PsalmsG

Highlands (13-5 overall) held for the last shot, but things unfortunately did not work out in its first 9th Region loss this year in eight games. Holy Cross (13-5) freshman Piper Macke stole the ball in the open court and raced in for the game-winning lay-up to lift the Lady Indians to the victory. Highlands received more valiant efforts from senior Jenna Martin and sophomore Zoie Barth with 22 and 16 points respectively. Barth made all nine free-throw attempts. The Ladybirds made 19-of-50 shots for 38 percent including 7-of-19 from three-point range for 37 percent. They shot free throws better making 11-of-13 for 85 percent. Highlands faces Cooper (9-4) on Thursday in Fort Thomas. Game time is 7:30 p.m. Fort Thomas Matters Sports: Tough Road Losses

It marked the end of a great run. But while Matthew Winkler did not rule out a possible return to coaching one day, he stepped down from the head coaching position of the Highlands Bluebirds soccer program to devote more time to family. Winkler and his wife Elizabeth have a 5-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter. "My boy is going to go into Kindergarten next year," Winkler said. "I want to make sure that I give them the time that they deserve. Being a head coach is a lot of work, a lot of responsibilities. It would be tough to try to balance them both. I always like to do things two feet in, all into the program. If I can't be all in with my family involved, then it's just not right for the kids at Highlands." Winkler took over the program in 2010 just two years after the team finished its longest postseason run in school history with a state runner-up finish to Louisville St. Xavier. Highlands continued to enjoy success going 88-55-17 with three district championships, two region crowns and two elite eight finishes in the state tournament in 2010 and 2013. "I've known Matthew since I came to Fort Thomas going on 10 years now," said Matt Haskamp, Highlands Director of Athletics. "He's just a very good role model for our boys. He's not a guy that cuts corners. He really cares about what type of men our kids became. That's a hard thing to replace. He inherited a good program, but I think he enhanced upon that. They put a pretty good product out on the field." Highlands finished 18-3-2 this past season beating Newport Central Catholic, 1-0 in the 36th District championship. The Bluebirds then beat Beechwood (4-0) in the 9th Region quarterfinals before suffering a tough 1-0 loss to Ryle in the region semifinals. Highlands beat defending state champion and eventual state runner-up Covington Catholic, 2-1 in Fort Thomas on Sept. 13. "Those elite eight runs were fantastic, but just overall, working with the players and the parents at Highlands were fantastic," Winkler said. "It was a blessing to have the opportunity to work with all those kids and grind out some awesome. We beat CovCath several times over the seven years along with some other notable wins." Highlands graduates 11 seniors from that squad. But the next head coach will see the return of talented players such as Nick Gish and Drew Rom. The Bluebirds Junior Varsity won the 9th Region JV Tournament. "My goal when I entered the program was to improve the program and take it to a different level from where it was before," Winkler said. "The program is in a better place than when I started and that's nothing against previous head coaches. Times are changing. You want your program to be the best and eventually win that state championship for these kids and this community." JV Head Coach Neal Frink also resigned weeks ago. That leaves Varsity assistant coaches Dave Kraus, Chad Niedert along with Freshman Head Coach Matt Stephens and Goal Keeper coach Eric Fessler on staff pending the hiring of the next head coach. Niedert teaches Pre-Calculus and Advanced Placement Computer Science Principles at Highlands High School. Haskamp said he's working with Highlands Principal Brian Robinson and other administrators to plan a course of action in hiring the next head coach. Haskamp also said he hopes to meet with the assistants to discuss the situation. "The transition between head coaches is tough," Haskamp said. "I've been involved in it when I was coaching. You have to give the head coach the ability to build their program and staff. In a perfect world, that all works out with the folks you have on (staff). I think we have good people there and hopefully, the next head coach and some of these guys can work together well to get the staff built. If they want to go in a different direction, we'll have to have discussions at that time." Niedert played soccer at Xavier University from 2006 to 2009 after graduating from Oswego (Illinois) in 2006. He served as head coach of North Oldham's program in 2013 leading the Mustangs to a 20-5 record with 29th District and 8th Region championships. The Mustangs then beat Central Hardin on penalty kicks before losing to Bowling Green on penalty kicks in the elite eight of the state tournament. FORT THOMAS MATTERS: Change in Head Coach

The Bluebirds (9-9 overall) are at. 500 for the first time this season with the win over the host Greendevils (4-13, 1-2 district). But more importantly, they are 2-0 in 36th District action and 6-3 in 9th Region action. Highlands had not won two district seed games in a season since going 2-2 during the 2013-14 campaign and earning the third seed in the district tournament. The Bluebirds beat Newport in the district semifinals that year on their way to the program's last appearance in the 9th Region Tournament. "Any district win is a big win regardless of who you're playing because it sets up the post-season tournament," said Kevin Listerman, Highlands Head Coach. "We've gotten a lot done in the last eight days. To have a district game at the end of that on a Saturday night coming off the double-overtime win on the road, I was really pleased with the effort that our kids put forward. It's huge for us to continue to find ways to win." Highlands will not be playing on the first day of the tournament this year with the win. The Bluebirds finished 1-3 in district play the last two seasons to draw the fourth seed in the district tournament. They'd proceed to beat Dayton in the 4-5 game before losing to top-seeded Newport Central Catholic in the semifinals to end the season each time. Junior Jacob Noe led Highlands with 15 points. Kyle Finfrock followed with 11 points and Griffin Huber had 10. The Bluebirds shot well from the free-throw line making 16-of-20 for 80 percent. Dayton made 14-of-18 for 78 percent. Highlands made 20-of-42 shots for 48 percent including 9-of-17 from three-point range for 53 percent and Dayton hit 17-of-43 shots for 40 percent including 6-of-11 from three-point range for 55 percent. "We shot the ball well from three, particularly early," Listerman said. "Jacob Noe hit three first-quarter three's and really got us out of the gate well. We did a good job getting the ball inside to Kyle again. They were very, very physical with him and for the most part, Kyle handled it and did a good job. We knocked some free throws down in the early part of the fourth quarter and got the lead to 19 with about three or four minutes to go then handled the situation from there on out." Highlands travels to Campbell County (16-1) on Tuesday. Game time is 7:30 p.m. Fort Thomas Matters Sports: Gratifying District Wins

The Bluebirds came away from Union with another impressive 9th Region win. Highlands moved to 8-9 overall and 5-3 in region play with its third straight win and fifth in the last six games. The Bluebirds have won three of the last four meetings against the Raiders (9-9). "We've talked about learning how to close out games and learning how to win," said Kevin Listerman, Highlands Head Coach. "It wasn't pretty, but we've played a lot of games here in the last week against pretty good competition. For us to come in and find a way to win on the road was huge." Highlands senior post Kyle Finfrock again led the way with 21 points. The Bluebirds saw three others reach double figures in Braden Posey, Carl Schoellman and Bryce Traylor with 19, 15 and 11 points respectively. Schoellman made five three-pointers in the second half. "It feels amazing," Traylor said. "It brings smiles in the locker room. We're playing our game. We're having fun. That's what it's all about. Everybody on this team makes a huge contribution." Bluebird senior Bradley Greene recorded three steals. The final one sealed the game in the second overtime with 12 seconds left. He hit two free throws to give Highlands a five-point lead. Highlands made 19-of-27 free throws for 70 percent and Ryle made 21-of-28 for 75 percent. Senior guard Braden Cheesman led the Raiders with 17 points before fouling out in the second overtime. Senior guard Aaron O'Hara and sophomore forward Vince Rankin had 16 each. "For the most party, we did a pretty good job," Listerman said. "They're big three had solid nights, but we didn't let any of them have huge nights so that's what gave us a chance to hang around even though we were struggling on offense for a long time." Highlands plays at Dayton (4-12) on Saturday in another 36th District game. Game time is 7:30 p.m. Fort Thomas Matters Sports: Grinding Out Victories

