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By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters NEWPORT – The Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds football team did not figure to have much trouble with the visitors to open the Class 2A playoffs. That proved to be the case in a 47-14 rout of the Owen County Rebels on Saturday afternoon at Newport Stadium. The defending 2A state champions have not lost in the first or second round of the playoffs since 1999. The Thoroughbreds led 47-0 at halftime and enforced the running clock in the second quarter. The teams agreed to play eight-minute quarters with the running clock in the second half. NewCath (7-4) has won six in a row. “We just took care of what we wanted to do,” said Dan Wagner, NewCath Head Coach. “We took care of our business and played the way we wanted to starting out. We were hoping to get some (younger) kids in and we did.” NewCath outgained Owen County (2-9), 204-152 in total offense. The Thoroughbreds held the Rebels to just 15 yards in the first half. NewCath doubled up Owen County, 8-4 in first downs. NewCath ran the ball 24 times for 149 yards and completed all four passes for 55 yards. Jacob Smith rushed for 85 yards on eight carries for NewCath and Mac Franzen completed both passes for 35 yards. Brandon Gray had a 19-yard reception for the longest of NewCath’s pass plays. Tanner Smith completed 7-of-20 passes for 167 yards for the Rebels. All seven went to Logan Webster. Owen County scored one touchdown in each of the final two quarters. Logan Lowe had a 6-yard touchdown run in the third quarter and Smith hit Webster for a 60-yard bomb in the fourth quarter. The Thoroughbreds led 34-0 after the first quarter. Smith had touchdown runs of eight and four yards with Kalvin Moore scoring from three yards out and Jack Sutkamp scoring from 10 yards away. Brandon Gray topped off the scoring with a 54-yard punt return. NewCath enforced the running clock in the second quarter when Peyton Davis recovered a fumble in the end zone and sophomore quarterback Erik Anderson had a 27-yard touchdown run. The Thoroughbreds made 7-of-9 extra-point attempts. Depth played a role in this game. NewCath has 62 players listed on its roster and Owen County dressed about 30. 2012 Region Final Rematch up next: The next challenge for the Thoroughbreds is a home game against the 9-2 Walton-Verona Bearcats. NewCath handled Walton-Verona, 49-14 in the region title game last year. NewCath has played the tougher schedule. The Thoroughbreds have faced three 6A schools that all advanced to the second round of the playoffs, a 5A school in Cooper that led most of Friday’s game at Anderson County and beat Class 4A Ashland Blazer, which beat Covington Holmes to march on to the next round of the playoffs. The Bearcats lost to Covington Holmes and beat Class 5A Grant County, which did not make the playoffs. Every other opponent is Class 2A or smaller. Walton-Verona rallied past Lloyd Memorial, 21-18 on Friday. The Juggernauts led most of the game. Senior Chris Latimore and junior Mason Compton have rushed for more than 800 yards each for the Bearcats. They entered the playoffs averaging between 12 and 13 passes a game. “The Compton kid is a strong runner,” Wagner said. “They run (Latimore and Compton) almost exclusively. The quarterback (Justin Kline) carries it some. Latimore is more of the scat back. When they need a play, it’s (Compton) running the ball.” Wagner said he hopes the game starts at 7 p.m. The Thoroughbreds have won 13 straight second-round playoff games. Fort Thomas Sports: Throughbreds handle Rebels to open 2A title defense

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter Many younger Highlands players experienced the playoffs for the first time in Friday’s 70-6 thrashing of Boyd County in the first round of the Class 4A playoffs. The Bluebirds led 56-0 at halftime. That helps Highlands build up experience for the future as many of them played in the second half. “It’s a valuable experience for them because a number of those guys will be varsity starters next year,” said Dale Mueller, Highlands Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator. “They are not so much the focus of it, but still, they’re getting in there and getting ready for next year.” Sophomore wide receiver Eric Miller was one of those players to experience the playoffs for the first time. He caught a pass from quarterback Austin Hergott in the fourth quarter. “It is pretty cool to get in there when it really matters,” Miller said. “Even getting a catch is pretty awesome. We work hard all year to finally get in.” Making the 70s: Highlands scored in the 70s for the 10th time during the 97-3 run since the start of 2007. That includes the fourth time this year with those games coming against its last four Kentucky opponents. That mark outdid the last time Highlands finished undefeated in 2011. That team led by senior quarterback Patrick Towles and wide receiver Austin Sheehan smashed the state record with 849 points. They scored 71 on Mason County before scoring 79 on Pendleton County and another 77 on Covington Holmes in district action. Half of those 70-plus scoring games have come against two opponents. The Bluebirds have done it three times to Covington Holmes and twice to Pendleton County. Highlands has recorded two 70-point games in the first round of the playoffs during that time. The other one came in a 70-8 victory over Woodford County to open the Class 5A playoffs in 2010. Undefeated in the first round in Mueller Era: The Bluebirds moved to 20-0 in the first round of the playoffs since Mueller became head coach in 1994. The average margin of victory for first-round opponents is just more than 45 points during the playoff winning streak. The closest anyone came to beating Highlands during that time is Bryan Station. The Bluebirds escaped 28-22 when Tony Guidugli threw a late touchdown pass to Austin Collinsworth. Highlands has not gone on the road in the first round of the playoffs since 1995. The Bluebirds won 40-20 at Lawrence County to open the playoffs that year. They finished state runner up in Class 3A that year losing 28-12 to Bowling Green in the title game. Highlands has not lost in the first round of the playoffs since 1991. The Bluebirds have beaten their last 19 first-round opponents by 842 points for an average margin of victory of just more than 44 a game. Of the 19 first-round opponents since 1995, six meetings have come against two teams. Highlands has beaten Boyd County and Franklin County three times each. The Bluebirds have also beaten Anderson County and Rowan County twice during that time. Records against Class 4A, District 8 opponents: Highlands moved to 30-5-1 against Class 4A, District 8 opponents. The Bluebirds are 4-0 against Johnson Central and 2-0 against both Greenup County and Rowan County in school history. Every meeting against Rowan County, Johnson Central and Boyd County has come in the playoffs. They are also 19-5-1 against the Ashland Blazer Tomcats, which comes to Fort Thomas on Friday. Highlands has not lost to Ashand since about the time of Mueller’s birth in 1954. Ashland knocked off 5-6 Covington Holmes, 49-20 in Ashland on Friday. Another 77 put up against Harrison County: Johnson Central equaled the Bluebird effort of 77 points scored against the Thorobreds in a 77-13 playoff win in Paintsville on Friday. That marked the end of another tough season in the rebuilding process for second-year head coach Jim Carr. But Harrison County did make progress finishing 3-8 after going 1-10 last year. Junior Varsity Notes: The Highlands Junior Varsity was not able to finish the year undefeated. Scott County beat the Bluebirds, 56-20 on Saturday. Highlands finished the year at 6-1. Within 30 of Valdosta: The Bluebirds moved 30 wins shy of tieing the Valdosta Wildcats of south Georgia for the most wins of school history. The Wildcats lost 38-17 to Region 1-AAAAAA rival Coffee County on Friday to conclude the regular season. Highlands is 852-226-26 in school history since starting its program in 1915. Valdosta started its program in 1913 and is 882-213-34 in that time. FORT THOMAS MATTERS: Bluebird Notebook: Younger players earn playoff experience

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter Nothing came unexpected in this one. The Highlands Bluebirds football earned another top seed in the playoffs with its 17th district championship in 18 years and that again came with the usual first-round thumping of a visiting fourth-seeded opponent. The Class 4A, District 7 champion Bluebirds destroyed the Boyd County Lions of District 8 for the third straight year, 70-6 on Friday to open the playoffs. Highlands moved to 10-1 on the season and won its state-record 31st consecutive playoff game to move to 97-4 since the start of 2007. The Bluebirds have outscored their 31 district opponents by 1,065 points during that run for an average of just more than 34 points a game. The Bluebirds have beaten the Lions (1-10) by a grand total of 189-27 in the only three meetings in school history. The average margin of victory in those three games for Highlands is 63 points. “We were favored in the game I’d say, but you still have to win the game,” said Dale Mueller, Highlands Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator. “To (win 97-of-101 games), you have to not get upset. You have to be ready to play each (playoff) game. On Monday, one of the two teams turns in their equipment so it is so important to be ready to play that game.” Highlands outgained Boyd County, 472-109 in total offense pretty much doing whatever it wanted the entire game. The Bluebird offensive line once again protected the skill players well not allowing a sack. “(The success) is from the amount of hard work we put in (year-round),” said Carson Haas, Highlands sophomore offensive lineman. “It’s just crazy what we go through to be able to do something like that. We’re really satisfied with ourselves. We’re looking forward to the (rest of the playoffs). We know it will be a challenge.” Highlands senior quarterback Drew Houliston completed 11-of-18 passes for 166 yards and four touchdowns and Beau Hoge completed 6-of-8 for 127 yards and two scores. Ryan Greene and Brandon Hergott had two touchdown receptions each. Alex Veneman led Highlands with 85 yards receiving on five catches and Luke Brockett had four catches for 46 yards. Greene followed with three catches for 55 yards and Hergott’s two touchdown receptions totaled seven yards. “We were trying to get the pocket all secured so (Houliston) didn’t get hit,” said Austin Beal, Highlands sophomore wide receiver. “When he threw it downfield, we were trying to get our wide receivers to be open further (upfield) so he didn’t have to throw that far.” Highlands rested starting running back Zach Harris. But sophomore Nicholas Kendall shined rushing for 156 yards on five carries and two touchdowns. Defensively, Highlands rested defensive backs Griffin Urlage and Andrew Abner in addition to linebacker Thomas Wrobelski. But the Bluebirds held the Lions to just six yards rushing after hearing about how vulnerable they were there all week. “We had a game plan specific for (Boyd County),” said Brian Weinrich, Highlands Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator. “We executed it really well. We had to put some guys in some new spots. We have to figure out who we have for next week and be ready to go.” Highlands put constant pressure on Boyd County quarterback Billy McCoy all game. He completed just 5-of-14 passes for six yards. The Tigers lined up in the Stack-I formation and tried to run up the middle and outside. But the Bluebirds held them to just six yards rushing. “I think we adapted to (the Stack-I) pretty well,” said Jack Jager, Highlands sophomore defensive end. “We hope to come out next week and (play well) again. If you don’t have food foot work, you’re going to fall down and not make the tackle.” The Tigers got most of their yardage on the last drive of the game. Quarterback Cade Isaacs completed all four passes for 97 yards including a 66-yarder to Christian Braly to avert the shutout in the fourth quarter. The Tigers had four turnovers to none for the Bluebirds. John Abner and Joey Kruse had fumble recoveries with Alex Shadle and Kyle Martin recording interceptions for the Bluebirds. Shadle returned his interception 24 yards for a touchdown and Kruse stripped the ball for a 22-yard fumble return for the score. That gave Highlands a 56-0 halftime lead. Highlands led 35-0 after Kendall’s touchdown runs of 94 and 59 yards. Houliston completed a 50-yard score to Jensen Feggins, a 1-yarder to Greene and a 6-yarder to Hergott in that quarter. The Bluebirds enforced the running clock with 11:35 left in the second quarter. Houliston completed a 1-yard pass to Hergott. Highlands scored its other two touchdowns in the third quarter. Hoge completed a 4-yarder to Brockett and a 37-yarder to Greene. The Bluebirds take on 8-3 Ashland Blazer on Friday in Fort Thomas. Highlands beat the Tomcats, 52-13 in the second round of last year’s playoffs. FORT THOMAS MATTERS: Bluebirds declaw Lions again to open playoffs

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter The Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds football team received the test it expected from the rival Beechwood Tigers on Saturday and passed it. The Thoroughbreds won their fifth in a row and second straight in the great series, 34-31 on a John Caudill 25-yard field goal with 12.4 seconds left in the game. Caudill made all four extra-point attempts and 2-of-3 field-goal tries. Both teams are 6-4 overall. The loss snapped a three-game Beechwood winning streak. The Tigers still lead the all-time series, 23-14. “We’re starting to play pretty well,” said Dan Wagner, NewCath Head Coach. “But we have a long way to go yet. You just want to keep getting better and better. That was a huge game for us. It actually represents our whole season – start off rough and finish pretty well.” The huge difference in the game came in the running game. Both teams ran the ball 35 times each. The Thoroughbreds gained 213 for an average of just more than six a touch and the Tigers gained just 95 averaging about 2.7 a carry. Sophomore Jacob Smith led the Thoroughbreds gaining 93 yards on 13 carries. Quarterback Mac Franzen followed with 63 yards on 10 carries and Jack Sutkamp had 45 yards on eight attempts. NewCath outgained Beechwood, 397-312 in total offense. The Tigers won the passing game just 217-184. Franzen completed 15-of-36 attempts for 184 yards, one touchdown and an interception. Tommy Donnelly and Brandon Gray had five catches each for 63 and 46 yards respectively. Tyler Lyon added two catches for 28 yards and a score. “We figured they’d try to throw the ball and (the Tigers) tried,” Wagner said. “We really hadn’t seen a team try to throw the ball in a long time. It’s amazing how these games come down to the wire. This time, we were lucky enough to win it.” Tiger sophomore quarterback Kyle Fieger completed 18-of-30 passes for 217 yards. Joe Studer led the Tigers with four catches for 52 yards and 17 carries for 72 yards. Jaylen Hayden followed with two catches for 52 yards for Beechwood. NewCath lost three fumbles early in the game and found itself down 21-0 as a result. Fieger completed an 11-yarder to Jonathon Stokes with 10:32 left and a 34-yarder to Hayden with 9:32 to go. Fieger then added a 7-yard score with about 6:30 left in the game to put the Tigers up 21-0. But the Throughbreds rallied and trimmed the lead to 21-14 after the first quarter. Smith broke free for a 52-yard score with 4:53 left in the quarter and Lyon blocked a punt and recovered it in the end zone with 3:12 left in the quarter. “We could have very easily just rolled over and mailed it in,” Wagner said. “We told them at halftime you just can’t play this team without emotion. When you don’t, that first six minutes happens. When you do play with emotion, that last quarter and a half does. Somewhere in between there, you have to be able to turn it on.” Miles Sletto ended the Thoroughbred run with a 23-yard field goal with 9:19 left in the second. Beechwood led 24-14 at that point. But Lyon struck again with a 14-yard pass from Franzen with 6:11. The Thoroughbreds then took the lead at 28-24 with 11 seconds left in the half when Sutkamp scored from a yard out. The scoring simmered in the second half. But NewCath extended its lead to 31-24 with 1:14 left in the third when Caudill hit a 25-yard field goal. The Tigers recorded their only score with 7:45 left in the fourth quarter. Studer scored from a yard out to tie the game at 31. First Round of 2A Playoffs: The Thoroughbreds take on the Owen County Rebels (2-8) in the first round of the playoffs. The only two wins for the Rebels came at home against two 0-10 teams. They beat Thomas Nelson, 45-0 on Sept. 20 and Trimble County, 19-6 to make the playoffs on Oct. 11. NewCath has taken care of business in the first two rounds of the playoffs 13 straight years dating back to 1999. The Thoroughbreds beat Gallatin County, 49-14 in this round last year. Fort Thomas Sports: NewCath rallies for big win over Beechwood

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter LEXINGTON – They had nothing to lose at this point. The Highlands Bluebirds boys soccer team came into this state quarterfinal game as the underdog to the top-ranked Lexington Paul Lawrence Dunbar Bulldogs. The Bluebirds gave a great effort in a 3-1 loss Saturday at Henry Clay on a turf field. Dunbar controlled the ball most of the game earning 16 shots on goal to three for Highlands. “(Dunbar is) really skilled,” said Matthew Winkler, Highlands Head Coach. “They’re a good team all the way around. We were prepared for it. We came out and had some really good scouting on them. The information proved to be pretty accurate. Marking them is pretty tough. But they left it here. That was our whole goal, win or lose. I think they feel the same, too.” Dunbar (24-1-2) struck quickly just 2 minutes and 18 seconds into the game. Junior midfielder Tyler Joy-Brandon crossed the ball from the left perfectly to senior forward Nathan Jones for the score. Highlands had a chance to tie the game with 34:12 left in the first quarter. But Cole Davis-Roberts’ free kick was wide right. The Bulldogs had a chance to add to the lead with 23:21 left in the first half. Senior midfielder Riley Calhoun drew a penalty in the attacking box. But Highlands goalkeeper Nick Breslin slid to his left and stopped the penalty kick. Dunbar had another excellent chance with about 20 minutes left in the half Calhoun crossed one in the box to Jones that Jimmy Penrod blocked out of bounds. The Bulldogs did score on the corner kick but were offside. Highlands created another excellent chance with about 11:30 left in the half. They crossed one into the box but Josiah Farley got to it before Colin Dean could get his feet on it. The Bulldogs did go up 2-0 with 8:47 left in the half. The Bluebirds could not clear the box and senior forward Jean-Samuel Poirier buried it. Dunbar finished with four shots on goal in the first half to two for Highlands. Farley stopped both Bluebird shots and Breslin saved two Bulldog attempts. Farley had two saves for Dunbar. Dunbar kept everyone back in the second half. That made it tough for Higlands to get shots off. “We knew it was going to be a tight game,” said Todd Bretz, Dunbar Head Coach. “We knew they were going to play hard the entire game so being able to go up 2-0 was important.” The defense kept the Bluebirds in the game. Goalkeeper Nathan Tippenhauer made several diving saves. Tippenhauer had nine saves for the Bluebirds in the second half. Highlands found itself a man up with 9:06 left in the game after Joy-Brandon drew a red card meaning an ejection from the game. The Bluebirds quickly took advantage. Colin Dean crossed one to Noah Sellers with 8:35 left in the game to cut the Bulldog lead to 2-1. “The boys played pretty well,” Winkler said. “I think emotion gets involved a little bit. You lose track of your full objective at some points in the game. They are high school boys. That’s normal.” But despite that, Dunbar answered 17 seconds later. Jones fed Nelson Ng in front to give the Bulldogs the 3-1 advantage. “They capitalized very well,” Bretz said. “Sometimes after you capitalize, you let down. We were able to capitalize on their mistake. It was big because it gave us more cushion.” Highlands had a good chance to cut into the game with 3:35 left in the game. But Davis-Roberts’ free kick was high. “It’s a real bad feeling because you’re doing your best,” Davis-Roberts said. “They’re just so good offensively. You’re bound to get beat eventually.” The Bluebirds made it this far for the third time in school history. They’d lost 3-1 to Scott in the same round in 2010 after beating Pendleton County, 3-0 in the 2008 state quarterfinals. The 2008 Bluebird squad then beat Henderson County, 2-0 in the state semifinals before losing 7-2 to 12-time state champion Louisville St. Xavier in the championship game. The Bluebirds graduate 10 seniors. They are Alex Shepherd, Andrew Barnes, leading scorer Chris Garbig, Davis-Roberts, Dean, Penrod, Jordan Jarvis, Jovid Llerena, Mitch Gesenhues and Tippenhauer. “We are a very close team,” Shepherd said. “It means a lot being able to go pretty far, especially your senior year. I hope (the underclassmen) carry (the tradition) on, continue to be a close team and eventually get (a state championship). We couldn’t do it here. But I feel like we had a good last game against the number one team in the state.” Highlands finished 17-8-1 overall. The Bluebirds won the 9th Region after some thought they were done following a 2-1 loss to Newport Central Catholic in the 36th District championship game. Fort Thomas Sports: Highlands soccer falls 3-1 against top-ranked team

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter When it comes to making a football schedule, Highlands Bluebird Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator is not alone when it comes to wanting to play more local teams from Northern Kentucky. The Bluebirds will have to make trips to Lexington Bryan Station, Campbell County and Warren Central next year for non-district action after they came to Fort Thomas this year. Warren Central will be the longest trip of the three at about 3.5 hours. University Christian (Fla.) will come back to Fort Thomas after opening the season there this year. Highlands edged Warren Central, 71-69 to conclude the regular season on Friday. “I really appreciate all those teams playing us,” Mueller said. “I just have so much respect for the guys there from Warren Central because they were getting blown out early. (But) they just kept coming and kept coming. I’m going to send (Warren Central Head Coach Mike Rogers) a letter. It says so much for the character of their guys.” Highlands ventured about two hours to John Hardin before going about 5.5 to Paducah Tilghman. The Bluebirds won those games by a combined 24 points. The two come to Fort Thomas next year. Highlands senior offensive tackle Kyle Thurston admitted the Bluebirds struggled on the road. The Bluebirds beat John Hardin, 33-26 and a late touchdown run by Jaylen Hayes sealed a 42-25 Highlands win at Tilghman. “I honestly enjoy traveling,” Thurston said. “But when it’s like a six-hour drive to Paducah, it’s not very fun. As soon as we get off the bus, we’re all tired. We’re not really ready to play a game. We try to get mentally focused. We need to play the way we do at home offensively and defensively on the road. At Paducah, it was a struggle on the offensive line and a couple big plays on defense.” Highlands at least found two non-district games against teams from the same or adjacent county. The Bluebirds did renew their in-county rivalry with Campbell County and continued the series against Cincinnati Elder from just over the river. “Since we travel a lot, we’re not really used to it,” said Jordan Johnson, Highlands sophomore defensive back. “It’s hard because of the long bus rides. You have cramps on the bus rides. We get out an hour and a half before the game starts and stretch defense only. Since we started doing that, we got motivated better.” While things are tough for Highlands, they are worse for at least three other teams in Kentucky in the Warren Central Dragons, Bowling Green Purples and Louisville Trinity Shamrocks. The Shamrocks have had to play teams from Indianapolis, Nashville and Cincinnati to complete just a nine-game schedule for the last three years. They saw a team from Illinois back out from a game this year in the offseason and finished 4-5 against the tough schedule with a 42-14 loss to defending Ohio Division I champion Cincinnati Moeller on Friday. Trinity has a home-and-home series scheduled against nationally-ranked Bishop Gorman of Las Vegas (Nevada) starting next year. Bowling Green and Warren Central can’t get any non-district opponent within two Kentucky counties to play them. Their closest non-district opponent in the regular season was about 70 miles away in Owensboro. The Purples even had a game against Bryan Station cancelled because of lightning. New opponents in 2013: The Bluebirds also faced University Christian (Florida) for the first time this year. Highlands has played 134 different opponents in 99 years of football. The Bluebirds are 851-226-26 since starting their program in 1915. That win total ranks first in Kentucky and second in the nation behind the Valdosta Wildcats of south Georgia. Valdosta moved to 882-212-34 with a 41-8 win over Brunswick on Friday. The Wildcats are 6-3 on the year with all three defeats coming in the rugged Region 1-AAAAAA of southern Georgia. Not undefeated, but battle-tested: Ten teams in Kentucky finished the regular season undefeated, but none faced an opponent the caliber of Cincinnati Elder. The Panthers handed the Bluebirds their lone loss of the year last week, 30-27. The Bluebirds own the state record for most undefeated seasons with 13. Next on the list is the Owensboro Red Devils with nine. The last time Owensboro finished undefeated was 1974. In Class 2A, defending runner-up Caldwell County finished 10-0 with a 48-41 against defending 1A champion Mayfield in a battle of undefeated teams. The Tigers were the lone unbeaten in 2A. There was one other battle of unbeaten teams on Friday. Johnson Central knocked off Belfry, 54-28 to finish as one of two teams in Class 4A in the unbeaten category. Boyle County put the finishing touches on its undefeated campaign with a 46-14 win over Whitley County. In Class 3A, Mason County, Wayne County and Bourbon County finished 10-0. Mason County and Bourbon County could meet in the Class 3A region title game in a few weeks. The top two ranked teams in Class 5A also finished undefeated. They are Pulaski County at 10-0 and Bowling Green at 9-0. The Purples held off Tennessee power Murfreesboro Blackman, 26-25 in Bowling Green on Friday. The Purples own the state’s longest winning streak with 39 in a row. The state record for most consecutive wins is 50 in a row. Trinity accomplished that between 1988 and 1991. Then in Class 6A, the Scott County Cardinals and Simon Kenton Pioneers finished undefeated. The two would not meet until the state championship game. Junior Varsity/Freshmen Team updates: The junior varsity Bluebirds hope to complete an undefeated season with a win over Scott County at 11 a.m. today. They are 6-0. The Highlands freshmen were to play Boone County on Thursday. The game was called because of weather. The Bluebirds are 5-4 on the season. FORT THOMAS MATTERS: Bluebird Notebook: Highlands not only Kentucky team having problems scheduling nearby non-district teams

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter Highlands Bluebirds Head Football Coach/Offensive Coordinator Dale Mueller jokingly blamed it on the day after Halloween. It only made sense after the Highlands Bluebirds won Friday’s season finale, 71-69 over the Warren Central Dragons at Cecil Memorial Stadium. They concluded the regular season at 9-1 in the first-ever meeting against 5-5 Warren Central. “It was one big play after another,” Mueller said. “Halloween was somewhat rainy (Thursday) so it just crept into (Friday). I don’t think that was all. I think there was evil spirits mingling around. I think there were Voo-Doo hexes happening out there. It was a wild, crazy night.” The Bluebirds still improved to 96-4 since the start of 2007. That includes hitting the 70-point barrier for the ninth time, including three this year. That equals the total of the 2011 undefeated state championship team. That team put up 70 points in wins over Mason County, Pendleton County and Covington Holmes. Highlands normally blow teams out when it scores in the 60s, let alone the 70s. But the Bluebirds needed every inch of their 25 first downs, 626 yards of total offense, 10 touchdowns, and field goal. The banged-up Highlands 4-3 defense yielded a state record 918 yards of offense including 716 on the ground to the Warren Central Wing-T attack and 14 first downs. Former high school Cawood (now part of Harlan County High) held the previous mark of 864 yards against Bell County. Mueller said he could not recall a game where a team had more than 700 yards of total offense, let alone 918. The Bluebirds put up 600-plus yards in a contest three times last year. The Highlands school record for the most yards in a game is 707 set on Nov. 11, 2011 in a 61-13 thrashing of Dixie Heights. The most points the Bluebirds have ever scored in a game is 88 back on Sept. 4, 1998 in a win over Campbell County. Highlands played without several key defenders including three starters in the secondary. Senior linebacker Thomas Wrobleski and junior defensive backs Andrew Abner and Griffin Urlage did not play. Abner and Urlage said they hope to be back soon. Also, senior defensive back Jackson Bardo played sparingly. Junior Beau Hoge started at quarterback in place of injured senior Drew Houliston and made the most of it. He completed 19-of-31 passes for 417 yards and four touchdowns. “Beau played so well,” Mueller said. “His first four passes were all touchdowns. He had some great scrambles and could have had even more (offensive yards). He just played a great game.” Senior Zach Harris led Highlands in both rushing and receiving. He had 21 carries for 142 yards and two touchdowns and had five catches for 113 yards and a touchdown. Harris and Jaylen Hayes made a lot of crucial runs. “In all honesty, I think (this game) prepared us more for (close games in the playoffs),” Hayes said. “Our defense was really hurt. This was an offensive game. We prepared by pounding the ball like we were (Friday).” Alex Veneman and Jensen Feggins also had big games for Highlands. Veneman had four catches for 112 yards and Feggins tallied two catches for 86 yards and two scores. “We knew we were going to have to put up big numbers,” Hoge said. “Obviously, we weren’t expecting that kind of shootout, but it’s always fun when you get to stay in the whole game. We did our job and felt pretty good about it.” The Dragons saw four players rush for at least 96 yards. Senior quarterback Chris Porter-Bunton ran the ball 14 times for 212 yards and four touchdowns often faking the dive then going outside for huge gains. He also completed 5-of-10 passes for 202 yards and two scores. “We thought they were going to be more of a run team because in the previous games, (Porter-Bunton) only passed a couple times,” said Joey Kruse, Highlands senior linebacker. “But he really showed he can pass and get out of the pocket and sprint downfield pretty fast. We should have kept the score further apart. But it was a close one for sure.” Damani Walker, Rondell Green and Robert Edwards also put up big numbers for Warren Central. Green had nine carries for 192 yards and two touchdowns. Walker added 168 yards on six carries with a touchdown and an 88-yard touchdown reception with Edward gaining 96 yards on seven carries and an 80-yard touchdown catch. The Bluebirds jumped out to a quick 27-0 lead with 6:50 left in the first quarter. Hoge hit Feggins for 40 and 46-yard scores before hitting Harris for a 19-yard touchdown and Veneman for a 41-yard score. The teams traded scores in the final 4:38 of the quarter. Porter-Bunton scored from three yards out and Evan Allen scored on an 18-yard end-around. The Bluebirds led 34-7 after the first quarter. Highlands looked to put the game away in the second quarter when Ryan Greene scored from two yards out to give the Bluebirds a 41-7 lead. But following a Porter-Bunton 1-yard score, Brandon Hergott returned the onside kick back 47 yards for a score to make it 48-14 Highlands. Warren Central trimmed the margin to 20 points with 3:20 left in the second. Walker had his 88-yard catch and Edwards hauled in the 80-yard score. But Hayes returned the ensuing kickoff 81 yards for a touchdown. That gave Highlands a 55-28 halftime lead. Things got closer in the third quarter. Harris responded to a Walker 9-yard run with a 1-yard score. Highlands led 62-35 at that point with 8:56 left in the third quarter. The Dragons cut the lead to 62-49 with 3:32 left in the third on two quick scores. Green had an 80-yard run and Porter-Bunton scored from 29 yards out. But Harris answered that score with another 1-yard plunge out of the Highlands full-house backfield. Highlands led 68-49 entering the third quarter. Green started the fourth quarter with a 60-yard score with 11:26 left to cut the Bluebird lead to 68-56. But Highlands drove down the field and Jared Dougherty hit a 21-yard field goal with 8:07 left in the quarter to put Highlands up 71-56. Highlands drove the length of the field again. But Warren Central stopped the Bluebirds on fourth down on their 5-yard line. Porter-Bunton then scored again on virtually the same play. He faked up the middle then ran outside for a 43-yard score. The Dragons trailed by the final score at that point with 2:05 left in the game. They tried an onside kick but it went out of bounds. Harris then bulldozed his way for a first down to end the game. Highlands takes on 1-9 Boyd County to open the Class 4A playoffs next week. Game time is 7:30 p.m. FORT THOMAS MATTERS: Highlands holds on in offensive shootout, 71-69

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter It is a rivalry game that gets the juices flowing in the final warm-up for the playoffs. The Class 2A Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds and Class 1A Beechwood Tigers meet Saturday at Noon in Fort Mitchell in their annual battle between two state championship contenders. The Tigers lead the all-time series 23-13. “We’re still learning,” said Dan Wagner, NewCath Head Coach. “We just want to keep on getting better. Beechwood has been doing the same. It’ll be an interesting game. We’ll have our work cut out for us.” It may not be the same as when the teams battled for district and region championships. But it is still meaningful to the point it turns into a playoff atmosphere. The Tigers handed the Thoroughbreds their only loss in the regular season by a 29-20 count in 2011. “It’s a fun game. I enjoy it. It’s always a clean game,” Wagner said. “That’s what I was talking to (Beechwood Head) Coach (Noel) Rash about at a coach’s meeting. There are no cheap shots. It’s been that way for years. It’s obviously a test to see where we are against them.” Both teams again rolled through their districts. NewCath (5-4 overall) outscored its four Class 2A, District 6 opponents by a combined 153-28 and Beechwood (6-3) beat its three Class A, District 4 opponents, 168-22. The Tigers have developed a more balanced approach this year. Wagner said the Thoroughbreds have not seen a team that can throw the ball that well since Simon Kenton. Beechwood sophomore quarterback Kyle Fieger has completed 120-of-209 passes for 1,712 yards, 17 touchdowns and four interceptions. His leading targets have been senior wide receivers Jalen Hayden with 27 catches for 366 yards and four touchdowns and Max Shover with 20 receptions for 249 yards and three touchdowns. Sophomore Ethan Stringer leads the vaunted Beechwood rushing attack. He has 104 rushes for 607 yards and nine touchdowns. The Tigers will face a NewCath defense that has allowed 1,411 rushing on the year and 1,149 passing. Senior linebacker Jack Sutkamp continues to lead the Throughbred 4-4 defense with 128 tackles. NewCath will counter with a spread offense. The Thoroughbreds have rushed for 1,133 yards and passed for 1,361. Sophomore Jacob Smith leads NewCath with 508 yards rushing on 112 carries with seven touchdowns. “We’re still searching there a little bit,” said Dave Schneider, NewCath Offensive Coordinator, of the NewCath running game. “We’re not overly big up front so we’re probably pass first, run second right now. We’ve been working on it.” NewCath quarterback Mac Franzen has completed 83-of-134 passes for 1,353 yards, 16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Tommy Donnelly leads the way with 22 receptions for 513 yards and seven touchdowns. Brandon Gray is second with 21 catches for 320 yards and two scores with Nate Enslen recording 14 catches for 181 yards and three touchdowns. Wagner said the Thoroughbreds still want to eliminate mistakes. They had an interception and a lost fumble in the most recent win against Covington Holy Cross. The Tigers mix up 4-4, 4-3 and 50 fronts defensively. The most any team has scored against Beechwood this year is 41 points by Dixie Heights. The teams have a combined 16 state championships. The Tigers own 11 titles good for the fourth-most in the state with their most recent one coming in 2008 and the Thoroughbreds have five titles. NewCath has won two of the last three Class 2A state championships. Fort Thomas Sports: NC, Beechwood tangle in annual battle

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter The Highlands Bluebirds boys soccer team has put together some good soccer during this impressive tournament run. The Bluebirds (17-7-1) may need to play their greatest game of the year to advance to the state semifinals for just the second time in school history. Highlands faces the top-ranked Lexington Paul Dunbar Bulldogs (23-1-2) at Noon on Saturday at Lexington Henry Clay in the state quarterfinals. “We’ll gladly go in as the underdog,” said Matthew Winkler, Highlands Head Coach. “We’ll prepare the rest of the week for that match. We played them in a scrimmage so we’ve seen them a little bit. We’ll do our work and be prepared for them.” Dunbar came into the season ranked sixth in the state with an all-time record of 376-140-27 and Highlands was 12th at 348-201-32. The Bulldogs and veteran Head Coach Todd Bretz own three state championships and finished last year as runner-up, 1-0 to 12-time state champion Louisville St. Xavier. “We have a group of players that are unselfish and play well together,” Bretz said. “They are a great group of young men who are a joy to be around and enjoy being around each other. Practice is something we look forward to every day.” The Bluebirds last made it this far in 2010 during Winkler’s first season as Head Coach. They lost 3-1 to Scott. They’d beaten Pendleton County (3-0) in the same round in 2008 prior to beating Henderson County (2-0) in the semifinals and losing to St. Xavier (7-2) in the title game. Highlands has put together a run of four straight shutouts in the postseason including a 1-0 win at West Jessamine in Monday’s first-round contest and Saturday’s 1-0 9th Region title game win over Newport Central Catholic. That marked the fifth regional title in school history and fourth since 2006. Dunbar has outscored the opposition, 103-20 on the season compared to 68-30 for Highlands. The Bulldogs are 18-0-2 against teams from Kentucky. The only loss for the Bulldogs came to Fort Zumwalt (Missouri) South in the Gateway Classic in St. Louis on Oct. 4. “We lost (the scrimmage) 3-1,” said Jimmy Penrod, Highlands senior defender. “It was quite the experience having them the first (scrimmage).” Dunbar knocked off Bishop Brossart, 4-2 on Monday to make it to this point. Senior Riley Calhoun had three assists and a goal in that game for the Bulldogs. Senior Chris Garbig leads the Bluebirds with 16 goals and is tied with Jordan Jarvis for a team-high nine assists. Teammate Colin Dean follows with 10 goals and eight assists. Highlands plays a 4-5-1 (defender-forward-midfielder) attack and plays two goalkeepers. Junior Nick Breslin often plays the first half and Nathan Tippenhauer the second. “That (scrimmage) was a long time ago and at the beginning of the season so you can’t put stock in it,” Bretz said. “Highlands is playing great soccer and winning big in tough games. They (Bluebirds) are coming into the game battle-tested and confident.” The Bluebirds do not have to adjust to a different type of field in this game. Henry Clay’s field is turf just like Tower Park. Highlands played on a grass field at West Jessamine. The semifinals take place at Dunbar on Wednesday at 6 and 8 p.m. The championship game is a week from Saturday back at Dunbar. No team from Northern Kentucky has ever won the state championship. FORT THOMAS MATTERS: Highlands prepares for top-ranked Bulldogs

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter UNION – They are not there quite yet. But the Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds volleyball team took a big step this season toward ultimately competing with 9th Region powers Ryle, Notre Dame and St. Henry. The Thoroughbreds improved from 10-20 last year to 17-17 this year and advanced a round further in the region tournament. They’d won six consecutive 10th Region crowns before moving into the 9th last year. Ryle again beat Newport Central Catholic by a 3-0 score this year. But it was the semifinals instead of the first round. “We played the same schedule we did last year, which is a tough schedule,” said Vicki Fleissner, NewCath Head Coach. “We won 17 this year and it should have been more because we gave some away. That’s a huge stepping stone for us.” NewCath came back to tie the first game at 25-all but could not get the game-winner losing 27-25. The Lady Raiders (35-4) then won the next two by 25-12 and 25-15 counts. NewCath could not contain junior Ashley Bush. Bush, verbally committed to Northwestern University of the Big 10, had 10 kills, 10 assists and five aces. Teammate Alexa Nichols added 10 kills and younger sister Hayley Bush added 11 assists. “You have to have the mental fortitude to play the entire match the way we did that first set,” Fleissner said. “(Ashley Bush) is amazing. I picked her as the player of the region for that reason. She just takes over.” The six seniors played a big role in leading NewCath back to where it is used to playing. They are Nikki Kiernan, Abbie Lukens, Alyssa Maier, Molly Mertle, Rachel Parnell and Madison Volk. Maier had 13 assists for NewCath and Kiernan added six blocks. “I’m really proud of (the season),” Maier said. “As a team, we worked really hard. We wanted to come out and prove to people that we didn’t just lay around all summer. We showed people how NewCath is with sport, especially volleyball.” NewCath can build around junior Keyaira Lankheit and freshman Rachel McDonald next year. Lankheit had six kills and McDonald five. The Thoroughbreds also return juniors Laura Brannon, Jamie Lohr, Olivia Owens and sophomore Alexa Kehoe and Amanda Ruwe next year. Ryle moved on to play in the region championship game Saturday at 6 p.m. back on its home floor. Tasha Lovins has coached the Lady Raiders for a while and has more than 300 wins during that time. Fort Thomas Sports: NewCath made progress this year

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter NICHOLASVILLE – It did not take overtime to earn this one. It took a great pass to the center to their leading goal-scorer for the game’s lone goal and lift the Highlands Bluebirds to another 1-0 victory in the first-round over the host West Jessamine Colts on Monday. Highlands finds itself back in the state quarterfinals since a 3-1 loss to Scott three years ago. Highlands senior forward Chris Garbig scored his team-high 16th goal with about 22:40 left in the first half following a nice centering pass from Jimmy Penrod. That marked the second assist of the year for Penrod. Garbig had a nice shot about 10 minutes before that out of the Highlands 4-5-1 (defender-midfielder-forward) attack. He shifted to the middle and put one off the top crossbar with his left foot. “It was amazing after hitting that first one off the post,” Garbig said. “I was hungry for another (shot) and I got the opportunity on the back post. Similar to (Newport Central Catholic), (the Colts) are tall and physical. They like to push you off the ball. We had to stay strong and I think we took the challenge.” Garbig is one of two Bluebirds in double-digits for goals on the year. The other one is Colin Dean with 10. The Bluebirds (17-7-1) have not allowed a goal in four straight postseason games. They also shut out their three 9th Region opponents by a combined 9-0 total. Highlands has 10 shutouts on the season. The Bluebirds have outscored opponents 68-30 on the season. “We had the intensity for maybe the first 15 minutes then it became neutral for a while,” said Matthew Winkler, Highlands Head Coach. “Then it picked up for the last 15 minutes. I was excited to get out of here with a 1-0 lead at halftime. That was the exact break we needed to relax and recover a bit and get our heads back to where we needed. We came out and matched the intensity. I’m glad our defense held strong like we have the last few games.” Highlands also made the state quarterfinals in 2008 beating Pendleton County, 3-0 on its way to finishing state runner-up to Louisville St. Xavier. The Bluebirds finished 17-4-4 that year. The Highlands school record for the most wins in a season is 21 in 1999. West Jessamine (14-9-2) predicated itself on defense all season. The Colts outscored the opposition just 35-30 on the season scoring more than two goals in a game just three times this year. They also shut out 10 opponents on the year including a scoreless tie against NewCath on Aug. 24. The Colts outshot the Bluebirds, 13-11 including 9-6 on goal. Nick Breslin made five saves in the first half for Highlands and Nathan Tippenhauer had four. West Jessamine goalkeeper Wes Holifield had 14 saves. “We are so fortunate to have two awesome (goalkeepers),” Winkler said. “It is remarkable every day with the amount of work they put in and it benefits us on the field. They make crazy saves for us every day on the field.” Highlands knew West Jessamine ran most of its 4-4-2 attack through senior defender/forward Josh Bowman. Bowman had a wide-open shot with 29:58 left in the second half from the right side. But his shot sailed high. “(Bowman) was dribbling straight up the middle and we had to shut him down,” Penrod said. “We just made sure our defensive midfield got back on him and their other center midfielder up the middle. It seemed to work out.” The Colts had their best chance to tie the game with 4:22 left in the game. Bowman crossed the ball to junior Jonathon Miller. Miller put up a soft shot that Tippenhauer had to dive to the ground to stop. Tippenhauer held it tight to prevent any rebounds. “We’ve talked all season along about not trying to be fancy and cute in front of the goal,” said John Sutherland, West Jessamine Head Coach. “There is a saying of, ‘Take everyone and their grandmother into the goal with you.’ They gifted us with a chance there and we didn’t take it.” Highlands also had a chance to go up 2-0 with 7:40 left in the first half. Noah Sellers booted a corner kick that 9th Region Tournament Most Valuable Player and title game hero Mitch Gesenhues shot off the right pole. Gesenhues scored the game-winner for the Bluebirds in overtime in the 9th Region title game over NewCath. The game took place on a grass field. The Bluebirds played their home games at Tower Park on turf the past two years. Highlands does not play in the state quarterfinals until Saturday at Lexington Henry Clay on a turf field. The Bluebirds will have to stave past top-ranked Lexington Paul Dunbar (23-1-2) at Henry Clay. The three-time state champions and 11th Region champions are led by veteran head coach Todd Bretz and have won 10 in a row including a 4-2 state first-round decision over host Bishop Brossart on Monday. Dunbar is 18-0-2 against teams from Kentucky. The only loss for the Bulldogs came to Fort Zumwalt (Missouri) South in the Gateway Classic in St. Louis. They’ve outscored opponents, 103-20 on the season. FORT THOMAS MATTERS: Moving On! Highlands opens state tournament with another 1-0 win

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter CRESTVIEW HILLS – The Highlands Bluebirds girls soccer team knew it had to match the intensity and determination of its arch-rivals to move on. The Bluebirds played hard, but could not figure out the Notre Dame Panada defense or recover from an early momentum swing in a 3-0 9th Region championship loss Saturday. Highlands has lost to Notre Dame in its last two region title game appearances. “We want to be playing our best soccer at the end of the year. I think we were,” said Tommy Kearns, Highlands Head Coach. “It’s a credit to the way the girls worked all season. They came out on July 15 and set a goal to be in this game. We achieved that goal.” The two consistently battled for region titles in the old 10th Region. Notre Dame won the 2011 meeting after Highlands won in 2010. The Pandas (20-2-3) won the championship in 2011 and finished state runner-up last year. Highlands (8-8-5) bounced back from a three-win season last year. The Bluebirds lost to Dixie Heights in the region quarterfinals on penalty kicks. “I really think it was important that we came back from last year and got as far as we did because it took a lot of hard and a lot of hope because we weren’t sure we’d be able to pull it off,” said Alyssa Farley, Highlands senior midfielder/defender. “I’m proud of what we did as a team.” The Bluebirds managed just six shots with five coming on goal mostly on forward passes. They had a hard time getting the ball past the Panda defenders. Notre Dame goalkeepers Courtney Hansel and Maddy Kim combined to make four saves. “I think our forwards did a great job applying pressure up top,” Kearns said. “Getting pressure all over the field against Notre Dame is tough because they pass it so quick. We were hoping for a better result. Credit Notre Dame. (Notre Dame)was outstanding (Saturday) and deserved to win.” The closest Highlands came to scoring came in the second half. Highlands sophomore forward Brooklynn Rivers drew a penalty to the left outside the attacking box. Her free kick went wide. “We’re so proud of our defense,” said Sara McSorely, Notre Dame Head Coach. “(The defenders) have been strong all year long. When they’re getting tested more and more, they’re coming through. We’ve been really pleased with how they’ve answered those challenges.” The Pandas finished with 20 shots including 18 on goal. Highlands senior goalkeeper Sarah Owen made 13 saves. Notre Dame scored all three of its goals in the first half. Tournament most Valuable Player Ellen Combs took a pass in the middle from Carissa Dyer and scored. Dyer scored minutes later to make it 2-0 Pandas. McSorely said the third and final goal was huge for momentum purposes. Mandy Arnzen scored it for Notre Dame. Lauren Daly, Kelsey Etherton and Rivers made the All-Tournament team for Highlands along with Newport Central Catholic’s Loren Zimmerman and Sam Bunzel. Daly scored the game-winner in overtime in the semifinals against Ryle. The Bluebirds graduate eight seniors. They are Owen, Daly, Farley, Etherton, Anna Bardgett, McKenzie Goyert, Kristin Venneman and Ellie New. Junior Lydia Graves may take over at goalkeeper for Highlands. The Bluebirds can also build around Rivers, Taylor Vaughn, Allyson Bridewell, Peyton Bankemper and Brooke Dougherty among others. “We’re just going to keep on working as a team and creating chances up top,” Vaughn said. “I think we’ll have a lot of younger people step up. I think next year, we’re going to be even better. We’ll take full advantage of our home field.” The teams split during the regular season. Notre Dame won at Tower Park by the same score on Aug. 29. But the Bluebirds beat the Pandas, 3-2 on Sept. 18 in the semifinals of the Lexington Catholic Cup. They were the only team in the region to beat Notre Dame this year. FORT THOMAS MATTERS: 9th Girls Soccer Title Game: Bluebirds fall to Pandas

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter It may have been a tough loss for Class 4As top-ranked squad. But the Highlands Bluebirds proved they can compete with schools in Cincinnati’s vaunted Greater Catholic League South. Highlands has lost the last two games to the Elder Panthers. But the Bluebirds did win 34-29 at The Pit two years ago. They also beat the St. Xavier Blue Bombers, 12-7 on national television in Fort Thomas in 2009. “When you play in a place like this, it’s like playing in a state championship,” said Dale Mueller, Highlands Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator. “We love playing Elder. We’d play Elder 10 times if we could. There are not a lot of teams in Kentucky that are as good as Elder.” The Bluebirds are 4-14 against GCL South all-time. They are 3-5 against St. Xavier and 0-3 against the defending Ohio Division I state champion Moeller Crusaders. Highlands has never faced the LaSalle Lancers. Elder will finish second in the league with a win over LaSalle on Friday. Playoff Pairings: Once again, Highlands will play host to the Boyd County Tigers in the first round of the Class 4A playoffs. The 1-8 Tigers won the one game they had to do so to make the playoffs on Friday. They edged the Greenup County Musketeers, 25-21. Greenup County has two wins this year after going winless last year. Boyd County faces Tolsia High School out of Fort Gay, West Virginia on Friday to conclude the regular season. Highlands could meet undefeated 9-0 Johnson Central in the third round of the playoffs. The Golden Eagles rolled to a 42-7 win at Ashland Blazer on Friday in the District 8 title game. Johnson Central goes to Belfry on Friday in a battle of unbeaten to conclude the regular season. Other Class 4A News: The other undefeated team in Class 4A is the Boyle County Rebels. They beat Mercer County, 14-0 on Friday to conclude District 5 action. The Rebels figure to enter the postseason undefeated as they play host to one-win Whitley County on Friday. Highlands would travel to Boyle County in the state semifinals if both win their regions. But Boyle County may need to beat district rival Lexington Catholic (6-3) again in the third round of the playoffs. The Knights may have to go to Russell Springs and face 8-1 Russell County in the second round of the playoffs. The Lakers have one loss to Class 5A’s second-ranked Pulaski County Maroons, 49-21 on Sept. 13. Highlands beat the Maroons in the Class 5A state semifinals in 2009. Pulaski County beat county rival Southwestern, 40-24 to finish undefeated in the regular season for the first time in school history. A few teams Highlands could see in the state championship game are a pair of 7-2 teams in Collins and Owensboro. Highlands beat Collins in last year’s title game and beat Owensboro to win the 1999 and 2000 state championships. Simon Kenton and Central Hardin are the only two teams to beat Collins with Warren Central and Bowling Green the only two teams to beat Owensboro. Collins and Owensboro won Districts 3 and 1 respectively. Freshmen/Junior Varsity Updates: The Highlands Junior Varsity is still undefeated at 5-0. The Bluebirds battle Elder at 10 a.m. today and finish with Scott County at 11 a.m. on Nov. 2. The Highlands Freshman finished the regular season at 5-4. They beat Cooper, 18-6. Fort Thomas Sports: Bluebird Notebook: Highlands holds own in tough environment

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter CINCINNATI – The Highlands Bluebirds football team has lost some tough ones to the Cincinnati Elder Panthers through the years. But Friday’s 30-27 defeat at The Pit may be the toughest one to swallow. The vaunted Highlands spread offense received the ball twice down by that score but could not find the end zone like it normally does. “We got down twice and they came right back,” said Dale Mueller, Highlands Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator. “There was no quit whatsoever. We’re disappointed we lost that game, but you saw the character of the Highlands football players right there. It was a game where with every play we could have done something different. But in the end, they beat us by three and they deserved to win the game.” Highlands matched up better with Elder in the trenches offensively and defensively. But the Panthers (7-2) made a few more plays to beat the Bluebirds (8-1) and gain some important points in the Ohio playoff picture. Highlands is still an impressive 95-4 since the start of 2007 and 850-226-26 in school history, but is 1-2 against Elder during that time. The Panthers ended a 28-game Highlands winning streak with last year’s 38-24 win in Fort Thomas. Highlands had won 14 straight since then. The Bluebirds dropped to 1-6 in the all-time series against the Panthers with the lone win coming two years ago at Elder. If Class 4A’s top-ranked Highlands goes on to win another state championship, this will mark the fifth time in school history the Panthers have handed the Bluebirds their lone loss of the season. This tied the closest margin of victory for Elder. The Panthers nipped the Bluebirds, 21-18 in Fort Thomas in 2006. Elder outgained Highlands, 384-316 in total offense. The Panthers converted several third-and-longs to keep drives alive that led to scores. They converted 6-of-13 for 46 percent on third-down and 1-of-2 on fourth for 50 percent. The Bluebirds made 6-of-14 on third and 1-of-4 on fourth. Highlands received the ball at its own 42 with 3:26 left in the game. Zach Harris ran 11 yards to the Elder 47 before going another two. On second down following a holding call that moved Highlands back 15 yards based on the spot of the foul, quarterback Drew Houliston fired one downfield for Alex Veneman. Veneman appeared to catch it, but the back judge ruled it hit the ground. Pictures and replays confirmed the correct call. Then on third down, Elder sacked Houliston for a five-yard loss. Houliston came out with an injury at that point and junior Beau Hoge came in at quarterback. The Bluebirds did not convert on 4th-and-28. Highlands did get the ball back at its own 30 with 57 seconds left when Highlands senior defensive back Jackson Bardo picked off his second pass of the game. His other interception came in the end zone with 1:09 left in the second quarter to stop an Elder drive. But the Bluebirds missed all four pass attempts giving the ball back to the Panthers, who knelt down to end the game. The Bluebirds never did lead in the game. Elder sophomore quarterback Peyton Ramsey completed 17-of-24 passes for 221 yards. His top targets were Andrew Sportsman with five catches for 113 yads and Austin Cipriani with seven catches for 78 yards. Ramsey also ran for 67 yards on 12 carries and a touchdown. Highlands did a much better job containing running back Chris Schroer this year. He had 94 yards rushing on 28 carries and a touchdown. He ran for 259 yards and five touchdowns in last year’s game in Fort Thomas. “They have a really good offense,” Mueller said. “(Schroer) is a heck of a player and their quarterback is a heck of a player. You really can’t key on just one guy with them.” Houliston finished with 279 yards passing completing 21-of-36 attempts. Jensen Feggins led the Bluebirds with 10 catches for 213 yards and two touchdowns with Zach Harris gaining 77 yards on 15 rushes. The Panthers did put constant pressure on Houliston. He had nine carries for a minus-40 yards rushing. Houliston had ice put on his shoulder after the game. Elder led 7-0 after the first quarter. Ramey found tight end Devin Pike for a 4-yard score with 2:59 left in the quarter. The Panthers extended the margin to 14-0 in the second when Schroer scored from two yards out with 9:51 left in the quarter. But the Bluebirds rallied to tie the game at 14 at halftime. Houliston found Feggins for a 7-yard score with six minutes left in the second on fourth down and Harris scored on a 3-yard draw with 23 seconds left in the half. The start of the second half hurt Highlands. After the Bluebirds went three-and-out, Ramsey scored on a 35-yard run and on the next Highlands offensive play, Elder senior defensive end Dustin Applegate recovered a Bluebird fumble in the end zone for a touchdown. The Panthers missed the extra-point attempt after the first score. “It was a draw,” Mueller said of the fumble. “The exchange got messed up.” But Highlands responded with a score. Harris scored from four yards out to trim the margin to 27-21 with 6:40 left in the quarter. Elder did drive down and make a field goal with three seconds left in the third. Matt Murray hit a 23-yarder that turned out to be the difference in the game. Following an exchange of turnovers, Highlands scored with 5:13 remaining. Houliston hit Feggins for a nine-yard score. The Bluebirds conclude the season Friday against Warren Central near Bowling Green. Game time is 7:30 p.m. in Fort Thomas. Fort Thomas Sports: Elder ends another Highlands winning streak

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter The score surprised no one. The Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds football team dominated the battle of Class 2A’s last three state champions, 48-0 on Friday in Newport over the Covington Holy Cross Indians. The Thoroughbreds moved to 24-0 in Class 2A, District 6 action since 2007 when the Kentucky High School Athletic Association expanded from four to six classes. The Thoroughbreds (5-4 overall, 4-0 district) outscored the district opponents 153-28 with their second straight shutout. They also improved to 19-2 in the all-time series against the Indians (1-8, 1-3). “I thought we made a lot of strides this week,” said Dan Wagner, NewCath Head Coach. “We played our best game all-around with not many mistakes made. We might find a few when we watch the tape. We were pretty efficient in everything we did so we’re happy for now.” NewCath won their fourth and fifth state championships in 2010 and 2012 and Holy Cross won it in 2011. But the Indians have gone 4-16 since that title. NewCath garnered 353 yards of total offense to 163 for Holy Cross. That included 193-28 through the air and 12-9 in first downs. NewCath quarterback Mac Franzen completed 11-of-12 passes for 193 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. He also ran for 25 yards and a touchdown on two carries. Thoroughbred wide receivers Tommy Donnelly and Brandon Gray once again put up big games. They had three and four catches respectively for 67 yards each. Nate Enslen followed with one catch for 42 yards. Donnelly added two touchdown catches. Jacob Smith put together another nice game running the football for NewCath. He had 72 yards rushing on 10 carries. The Thoroughbreds wanted to contain Holy Cross senior running back Jalen Beal. He entered the game with 1,199 yards rushing on 154 carries and 15 touchdowns. Beal had 109 yards on 18 carries. He had a 20 and 17-yard run in the fourth quarter against the NewCath reserves. “We got after him pretty good,” Wagner said. “We never really let him get started. I think he was still banged up because they only ran him 18 times.” The Thoroughbreds led 14-0 after the first quarter and never looked back. Franzen completed a 42-yard score to Enslen before hitting Donnelly for a 22-yard connection. NewCath extended that lead to 28-0 at halftime. Franzen and Kalvin Moore had 12 and 7-yard runs respectively. The Thoroughbreds finished the game with 20 points in the third quarter. Smith scored on a 43-yard dash before Maleek Lawrence intercepted a Holy Cross pass in the end zone and Franzen hit Donnelly for a 30-yard connection. They take on the old district rival and Class 1A power Beechwood Tigers (6-3) to conclude the regular season. Game time is Saturday at Noon in Fort Mitchell. Fort Thomas Sports: NewCath finishes another undefeated district run

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter UNION – In Northern Kentucky, the Twitter hastag #BeatColonels has become extremely popular in years. Both the Highlands Bluebirds and Newport Central Catholic Colonels needed to do just that to advance in the 9th Region semifinals on Thursday at Ryle. Highlands beat the Dixie Heights version in the second game. But NewCath (14-4-1) did it with penalty kicks by a 3-1 count over the Covington Catholic version after neither team scored in regulation or the two five-minute overtime periods. The teams meet Saturday at 3 p.m. back at Ryle for the 9th Region title and the season rubber match. Highlands won the season-opener for both teams, 2-1 on Aug. 20. But NewCath won the 36th District championship by the same score on Oct. 15. Both games took place at Tower Park. Highlands 4, Dixie Heights 0: Bluebird Head Coach Matthew Winkler said it’s about playing your best soccer at this time of the season. It’s hard to argue with two 4-0 shutouts in two 9th Region tournament games. Highlands (15-7-1) also shut out host Ryle on Tuesday. “For the seniors, this is good for them,” Winkler said. “We lost (1-0 to St. Henry) in the first round of region last year. So for them to bounce back and have a lot of heart and put a lot of time and effort into this has really paid off for them.” The Bluebirds outshot the Colonels, 15-10 and both teams had nine shots on goal. Highlands did not let Dixie Heights (13-9-2) get any hard shots. Nathan Tippenhauer made both his saves in the second half for the Bluebirds and Colonel goalkeeper Conner Spivey had four. “We’ve been working well as a unit,” said Jovid Llerena, Highlands senior defender. “That’s all we’ve been working on the last two weeks. This is our family. We got to have each other’s backs.” Highlands also made the most of its corner kicks scoring all three goals in the second half off them. Sophomore Noah Sellers recorded his two assists on the first two goals off the corner kicks. “We were just kicking (balls) well and putting them on peoples’ heads,” Sellers said. “I’m just trying to put it in the middle – a well-driven ball across the face of the goal (at) head level trying to find Chris Garbig most of the time. We can keep finding him against the marks. If they double-team him, we’ll find someone else.” Highlands took the lead just 4:30 into the game. Jordan Jarvis scored for the Bluebirds off a Chris Garbig assist. Highlands kept that 1-0 lead at halftime. Jarvis and Garbig lead the team with nine assists each. Dixie Heights outshot Highlands, 8-6 in the first half including 7-2 on goal. Junior Nick Breslin made his seven saves in that half of action for the Bluebirds. The Bluebirds put the game away in the second half starting with another goal around five minutes in the half. Sellers found Garbig for a score with 34:38 left in the half. Garbig leads Highlands with 15 goals on the season. Highlands did not waste any time scoring its next goal. Sellers found Colin Dean on another corner kick with 32:48 left in the half. That put Dean in double-digits on the year with 10 goals. “Their middle core is really good so we knew we’d have to come down and work the ball from the outside in,” Winkler said. “That’s exactly what we did. We’ve been training for that all year. I’m glad it worked (Thursday).” The Bluebirds added their final goal with 3:05 left in the game. Andrew Barnes found Alex Shepherd for the score. “We were really worried that the (Dixie Heights) intensity level was going to change in the second half,” Winkler said. “We had to match it or beat it. We met it for sure so it helped us.” The Bluebirds last played for a region championship in 2010. They beat Campbell County, 2-0 to win the 10th Region that year before losing 3-1 to Scott in the state quarterfinals. Highlands made three straight 10th Region title game appearances between 2008 and 2010. The Bluebirds finished state runner-up in 2008. Newport Central Catholic 1, Covington Catholic 0: In the first semifinal, Paul Grosser made three straight saves on the penalty kicks to lift the Thoroughbreds to their third straight appearance in a regional championship. NewCath won the 10th Region, 2-1 over the same Colonels and lost 2-0 in last year’s 9th Region title game, 2-0 to Boone County. NewCath’s Ben Tierney and CovCath’s Joe Schuh made their penalty kicks to start off. But after Patrick Louis made his penalty kick for NewCath, Grosser blocked Brice Day’s attempt sliding to his left. “We’ve been working on these penalty kicks the last three weeks knowing it might come down to it,” said Mike McDonald, NewCath Head Coach. “That’s outstanding to save three PKs. You don’t ever see that. He stepped up and did what we asked him.” The Thoroughbreds scored a couple of penalty kicks with deception. They acted like they’d shoot one way and it veered another direction. “It’s all about where you look,” Louis said. “In a sense, you never want to look where you’re going. It’s about repetition in practice.” Then following Nick Huesman’s score for NewCath, Grosser rejected Corey Craig’s attempt with another slide block. The Thoroughbreds did not put the game away on their next shot, but Grosser stopped CovCath’s Parker Kenney to end the game. CovCath ended up outshooting NewCath, 28-16 including 18-8 on goal. Grosser finished with 11 saves and Sam Romes had seven for the Colonels. The Colonels had a few shots go off the post in that half and NewCath’s leading goal-scorer in Matt Tolle had a good attempt in a run-out with 6:10 left, but his shot went wide. “That’s the funny thing about soccer,” said Jeremy Robertson, CovCath Head Coach. “You can dominate a game and still not have it go your way. I thought NCC played a heck of a game. When we played them during the regular season, it was a good game. You can’t be made at (the CovCath players). It’s tough going out on (penalty kicks).” CovCath outshot NewCath, 12-5 including 10-3 on goal in the first half. CovCath had two free kicks near the Thoroughbred attacking third in that half, but could not punch it in. The Colonels ran offsides on one of the attempts. “We rely on our defense a lot,” McDonald said. “Our goal against average all season has been fantastic. We showed it (Thursday). Our back four is phenomenal along with our midfield defense. I couldn’t ask for a better defensive team.” The Thoroughbreds keyed on CovCath senior midfielder/forward Dan Chal. Chal did not get off any clean shots in the game. “We couldn’t let (Chal) turn and we had to make sure we knew where he was at all points,” Huesman said. “We also had to go in hard to him.” The Colonels ended their season at 12-7-3 overall with a 35th District championship. CovCath won the regular season meeting, 4-3 on Sept. 12 at Morscher Field. Fort Thomas Sports

