In a Tuesday night thriller, Highlands senior Harrison Gamble’s go-ahead goal in the final minutes gave the Bluebirds a 2-1 road victory over 9th Region foe Dixie Heights.
Facing a Colonels squad who had won nine of their last 10 matches, breaking into the win column would be no easy feat.
“I didn’t expect either team to put this game away early,” Highlands head coach Suli Kayed said. “The result could’ve gone either way but I knew it would likely come down to the last few minutes. Our guys showed their ability to play through the final whistle.”
Out of the gate, both teams had no problem testing the keepers as Bluebirds keeper Sam Lang and Colonels keeper Cole Grimes each had five first half saves. Highlands frequently found success on through balls up the middle while Dixie’s approach consisted of methodical passes inside out.
Despite shots firing left and right, the two remained scoreless through the first half. With the influx of opportunity on both ends, it wasn’t a matter of “if” there would be a goal, but when.
The breakthrough came just 15 minutes into the second half as Dixie forward Donovan Lameier was in the right place at the right time as he converted on a rebounded shot in the box for his sixth goal of the year.
“We’re no stranger to these situations this year,” Kayed said. “This is a family we’ve got here. I’m hard on them but we love each other, play for one another, and that’s what gets you through when the going really gets tough.”
Minutes after conceding the goal, Highlands quickly shifted into a new gear. After coming up short on a one-on-one opportunity with the keeper, Gamble made no mistake of finishing on his next opportunity.
Weaving through two defenders in the box, Gamble’s shot snuck past the hands of Grimes as the Bluebirds evened the score with 20 minutes left to play.
“Coach (Kayed) always tells us to be proactive instead of reactive,” Gamble said. “I was able to read the ball and get behind the defense. I just had to make sure I put the ball in the back of the net.”
Neither team satisfied with a tie, the final minutes of play simulated the intensity of a 9th Region final. With two minutes to go, Gamble received the ball in an almost identical spot and punished the Colonels defense once more.
“Honestly, I think I blacked out a little after I saw the ball hit the back of the net,” Gamble said. “Really it’s all hard work and heart, that’s the identity of our team. We work for these moments each day.”
As the Highlands bench bombarded Gamble with hugs and celebration, Dixie was left with little time to regroup from Gamble’s late game heroics. Unable to find an answer, the Colonels lost what was just their second game over the span of the last month.
Sitting at 9-6 on the year, the Colonels are no stranger to overcoming adversity as the team opened their season with four straight losses before settling into a pattern of wins. Dixie will face off against two more talented 9th Region opponents in Conner and Beechwood to finish off their regular season campaign.
After a much needed victory, the Bluebirds claimed their fourth win of the year to improve to 4-3-3 on the season. With a solid 1-1 tie against a talented Covington Catholic team a week ago, Highlands is shaping up as a program ready to take on the 9th Region in October.
“In the end we were able to show we deserved this win,” Kayed said. “He (Gamble) put the team on his back tonight but he’s also got guys around him who all have the ability to step up as well.”
Highlands will face Simon Kenton on Thursday before finishing the regular season with matches against Campbell County and St. Henry.
Some more photos of the match below, provided by Charles Bolton:
