AllenR showed us their banner. It does have a regional and district champs on it. So.....

 

What's funny is I didn't even know they awarded district and region champs in football.

 

 

Really?

Because teams in NKY often wait weeks or seasons for them to lose to start the debate.

 

Actually most teams in NKY really don't care but it sure seems HHS fans seem to get defensive if their status is ever questioned.

 

Shoot a couple seemed to really get upset at the thought of the Fla team putting in some backups as if to say "How dare anyone play their #2s against us! We are Highlands by God"

Really?

 

Really what?

Really what?

 

You didn't know there are district and region champs in football? What does Highlands do? Throw the trophies away?

You didn't know there are district and region champs in football? What does Highlands do? Throw the trophies away?

 

I'm being serious as a heart attack. I know they call them district and region winners, but I just felt like it was a position on the state bracket. Kinda like on the NCAA tournament. Really just a milestone name. I had no idea they actually recognized it until someone on here talked about it a little while back.

I'm being serious as a heart attack. I know they call them district and region winners, but I just felt like it was a position on the state bracket. Kinda like on the NCAA tournament. Really just a milestone name. I had no idea they actually recognized it until someone on here talked about it a little while back.

 

We recognize them at Boyle County. Those trophies go in the trophy case with the rest.

You didn't know there are district and region champs in football? What does Highlands do? Throw the trophies away?

 

Once you get a good helping of State Runner-Up/Champ trophies, District & Regional trophies are just an appetizer. Who wants to clog the trophy case with those things?

We recognize them at Boyle County. Those trophies go in the trophy case with the rest.

 

I'm sure they have them, but I honestly can't say I've ever seen them. And AllenR took that side by side pic our our banner and SK and they are not on there.

I'm being serious as a heart attack. I know they call them district and region winners, but I just felt like it was a position on the state bracket. Kinda like on the NCAA tournament. Really just a milestone name. I had no idea they actually recognized it until someone on here talked about it a little while back.

Yes there are trophies for regional champs, and district champs, semi and state runner up. Highlands has theirs all safely tucked away.:thumb:

Once you get a good helping of State Runner-Up/Champ trophies, District & Regional trophies are just an appetizer. Who wants to clog the trophy case with those things?

Okay.

Actually most teams in NKY really don't care but it sure seems HHS fans seem to get defensive if their status is ever questioned.

 

Shoot a couple seemed to really get upset at the thought of the Fla team putting in some backups as if to say "How dare anyone play their #2s against us! We are Highlands by God"

 

No , you have it wrong. The problem is that people LIKE YOU don't attend the game in person and think the only way Highlands can make a come back is by the other teams have their two's playing. That wasn't the case today. Apparently you weren't at the game either. In this case two wrongs don't make a right. Your one of the many fans that irritate me, you go strictly by scores and what other people are saying that WERE NOT THERE, to base your opinion. Your football knowledge and credibility is zero in my books. Maybe you and the other poster that wasn't there can come up with something new. I was at the game and got plenty of positive feedback from two fathers of the other teams players. They were starters and played the entire game. I actually felt weird asking these total strangers if there ones were still in the game. I knew I had to because I knew it wouldn't take long to show up on BGP. Only took 6 posts and the very first post of this new BGP member. Welcome to BGP!

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter

The Highlands Bluebirds hoped to use that same home advantage that has helped them over the years. They entered Saturday’s game with a sparkling 59-1 record at David Cecil Memorial Stadium since the start of 2007.

But the Miami (Fla.) Christopher Columbus Explorers became the second team to win there during that time with a 38-34 victory. The other loss came 38-24 to Cincinnati Elder on Oct. 19, 2012. The Bluebirds have not lost to a Kentucky team at home since Covington Catholic did it by a 29-27 on Oct. 27, 2006 when Kurt Bovard caught a last-second touchdown pass.