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter The annual football district matchup with the Covington Catholic Colonels may be the most circled game on the calendars of the Highlands Bluebirds players and coaches for a long time. But this year, this Friday’s game at The Pit against the Cincinnati Elder Panthers (6-2) may have been circled almost, if not as many times for a big reason. The Panthers are one of just three teams to beat the undefeated 8-0 Bluebirds during a 95-3 run since the start of 2007. “It definitely prepares us for the playoffs,” said Dale Mueller, Highlands Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator. “Playing a game at Elder is more than a state championship atmosphere. It’s more of a state championship than the actual state championship game. We’re not going there because we want the great experience. We’re looking to go there to win the football game. There have been a lot of good football teams at Highlands High School. We want to be recognized as possibly the best there’s ever been. We’re not that unless we go 15-0. All the best teams at Highlands High School have been undefeated.” Highlands owns a Kentucky record 13 undefeated seasons including three during the run. That trend says this year the Bluebirds are due for another one based on the fact those three unbeaten seasons have come during odd years. But the Panthers of the vaunted Greater Catholic League South have often had a say in whether Highlands goes undefeated or not including the last two years. Elder handed Highlands its lone loss last year by a 38-24 count in Fort Thomas. The Panthers also handed the Bluebirds their lone defeats during the 1999, 2000 and 2004 campaigns. Highlands did break through and beat Elder for the first time in school history in six tries with a 34-29 victory at the Pit two years ago on its way to its last undefeated season. Quarterback Donovan McCoy, playing for the injured Patrick Towles, hit David Christian for a touchdown in the final minutes for a 34-29 victory. Elder used its size on the offensive line to pound Chris Schroer between the tackles for an average of 5.8 a carry and keep the vaunted Highlands offense off the field in last year’s win. Schroer finished with 259 yards rushing on 45 carries and all five Panther touchdowns. “Last year after they beat us, we completely changed what we did before practice,” said Nathan Merkle, Highlands senior defensive linelman. “We stopped watching film and started lifting weights more. That’s helped us be physically superior against every team we’ve played offensively and defensively. We hope it pays off against Elder too.” Merkle said key to facing bigger lineman is staying low. Joey Cochran leads Highlands with six tackles for a loss and Seth Hope leads the Bluebirds with 2.5 sacks. Highlands defensive back Griffin Urlage owns a team-high two interceptions. Schroer leads Elder with 727 yards rushing on 197 carries and 11 touchdowns despite missing some time because of injuries. But the emergence of sophomore quarterback Peyton Ramsey has helped the Panthers. Ramsey has completed 104-of-167 passes for 1,172 yards and seven touchdowns. Senior Austin Cipriani leads Elder with 38 catches for 445 yards and four scores with senior tight end Devin Pike making 25 for 300 yards and a score. “They’ll pack it in tight and run it and they’ll spread it out and throw the ball,” said Brian Weinrich, Highlands Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator. “Honestly, I think one of their best weapons is (Peyton Ramsey) – the coach’s son. He’s really improved as the season has gone along. He’s a good athlete who makes good decisions. They’re not scared to run him. He’s about as good of a quarterback as we’ve faced this year.” Elder has outscored opponents just 168-167 on the season. The Panthers won their first three games and own a 23-10 over longtime league rival Cincinnati St. Xavier. They rebounded from a 35-14 loss to defending Division I champion Cincinnati Moeller with a 23-19 win over Cincinnati Winton Woods on Friday. Elder’s other loss came to Lakewood (Ohio) St. Edward, 44-7 on Sept. 21 at John Carroll University in the Cleveland (Ohio) suburb of Berea. The Panthers employ a 4-3 defense. Elder’s leading tackler is junior linebacker Kyle Orloff. He has 68 stops. “It’ll be the best team we play all year,” Mueller said. “They take football seriously at Elder. Everyone that goes on the field is a good football player. They’re not going to have a weak spot and our 11 guys have to compete with their 11 guys every play. That’s why we like to play Elder. We like to play Elder five times a season because it’s such a good football game.” Highlands senior wide receiver Luke Brockett said the Panthers employ many different defensive looks like Man-to-Man, Three-Deep and Four-Deep coverages. Senior defensive back Johnny Lammers leads Elder with three interceptions. “Elder is a team we have to prepare for more than just one week,” Brockett said. “Anything we’ve done in the past, we have to get better at. Any GCL secondary (players) are going to be playing their best.” But the vaunted Highlands offense has carved up good defenses many times over the years. This year’s version averages 53 points and 439 yards of offense per game including about 342 in the air to go with 61 touchdowns. Quarterback Drew Houliston has completed 137-of-190 passes for 2,423 yards, 33 touhdowns and just one interception. Jensen Feggins leads all Highlands receivers with 26 catches for 487 yards and seven touchdowns. Senior Zach Harris leads Highlands with 493 yards rushing on 64 carries to go with 12 touchdowns. If the game comes down to a last-second field goal, sophomore Jared Dougherty has been clutch all year making 49-of-50 extra-point attempts while missing his lone field-goal try. Dougherty does not have many field-goal tries because Highlands has scored touchdowns on 30-of-33 trips into the opposing red zone. Highlands concludes the regular season against Warren Central on Nov. 1. The Bluebirds will then open the Class 4A playoffs against Boyd County or Greenup County the following week. Fort Thomas Sports

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter CRESTVIEW HILLS – Recent scores showed how close these two soccer teams matched up in the recent two seasons. That was the case again as the Highlands Bluebirds edged the Ryle Lady Raiders, 2-1 in sudden death overtime on Wednesday at Dixie Heights in the 9th Region semifinals. Highlands has won three straight postseason games after going 5-7-5 in the regular season against a tough schedule to play for its first region crown in two years. “We emphasize that no matter what the situation is in the game, don’t get too high and don’t get too low,” said Tommy Kearns, Highlands Head Coach. “We try to stay focused even though it’s very difficult at times, especially in the postseason when it’s win or go home. We were resilient, held on and came home with a win. If you’re in the region final in this area of the state, you’re doing something right.” Senior midfielder Lauren Daly scored the game-winning goal with about two minutes left in the first overtime on the right side of the Ryle goal. Sophomore Brooklynn Rivers dribbled to the left and crossed one to her for the game-winner. “Brooklynn is really good at getting up the field,” Daly said. “Just as an outside mid, your job is to get up so I knew that even though she’s going to get the ball up the field, I still have to get up and do my best to try to put in the goal. I got in front of the (Ryle defender) and guided it in with my body. The whole team put forth a good effort into winning the game.” Highlands faces the familiar Notre Dame Pandas (19-2-3) for the championship at 1:30 p.m. Saturday back at Dixie Heights. Highlands lost 3-0 to Notre Dame at Tower Park on Aug. 29. But the Bluebirds came back to beat the Pandas, 2-1 in the Lexington Catholic Cup semifinals on Sept. 18. Highlands is the only region team to beat Notre Dame this year. “They had a turning point in the midseason and have definitely come on,” said Sara McSorely of the Bluebirds. “You can’t county anybody out who’s still around in the postseason. It’s a fun rivalry and I think everybody is going to be ready to play.” Highlands lost 4-1 to eventual state champion Notre Dame two years ago in the final year of the old 10th Region. The Bluebirds lost 2-1 on penalty kicks to Dixie Heights in the 9th Region quarterfinals last year. Highlands last won a region crown in 2010 following three appearances in the state championship game in four years. The Bluebirds won consecutive state titles in 2005 and 2006 and finished runner-up in 2008. The two teams opened the previous two seasons against each other with close games. Highlands and Ryle (14-5-1) tied 2-2 on Aug. 19 of this year at Tower Park and Highlands edged Ryle just 1-0 to open last season in Union. Highlands outshot Ryle, 23-15 including 14-9 on goal. Highlands goalkeeper Sara Owen made seven saves and Ryle goalkeepers Brianna Collins and Hannah Poe combined to make nine. The teams battled to a 0-0 tie after the first half. Both teams had their chances. Rivers broke free with 5:47 left in the half but Poe made the nice save. Ryle’s lone goal came on a penalty kick with 32:47 remaining. Jill Davenport put it to the left away from Owen. Other than that, the Highlands back line had another great game clearing balls outside the Ryle attacking third. “One of our main keys is I try to stay back more,” said Peyton Bankemper, Highlands junior defender/midfielder. “Then Brooke Dougherty or whoever else is there with me tries to go up to where we can keep up with the opponents more. That helps us make sure the ball does not get past us.” Highlands tied the game on a free kick with 5:43 remaining. Rivers scored from the right of the goal. “Brooklynn had a great free kick with five minutes left in the game,” Kearns said. “We knew it was going to be a tough game against Ryle. (The Lady Raiders) are a strong team in the air. They battled us hard and really took it to us in the middle of the field.” The game was played pretty clean. Neither team drew a red or yellow card. Fort Thomas Sports

Newport Central Catholic 3, Highlands 0: The host Lady Breds (16-16) won the district title with another convincing 3-0 (25-6, 25-19, 25-17) win over the arch-rival Bluebirds (13-22). NewCath has won 17 of 18 against Highlands. Tournament Most Valuable Player Alyssa Maier led NewCath with 26 assists, three kills and three blocks. Rachel McDonald and Keyaira Lankheit also made the all-tournament team helping NewCath once again dominate the net. McDonald had 10 kills and five digs with Lankheit recording seven kills and four blocks. “We had a lot of good blocks,” said Vickie Fleissner, NewCath Head Coach. “Keyaira was a huge factor again. They have to worry about getting around her. That changes the opposing teams’ swings.” Nikki Kiernan and Madison Volk also had good game for NewCath. Kiernan had four kills, three aces and two blocks and Volk had six digs. Jessica Ginter and Kaitlin Hall made the all-tournament team for Highlands. Fleissner said Highlands made things tougher for NewCath in the second and third games after the rough first game. Both teams play in the 9th Region tournament at Ryle next week. Fort Thomas Sports

Notre Dame 6, Newport Central Catholic 0: Lady Bred Head Coach Kevin Turnick said NewCath needed to slow down the Panda offensive attack. That didn’t happen as Notre Dame outshot NewCath, 28-4 including 22-3 on goal in the semifinal route out of its 4-4-2 (defender-forward-midfielder) attack. Meg Martin recorded 14 saves for the Lady Breds to keep the game from getting worse and Courtney Hansel had three for the Pandas. The Lady Breds also ran a 4-4-2 scheme. Despite the lopsided score, Martin and the NewCath defense kept Notre Dame off the scoreboard until 16:44 remained in the first half. Martin had a huge stop on a Notre Dame shot then rebound about six minutes into the game. It took about a dozen shots for the Pandas to score when Taylor Watts scored. Notre Dame led 2-0 at halftime when Carlee Clemmons scored on a pass from Maddie Tierney with 13:35 remaining. The Pandas pulled away with four goals in the second half. Zoe Stovik, Carissa Dyer, Mandy Arnzen and Megan Berberich scored the goals for Notre Dame. “It’s good to see we’re scoring in a variety of ways and a lot of people are stepping up to contribute because that’s what it takes in the postseason,” McSorley said. “Defensively, we knew they had offensive threats. We knew who to watch and I felt like our girls did a really good job of keeping composed and focused. When the defense is composed, it flows in with the offense.” The Lady Breds (13-4-4) still won the All “A” State and Ashland Invitational championships. They graduate Sam Bunzel, Amanda Schabell, Chandler Cain, Caroline Kinnett, Allie Otten and MacKenzie Freeman. Fort Thomas Sports

