Brandon Ponchak said that he and his wife want to raise their three kids in Northern Kentucky.
The family moved to the area in 2017 so Ponchak could work with the pre-professional soccer organization, Kings Hammer Football Club. Ponchak has held several roles with the club and currently has several soccer-related side jobs.
When the Highlands Bluebirds head boys soccer coach position came open in late March, Ponchak talked to wife Kellie, who is an assistant for the Dixie Heights girls soccer team and a teacher at Summit View Elementary in Independence. They decided it is the right fit for the 36-year old.
“I’m excited to welcome Brandon to the Highlands family,” said Wes Caldwell, Highlands director of athletics. “He has extensive soccer knowledge and his personality and coaching style will fit right in with our student-athletes. Brandon’s vision and expectations are in line with my own and I can’t wait to see him put his own style on the program.”
Ponchak takes over for Chad Niedert who stepped down as coach and left his teaching position to pursue opportunities outside education. The Bluebirds finished 83-26-9 in Niedert’s five years, consistently contending for 9th Region championships.
Highlands has won six consecutive 36th District championships and made it to the 9th Region semifinals six years in a row.
The Bluebirds won 9th Region titles in 2018 and 2019. The 2018 team lost 1-0 to Louisville St. Xavier in the state championship game and the 2019 team lost 2-1 (4-3) on kicks from the mark in the state quarterfinals to eventual state champion Lexington Henry Clay.
Highlands finished 18-5-1 this past year.
“So far the first couple weeks with Fort Thomas schools and the program has been awesome,” Ponchak said. “Everyone has been incredibly welcoming. The attitudes have been great. The work ethic is really high. Everybody is really driven. They like each other. They like to have fun at soccer. That’s part of the things that get me continuing to coach and stay involved in soccer.”
Highlands graduated eight seniors from last year’s squad but the Bluebirds return the likes of junior goalkeeper Jack Wilson, senior forward/midfielder Casey Stiles and the leading point scorer in senior forward Colin Pieper.
Pieper had 22 goals and nine assists for 53 points and Wilson had 98 saves last year.
“I like that he’s kind of got the same feel,” Stiles said of Ponchak. “He wants to be our friend, but also teach us some strong lessons. He’s also brought some new aspects that we can learn from him. I really like the way he wants us to play. Let’s have fun but also learn while we’re doing it.”
Ponchak has also served as an assistant for the Northern Kentucky University men’s soccer team and coached four seasons for the Sterling (Kansas) College Warriors men’s program, a National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) school.
Ponchak grew up in the southeastern Ohio town of McConnelsville. After graduating from Morgan High School in 2003, Ponchak played collegiately for the Asbury University Eagles. The NCAA Division III school is located south of Lexington in Wilmore. He started coaching around 2007.
“I started real early. It was one of the sports I could play when I was young,” Ponchak said. “Some friends played and I got involved in it. I just stuck with it and really enjoyed playing. I also realized that I could do a lot with it because soccer is one of the few things that’s kind of a world’s language, to get involved with a lot of different cultures, communities and people.”
Ponchak said he prefers to play a possession-oriented soccer style and likes to have creative offensive attacks. Ponchak is a former goalkeeper so shutouts are important to him.
“Part of it is making sure everyone is on the same page playing for each other, playing with each other,” Ponchak said. “(It’s about) finding the space on the field, using the vision, IQ and doing it from the back as well. Everybody is supporting everybody at every position on the field.”
Ponchak retained three assistants from Niedert’s staff. Greg Bowman is a varsity assistant and Matt Stephens and 2018 Highlands graduate Nick Gish are junior varsity and freshman coaches, respectively.
“I’ve known of them or talked to several soccer colleagues,” Ponchak said. “It’s been nothing but positive interactions I’ve had before coming in and working with them and since coming in and working with them. They’re greatly respected within the program.”
The Bluebirds take on eight 9th Region opponents and three Ohio opponents next season.
“The schedule is going to be really strong,” Ponchak said. “That’s only going to help us in the long run to prepare the team and stay focused on the team’s goals and objectives for the year.”
The first game is Aug. 11 at Bishop Brossart.