“The ultimate goal is to get better every week,” said Brian Weinrich, Highlands Head Coach. “In the first half, we weren’t better than we were last week. By the end of the game, I think we got better at some stuff. Some guys stepped up on offense and defense. We had a lot of injuries coming into the game. The ultimate thing is to get ready for the playoffs. If we step on the field, we want to win the game.”

The Explorers flew to Northern Kentucky unlike University Christian of Jacksonville, which rode up on busses last year. The Bluebirds had not played anyone outside Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana before University Christian came to Fort Thomas last year. The distance between Christopher Columbus and Highlands High schools is 1,138 miles. That is the furthest any team has even traveled to Fort Thomas to play a game.

Explorer Head Coach and former Indiana University safety Chris Merritt had been wanting to bring the Explorers to the Midwest for some time. The 1992 IU grad is from Bloomington (Ind.). He took the players to see the Greater Catholic League battle between Cincinnati LaSalle and St. Xavier on Friday that the Bombers won 24-21.

Both teams hope to use this game for experience in the playoffs. Christopher Columbus still has to qualify for the largest Class 8A playoffs having gone 2-0 in the six-team District 14-8A so far while Highlands automatically qualifies in 4A. The top two teams in each of 8A’s 16 districts make the playoffs in Florida. Merritt said the Explorers would have to go on the road in tough environments in the third and fourth rounds.

“We are the Highlands High School of Dade County. We have similar demographics with our kids,” Merritt said. “We have maybe some more athletic kids. They’re very disciplined. That’s what we bank our success off in Dade County. We are the underdog team constantly. That’s the reason that part of the country is what it is when it comes to college recruiting and the NFL players they have down there.”

A number of the Explorers had not been on a plan before. Christopher Columbus offensive guard Matthew Deville said he chewed gum as the plan rose into the air to alleviate the air pressure.

“At first, it was a little nerve-racking,” Deville said. “As the plane took off and we were in the air, it was quite calm and soothing. As we got here, it was nice landing here in a different environment. It was a good change in scenery from Miami.”

Christopher Columbus quarterback Tucker Beirne had previously played in cold weather. He recently moved from Colorado to Miami. Beirne said his teammates were concerned the game might be played in 30-degree weather. But it turned out to be a nice day in the 60s.

Beirne faced Highlands quarterback Beau Hoge in an all-star game in Canton (Ohio) in 2011. They both wear number 7.

“When that much time passes away and you come back and play someone you’ve spent some time with, that’s kind of a cool opportunity that not many people get to do,” Beirne said. “(The Bluebirds) are amazing. There’s a reason they have 22 state championships and are the second-winningest program in (the country). But we play a little bit of a different brand of football down there. It’s a little bit faster and bigger. South Florida has the most (NCAA) Division I recruits of anywhere and it shows. For me, it was like playing back (in Colorado). It was good to play in the cold again.”

It is obviously not cheap to fly. But Merritt said the Explorers had some help from benefactors and did some fund raising.

“I wasn’t telling nine, 10 kids they couldn’t go on a trip,” Merritt said. “I didn’t tell my president (Brother Kevin Handibode) that yet. We’re going to take the win, go home, get him in a good mood and maybe I’ll take him out to dinner and say we went about $5,000 over budget.”

Bouncing Back:

The Bluebirds are still 106-6 since the start of 2007. They have not lost consecutive games since dropping two in a row to Cincinnati Elder and Louisville St. Xavier On Sept. 1 and 9, 2006 respectively.

Highlands has won the next contest following a loss with wins by an average of 30 points. The Bluebirds edged Warren Central, 71-69 to finish last season after dropping a tough 30-27 contest at Cincinnati Elder.

The Bluebirds hope to do it playing more like they did in the second half. They outscored Christopher Columbus, 27-10 in that half.

“I hope we keep playing with the intensity we did. It would have been easy just to give up being down 28-7,” said Shelby Jones, Highlands Defensive Coordinator. “But we kept fighting and that’s what we ask of our guys. I’m not taking anything away from (the Explorers). They’re going to win a lot of games. They’re big and physical.”

