PsalmsG

Championships are championships no matter which class they are in.

I have seen her in person. Creech is so fundamentally sound, it's unreal. I love how she gets in the lane then makes a step around defenders to get the shot off and score.

I won't go into predictions on specific teams. But considering I am around the team more than most people, I just have a hunch they will surprise some people. Last year, I did feel like they could have beaten Cooper and Ryle if several plays go their way. But since I've been called out and I hate to do this because I have a great amount of respect for the job Coach Marksberry has done at Simon Kenton, but expanding on Jack of all Trades, here we go: KHSAA Football State Championships: Highlands - 23 Simon Kenton - 0

I think Highlands will surprise a lot of teams this year, especially the Class 6A teams.

Jenkins Lady Cavalier basketball senior Whitney Creech etched herself into the Kentucky record books weeks ago. But despite seeing action for the Lady Cavaliers (16-13 overall) since the fifth grade, Creech never experienced the joy of playing in the 14th Region Tournament. That changed Wednesday as Creech scored 46 points to lead the host Lady Cavaliers to a 62-55 victory over the June Buchanan Lady Crusaders in the 53rd District semifinals. Jenkins had not been to the region tournament since 2008. Creech has 1,460 points on the season and 5,312 for her career. The career total is the most in Kentucky history for both boys and girls. She has surpassed Highlands Head Coach Jaime Walz-Richey's old record total of 4,948 by 364 points. Creech averages just more than 50.3 points per game. Jenkins has two more games this season. The next goal for Jenkins is winning its first district championship since 2001. The Lady Cavaliers take on Letcher County Central for that crown Friday at 7 p.m. Fort Thomas Matters Sports: Creech leads Jenkins to 14th Region Tournament

What about Letcher County Central over Knott County Central in the 53rd District?

Highlands' record this year is 5-12.

The Highlands Bluebirds football team started the offseason with a huge preparation victory. That's full access to all the facilities. Highlands Head Coach Brian Weinrich does not like to use it as an excuse for last season's 8-6 campaign that ended in the Class 5A state semifinals with a 41-31 loss to eventual state runner-up Pulaski County. But it did not help that Highlands did not have access to the football field until July 15 last year in terms of getting into various rhythms offensively and defensively. David Cecil Memorial Stadium saw a refurbished turf installed as the original one installed in 2002 began to have wear and tear. The football team had access to the new field house in February of last year. But the Bluebirds used the old weight room until it opened. "The biggest thing is we know what we have and we know what is ready to go," Weinrich said. "Last year, even when we got in, we weren't sure what we had. It took us a while to get comfortable with it and take advantage of it. The grass is down there so in February when we're sharing with baseball and softball, we have plenty of room. When it gets warm in May, we'll have access to the field. It's just a huge advantage we didn't have last year. It's obviously going to help us get better every day with what we're doing." The Bluebirds will also have spring football this year after not being able to do it last year. Highlands has had it in March in the past. But Highlands will have it after Spring Break starting April 11. The ultimate goal is to make it back to Bowling Green where the Bluebirds have enjoyed much success in past Decembers. Prior to last year, Highlands had won seven state championships in eight seasons and finished 4A state runner-up to Collins in 2013. Many know the passing game needs improvement after averaging just 130.2 yards per game compared to about 237 in 2014. Highlands will have a battle for the starting quarterback. The three candidates are rising seniors Brady Gosney, Cam'Ron Johnston and rising junior Carl Schoellman. All three saw limited varsity action last year. Gosney started the Scott County game in place of the injured Austin Hergott. Gosney completed 11-of-34 passes for 101 yards and three interceptions last year. Highlands returns two experienced running backs in rising seniors Grant Murray and Jared Pulsfort. Murray rushed for 534 yards on 63 carries and six touchdowns and Pulsfort had 65 touches for 377 yards and three touchdowns. Highlands averaged 197.5 yards rushing per game last year. The Bluebirds graduate their top five receivers and seven wide receivers total. But rising senior Trent Buchert and rising juniors Griffin Huber, Nick Veneman and Braden Posey showed promise last year. Huber is the leading returning receiver with 14 catches for 203 yards and a touchdown. "I think it's going to help us a lot," Johnston said. "Getting the chemistry down is going to help us improve our yards per game and help us work on the plays on offense. We have two great senior running backs coming back with a heated quarterback battle this spring. I think it will push us all to be better players and it will push our receivers as well to become the best balanced offense that we can." The biggest key for Highlands will be developing players on both the offensive and defensive lines. Highlands graduates five offensive lineman and four defensive lineman this spring. The offensive line returns rising seniors Kyle Finfrock and Michael Davidson. "We're definitely getting our footwork a lot better," said Mitch Schry, Highlands rising senior offensive lineman. "I've seen us progress the last two weeks We're getting a lot stronger than we were. We've been mentoring all these sophomores that are going to be key, especially this year. This O-line is not the biggest, but it's going to be the quickest we've had in a while." The Highlands defensive line returns rising seniors Drew Bravard. But filling in for Tyler Robinson will be key. Robinson drew a lot of double and triple teams last year. "It helps us cooperate and help us become better as a team so we can perform to the best of our abilities," said Jacob Johnson, rising senior defensive lineman. "As long as the d-line keeps working on getting low and shooting their hands, they're going to dominate their gaps and their person every play. The defense is going to look great this year." The Highlands defense allowed averages of 202.1 yards rushing and 154.4 passing. The talented Class 6A teams ran the ball well against them so that will also be a focus this offseason. FORT THOMAS MATTERS: Highlands Aims For Bigger Things With Full Access to Facilities in Offseason