36th District Volleyball: Highlands, NC to play for Title: The Highlands Bluebirds (13-21) and Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds (15-16) handled their 36th District semifinal opponents on Tuesday to advance to the title game Wednesday. NewCath is the tournament host. Highlands beat Dayton, 3-0 (25-12, 25-16, 25-16) and NewCath downed Bellevue, 3-0 (25-13, 25-6, 25-16). The title game takes place at 7 p.m. NewCath soundly won the regular season contest, 3-0 on Oct. 7. NewCath has won 16 of the last 17 meetings. Rachel McDonald led NewCath with 10 kills with teammates Keyaira Lankheit and Nikki Kiernan following with nine each. Alyssa Maier followed with 30 assists with Alexa Kehoe recording seven aces and Amanda Ruwe six digs. Both teams lost in the 9th Region quarterfinals last year. Prior to that in the old 10th Region, NewCath won six straight crowns and Highlands won it in 2004. Fort Thomas Sports

Newport Central Catholic 2, Boone County 1: The Thoroughbreds (12-4-1) edged the defending 9th Region champion Rebels (16-7-1) in a rematch of last year’s title game at Tower Park in Fort Thomas. Boone County beat NewCath, 2-0 in last year’s title game at St. Henry. The Rebels advanced to the state semifinals before losing 2-0 to eventual state champion Louisville St. Xavier. “This is the best soccer team I’ve had at NewCath,” said Mike McDonald, NewCath Head Coach. “These guys work hard for what they get. Nothing comes easy to them. I was really impressed with how they played.” Evan Brannon and Noah Connolly scored the goals for the Thoroughbreds and Matt Tolle had an assist. Goalkeeper Paul Grosser had eight saves for NewCath. The Thoroughbreds led 2-0 at halftime. But the Rebels did not give up as Evan Ohara scored on a penalty kick with about 18 minutes remaining. The Rebels entered the contest with a region-high 85 goals on the season. They’d also given up just 39. “We relied on our defense a lot,” McDonald said. “With help from our goalkeeper, we shut them down. That’s the best game (Grosser) has played all year.” The win sets up a semifinal contest against the Covington Catholic Colonels at Ryle on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. The Colonels (12-6-3) beat the Thoroughbreds, 4-3 on Sept. 12 at Morscher Field. Fort Thomas Sports

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Sports Reporter UNION – Some may have understandably feared the worst entering this 9th Region quarterfinal contest. Like last year, the Highlands Bluebirds boys soccer team lost in the regular season finale to the Ryle Raiders before dropping the 36th District championship to rival Newport Central Catholic. But unlike last year when Highlands lost 1-0 in the quarterfinals at St. Henry, the Bluebirds turned in a solid 80 minutes to beat 33rd District champion Ryle (14-6-2) on Tuesday, 4-0. The Bluebirds (14-7-1) were the only road team to win in the quarterfinal round. “We’ve been talking about 80 minutes all season long,” said Matthew Winkler, Highlands Head Coach. “Anytime we relax, it hurts us. So when we play with intensity and heart, it helps us get the results we want.” Highlands returns to Ryle to play in the region semifinals at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. The Bluebirds take on the 34th champion Dixie Heights Colonels (13-8-2). The two did not meet in the regular season. Both teams played 4-5-1 (defender-midfielder-forward) formations. Ryle changed at the end of the game trying to rally. “We’ve had some excellent trainings the past couple days,” Winkler said. “The guys have been really motivated. We’ve trained every day, Saturday and Sunday included just to keep them together. We have the same focus and same goal and that’s to get to the state tournament and win state.” Both teams took 16 shots. Ryle had 13 on goal to 11 for Highlands. But none made it past Highlands goalkeepers Nick Breslin and Nathan Tippenhauer. Breslin made seven saves in the first half and Tippenhauer had six in the second half. Freshman Will Bedel played the entire game at goalkeeper for Ryle. He made seven saves. “We came out and practiced hard to get a win and keep our season going,” Tippenhauer said. “We could have been more ready (against NewCath) because it was districts. I think we were flat because we knew we got to regionals no matter what. It was crucial that we stayed on our marks and made sure nothing got past us.” The staff moved senior Andrew Barnes from center back to midfield and he played a role in the first two goals that gave Highlands a 2-0 halftime lead. He played one to Mitch Gesenhues for the first goal with 29:41 left in the first half then scored on a pretty pass from Jordan Jarvis with 4:21 left in the half. “I showed (Coach Winkler) that was a good choice because I was hungry because I haven’t scored or done anything offensively lately,” Barnes said. “I made eye contact with Jordy (Jarvis) coming down. He knew that I was going in for the cross and he played me a perfect ball. (Bedel) came out and I headed it right over.” Highlands added two more goals in the second half. Brady Gesenhues scored off a nice pass from Colin Dean with 28:48 left in the half and Noah Sellers scored on a rebound with 3:02 left in the game. The game did get chippy at times. Ryle drew four yellow cards and Highlands had one. Fort Thomas Sports

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter The 9th Region boys and girls soccer tournaments were drawn Sunday. Both the Highlands and Newport Central Catholic teams are considered to be region contenders. The girls semifinals and title game will take place at Dixie Heights and the boys semifinals and title game will take place at Ryle. The region let district winners host the quarterfinal round this year. On the girls’ side, Highlands (6-7-5) plays host to Beechwood (10-8-4) at 7:30 p.m. Monday at Tower Park. The Bluebirds tied the Lady Tigers, 0-0 on Sept. 12. Highlands finished 3-2-3 against the rest of the region. The only team they did not face is Boone County. The last region title for Highlands came in 2010. The Bluebirds won back-to-back state championships in 2005 and 2006 and finished state runner-up in 2008. Newport Central Catholic travels to Boone County for a 7 p.m. contest Monday. The Lady Breds (12-3-4) are 2-3-2 against the rest of the field and have also not faced Boone County. Their last region crown came in 2001. NewCath owns Ashland Invitational and All “A” State championships but has struggled at 0-2-2 since the calendar turned to October. The semifinals take place Wednesday and the title game is Saturday at 1:30 p.m. Highlands will face either St. Henry or Ryle with a win and NewCath would face either Notre Dame or Dixie Heights. The boys quarterfinals are Tuesday. Highlands returns to Ryle for a 7 p.m. contest after dropping a 1-0 decision in Union on Oct. 10 to close the regular season. The Bluebirds are 13-7-1 overall, but just 2-5 against the 9th Region field. They did not face Dixie Heights. Highlands last won a region crown in 2010 and finished state runner-up in 2008. Newport Central Catholic (12-4-1) plays host to defending region champion Boone County at 7 p.m. at Tower Park. The Rebels beat the Thoroughbreds, 2-0 in last year’s region title game. NewCath downed Boone County, 2-1 on Sept. 7 in Florence. NewCath finished 5-2 against the field and did not play Ryle or Dixie Heights. The Thoroughbreds won their last region crown in 2011. Fort Thomas Sports

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter TAYLOR MILL – The Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds and Bishop Brossart Mustangs have some great rivalries in many sports. Football is not one of them mostly because NewCath is deeper and has had a program longer. The Thoroughbreds list about 60 players on their roster and have fielded a team every year since 1945. Brossart has just 21 players on its roster with two currently injured on a team that started varsity play in 2007. That led to the third Thoroughbred Class 2A, District 6 shellacking in three straight years by a 41-0 count Saturday at Scott High. NewCath beat Brossart, 58-0 at the same location last year and 62-0 in 2011 for a grand total of 161-0 in the three meetings. The Thoroughbreds (4-4 overall, 3-0 district) clinched their ninth straight district championship and 21st overall. They are 23-0 in district play since 2007. Brossart dropped to 2-5 and 0-4 and had already been eliminated from playoff contention entering the game. Both teams ran spread offenses. But NewCath dominated the trenches and it showed in the statistics. The Thoroughbreds outgained the Mustangs, 364-62 in total offense. “The speed of the game and the sizes of different people,” said Maleek Lawrence, NewCath sophomore offensive and defensive lineman when asked about adjusting from junior varsity and freshman to varsity football. “We just have to work hard every day. It’s about doing the same thing every day. Having the Blue (reserve) Team go against us every day makes us better.” NewCath came out throwing the ball all over the field. Quarterback Mac Franzen completed 12-of-16 passes for 75 percent for 204 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. Several different receivers had catches for the Thoroughbreds. Brandon Gray led the way with five catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns. Teammate Tommy Donnelly followed with four catches for 62 yards. “Mac (Franzen) has really improved on finding open receivers,” Gray said. “Basically, all we did all week was work to the ball. We did drills where Mac gets out of the pocket, scrambles and you move to the ball. That really helped. The coaches did a good job with that.” That opened things up for the Thoroughbred running game. Sophomore Jacob Smith ran for 130 yards and three touchdowns all in the first half. NewCath led 41-0 at halftime to force the running clock. That let the reserves play in a scoreless second half. On the other side, Brossart quarterback Casey Pelgen found himself constantly pressured. He ran for 30 yards on 18 carries and completed just 2-of-14 passes for just 14 yards. “We kind of expected we would (get pressure on Pelgin),” said Dan Wagner, NewCath Head Coach. “We got after (Pelgin) and did what we have to do. I think we’re making strides (in the lines). We’re so young. Their getting the idea and you can see improvement every week.” Both teams lost three fumbles. Lawrence and Bryson Hightchew recovered fumbles for the Thoroughbreds. Gray caught his first touchdown pass with 9:01 left in the first quarter before Michael Runyon caught a pass then broke a tackle before sprinting 50 yards for the touchdown with 6:41 left in the first quarter. The Thoroughbreds led 13-0 after their lone missed extra-point attempt of the game. “It’s always critical when you make a big play,” said Dave Schneider, NewCath Offensive Coordinator. “It then takes less plays to score. I thought we did a nice job finding the open man and moved the ball. Mac played a nice ballgame. We still had some turnovers and penalties. We have to clean the mental mistakes up.” The Thoroughbreds extended their lead to 20-0 after Smith broke free for a 64-yard score with 1:34 left in the half. Wyatt Boberg made 5-of-6 PATs on the evening. NewCath added six more touchdowns in the second quarter. Smith scored on 10 and 14-yard runs and Gray scored his second touchdown on a 14-yard play. Final District contest: The Thoroughbreds conclude district play against Covington Holy Cross on Friday at 7 p.m. at Newport Stadium. Holy Cross enters the contest struggling at 1-7 and 1-2 in district play. The Indians lost district contests to Newport and Lloyd Memorial in overtime. They dropped a 37-36 decision to Newport on Friday. NewCath knows it must contain Holy Cross senior running back Jalen Beal. Beal rushed for 917 yards on 130 carries and 12 touchdowns in the first seven games for the Indians. “The (Beal) kid is a special talent,” Wagner said. “We saw a pretty good back to start the year in (Ashland Blazer’s Quentin Baker). I think this is the best kid we’ve seen all year by far. I sat and watched tape. Conner couldn’t contain him. We have our work cut out for us.” NewCath holds an all-time record of 18-2 against Holy Cross. The two schools have combined to win the last three Class 2A titles. Fort Thomas Sports