Injury Report:

Highlands had some players go down in the game. Junior defensive lineman Tyler Robinson went down in the first half and came out in crutches in the second half.

Senior tight end Jack Telek hold out hope he might return despite a torn right anterior cruciated ligament. He’s been encouraging his teammates during that time.

Last unbeaten in 4A:

With the Highlands loss, Johnson Central remains the lone undefeated team in Class 4A. The Golden Eagles moved to 7-0 and 2-0 in District 8-4A action with a 42-0 blanking of Greenup County in Paintsville on Friday.

The Golden Eagles have two tough games remaining. They play host to Ashland Blazer on Oct. 24 and defending Class 3A state champion Belfry on Oct. 31.

 

FORT THOMAS MATTERS: Did the home-field advantage once again help Highlands?

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter

It is not often that the Highlands Bluebirds football team comes out flat.

But one of those rare times came Saturday. Class 4A’s top-ranked Bluebirds found themselves down 28-7 at halftime as a result. They rallied in the second half but fell 38-34 to the eighth-ranked Miami (Fla.) Christopher Columbus Explorers of Florida’s largest Class 8A, District 14. Both teams are 6-1 on the season.

“You have to come out ready to play,” said Brian Weinrich, Highlands Head Coach. “In the first half, we struggled executing. We knew against these guys coming into the game. There is no margin for error. You can’t miss your assignment and still have a successful play against a team like this. Once we calmed down and started executing, some things happened.”

The Explorers outgained the Bluebirds 465-415 in total offense. Highlands ran 75 plays to 65 for Christopher Columbus. But the Explorers had 23 first downs to 18 for the Bluebirds.

Christopher Columbus used its size advantage along the trenches to build the halftime lead. The Explorers gained 217 yards rushing on 42 carries pounding the ball behind the likes of offensive linemen such as Bryce Handy, Kevin Housholder, Kyle Mann and Danny Fernandez.

Andres Fernandez and Ivan Smith did most of the damage for the Explorers. Andres Fernandez had 119 yards on 17 carries and Smith ran for 61 yards on 13 attempts.

“I’ll be honest with you. From the film we had, we had no idea we had a size advantage until the first quarter,” said Chris Merritt, Christopher Columbus Head Coach. “They were very sound. We picked our spots. We found where we had the mismatch and we tried to attack it. They made their adjustments too. They played different fronts.”

The Bluebirds entered the game averaging 42.7 points per game. They’d scored in the 40s every game except the season-opening 23-16 win at Campbell County.

Highlands quarterback Beau Hoge got banged up in the first half. But he came out in the second half and completed 24-of-38 passes for 330 yards, four touchdowns and one interception.

Alex Veneman had another monster game for the Bluebirds. He had seven catches for 133 yards. Nick Kendall followed with six catches for 54 yards and Justin Weyer had five for 73. Teammate Cashel Coughlin grabbed four catches for 34 yards and Chandler New had three for 43 yards.

“In the second half, we executed better,” said Eric Miller, Highlands junior wide receiver. “We have to play more like the second half than the first half and build from there.”

Highlands only rushed for 71 yards on 31 carries. The Bluebirds struggled against the Christopher Columbus 4-3 defense.

The Bluebirds put the clamps down on the Explorers defensively in the second half. They did not allow an offensive touchdown in that half. Bluebird Defensive Coordinator Shelby Jones said the difference was lining up right.

“We had to make some adjustments defensively and scheme-wise to put our better players on the field this week,” Jones said. “The most important thing is we kept fighting and kept playing. Early on, we gave up some stuff but we seemed to be figuring it out as we went along. Sometimes, you bury yourself to far and you can’t get back.”

Like Highlands, Christopher Columbus is a two-platoon team and runs a balanced spread offense. Quarterback Tucker Beirne compleed 17-of-23 passes for 248 yards and two touchdowns.

Jerron Rollins led Christopher Columbus with six catches for 65 yards and Austin Maloney had four for 89 yards. Fullback JP Wassman added four catches for 65 yards.