If NewCath beats Bellevue, there will be a coin flip for the third seed, Bellevue Head Coach Jim Hicks said.

Congrats to Erin. Even better, good college choice. Notre Dame wins with class.

The Jenkins Lady Cavaliers received a tough draw in the 14th Region All "A" Tournament at Perry County Central. After taking down three-time champion Leslie County on Wednesday, Jenkins (9-8 overall) could not overcome the Breathitt County Lady Cats (14-4) in the semifinals by a 77-69 count despite 58 points from senior point guard Whitney Creech. Jenkins made the tournament title game two years ago and sough its first crown since 1999. That total brought Creech's career point total to 4,728. Creech has 873 points on the season and is averaging about 51.4 points per game. She needs just 221 points to surpass Highlands Head Coach Jaime Walz-Richey's state record for both boys and girls of 4,948. Jenkins travels to Knott County Central for a key 53rd District game Monday. Game time is 6 p.m. Fort Thomas Matters Sports: Creech surpasses 4,700-point plateau in Jenkins loss

I would love to see her play as well. I hope Jenkins wins the 14th Region All "A" title, but the next game against Breathitt County will be tough.

Whitney Creech is within 300 points of the career scoring record for both boys and girls in Kentucky high school basketball history. She scored 48 points including 32 in the second half as the Jenkins Lady Cavaliers (9-7 overall) rallied past the Leslie County Lady Eagles (11-5) on Wednesday by a 70-61 count. That marked the first All "A" 14th Region Tournament win for Jenkins in two years. Creech has 815 points on the season for an average of 50.9 points per game and 4,666 for her career. She needs 283 points to surpass Highlands Head Coach Jaime Walz-Richey's total of 4,948. Leslie County won the All "A" 14th Region Tournament three years in a row including an 81-60 victory over Jenkins in the title game two years ago. Jenkins last won the region in 1999. Jenkins earned the right to face Breathitt County (13-4) on Friday at Perry County Central in the tournament semifinals. Game time is 6 p.m. and the winner plays for the championship Saturday at 8 p.m. Fort Thomas Matters Sports: Creech scores 48 in Jenkins' All "A" Tournament victory

Jenkins senior point guard Whitney Creech scored 50 points in a crucial 64-44 victory over 53rd District and county rival Letcher County Central (4-11) on Friday. Jenkins (8-7 overall, 1-2 district) earned its first district win of the season and moved above .500. Creech has 4,618 points for her career 767 on the season for an average of just more than 51 per game. Creech needs 330 more points to pass Highlands Ladybirds Head Coach Jaime Walz-Richey for the most career points in Kentucky history boys and girls. Richey scored 4,948 in her career. Jenkins next takes on Leslie County (10-4) on Tuesday in the All "A" 14th Region Tournament at Perry County Central. Game time is 6 p.m. Fort Thomas Matters Sports: Creech scores 50 as Jenkins handles county rival

Come on guys. If a middle school player can help a freshman, junior varsity or even a varsity team, they should be allowed to do so. I have two younger sisters who both played basketball in New London (Ohio) . They are two years apart and my youngest sister scored more than 1,000 points for her career. Dad kept the scorebook. During a varsity game once when my youngest sister was in the eighth grade, the varsity head coach looked at Dad and said he wished my youngest could suit up for varsity because she was a point guard and the varsity guards had problems handling the ball.

