 free-throw tries for 68.2 percent and grabbed a total of 1,012 rebounds.

“We all have to step it up,” Adler said. “I think Haley and I have a lot of pressure just because we are returning varsity players and with us being sophomores, I think people expect a lot from us. We have to show them what to do in practice and show them if they’re doing something wrong.”

Highlands expects to pressure the ball all over the court this year. One player the team is counting on to pick things up this year is versatile junior guard/forward Lydia Graves.

“We’re going to have to play fast the whole time so we’re doing a lot of running to stay in shape,” Graves said. “That way we don’t take a play off.”

Junior Alex Combs could play inside or outside. She saw a lot of action in the paint last year along with sophomore McKenzie Leigh. Combs is the leading returning rebounder nabbing 116 last year for an average of 3.4 a game. Junior Kristyn Lukjan could also contribute in the post this year. The key there is staying out of foul trouble.

“I hear they’re going to call a lot of hand checks this year so I have to keep them in front of me and rely on help defense,” Combs said. “The main thing is talking. I’m also not going to get three fouls in the first half.”

Highlands also has a few other guards expected to contribute more on the varsity this year. They are senior Tomi Blanton and junior Whitney Quillen.

“It’s about getting better each day,” Richey said. “They have to push themselves to be in the best shape and know where they need to be at all times.”

Highlands opens the season on Dec. 3 at home against Louisville Sacred Heart. Game time is 7:30 p.m.

Fort Thomas Sports: HHS Girls Hoops Preview: Bluebirds working for success similar to last year

 

Highlands will have their work cut out for them opening with Sacred Heart. In SHA's first two scrimmages Ruffin and Merriweather were difficult to defend and scored many of their points in the paint. Merriweather looked in really good form coming back from a knee injury last year suffered in December. SHA should match up well with the bluebirds quickness with some speed and quickness of their own. Should be fun to watch right out of the gate.