“Their guys were superior athletically to anyone we played. I felt like I was at a college game,” Weinrich said. “It was a great experience for our guys. But we have to win those.”

Penalties allowed Highlands to get back in the game. The Bluebirds scored 27 points in the fourth quarter. The Explorers had 12 for 105 yards and the Bluebirds had just seven for 45 yards.

Christopher Columbus came out running the ball. The Explorers scored just 2:20 into the game. Smith finished off the drive that started at the Highlands 36 after a long Maloney kickoff return with a 1-yard run.

Highlands tied the game later in the quarter. Veneman ran the deep route and Hoge found him for the 47-yard touchdown with 3:31 left in the quarter.

But the Explorers scored 21 unanswered in the second. It started when Beirne found Rollins for a 1-yard strike just four seconds into the quarter. He then found Nick Hernandez for an 11-yard touchdown with 4:14 left in the half.

The Explorers regained the ball with 3:14 left from their 46. That’s when Andres Fernandez ran it in from a yard out.

Christopher Columbus extended the margin to 31-7 with 2:06 left in the third quarter as both offenses struggled. Joseph Toigyesi hit a 23-yard field goal.

“The defense came out and played big in the first half,” Merritt said. “We knew they’re a very potent offense so we knew we had to build the lead. We also knew they were also going to come back. We unfortunately didn’t match up there, but we were lucky to get the win.”

Hoge found the end zone on a sweep right with 11:57 left in the game. But Christopher Columbus responded when Joshua Jobe returned the kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown. The Explorers led 38-14 at that point.

But with 10:22, Highlands got that quick score. Hoge found Kendall open in the right flat and he broke a few tackles on his way to a 36-yard score.

The Bluebirds trimmed it to 10 at 38-28 with 6:47 left. Veneman again burned the Explorer defense for a 44-yard touchdown.

After not converting a fourth down following a recovered onside kick, Highlands scored with 18 seconds left. Hoge hit New wide open in the back of the end zone for a 13-yard score. The final score came after the Explorers blocked the extra-point attempt.

Highlands recorded one more turnover as Patrick Schoepf and John Abner recorded fumbles and Rocco Pangallo picked off a Beirne pass. The Bluebirds threw two interceptions.

Highlands will try to wrap up its 18th district championship in 19 years on Friday. The Bluebirds travel to Covington Holmes for a 7 p.m. game.

 

FORT THOMAS MATTERS: Who won the showdown between state-ranked Kentucky, Florida opponents?

Actually most teams in NKY really don't care but it sure seems HHS fans seem to get defensive if their status is ever questioned.

 

Shoot a couple seemed to really get upset at the thought of the Fla team putting in some backups as if to say "How dare anyone play their #2s against us! We are Highlands by God"

 

No , you have it wrong. The problem is that people LIKE YOU don't attend the game in person and think the only way Highlands can make a come back is by the other teams have their two's playing. That wasn't the case today. Apparently you weren't at the game either. In this case two wrongs don't make a right. Your one of the many fans that irritate me, you go strictly by scores and what other people are saying that WERE NOT THERE, to base your opinion. Your football knowledge and credibility is zero in my books. Maybe you and the other poster that wasn't there can come up with something new. I was at the game and got plenty of positive feedback from two fathers of the other teams players. They were starters and played the entire game. I actually felt weird asking these total strangers if there ones were still in the game. I knew I had to because I knew it wouldn't take long to show up on BGP. Only took 6 posts and the very first post of this new BGP member. Welcome to BGP!

 

I have never seen Highlands play in person. They have been a juggernaut for years in KY football. All props in the world to them.

 

With that being said, Jail Bird, you just made Hellbird's point for him.

Actually most teams in NKY really don't care but it sure seems HHS fans seem to get defensive if their status is ever questioned.

 

Shoot a couple seemed to really get upset at the thought of the Fla team putting in some backups as if to say "How dare anyone play their #2s against us! We are Highlands by God"

 

Come on HB, you do the exact same thing with Cooper. In fact most fans on here do.