Her coach said teams have tried various double and triple-teams. Creech tries to beat teams down the court before they can set up their defense. She also scores a lot off rebounding.

I just received this from her coach. She scored 63 points in the 102-92 double overtime loss to June Buchahan. Creech now has 4,568 career points and needs 376 more to pass Jaime Walz-Richey for the most career boys or girls points in Kentucky history.

1. Beechwood 2. Pikeville 3. Johnson Central 4. Belfry 5. Louisville Male In Ohio: The Massillon Tigers. All these poll era state championships.

I honestly was very concerned for the safety of the players on both teams. It takes one wrong shove to the back or even the neck to leave a permanent injury. I could be wrong about this, but the head referee simply did not seem to care about this at all so I hope something is done about it. Player safety should be first for everyone period!!

CRESTVIEW HILLS - The Highlands Ladybirds soccer team knew it had a quickness advantage against the 9th Region quarterfinal host Dixie Heights Lady Colonels. The Ladybirds used it to their advantage hustling all over the field the entire game. But they were not able to distance themselves from the 34th District champions Monday in a 2-0 victory until late in the game. Highlands (15-8 overall) has not won this many games in a season since winning 18 in 2008 and finishing state runner-up. The Ladybirds won 14 games the last time they won a region crown in 2010. "It is gratifying. You hear from some other teams where the culture isn't great," said Brian Wiefering, Highlands Head Coach. "I think our culture is fantastic. You have 23 girls who think they should be starting and on the field. That's tough. But at the same time, that's great because when you put someone on the field who wants to be there, they're going to play like they're a starter." Highlands moves on to the 9th Region semifinals for the third straight year. The Ladybirds will face arch-rival Notre Dame (17-5) on Wednesday at 5 p.m. at St. Henry. Highlands beat Notre Dame, 3-1 on Sept. 26 in Park Hills. Newport Central Catholic (22-1) takes on Boone County (16-6-2) in the other semifinal at 7:15 p.m. The title game takes place Friday at 7 p.m. back at St. Henry. Notre Dame has eliminated Highlands three of the past four seasons on its way to two state championships, a state runner-up finish and a state semifinal appearance. The Pandas beat the Ladybirds in the 9th Region semifinals last year and in the title game in 2013 by identical 3-0 scores. The quickness showed in the shot totals. Highlands outshot Dixie Heights (8-9-2), 19-5 including 13-4 on goal winning a lot of the 50/50 balls. The Ladybirds also had five corner kicks to two for the Lady Colonels. "Even if you look at our losses, we probably win on possession, the number of shots, number of shots on goal and corners," Wiefering said. "It's up to them to stay organized on defense and not give up a goal that should not have been given up and it's up to them to finish off wide-open shots." Defensively, Highlands keyed on senior forward Jenna Wolf. The Lady Colonels had a free kick to the right of the 18-foot box in the second half, but the shot sailed high. The defenders did a good job booting the ball back to other defenders or the goalkeepers if they were not in a good position to boot the ball forward. "I played with Jenna Wolf in club and she's always been really good so you have to watch out for her," said Hayley Crothers, Highlands senior defender. "The goalkeepers do a really good job communicating with the defense telling us when to drop it or when to clear it." The Ladybirds scored their first goal with 34:28 left in the first half. Freshman forward Lindsey Meyer took the ball on the left side and crossed the ball to Kylie Stava for the score. Highlands led 1-0 at halftime. Meyer had a wide-open shot in the first half. But the shot went right to goalkeeper Ellis McCarthy. McCarthy made 11 saves for the Lady Colonels. Shannon Eaton again played the first half and Olivia McQueary the second at goalkeeper for the Ladybirds. Eaton made one save and McQueary had three. But McQueary made two huge saves on one play with 28:44 left in the game. Dixie Heights drew a penalty in the 18-foot box and senior Madi Critcher took the kick. Critcher shot it to the left and McQueary dove to her right to boot it away. McQueary then slid to her left to make a save on the rebound to preserve the Highlands lead. "I don't really know what happens on penalty kicks," McQueary said. "I kind of just wing it. It's not something I really think about too much. It's kind of spur of the moment kind of thing. I rely on my reaction time and the skills I've have." Meyer had another excellent attempt with 22:18 left. She took one off her back foot. But McCarthy made another save. "It's obvious that teams are starting to focus on certain girls like Lindsey (Meyer), (Kiersten) Clukey and Sydney Ossege," Wiefering said. "That's what we told them at films the other night. It's going to have to come from other girls." The Ladybirds put another one in with 8:03 left in the game. Freshman Haley Dougherty put in a rebound. "It was actually not that tight after I saw that rebound off (McCarthy)," Dougherty said. "I had room to just touch it and hit it in. She's a really good goalkeeper." Highlands also beat Dixie Heights in the regular season, 2-1 on Sept. 28 at Tower Park. The Lady Colonels edged the Ladybirds, 2-1 on penalty kicks in the region quarterfinals in 2012 at Ryle. FORT THOMAS MATTERS: Ladybird soccer advances to 9th semis for third straight year

