Wondering peoples opinions on who the next girls soccer coach at Highlands will be. This team is loaded with talent for the next several years so someone is going to inherit a good team.

 

Brian Wiefering??

Stephanie Graves??

Any Others??

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter

There will be some new faces leading Highlands Ladybirds programs this fall.

Tommy Kearns and Whitney Mulroney recently resigned their positions as head coaches of the Highlands girls soccer and volleyball programs respectively. Kearns and Mulroney led the programs for five years both taking over in 2009.

Kearns resigned because of an increased workload at Fidelity and Mulroney and husband Kevin, a former Highlands football player, are expecting their first child in the fall.

The volleyball position has been filled. Kaitlyn Sallee was named the new head coach last week.

“I definitely think it will help because she knows what she’s doing,” said Kaitlin Hall, Highlands rising senior setter. “She’s had that whole experience of playing and coaching in college (at Morehead State) so it will take us a step further than we already were.”

Sallee takes over a program that’s gone 13-23 in each of the past two years. The last winning season for the Ladybirds came at 22-20 in 2010. Highlands graduated just Abby Schweitzer and Mallory Seidel from that team made of mostly sophomores. Sallee and staff can build around Hall and middle blocker Jessica Ginter.

“I want to say that me leaving Highlands was the hardest decision I have ever had to make,” Mulroney said. “I love Highlands and all of the girls I ever coached there, but this decision was based on my needs for my family and the new baby on the way. Highlands will forever by my home and I am still and always will be a true Bluebird. Highlands will always have a special place in my heart and I will continue to support the school, all athletics and the volleyball team.”

The Ladybirds finished 72-105 under Mulroney. They won the 36th District championship in 2012 and finished 10th Region runner-up in 2010. Mulroney coached at Bishop Brossart before coming to Highlands.

“The most joyful thing for me coaching at Highlands was the players,” Mulroney said. “I had some incredible girls come through the program and I am so blessed I was a part of their lives and their families. Watching the girls grow into athletes was absolutely amazing, but watching them grow into young, successful women made me beyond proud.”

Kearns’ wife and former Highlands Head Coach Nina Kearns also resigned her assistant position leaving just assistant Brian Wiefring on staff. Nina Kearns led the Ladybirds for nine years guiding the Ladybirds to state championships in 2005 and 2006 and a runner-up finish in 2008. The couple has two boys and a girl.

“Everybody liked Tommy. He was a really good coach,” said Lydia Graves, rising Highlands senior. “He’s a really nice guy. We were shocked that he and Nina decided to resign at the same time. Nobody knows what we’re going to do or who the new coach is going to be.”

The Ladybirds finished 43-43-13 under Tommy Kearns’ guidance with four district championships and a region championship in 2010. Highlands finished 8-8-5 this past year losing 3-0 to eventual state champion Notre Dame in the 9th Region championship game. The Pandas did not allow a goal the entire postseason.

“I really appreciate the job that both Tommy and Nina have done for a number of years,” said Dale Mueller, Highlands Director of Athletics. “The job and family situation is forcing them to stop coaching. But I appreciate the experience they’ve given to so many of our girls.”

Mueller noted a number of people have applied for the job. He said the school hopes to name the new head coach before school lets out for the summer. June 5 is the last day for students.

“Our girls are working out all year long in some way, shape or form,” Mueller said. “So the sooner we can name the coach, the better. The girls are interested in being a great team. It is a great situation to be in.”

Lydia Graves said some of the players have reached out to former assistant Stephanie Graves. Coach Graves helped out until a few years ago. The former Stephanie Sandfoss is the school’s all-time scoring leader with 167 career points.

The new head coach will be working with a good core of experienced players. That includes rising seniors Taylor Vaughn, Peyton Bankemper, Allyson Bridewell and rising junior Brooklynn Rivers.

 

Fort Thomas Sports: Coaching changes and solid state performances take place at Highlands

Sara McSorley.

Sara McSorley.

 

Where did you get that? I know that, as of yesterday, there were only 2 candidates. Interviews were to start today. She was not one of them.

Where did you get that? I know that, as of yesterday, there were only 2 candidates. Interviews were to start today. She was not one of them.

 

Sounds like wishful thinking to me...

Wondering peoples opinions on who the next girls soccer coach at Highlands will be. This team is loaded with talent for the next several years so someone is going to inherit a good team.

 

Brian Wiefering??

Stephanie Graves??

Any Others??

 

Heard the next coach is Brian. Good guy! Has a lot of talent coming up. If it is...Best of luck to him and the Lady Birds!!

Heard the next coach is Brian. Good guy! Has a lot of talent coming up. If it is...Best of luck to him and the Lady Birds!!

 

Confirmed

Good luck to Coach Wiefering and the Lady Birds!

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter

The new head coach of the Highlands Ladybirds soccer program is not afraid of high expectations.