Down the stretch, the Highlands Ladybirds basketball team (12-4 overall) made the crucial plays when needed to pull off the huge 46-43 non-region home win Thursday. The Mason County Lady Royals (11-3 overall) came into the game ranked 11th in the latest BluegrassPreps Top 20 poll and Highlands found itself ranked 17th. Mason County also entered the game on a 10-game winning streak and held a record of 5-1 against 9th Region opponents including a win over 12th-ranked Covington Holmes. Its two losses came to 19th-ranked Ryle and 3rd-ranked Mercer County. Highlands moved to 2-2 against the current Top 20. With the game tied at 43 with 34 seconds left, Highlands senior Jenna Martin stepped to the free-throw line and made 1-of-2 attempts to put the hosts up 44-43. Then sophomore Zoie Barth came up with a crucial charge on the defensive end with 13 seconds left. Highlands managed to dribble off eight seconds when Lauren Epperson found Barth. Barth hit both free throws to make the final score of 46-43. "Every play counts," said Jaime Walz-Richey, Highlands Head Coach. "We made some big plays at the end and we didn't make mistakes. It was a game that we didn't shoot free throws very well. But we found a way to win." Martin led Highlands with 16 points making 6-of-15 shots to go with three assists and two steals. Barth and Epperson followed with 11 and senior Emma Little scored the other eight. Barth had two assists and five steals. Epperson and Martin led Highlands with four rebounds each and sophomore Chloe Jansen chipped in three assists. "We just want to take control of the tempo of the game," Martin said. "We wanted it more than (they did). We executed all of our plays. I think we'll have to string together performances like that to be able to win the region." Highlands hit just 7-of-16 free throws for 44 percent and 16-of-44 shots for 36 percent including 7-of-16 from three-point range for 44 percent. Mason County made 17-of-37 shots for 46 percent including 3-of-15 from outside for 20 percent in addition to 6-of-8 free throws for 75 percent. Mason County did have some size inside surrounded with quality shooters. Senior guard Whitney O'Mara led the Lady Royals with 14 points with senior forwards Briana McNutt and Maddie Boone scoring eight each. Mason County won the rebounding battle, 29-20. McNutt and junior guard/forward Kara Mogan had six each. Highlands trailed 30-29 at halftime and held the Lady Royals to just 13 points in the second half. A big difference in the game came in the turnover department. Highlands recorded 12 steals on 18 Mason County turnovers while the turning the ball over just eight times on seven Lady Royal steals. Sophomore Morgan Coffey followed Martin and Barth with two steals. Highlands hopes to wrap up a fourth straight undisputed top seed in the 36th District Tournament at home Saturday against Newport (4-11, 0-2). Game time is 7:30 p.m. Fort Thomas Matters Sports: Grinding Out Victories

I'd like to see some consistency with this program, especially if my nephew ends up playing in high school. I live in Northern Kentucky, but I've been to two of the last three Tilghman-McCracken County games.

Okay, guys. Let me clarify something. There has not been a head coach at Highlands fired since I've been here dating back to the start of the 2012-13 school year that I am aware of. I'm not saying that won't change in the future. By no means was I trying to take a shot at the administration. I have the utmost respect for them.

That administration does not fire coaches at Highlands. Please rid any thought of Kevin Listerman or any head coach there being on the hot seat.

The Highlands Bluebirds basketball team (2-6 overall) ran into a balanced 6-1 Simon Kenton Pioneer squad Wednesday and lost 89-65 in the first round of the Simon Kenton Invitational. Sophomore Ben Sisson led Highlands with 12 and junior Robby Gabbard had 10. The Bluebirds made 9-of-16 free throws for 56 percent and the Pioneers hit 15-of-17 for 88 percent. Simon Kenton saw four players reach double figures and 11 players score. Junior Zach Kelch led the way with 21 points and Jon Sergent scored 18. Senior JC Hawkins had 15 points to go with eight assists and six rebounds and junior Andrew Robinson had 10. Highlands faces Lloyd Memorial (6-2) to continue the tournament at 3:45 p.m. Fort Thomas Matters Sports: Facing Balanced Teams