The first goal was scored by 18 (Kylie Stava) on a nice cross from Lindsey Meyer (10). I hate to put pressure on people, but Meyer is putting up Alicia Browning (now Gesenhues)-esque numbers for Highlands.

GEORGETOWN - The script seemed a lot like the last meeting in 2012. The host football team came out swinging like crazy and the visiting team could not respond. The initial result came in the form of a huge halftime lead that held up in the second half. Scott County (3-0 overall), ranked fourth in the Class 6A Associated Press poll, took the fight to the visiting Highlands Bluebirds (1-2) and never looked back in the first half. The Cardinals led 40-0 at halftime and cruised to a 54-28 victory. That left Highlands with its first 1-2 start since 2002 and as many losses as last year's Class 4A state championship run. "There's not much to say," said Brian Weinrich, Highlands Head Coach. "We'll watch the film and get ready for Ryle." Veteran Scott County Head Coach Jim McKee had not forgotten the 2012 meeting in Fort Thomas. Highlands led 47-14 at halftime en route to a 60-37 win. That was the first meeting between the two programs since 1979. "I think in life you're never as good as you think you are and you're never as bad as you might think you are," McKee said. "(In 2012) At halftime, I said, 'Guys. They're better than us, but they're not that much better. Let's regroup and go out and try to win the second half.' It was kind of the same (Friday). We got off to such a fast start. We're not that much better than they are and they know that. We do have very talented skill people on the team." The Highlands 3-4 defense could not stop the vaunted Scott County traditional Wing-T offense. Scott County outgained Highlands, 419-290 in total offense, including 230-197 on the ground. That total was 377-71 in favor of the Cardinals at halftime. Senior fullback Noah Hughes led Scott County with seven rushes for 82 yards and senior halfback Keith Guy had five rushes for 63 yards. Scott County pounded Highlands up the middle before springing sweeps outside or play-action passes. Defensively in its 3-4, Scott County kept the Highlands Spread offense in check. Senior Nick Kendall finished with 175 yards rushing on 17 carries mostly in the second half. Highlands started junior Brady Gosney at quarterback allowing Austin Hergott's sprained right shoulder to heal. Gosney completed 9-of-25 passes for 93 yards. Chandler New led Highlands with three catches for 49 yards and Bradley Greene had three for 16. Scott County scored in the first two minutes and never looked back. Hughes pulled off a 60-yard run to the Highlands 4 and Kendrick Hamilton scored. The extra-point try failed leaving the score 6-0 Scott County. The Cardinals scored again with 4:39 left in the first. Jordan Darnell caught a long pass from sophomore quarterback Josh Davis and Guy scored from a yard out. Guy then scored on a 44-yard sweep with 3:27 left in the first quarter to put Scott County up 19-0. Highlands tried to roll out on its next possession. But Hamilton picked up the fumble and scored from 15 yards out to put Scott County up 26-0. The Cardinals had one more touchdown in the first quarter. Glenn Covington hauled in a 23-yard pass from Davis with 38.5 seconds left. Davis had his lone touchdown with 8:01 left in the second quarter. That gave the Cardinals a 40-0 advantage. "Our quarterback is good for a young kid and he makes good decisions," McKee said. "My son (Clay) was the quarterback the last three years. It was his second game ever up at Highlands and he threw a pick-six. I give him a hard time. This kid was ahead of where you were as a sophomore." Highlands did win the second half. It started when Kendall broke off an 81-yard run out of the wildcat formation. Gosney then completed the two-point conversion to Greene to trim the margin to 40-8. Scott County then fumbled and senior defensive lineman Luke Lindeman picked up the fumble and returned it 65 yards for a touchdown to cut the lead to 40-14 with 3:10 left. But Simon Bond returned the kickoff back 70 yards for a touchdown to put Scott County up 47-14 with 2:12 left in the third. Kendall then recorded another touchdown on an 8-yard run before Bond recorded is second touchdown on a 14-yard score with 4:42 left in the game. Gosney ran a nice read-option left to make the final score with 49 seconds left. Highlands plays two straight home games starting with Ryle on Friday. Game time is 7 p.m. FORT THOMAS MATTERS: Bluebirds fall on road to Cardinals

