Bad Bill

John Burt's number was retired. It was #40. The Burt brothers were not twins. John Burt was held back a year and Jim Burt was moved up a year so they could be in the same class. They are two years apart in age. That's why John was the more physically mature of the two in high school. The Burts attended Western Kentucky University and both were star players on the football team, but Jim continued to mature physically and ended up the best player of the two. He was drafted in the fifth round by the Los Angeles Rams but decided to pursue medical school rather than the NFL. John lives in Fort Thomas and Jim lives in Bowling Green, Ky.

Jeff Ruby's son attended Highlands for a few years so of course Jeff Ruby paid his tuition. His son played football as a freshman, but I believe he was injured his sophomore year and didn't play much. He transferred to Cincinnati Moeller, and then transferred back to Highlands for all or part of his senior year. He didn't play football as a senior.

Heard Coach Mueller say last night that Highlands tried to play NCC this year but NCC turned down the game. Also heard him say that Highlands contacted NCC about a game next season and NCC turned him down.

I should be able to find that issue. Just give me a little time. On a side note, 30 years after doing the all star team in 1980, I now have Homer Rice and Dale Mueller on the cover of my newsmagazine, Inside Fort Thomas, this month. It comes out tomorrow.

Jim Burt also played defensive back. He also played quarterback in the 1959 state championship game after Roger Walz was rejected from the game. Fort Thomas Living honored the greatest Highlands players of all time in 1980. There was a ballot distributed throughout town to vote on the nominees by position between 1954 and 1980. Players on the ballot were selected by Homer Rice, Owen Hauck, Mike Murphy, Roger Walz and Bill Herrmann. A group of players from 1915 through 1954 selected the all star team for those years. Roger Walz was the top vote getter. Dale Mueller made the second team. He would have been the top vote getter except I caught on at the last minute that his mother was stuffing the ballot box with ballots she was passing out to her students at Latonia Elementary School. Dale and I still laugh about it. Over 3,000 Fort Thomas residents voted for the all star team. All of the players were honored at half time of the Simon Kenton game in 1980. It would be next to impossible to create a ballot for a community vote today. There are just way too many great players since 1980 and fewer and fewer people that remember the great players prior to that year.

$5.00 admission to the game to be donated to the Tom Potter Classic Fund.

Highlands also played in the Recreation Bow in Mt. Sterling in the late 1960s but I don't know the years. I do remember attending the games there while in college. I believe they beat Madisonville and Sonny Collins there in the first game of the undefeated 1970 season also.

He lives in Fort Thomas with his wife and two children.

#4 happened.

Except for some dropped ball, Highlands is pretty much scoring at will.

How in the world can Austin Abner from Highlands not be considered one of the best defensive backs in Northern Kentucky?

Seidl is an outside linebacker. Sullivan is an inside linebacker. The middle linebacker will probably be Billy Huddleston.

Patrick Towles and Donavan McCoy are getting all the reps at quarterback.

I've still got Bob Steinhauser's chin strap from the 1960 state championship game.

Daniel Gold and a few others were at baseball. The younger Streeter didn't dress. Either did Kevin Duenas, the fastest of the running backs in winter workouts. A number of linemen also observed practice in street clothes. It looked like Waldenmeyer played center and Billy Huddleston was at middle linebacker. Huddleston has had a great winter and is super-quick and strong. Compton and Bishop were impressive in running back drills. Bishop is solid and fast.

Spring football starts Monday at Highlands. Varsity players picked up their equipment this afternoon.

His name is Kevin Duenas and he's super-quick and working hard.

I've been watching winter workouts. There are no players the size of Tyler Grubbs, but there are quite a few players as fast as Austin Collinsworth, including a super-quick senior running back who hasn't played since the beginning of his sophomore year. Highlands will be not be as big in 2010 but will be extremely fast.

The game is at Highlands.

If I remember correctly, the Mitchell's moved to Fort Thomas in December of his junior year. He began attending Highlands that January. The first time I met him he was standing in front of the school that winter in a tux because he was a member of the school choir. I believe his parents said he was unhappy at Covington Catholic and had been having trouble academically. They thought a change of schools would help him in that area. The Mitchell's also said they moved to the one-floor apartment in Fort Thomas in part because Michael's mother had injured her foot or leg and couldn't get up the steps in their Florence home. In the end, Michael did better in the classroom at Highlands and enjoyed his experience there.

You're correct. Highlands didn't go to court in an effort to win Mitchell's eligibility. Mitchell's family went to court. Highlands played Mitchell after the court system overturned the KHSAA ruling of ineligibility.

Austin Collinsworth (Notre Dame), Tyler Grubbs (Miami of Ohio) and John Drennen (University of Charleston) are signing at a ceremony at Highlands Wednesday afternoon.

Awards: Austin Collinsworth - Most Valuable Player Brandon Roller - Most Valuable Player Tyler Combs - Mr. Highlands Football/Quinn Stapleton Award Will Bardo - Mr. Highlands Football/Quinn Stapleton Award Cam Dierig - Mr. Highlands Football/Quinn Stapleton Award Hunter Schlosser - Mr. Highlands Football/Quinn Stapleton Award Mark Snyder - Mr. Everything John Drennen - Mr. Everything Tyler Grubbs - Dominator Nick Buten - Mr. Excitement Tyler Fennell - Progress to Excellence Kyle Welz - Progress to Excellence Brian Beck - Red Dog Spirit Award Colin Rosenhagen - Red Dog Spirit Award Spencer Bankemper - Mitch Waldenmeyer Award Travis Alford - Ron Welsh Award David Hogue - Mitch Waldenmeyer Award Ty Seidl - Underclassman Most Valuable Player Austin Abner - Underclassman Most Valuable Player Daniel Gold - Underclassman Mr. Highlands Football Ryan Hahn - Underclassman Mr. Highlands Football Keenan Wiegand - Junior Varsity Mr. Highlands Football Brian Gall - Junior Varsity Mr. Highlands Football Patrick Towles - Underclassman Most Valuable Player Austin Sheehan - Junior Varsity Most Valuable Player Jake True - Junior Varisty Best Offensive Player Sam Chambers - Junior Varsity Mr. Highlands Football Luke Dressman - Junior Varsity Best Defensive Player Austin Bowling - Junior Varsity Progressing to Excellence Donavan McCoy - Freshman Most Valuable Player Blake Schutte - Freshman Best Defensive Player Tyler Schweitzer - Freshman Best Defensive Lineman Gabe Schulte - Freshman Best Offensive Lineman Tyler Robinson - Freshman Excel to Excellence Mitch Dee - Freshman Excel to Excellence Reed Schroder - Freshman Excel to Excellence

Austin Collinsworth was the only player in the room, so I don't know if he was interested in any other players.

Brian Kelly visited Austin Collinsworth at Highlands High School this afternoon.