The Blue and White has shown it is on the verge of some great things this basketball season. The Highlands Bluebirds (2-5 overall) had just been short in key areas of the game and it cost them the tight ones. But they put together a complete game Saturday and dominated the county rival Bishop Brossart Mustangs (1-7), 61-29 in Alexandria. Highlands snapped a two-game losing streak overall and eight-game losing streak against Bishop Brossart dating back to a 64-40 win over the Mustangs in Fort Thomas on Dec. 23, 2007. Highlands also snapped a six-game losing streak in Alexandria. The Bluebirds had not beaten the Mustangs on their home floor since a 59-43 victory on Jan. 3, 2003. The Bluebirds saw a number of players contribute. They made 22-of-41 shots overall for 54 percent including 12-of-23 from three-point range for 52 percent. Highlands also made 3-of-6 free throws for 50 percent. Bishop Brossart made 10 two-point shots, a three-pointer and hit 6-of-11 free throws for 55 percent. Highlands held Bishop Brossart to just 11 points in the second half. The Bluebirds led 45-23 entering the fourth quarter. "It's so rewarding for the kids," said Kevin Listerman, Highlands Head Coach. "They've played very, very hard and to put things together and see the ball go through the basket for those guys was great. We had some guys struggling from outside. More importantly was our focus defensively. Our guys that came off the bench were just locked in." The Bluebirds saw junior Jacob Noe led the way with 14 points on four three-pointers. Junior Robby Gabbard followed with 11 points. Senior post Kyle Finfrock did have another nice game with eight points and six rebounds. The Bluebirds won the rebounding battle, 27-15. "If we just spread the ball out and feed it inside from time to time, we can basically compete with any team we play," Noe said. "We need to work it inside and out and it works out fine. We'll pass to (Finfrock) in the post. When they collapse, that's when the kick-out is open." Listerman wanted the players to be more unselfish. He said the Bluebirds did a better job making that extra pass against Bishop Brossart. Junior Carl Schoellman served as a great example there with four rebounds, four assists and two three-pointers on his way to six points. "It's not so much on the floor. With the number of guys we have that can contribute at the varsity level, it's hard to accept a little less time in sharing that time as a group based on what's going on," Listerman said. "That's a really hard thing for 16 and 17-year-olds to understand and I think we started to turn a corner for that." Highlands travels to Simon Kenton (5-1) on Wednesday. Game time is 7:15 p.m. Fort Thomas Matters Sports: Taking Down a County Rival

Highlands is improved from last year. They are 18-15 and guaranteed its first winning season since 2010.

I congratulate Stephen Lickert and the Camels on the win. But my question is about the first Campbell County offensive play of the second half? Dowds gets stopped in the backfield and the ball came out with Highlands recovering it. I am sure the whistle didn't blow. How can they come even close to saying Dowds was down?

21-14 Campbell County

I am not trying to take away anything from Campbell County, but I thought the head referee signaled Highlands ball on CC's first play of the second half? I guess he got overruled?

Lickert is 0-5 against his alma mater.

How was that not a fumble on Campbell's first play?

Campbell County is up 6-0 at halftime. Bluebird defense is playing better but the offense needs to eliminate the penalties.

No score after one. Four turnovers including Kyle Rust interception for Bluebirds.

Yes. Highlands is selling season passes for $30. You have to call the school to get them. FORT THOMAS MATTERS: Highlands Athletics Going Live Across the Country

Yes. Here is the link. I'm listening from Colorado. | Live high school sports video and live stats on the NFHS Network | NFHSNetwork.com

Kevin Siple and company have made some little strides. The Braves had some nice skill players last year. But the line play really hurt them against the better teams like Covington Catholic and Highlands. Grant County faces teams that are building just like they are in non-district action. They hoped to be 6-0 entering district play, but wound up 3-3. If that happens this year, good things could come to this program. They have the right man to turn things around though.

