Rather than dwelling on their 24-21 loss to Cooper, Highlands did what great teams do—came back even stronger.
Dictating the game from start to finish, the Bluebirds overwhelmed Dixie Heights with a commanding 49-0 victory on Friday night in Fort Thomas.
One of Highlands’ most defining traits this season has been their resilience in bouncing back from their two losses.
“I think we really responded well,” Bluebird quarterback Rio Litmer said. “It was a tough loss and instead of sulking we woke up the next morning and knew we had to change things.”
Litmer delivered by showcasing his dual-threat ability with 219 passing yards and three touchdowns, while adding 79 rushing yards, including a dazzling 77-yard score. His four total touchdowns marked a season-high performance.
“All the good things you see from me is credit to my teammates,” Litmer said. “I’m absolutely nothing without them and I know that. As long as I trust them, I know they can trust me.”
Highlands has been eager to see more success in their passing game.
“The passing game has really come on the last few weeks,” Highlands head coach Bob Sphire said. “We had a great summer, went down to EKU and won their seven-on-seven and I know it’s not real football, but that was the indication that we had some guys that can sling it around.”
The Bluebirds top running back Jack White wasn’t available, but more than made up for it with their arsenal of weapons.
Deven James chipped in with 30 rushing yards and punched in a three-yard touchdown, while Isaac Niemann tacked on a two-yard score.
The passing attack was spread wide, with eight different players hauling in receptions. Adam Surrey led the way with three catches for 109 yards, including a 45-yard touchdown, and Jackson Arnold added three catches for 55 yards and two scores.
Late in the game, Tayden Lorenzen joined the action, tossing a 38-yard touchdown pass to John Feldbrugge.
Highlands had the Colonels on the ropes from kickoff, piling up 28 points in the first quarter alone. They kept the pressure on, adding a touchdown in each of the next three quarters.
Dixie managed 202 yards of offense, nearly 100 yards below their season average. Only 64 of those were rushing yards.
“If we had the ability to get the run game moving that would have helped alleviate some pressure,” Dixie Heights head coach Pat Burke said. “We could get some momentum, get ahead of the chains and then start passing. The second half we had to start passing and we missed quite a few opportunities, but credit to them. They beat our tail off.”
The Bluebirds’ defensive front played a significant role in that outcome as well.
“I was really pleased with the front seven,” Sphire said. “I thought our guys played physical and tackled really well.”
Mason Fields racked up 138 passing yards, with David Anderson leading the receiving corps with 48 yards.
Similar to Highlands, Dixie Heights will focus on their response going forward.
“That’s the test, right?” Burke said. “It’s how we handle our response to this. We have a big district game against Conner and they’re another good team. This district is relentless, probably one of the best districts in the state.”
The Colonels hold a 1-1 record in Class 5A, District 6 play, with an overall record of 2-4.
Highlands (5-2) is also 1-1 in district play and will face Boone County next on October 11 in Florence.
BLUEBIRDS 49, COLONELS 0
DIXIE HEIGHTS — 0-0-0-0— 0
HIGHLANDS — 28-7-7-7— 49
Scoring Plays
1st Quarter
(H) Litmer 14-yard pass to Arnold (9:27) Nickelman kick
(H) Litmer 22-yard pass to Arnold (8:15) Nickelman kick
(H) Niemann 2-yard run (3:46) Nickelman kick
(H) Litmer 77-yard run (1:08) Nickelman kick
2nd Quarter
(H) Litmer 45-yard pass to Surrey (11:40) Nickelman kick
3rd Quarter
(H) James 3-yard run (7:55) Anderson kick
4th Quarter
(H) Lorenzen 38-yard pass to Feldbrugge (1:48) Anderson kick
Game Stats
Passing Yards: Dixie Heights 138 (Fields 20/42), Highlands 355 (Litmer 9/14, Harris 5/7, Lorenzen 2/3)
Rushing Yards: Dixie Heights 64 (Mutongwiza 3-45, Fields 3-26, Gregg 3-(minus)7), Highlands 154 (Litmer 4-79, James 9-30, Lorenzen 2-22, Fennell 2-9, Williams 1-7, Surrey 1-5, Niemann 1-2)
Receiving: Dixie Heights (Anderson 7-48, Linville 4-24, Goetz 3-20, Gregg 1-18, Kriger 2-14, Schatzman 2-8, Neal 1-6), Highlands (Surrey 3-109, Feldbrugge 2-68, Arnold 3-55, James 2-55, Lorenzen 2-31, Garrahan 1-14, Ferring 1-13, Jacob 1-6, Abner 1-4)
Turnovers: Dixie Heights 2, Highlands 2
Penalties: Dixie Heights 3-35, Highlands 5-45
Records: Dixie Heights 2-4, Highlands 5-2
