Highlands 3 Covington Catholic 2 (9th Region Round 1)

[Runcible Owl]

🔵 Final at Park Hills per the update thread. Congratulations Bluebirds!

🔗 bluegrasspreps.com/Highlands-vs-Covington-Catholic-predictionsupdates

16th ranked Highlands (12-5-2) advances to the semis vs. #5 Ryle, Thursday at Boone County. 

Cov Cath (#13) closes out at 13-6-4.

[FrankNicodemus]

I’m speechless! What a day, what a night! That might have been the best comeback win I have witnessed in 25 years! Those Birds had no quit. Just like @kyagstated after the Colonels went up 2-0 they seemed complacent all of a sudden, or maybe the Birds just got there legs underneath them and started playing their game.

Like I said you could just feel like the Birds were a ticking time bomb ready to go off at the end of the first half. Finally the Birds broke thru in the 2nd with not just 1 but 2 gutsy bum rushes into the goal! It didn’t look pretty but it got the job done. 
 

Then I started getting twitches that we were going to go into the dreaded OT and maybe PKs…. 
 

With 5 minutes left in the game a rainbow type of a throw in came into the box where Zach DeSylva connected with a backwards header that somehow looped over the goalkeeper’s hands. I truly don’t think Cov Cath realized what had just happened when the ball hit the back of the net.

Unbelievable! I’m going to enjoy this for around 12 hours then onto NDA goes Frank!!

PS. thanks to @The Double Deuce for believing in the Birds with me!

A nice cold one hasn’t tasted this good!!!

Good night! Talk to you all tomorrow!

[The Double Deuce]

Enjoy it Frank!

 

[FrankNicodemus]

You know I wake up this morning still in awe of the win last night.  It can't be stated enough how a simple in game adjustment Suli made that just changed the feeling in the game.  He moved Dom Mills from the back line to the outside wing, moved Tyler Whitney from outside wing to a Center Mid position.  One domino chess move and the rest is history....other than a minor break for Harrison Gamble (for cramps), he rode that lineup for the rest of the game and it paid big dividends at the end.

Once again "let's GO BIRDS!!!"

[OutOfNeccessity]

I have to say that Highlands did not give up. Going out of the first half, you could see the desperation in their final few minutes. Absolute credit to their Coach for making the adjustments needed.

As for CCH, they looked to be the better team on the field for about 60 minutes. I am baffled by the fact that their coaching staff did not adjust at all. Other than two late substitutions their formation remained rigid, leaving their midfield completely open to an attacking Highlands assault. As Highlands was mounting a counter offensive steadily closing the gap, CCH maintained 5 men up front where their wingers had to cover areas the midfield was absent from.

At the end of the day, what matters is how many balls end up in the back of the net. While none of them were pretty, (and I question the second goal after seeing the video on Twitter) they counted and the Birds move ahead. Cudos to both teams on an exciting match. And credit due to the Highlands coaching staff for reading the game, making adjustments and inspiring his team. More of that is needed in this region.