Just stepping onto the David Cecil Memorial Stadium grass for spring football provided excitement last week. The Highlands Bluebirds football team experienced it for the first time in two years after coming back from Spring Break. Highlands did not have that luxury a year ago when the school refurbished the turf field originally installed in 2002 because it showed signs of wearing down. "We (coaches) were just talking that if we stopped spring ball after three days, we already feel that we're light years ahead of where we were at this time last year just having a field to practice plays," said Brian Weinrich, Highlands Head Coach. "We're confident we could successfully run a game plan with what we have now. That's huge in April." Highlands entered the off-season off an 8-6 campaign. The Bluebirds still captured their 19th district championship in 20 years and extended the state's longest current run of consecutive region championships to nine in a row before losing 41-31 to Pulaski County in the Class 5A semifinals on Nov. 27. Highlands focused on contact drills like blocking, tackling and getting off blocks toward the end of last week. The Bluebirds planned to practice nine times of the allowed 10 days in three weeks. "The problem is if you don't do this in the spring, you can't do it until August," Weinrich said of contact drills. "You only have a couple days then you have a scrimmage then a game so you're limited to the time you can actually do the contact stuff and be smart about it. We can focus on the contact and fundamentals because we're not worried about a game now." The Highlands offense hopes to work toward the balanced spread offense it is known for. The Bluebirds averaged 197.5 yards per game rushing the ball and 130.2 passing for an average of 327.7 a game. While the rushing game stayed near the same from the 2014 Class 4A state championship squad, the passing game dipped from about 237 yards a game. The Bluebirds have four players battling for the starting quarterback role. But they return two experienced running backs in seniors-to-be Grant Murray and Jared Pulsfort. Murray rushed for 534 net yards on 63 attempts and six touchdowns last year and Pulsfort rushed 65 times for 377 yards and three scores. Highlands also returns experienced wide receivers in senior-to-be Trent Buchert and juniors-to-be Braden Posey, Griffin Huber and Nick Veneman. Huber is the leading returning receiver with 14 catches for 203 yards and a touchdown. "Typically in the past, we were a dominant passing offense," Buchert said. "But we also have two great running backs who played a ton last year so I think we'll be able to spread it around a ton this year. We'll adjust to what the defense is doing. I'm amazed at how well we've been able to come out here and pick up where we left off last year so it's working out really well." Another big key to the offense will be the development of the offensive line. Highlands had five senior offensive linemen last year but seniors-to-be Kyle Finfrock and Michael Davidson return along with junior-to-be Michael Dunn. "Some of. those guys are back. Some of them had great JV years," Weinrich said. "Just because they had great JV years, they're ready to go. They just had some seniors in front of them. I don't know how much bigger they are than this time last year. But it's not even the same group of guys in terms of size from last year. They've grown inches and put on some weight so we're excited with where they are now." The defense is also hoping to build some depth. Highlands allowed averages of 202.1 yards rushing and 154.4 passing. The main returning players on the defensive side of the ball on the defensive line are seniors-to-be Drew Bravard and Connor Myers. Bravard had 6.5 tackles for a loss for 16 yards and 2.5 sacks for a total of 27 yards and recovered two fumbles last year. "It's a good opportunity to see guys you haven't seen," said Shelby Jones, Highlands Defensive Coordinator. "With the younger guys, you have to see who is physical already, see who is ready to step up. A lot of what we do is get the 11 best and find them a place. That's one of the things you miss out on when you don't do Spring (Practice). It's just exciting. The guys have a lot of energy now. It's nice to have guys not have to think just fly around and have fun." The linebackers see rising seniors Dalton Cornett, Trey Bowden and Trent Webster return. Bowden had one sack for a loss of four yards and 1.5 tackles for a loss of two yards. Bowden also had an interception and returned two fumbles. Unless they play other sports, the players partake in the offseason conditioning. "It's a year-round commitment. We have weights (among other) things we're doing," Jones said. "It's no lie that what you do in the off-season prepares you for what you're going to do during the season. The more kids you get to buy in, the more success you'll have. It's about getting guys to every single thing. They feel like they're missing something if they miss a practice." Seniors-to-be Sam Taylor, Kyle Rust and Bradley Greene return in the secondary. Greene led Highlands with four interceptions last year returning them for a total of 67 yards and Taylor led the Bluebirds with three fumble recoveries for a total of 18 return yards. Taylor said the team has been working on team chemistry in spring ball. "We just need to work on our coverages more doing everything," Taylor said. "We have the speed. We can do anything on the back end. We just have to get good at running them." Weinrich said spring ball especially benefits the players who will be sophomores in the fall. The staff has to determine if they are ready to play on varsity or on the junior varsity. Players sometimes quit between their freshmen and sophomore seasons because they don't want to face upperclassmen. "That's the group that spring football is good for," Weinrich said. "The guys that played varsity last year, you know what they can do. They just want to come out here, get the reps and get better running the plays. But coming in as a sophomore and playing varsity football is one of the most intimidating things that you do. But spring football helps bring those guys along in a positive way." Highlands concludes spring practice next week. The schedule is the same this year as last year with a change in venue. The Bluebirds take on Cooper in Fort Thomas to open the season on Aug. 19. FORT THOMAS MATTERS: Highlands "Light Years" Ahead in Spring Practice