There was a time when the Blue and White sat near the top of the state of Kentucky and Brian Wiefering wants to see those days return quickly. Wiefering held his first team meeting Monday after being named the new head coach last week.

“I’m looking forward to a great season,” Wiefering said. “The goals up front are going to be state championship. People are saying (Highlands) has some good players coming up through the pipeline in five or six years. But at the same time, we have good players now. I hope the girls expect to go undefeated. People say, ‘Soccer is a funny game. How can you expect that?’ That’s the way I’ve always played and coached. If you don’t, you learn from it. It’s going to be a challenge for these girls. We’ll see.”

Wiefering, a 1991 Highlands graduate, had been an assistant under Tommy Kearns the past three years. He played at Highlands before going into coaching. He was named the 2013 Club Soccer Coach of the Year by the Kentucky Soccer Association.

“Having the opportunity to coach at the school I went to, played for and coached the past three years is extremely exciting,” Wiefring said. “I couldn’t ask for more. Right when the opportunity rose, I called Tommy (Kearns) to get his thoughts. From there, it didn’t take me long to put my name in the pot.”

Kearns resigned because of an increased workload responsibility at Fidelity. His wife Nina also resigned her assistant coach position. This will mark the first time neither will be on the sidelines at Tower Park since 1997.

“I think some of us expected it and some of us didn’t expect it,” said Brooke Dougherty, rising Highlands senior defender. “I think there will be a lot of changes going from Tommy and Nina’s perspective to Brian Wiefering’s perspective. But I think we’re excited to see how the season will go. I think we have a lot of talent. We had a meeting (Monday) and he planned out the season. We’re excited to see how far we go and I think he will be able to work with the talent we have.”

Highlands dominated the soccer scene between 2005 and 2008 winning the state championship in 2005 and 2006 before finishing state runner-up in 2008. The Ladybirds last won a region crown in 2010. They finished 43-43-13 under Tommy Kearns.

“I don’t think I met two people that cared for the girls as much as Tommy and Nina. That to me is awesome,” Wiefering said. “I’ve coached club (soccer) for many years. I was the same way with the girls I’ve coached. The girls came first in not only their development as soccer players, but as people.”

Wiefering said he learned a huge lesson watching Nina Kearns this past year. She resigned the head coaching position in 2008 to spend more time with the couples’ three children.

“The first one-fourth of the year, the girls were afraid of (Nina Kearns) because she demanded respect,” Wiefering said. “That fear turned into respect then really turned into, ‘We’re going to play hard because we want to do this for our coach.’ I thought that was awesome.”

Highlands finished 8-8-5 last year winning the 36th District championship. The Ladybirds lost 3-0 to eventual state champion Notre Dame in the 9th Region title game. That team graduated eight seniors but will return a good core. That includes rising seniors Taylor Vaughn, Peyton Bankemper, Allyson Bridewell and rising junior Brooklynn Rivers.

“I think as seniors we all tend to get along,” Dougherty said. “We all have a good idea of what we want out of this season. We have a common goal we want to achieve. I think if we go into it focused every practice and every game, Mr. Wiefering said we’ll be fine.”

Wiefering said he plans to run a 4-3-3 (defender-midfielder-forward) scheme. He said it is a 4-2-3-1 scheme in reality.

“The reason it works so well is I’ve had the philosophy that if you control the middle of the field, you should come out ahead,” Wiefering said. “Having three midfielders should beat the 4-4-2 where there’s only two midfielders.”

Another key to success is team chemistry. Wiefering has experience raising teen-aged girls. Wiefering and his wife Heidi have four daughters.

“I have to get to know these girls,” Wiefring said. “But at the same time, I’ve raised my girls to be a certain way. That is to be tough, confident and independent. That confidence means if there is something on your mind or something is not right, you need confidence to have a conversation with peers such as your parents or teacher. That’s what I want to see. But I also know every girls needs to be coached a little different. You can get on one girl hard and she’ll respond to that well. If you do that to another girl, she’s going to shut down on you.”

Highlands did beat the eventual state champion Pandas this past year, 2-1 in the annual Lexington Catholic Cup. That was the first time Highlands beat Notre Dame since the 2010 regional title game. That marked the third title in school history. Notre Dame did not allow a goal in the postseason.

“They are definitely always going to be a strong team,” Wiefering said of the Pandas. “They always have six-plus girls come from the very elite level (club teams). Highlands doesn’t have that because they are involved in more than one activity, which is fine. We’ll have to have very, very focused practices where we are finding girls that are disciplined enough to think their non-dominant foot is technically as capable as their dominant foot. We have to find girls who want to play 90 minutes in a high-paced pressure-type game. Notre Dame is so good that just being fast and athletic is not going to do the job.”

Wiefering said he has not hired any assistants yet. Former Highlands player Kristen Pratt-Gerrein helped out the team in 2012.

 

Fort Thomas Sports: Wiefering wants to lead Ladybirds back to top