Congratulations to the Highlands Bluebirds. This was a great game to watch and a world class goal by Harrison Gamble. 
 

I’ll let @FrankNicodemus give the game review. Proud of my Cougars for the season they had. 

Well this game felt like a 15 round heavyweight boxing match.  It was just such a fun physical game, how a Varsity soccer match should be played.  I loved every second of it.  Going into this match with our leading assist leader Luis McVicker out with an injury sustained in the first round game vs Beechwood, once again Highlands would have to find a way to win with one of their key contributors in street clothes on the sideline.

Shockingly in the first half I felt like Highlands really controlled possession and was the aggressor attacking Conner's defensive third.  Amazingly, 14 minutes into the game the lone goal was created by Harrison Gamble dribbling right in front of Conner's bench around 35 yards out peaks up sees Conner's goalie maybe playing a little high in the box and Harrison takes a chance and blasts just a perfectly placed shot that sails over the keepers hand into the back of the net. WOW!  Video to come...  

Highlands actually had a great opportunity to add on another very important goal to go up 2-0 getting an infraction called on Conner in the box....couldn't tell if it was a handball or a slight push when Harrison was going thru the box about ready to receive a pass.  Gamble tried to convert the PK but Keeper Wagner was able to dive to his left to keep the score 1-0, ugh!  I knew goals were going to be tough to come by this evening and leaving one on the pitch was a hard pill to swallow.  I thought if we got up 2-0 with our defense I was going to feel really confident that this was the Birds night, instead being 1-0 I knew we were going to need to battle for the next 60 minutes to pull this one out.

Sure enough I felt like Conner gained some momentum at the end of the half really putting some pressure on the Birds backline and Sam Lang in goal.  Going into this match we new Conner's success rate on set pieces were extremely high so every corner kick or free kick right outside the box I was on the edge of my seat.  Luckily, every time it was denied..... Many deep breathes were made....

Moving onto the 2nd half it was more of the same.  Conner really pressing out of the gate.  They made several attacks that just came inches away from equalizing the score.  Posts were hit, shots were slightly off the mark, Lang diving all over the place getting just enough of his hands on the ball to direct the ball just enough to keep the ball from going into the goal.  There were a few times Sam seemed extremely banged up, but each time he dusted himself off and stood up and fought thru all the pain he was experiencing to keep fighting, a true Senior leader and Captain of this group.

There was one other chance I thought Highlands was going to get a gift of a chance to add onto the lead.  The ref called a foul right at the top of the box.  To be honest it was a pretty soft weak call but it was called nonetheless, it was at least a yard inside the box....BUT the ref put it inches outside the box for the kick denying the opportunity for another PK try for the Birds...Unfortunately, the Birds couldn't capitalize on that free kick.

I would say around the 10 minute mark you heard Suli direct the team to play heavy on defense and that's exactly what they did to play this game out.  It was like a wall of at least 6 or 7 guys just keeping Conner's attackers at bay and clearing the ball up the field and Conner then trying again to penetrate the "prevent" defense tactic the Birds were employing at the end.  We were holding our breath counting down the minutes which seemed to be taking abnormally longer than usual.

Finally, the horn blew and the Birds miraculously did it!  Expect the Unexpected they DID! 

What a game, that each team left everything they had on the pitch...Hats off to @kyag your Conner Cougars had one heck of a season!  To come out of your District (probably the best District in NKY), get your first Regional tournament win since 2008.  The future is mighty bright for the Cougars. 

Up next for the Birds:  A Saturday matinee (4pm at Dixie High School) against the Birds lovely rival, the Colonels of Cov Cath.  Who advance by knocking off Ryle in the other Semifinal game 4-2.  The Birds played Cov Cath extremely well down at Newport High School back on Sept 19th.  I felt like that was one of the best Highlands looked all season in that game.  They had a 1-0 lead pretty much the whole game until just an unfortunate foul in the box that Cov Cath was granted a PK that they capitalized on to tie the game in the final minutes.

 

 

Every time Sam Lang made a heroic save in the box that more times than not was met with some physical pain by getting hit by either a Conner attacker or just landing hard on the ground, I could only think about this guy barely standing at the plate and doing something that shouldn't have been done.  I might be biased but maybe the best goalie in NKY.  Love it!