Instead of the adjective clear-cut that has pretty much described the race for the role of starting quarterback for the Highlands Bluebirds football team, it will be competitive this off-season. A senior has been the starting quarterback on the depth chart entering the season every year dating back to 2010 when Patrick Towles earned the role as a junior. Towles was the last quarterback to enter the season as the starter for more than one season. Towles took over as starting quarterback as a sophomore midway through the 2009 undefeated Class 5A state championship run after Will Bardo went down with an injury in the huge 12-7 victory over Cincinnati St. Xavier. That victory propelled the Bluebirds to a program-best third ranking in the final USA Today Super 25 poll. Four players will battle for that role this off-season after senior Austin Hergott takes his talents to Central Michigan University in seniors-to-be Brady Gosney, Cam'Ron Johnston, junior-to-be Carl Schoellman and sophomore-to-be Grady Cramer. All four have specific areas they aim to improve at in the offseason. The four are basically lined up at the starting line. Head Coach Brian Weinrich indicated things will stay that way until at least the summer. Gosney and Cramer are playing baseball while Johnston and Schoellman are participating in the team's offseason conditioning program. "We're not going to waste our time thinking about that right now," Weinrich said. "Right now, we're not playing a whole lot of football. It's just overall athletic development. Spring football is going to be focused on a lot of little things. Those guys will get the football reps in. Hopefully, they'll take advantage of that situation. We're just going to take advantage of that time and get better." Gosney has the most varsity experience of the four after backing up Hergott last season. Gosney completed 11-of-34 passes for 101 yards and three interceptions last year and rushed for 32 yards on nine carries and two touchdowns last year. Gosney started the game at Scott County for the injured Hergott. Gosney hopes to improve his footwork and throwing mechanics. Gosney realizes the importance of earning the trust of the coaches. Quarterbacks need to be counted on to make the right reads and accurate throws to gain crucial first downs and touchdowns in crunch time. Beau Hoge displayed that on the game-winning drive against Owensboro in the Class 4A state championship game in 2014. He scored the game-winning touchdown with 2:30 left on a quarterback sweep to the left. "We're basically talking to (the coaches) a lot," Gosney said. "We're going over film with them every other day trying to make sure what he's seeing, we're seeing and thinking the same things." Johnston and Schoellman also saw limited varsity action. Johnston rushed one time for eight yards against Grant County and Schoellman did not complete his lone pass attempt. But Gosney, Schoellman and Johnston helped the Highlands junior varsity team to a 7-2 record. The Bluebirds lost to just Simon Kenton and Cincinnati (Ohio) La Salle. Johnston will be working on his reads and decision-making. Johnston's run came off a read-option play. Hoge and Hergott made plays off that play in previous years. Hergott scored a touchdown on one in the state semifinal loss to Pulaski County. "That's really vital because the longer you hold onto the ball, the better the read you can make and the better the read you make (leads to) better plays," Johnston said. "I want to make my decisions quicker and more accurate." Schoellman just came back to football conditioning from basketball season. He wants to improve his arm strength and decision-making. The players know it is vital to support each other no matter who wins the job. "We all just push each other to become the best we can be because someone's going to have to do it," Schoellman said. "Whoever that is, hopefully they're the best equipped and ready to go." Cramer helped the Highlands freshman team go 7-3 throwing 25 touchdown passes. The Bluebird freshmen lost to just Campbell County, Covington Catholic and Louisville Trinity. Cramer has grown to 6-1. Kramer wants to improve his poise in the pocket and his footwork. He said he'll be attending caps at the University of Cincinnati and Indiana University to do that. Looking at his freshman film, one play that stands out came in the 19-18 win at Conner. Highlands had the ball at its own 3-yard-line. But Cramer hit eighth-grader Brycen Huddleston around the Bluebird 45 in one-on-one coverage. Huddleston then outraced the Cougar defender for the long touchdown. The Bluebirds have several wide receivers coming back such as senior-to-be Trent Buchert and juniors-to-be Braden Posey, Griffin Huber and Nick Veneman. Huber is the leading returning receiver with 14 catches for 203 yards and a touchdown. Kramer understands the importance of reading routes and hitting wide receivers at the right locations against various defenses. "It comes with practice," Cramer said. "You just have to be poised in the pocket and know where the receivers are going, know the routes and be smart." All four players have plans if they do not win the job. Gosney said he'd look for a spot on the defensive side of the ball and Johnston said he'd look at a tight end spot. Schoellman and Kramer would probably go to the junior varsity squad and try to win the job in future years with one and two seasons left after this year respectively. The hope for next season no matter who wins the job is to improve the passing game to where opponents can't load the box against the run. Highlands averaged 130.2 yards per game passing the ball last year. Spring football begins April 11 and goes to April 26. The Bluebirds will practice nine of the Kentucky High School Athletic Association-allowed 10 days during that time. FORT THOMAS MATTERS: Four in mix for Highlands starting quarterback role

As for Ryle, Katie Haitz and staff have done an outstanding job there. To borrow a paraphrase from Warren Sapp, the cake was in the oven and this staff put icing on it.

I thoroughly enjoyed covering the Highlands girls hoops team for four years now. It will be different without Leigh, Adler, Schultz and Haley Coffey around next season. But they were awesome to work with.