En Fuego Hombre

IMO, Boyle is a Signature win and Highlands will be going all out for the victory. I don't think they will hang their hats on a potential post season matchup.

I agree. I think Elder will be taking LaSalle more seriously than Highlands and will opt to play their stud lineup in their game Thursday, much like last year. I know a lot of Elder alum and they look at Kentucky, especially Northern Kentucky, as stepping stone competition, not serious foes and they do not get hyped up about these games.

If there is an appeal, it is certainly not out of the realm of possibilities that the KHSAA has a ruling overturned. Ironically, Boyle was also involved in another game, years ago, where the KHSAA overstepped and erred with their decision to suspend Highlands player Mike Mitchell from the state title game, preventing him from playing in the biggest game of his high school career. The KHSAA decision was later overturned by the Kentucky courts. The judicial review found that the KHSAA had acted arbitrarily and capriciously in suspending Mitchell. Highlands ended up winning, with Mitchell on the sideline, defeating Boyle 22-6. The KHSAA also tried to make Highlands forfeit all of the games that Mitchell played in that year (2004). Highlands also won the court battle to have those wins reinstated.

I'm not convinced. I think there are areas that will need to improve for the Birds in order for that to happen. Also, it is going to be hot again, Friday and we saw a lot of very worn out Birds, last week, due to the heat and conditioning issues.

I think if we see more play calling like we saw on Friday night, taking a delay penalty from the opponent's 45 to get more room to punt, rather than pounding with Lorenzen to pick up the first down on a 4th and 2, the pitchforks will be out early this season. The offensive play calling has been bad since the Sphire team came to town and has never improved or evolved. If the Offense sputters, I don't think a 5-5 season is out of the realm of possibilities and if Cooper exceeds expectations Friday night, it may be 4-6.

Curious to know if the O line has any quality depth, beyond the starters?

That had to be a very brief instant, considering the match up and the score being that close.?

Coach Weinrich is getting a great gig with a very real opportunity to earn another Championship ring. It will be fun to watch him cross the field at the end of the HHS game next year, if the Colonels beat the Birds.

If there is not State Championship trophy to add to the trophy case in Fort Thomas at the end of this season, I'd say Sphire may be looking for a new job.

IMO, this makes the Blue Colonels a better team, immediately. BW will be a great addition to the program.

I'm hearing the staff is coming together and there are some familiar NKY names coming aboard. Names that will automatically lead one to believe that Scott is definitely headed in the right direction with the football program.

I'm not so sure that he may not decide to leave on his own. He came into the job thinking that his OC would end up being his natural successor, but I don't think there is any way that would ever happen. So maybe he looks for a new gig, where he may be able to pass that torch.

Yes, my tongue was planted firmly in my cheek with that response. The current AD, Sphire's former player at Lex Cath, is the one responsible for bringing coach Sphire to the attention of the HHS football community during the search for a new head coach. While Matt Bertasso may have had some part in putting a job package together, he was hardly the driving force behind the hire.

I'm fairly sure that Matt Bertasso, who was the Principal at the time, had little, if any, knowledge about anything regarding the game of football, other than being on the field as a drum major, with the band, at halftime during his high school years. As Principal, he was much more focused on the arts and academics as he should have been. To state that he had the sole responsibility of hiring a head football coach at Highlands, is ridiculous.

If you say so, it must be true ?. I had no idea that the principal played for Sphire at Lex Cath and contacted him about the job.

I believe the biggest issue with hiring Bathiany was the Highlands AD and his relationship with Sphire.

Let's just say he would likely require that his services come as a package deal, as is the case currently.

I hope they are ready to accommodate the baggage that comes along with him.

No, not really. And I think it more likely that Boyle wins big, showing that they have really progressed as the season has gone on. That is what championship caliber teams do.

Badly, partly because the Birds were at home and heavy favorites.

I mean if you want to go back in history to other teams, sure, but at HHS, which is what this is about, he's 0-fer.

Sphire has been unable to lead the team to the big wins, when it counts. The last two years, were 100% his teams, lots of talent, great expectations but still no state titles. Is this the longest title drought in Highlands history?

Nope. The previous coach won a title in his 1st year at the helm.

Two years in a row of the Birds getting blown out in the playoffs. So much for those return to the glory days predictions...