It's not a feeling anyone associated with the vaunted Highlands Bluebirds football team is used to. But after Friday's 54-28 loss to Scott County at Georgetown College, it is another first since 2002. That was the last time the Bluebirds started the season with a 1-2 record. Highlands opened 2002 with losses to Lexington Henry Clay and Louisville Male before beating Campbell County. The Bluebirds rebounded to go 10-4 that year before falling 45-6 at Rockcastle County in the Class 3A semifinals. That marked the lone time Highlands lost in the state semifinals during Dale Mueller's 20-year tenure as head coach. The 2005 and 2006 teams beat Dixie Heights and Conner to open the season before losing two straight to tough competition. Both teams lost to Louisville St. Xavier. Injury update: Highlands quarterback Austin Hergott did not play in Friday's game. He sprained his right shoulder and did not practice Monday. Hergott dressed but the coaching staff did not wan to risk injuring the shoulder to the point where he would be out several weeks. A couple other players went down including senior linebacker Jared Dougherty. Dougherty's right arm was in a sling after the game, but he did not know the extent of the injury. Dougherty also punts, kicks extra points and kicks the ball off. Running Clock reversal: Throughout the years, it had been Highlands enacting the running clock on opponents. But Scott County did that Friday scoring its last touchdown of the first half. It came with 8:01 left in the first half. Tough Road forward: It only becomes more challenging for Highlands before district action begins. The next three opponents in Ryle, Louisville St. Xavier and Simon Kenton could enter the game against the Bluebirds undefeated. They were a combined 6-0 as of Saturday morning. Simon Kenton had to finish up a non-district game against Conner and Ryle had to finish a game against Boone County on Saturday. Both games were postponed because of excessive rain and thunderstorms in Northern Kentucky. Undefeated in Class 5A: Six teams in 5A are undefeated as of Saturday morning. They are Anderson County, North Laurel, Bullitt Central, North Bullitt, Owensboro and Grant County. Grant County had a game against Lloyd Memorial postponed at halftime until Saturday because of the weather. Highlands volleyball splits September Slam matches: The Ladybirds are 5-4 after going 1-1 to open the September Slam at Scott High. Highlands took down George Rogers Clark, 2-0 (25-14, 25-13) before losing to Conner, 2-0 (25-19, 25-17). That marked the second loss of the season to the Lady Cougars. The Ladybirds open the second day against Oldham County. Game time is 9 a.m. Graybill commits to Louisville: Highlands senior Shelby Graybill originally committed to Bowling Green State University. But the Falcons went through a coaching chance after the spring. Graybill backed out and committed to Louisville. The Cardinals finished 30-19 last year and are led by Head Coach Sandy Pearsall. FORT THOMAS MATTERS: Bluebird Notebook: Last 1-2 start came in 2002

It may not be fair to compare. But when it comes to the Highlands Ladybirds soccer program, many think of the likes of past great players like Sydney Hiance, Caitlin Beck, Leslie Twehues, Alicia Browning-Gesenhues, Kara Dickerson-O'Hearn, Megan Leahy, Amber Barth-Wells and Mallory Adler. Those greats among others helped the program on its impressive run of 80-11-11 between the 2005 and 2008 seasons. Highlands captured back-to-back state championships in 2005 and 2006 and a state runner-up crown in 2008 during that time. While the current players can't be them, they've been trying to restore the tradition and took a huge step in doing that last season. The Ladybirds finished 12-9-1, captured their eighth district championship in nine seasons before losing 3-0 to Notre Dame in the 9th Region semifinals in Brian Wiefering's first season as head coach. Notre Dame lost in the state semifinals, 1-0 to eventual state champion South Oldham after winning its fourth straight region title. The double-digit win season marked the first for Highlands since its last region crown in 2010. The return of many key players from that team helps narrow the gap if not catch the rival Pandas. Highlands has gone 1-8 against Notre Dame since that last region crown including two losses last season. Notre Dame owns state championships in 2011 and 2013 during that time. Gone from last year are five seniors in forward Taylor Vaughn, defender Peyton Bankemper, Allyson Bridewell, Lydia Graves and Brooke Dougherty. Bridewell took her talents to Eastern Kentucky University and Vaughn signed with Wittenberg University. Graves will play basketball down the road at Georgetown College. Vaughn led Highlands in scoring last year with 13 goals and six assists. In addition, Hannah Culyer and Kamryn Balson decided not to return for their senior years. Culyer finished second on the team with six goals last year. "We built upon last year," Wiefering said. "I think their tactical knowledge of the game is right now maybe where it was midway through last year, which is awesome. It's going to take some of these younger girls to step up with the confidence. It will take these older girls to allow these younger girls to step up and play with confidence." The players on the 2005 and 2006 state championship teams said everyone was a family. Wiefering said he's been trying to restore that type of atmosphere. "It's something we did preach a lot last year and we met some resistance," Wiefering said. "But it did get a lot better toward the end of the year and I think our record kind of reflected that. The girls did get a lot closer. In fact, we had a two-hour intense meeting with all 58 girls and that's what we talked about - how to be a leader, how to be a family on the field, off the field." Junior forward/midfielder Kayla Nehus has an older sister in Allie Nehus-Hanson who started at defender on the 2005 state championship team. Nehus said she's had talks with Hanson about that team. This year happens to mark the 10th anniversary of that championship. "They were all like sisters," Nehus said. "They joined together in everything they did. It wasn't just one person's goal. It was everyone as a whole. They all worked to that goal and made it happen." Nehus scored five goals and had five assists last year. She's the leading returning goal-scorer from last year along with senior midfielder Kylie Schuermann. Schuermann is one of the six returning seniors. The others are defenders Megan Reynolds, Hayley Crothers, forward/midfielder Ellie Farley, midfielder Lauren Ossege and center midfielder Madalyn Wiefering. Farley said they realize where the leadership begins. "Instead of a power struggle and having the seniors significantly overpowering the younger players, we're being leaders ourselves," Farley said. "We're having everyone think like they're a part of the team so it's not like the seniors are on their own." Coach Wiefering said he's confident about putting 14 or 15 players on the field on the varsity level. But that could change daily. Two freshmen could see a lot of time in forwards Haley Dougherty and Lindsey Meyer. "I worried how the juniors and seniors would react to that," Coach Wiefering said. "So far, they've been very, very welcoming to these two. I want 11 confident players on the field. I don't want scared freshmen on the field. I don't want upperclassmen who are frustrated they're not getting the playing time they want." Both goalkeepers in junior Shannon Eaton and sophomore Olivia McQueary return from last year. They split halves last year, but that may not be the case this year. Coach Wiefering said he felt their skills were even last year. Highlands finished the season 9-2-1 after starting 3-7. The Ladybirds recorded 10 shutouts outscoring opponents 42-30. Defenders like Annalee Brewer, Annie Schneider and sophomore Sophie Steppe played a huge role in that defense along with junior center midfielder Kiersten Clukey and junior defender/midfielder Claudia Hils. Coach Wiefering said Highlands has been working on three formations. The strategy will depend on the personnel and opponent. "We've worked a lot so far in the preseason on still pressuring the ball hard and not letting that free-flowing game from the other team take place, but being more organized on defense including our defensive mids," Coach Wiefering said. "That's not going to be much different from last year. I felt like last year, our back four didn't do bad looking at films. I think it was our mids getting out of position and leaving that middle open." Coach Wiefering also said he wants to see the forwards come back to clear the ball. He said that could be a big difference in the win and loss column this season. Seven other players hope to give Highlands depth this season. They are juniors Karolyn Lukjan at defender, Sydney Ossege (midfielder/forward) and sophomores Lily Lorenz (defender/midfielder), Kaitlyn Meyer (midfielder), Kylie Stave (forward/midfielder), Isabella Thomas (defender) and Molly Wiefering (center midfielder). Highlands opens the season on Aug. 27 against Cincinnati Anderson. Game time is 7:30 p.m. Fort Thomas Matters Sports: Girls Soccer Preview: Highlands aiming to restore family atmosphere

Author's Note: This is the first of several stories commemorating the back-to-back Highlands girls soccer state championship teams in 2005 and 2006. This story recognizes the seniors of the 2005 squad. Slightly before the 2005 season, veteran Highlands girls soccer Head Coach Nina Kearns sensed something special in the air, especially when the team picked its uniforms. Highlands lost 6-2 to arch-rival Notre Dame in the region title game the previous year. In the two years prior to that, Highlands won region crowns before losing to Notre Dame and Covington Holy Cross in the first round of the state tournament led by the likes of Ashley Twehues-Thomas and Angela Healy-Jones. At that point, that was the furthest Highlands had advanced. Highlands graduated just several players from the 2004 team and had a good senior class of nine players. They set out to lead Highlands to the first of consecutive state championships in a state that has one champion. Highlands is one of only five teams in tournament history have two or more championship. Of the five, four have repeated with South Oldham and Louisville Sacred Heart winning it three years in a row at one point. "You could see the whole package culminating," Kearns said. "With the leadership and the seniors we had coming back, we were in a very good spot." The team finished 24-2 outscoring opponents, 62-7 with 20 shutouts. Kearns was big on defense because that's what the Middletown (Ohio) native played in college at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio. Kristen Pratt-Gerrein and Allie Nehus-Hanson played key roles in keeping the ball out of the attacking zone. Hanson made the all-tournament team in the state tournament. "As a team, we all had one goal and from the beginning, we talked about state and I remember making a list of goals," Hanson said. "We did that every year. But that year, it felt different. Everyone was really on the same page. We went out there to accomplish our goals. We worked as a team and made that happen." Former players say Kearns demanded respect. Those players who took that to heart did well. "(Kearns) did it in a way that let us know she cared about us too, not just as soccer players, but as people," Gerrein said. "I believe I was successful in college in the classroom (at Georgetown College) and on the field because of the lessons she and (husband and former head and assistant coach) Tommy (Kearns) taught me in high school." But the whole team including the midfielders and forwards also had huge roles on defense, not just the defenders and goalkeeper Sydney Hiance. Jessica Wiseman and Karly Hassman-Maines saw time as midfielders and Natalie Turner played both at midfield and forward. "You didn't want Nina to yell at you so you did everything in your power to keep it out," Wiseman said. "All we basically did was feed the balls to Alicia (Browning-Gesenhues) and Megan (Leahy) up front. Without what I did, we would never had made it because I did the dirty work. I was more of a team leader. Karly, Kristen and I had the same mentality. We were all very positive." Jessica Wiseman's younger sister Laurene saw some action as a freshman on that team. Jessica said the younger players learned a lot from the seniors. "They set standards for all of us, were very good leaders and were really welcoming for us being freshmen," Laurene Wiseman said. "I just dressed my freshmen year." Kara Dickerson-O'Hearn played a key role on the attack up front with Leahy and Gesenhues, who had a team-high 12 goals each. O'Hearn scored seven goal and had eight assists. Gerrein also had eight assists. Stefanie Pennington-Veale and Shanna Gilbert may not have contributed as much as they'd have liked. But they still had roles on the team. Gilbert took on the role of team clown. "I always kept everybody loose, kept everybody laughing and kept everyone having a good time," Gilbert said. "It's high school soccer. A lot of times, it was taken way more out of context than it should have been and stressed people out way too much. At the end of the day, it's still just a sport. You have to remember that." Highlands won its first 11 games. That included a 2-0 win over Notre Dame and wins over recent state champions South Oldham and Lexington Catholic on the road. Turner and Maines scored the goals in the win over the Pandas. But on Sept. 16 on the grass field at Tower Park, Highlands lost Maines for the season to a torn left Anterior Cruciated Ligament. But Maines still maintained a leadership role and the team rallied around here. "One thing I did in the postseason is wrote the team a letter," Maines said. "I always gave a pre-game speech. The reason we were in the fight was the way our team worked together. It takes talent obviously. You can only have so much talent. If everyone doesn't give 100 percent, you are one player out there. I felt like I could be part of the team in some aspects. I tried to keep everyone motivated. It took both aspects to win the game." Maines played recreational soccer in college. She tore her right ACL in college. But that's the reason she is a physical therapist in college. The same holds true for Christin Veith. She had numerous quad muscle injuries. But she earned her Physical Therapy degree from St. Louis University and is helping athletes get back on the field at Floyd Memorial Hospital in New Albany (Indiana). "It takes a lot of pride and determination to get back on the field," Vieth said. "I had great physical therapists to guide me and help me get better. Just to help others get back to the sport they love is really neat to see." Highlands installed artificial turf at Tower Park in 2012. But some of the players would still prefer to play on grass. "We played at fields that had turf and I hated it," O'Hearn said. "I just felt like you had more control and it was more natural. The game is so much quicker when it's on turf. But I have not played on Highlands' new field so I have no idea what it would be like. When I was growing up, everything was pretty much grass." The first loss of the season cane 2-0 to Sacred Heart in the first game of the Lexington Catholic Cup. But Highlands bounced back with shutout wins over Louisville DuPont Manual and Notre Dame, The Ladybirds won their final six regular season games before dipatching Campbell County, 4-0 in the first round of the 19th District Tournament. Highlands then met Newport Central Catholic for the second time after beating the Lady Breds, 1-0 in August. But NewCath won the district championship 1-0. That meant Highlands had to beat Notre Dame a third time in the 10th Region semifinals. Highlands did that before beating NewCath, 1-0 in a shootout in the region title game. Those were often hard games because the players were teammates on club teams in the offseason. "I had a better connection with the girls on Highlands because I saw them at school and sometimes we hung out outside of school," Turner said. "It means more to win with girls I had a better relationship with compared with the girls on the club teams. We had different affiliations. I had to put aside the fact I know (the NC and Notre Dame) girls. It was more important for me to win the game." The Ladybirds shut out Ryle, 1-0 in the Sub-Section 5 Tournament game before beating host Bourbon County, 3-0 in the Section 3 title game. Highlands then beat Greenwood, 3-0 in the state semifinals before beating Lexington Catholic, 1-0 in a shootout in the championship game. The players still use a lot of lessons in their roles as wives, co-workers and mothers these days. O'Hearn work at 5/3 Bank and is raising her son with her husband Tim. "You're always part of a team environment," O'Hearn said. "That's what they instill in the work place too. You work hard for each other to accomplish goals. That's exactly what you do when you play for a team. It's essentially the same thing. It prepares your for life outside high school." Jessica Wiseman works with many different people as a floating pharmacist with Kroger. She may be at the store in Alexandria one week and at one in Covington the next week. Jessica's youngest sister Courtney also played soccer at Highlands before graduating in 2013. "You learned a lot about respect from Highlands soccer," Jessica Wiseman said. "You don't realize it while you are playing, but there are so many people fascinated by us. We were an inspiration for younger girls. Even though they may have not made it as far, everyone wanted to be our team. To be honest, we weren't the best team. But we were like a family. It showed you how much hard work and the girls liked getting along with each other. That's why we won. There was not a selfish player on our team." Gerrein teaches Freshmen English and serves as head coach of the Walton-Verona girls soccer program. She's trying to teach similar lessons there. "I really do run my program like they taught me to run a program," Gerrein said. "I make it my number one goal to build team chemistry. That was such a big part of the teams I've been a part of. We worked really hard, but had so much fun. Bringing a group of girls together is a lot more than just winning and losing games. That's teaching the girls to be classy young ladies. That's something Nina did for sure." Aside from Gerrein, O'Hearn also played sports in college. She played softball for four years at nearby Thomas More College. Where are the 2005 Highlands Girls Soccer Seniors now? Kristen Pratt-Gerrein: - teaches Freshman English at Walton-Verona High School. - head coach of Walton-Verona girls soccer team. - married to 2002 Newport Central Catholic graduate and former football player Chris Gerrein. - first child Cecily was born on June 8. Kara Dickerson-O'Hearn: - works at 5/3 Bank. - married to 2003 Highlands alum and former football player Tim O'Hearn. - The couple lives in Alexandria with son Nolan. Karly Hassman-Maines: - works as Physical Therapist in Lexington. - recently married 2006 Highlands alum Justin Maines. As senior superlatives, the couple was voted, "Best Couple that Never was." Natalie Turner: - works as nurse at the Cincinnati VA Hospital. - recently got engaged to former Highlands football player Brandon Fugate. Allie Nehus-Hanson: - lives in Louisville with husband Michael Hanson. Michael Hanson is from Shelbyville. - works at the Parkinson's Support Center. Shanna Gilbert: - resides in Denver working in the Geology field. Jessica Wiseman: - works as floating pharmacist for Kroger in Northern Kentucky. - engaged to 2008 Cincinnati St. Xavier graduate John Hemmer. Cristin Veith: - works as physical therapist at Floyd Memorial Hospital in New Albany, Indiana. Stefanie Pennington-Veale: - married and lives in Bowling Green, Kentucky - works as Speech-Language Pathologist at skilled nursing facility. FORT THOMAS MATTERS: Ten-Year Celebration: 2005 Highlands Ladybirds Soccer State Champions