The Highlands boys wrestling team has become one of the best in northern Kentucky in a short period of time. The high school squad has a way to go to catch up to elites such as Ryle and Simon Kenton. But the Bluebirds have made gains on a host of perennial powers such as Campbell County, Conner and Walton-Verona.
This is a curious thing for Highlands wrestling coach Colin Roth, a former standout at Walton-Verona.
“This is only our fifth season with a wrestling team,” said Roth, the Bluebirds second coach in his second season. “It’s still mostly a new thing at a school with a lot of great history.”
THE WALTON-VERONA CONNECTION
When Roth was at Walton-Verona, wrestling ruled right alongside the revenue-generating sports such as football and basketball. Even today, Bearcats wrestling takes a backseat to nothing under longtime coach John Roth. Highlands wrestling, buried under the avalanche of Bluebirds football, basketball and baseball, is riding shotgun under Colin Roth.
But Roth sees no reason why Highlands can’t duplicate success his alma mater has seen under his father’s direction.
There are athletes everywhere in Fort Thomas whereas Walton-Verona is a comparatively much smaller school.
The Bluebirds’ reputation is attracting involvement from athletes in a host of other varsity sports. The Bluebirds wrestling club is proving to be a reliable pipeline. The wrestlers are getting good coaching to the point that a handful are some of the best in Kentucky.
The Bluebirds, still in the beginning stages of their existence, are quite shockingly ranked No. 17 in the state. That is according to team rankings provided by Kentuckywrestling.com. They are doing it in the second-toughest region in Kentucky. Only power-packed Region 1 ranks higher than Region 5 in the regional rankings at Kentuckywrestling.com.
As the baby on the block, Highlands sits in the middle of the Region 5 pack. The Bluebirds are the region’s fourth-best team behind state No. 4 Ryle, No. 6 Simon Kenton and No. 12 Walton-Verona. The Bluebirds are ahead of No. 23 Conner, No. 33 Covington Catholic, No. 43 Cooper and No. 53 Campbell County.
“Our goal is to put out there the best team we can,” coach Roth said. “It’s a process and we have some pretty good athletes.”
Some wrestlers remind Roth of himself. That’s the Walton-Verona version that blindsided opponents with a flurry of moves designed to shock and awe. One of those Bluebirds is TJ Hicks. The senior is one of five Highlands grapplers who are in the state rankings. Hicks is No. 11 at 150 pounds.
“He’s probably the most aggressive wrestler on the team,” Roth said. “I’ve taken a liking to his style because that’s the way I was. It’s not sexy with technique. It’s intense with a series of explosive moves.”
Hicks has improved a lot. He won his weight-class championship at the Great Crossing Warhawk Classic. He loves the wrestling program’s improvement just as much.
“We’ve only been around five years but we already have a lot of good wrestlers,” Hicks said. “The coaches are amazing. We just keep building and building.”
SOLID NOW, FUTURE LOOKING FINE
Travis Votel is another Highlands senior who is a witness to the program’s growth explosion. Votel is No. 3 statewide at 132 pounds. He also won his weight-class championship at the Great Crossing Warhawk Classic.
“I’m really glad to be in this environment and be part of this opportunity,” Votel said. “To see us grow so fast is really awesome. I think our future looks pretty good.”
Coach Roth talks about how driven Votel is in his desire to be better.
“What makes him really good is his hunger for learning the sport,” Roth said. “He’s probably one of the most coachable guys we have on the team which means polishing him is easier. He really responds to suggestions.”
Two of Highlands better wrestlers are freshmen. Kayson White sits at No. 4 statewide in the 138-pound weight class. That gives Highlands three wrestlers among the state’s top 11 in their weight divisions.
Hicks, Votel and White all came away with weight-class titles at the North Oldham Mustang Classic.
“He’s a stellar talent for a freshman,” Roth said of White. “He has a high pace. He just goes after kids by putting together a lot of wrestling moves and I like that.”
Another freshman, Parker Wilkens, is on the rise, coming in at No. 27 in the state at 106 pounds. He’s one of several byproducts of the Bluebirds wrestling club.
“Parker usually weighs in around 100 pounds. He’s giving up a lot of weight when he gets on the mat,” Roth said. “To wrestle with the kind of success he has is huge. I think his big thing is he and Travis drill together a lot in the room. He picks up on what Travis does. And he’s actually giving up more weight in practice.”
Other key wrestlers include Ryan Nickelman, fourth at the North Oldham Mustang Classic, and Paxton Street. Like a lot of Highlands wrestlers, they have specialized skills.
With a team full of special wrestlers, the coach believes his squad can do something extra special this season. There’s time to find out. The Region 5 meet is Feb. 21 at Campbell County. The state meet begins Feb. 28 in Lexington.
“I think we’ll do well,” Roth said. “We’re totally capable of a top five finish at the regional.”
GIRLS ENTER THE FRAY
Girls wrestling coach Dakota Riley is equally upbeat about his squad ahead of Saturday’s regional meet at Walton-Verona. This is the second year of KHSAA girls wrestling but that doesn’t mean the Bluebirds are happy being newbies.
“We take it pretty seriously,” Riley said. “We had girls in the wrestling club two years before it became a KHSAA varsity sport. So, we had a bit of a head start.”
The girls feature sophomore Emma Hood. She is No. 3 statewide at 152 pounds. Hood joined the boys with a weight-class crown at the North Oldham Mustang Classic.
“She beat the two girls ahead of her at the same meet in January at Moore High School,” Riley said. “We’re very excited for her at state.”
The girls also feature eighth grader Riley Booth at 100 pounds. She was a third-place finisher at the Milford Girls Invitational in Ohio.
The team is without returning regional and state placer Abigail Berling for the rest of the season. The 185-pound sophomore has been dealing with a hip repair. While on the mend, she’s acting as an unofficial assistant coach.
“We have a bright future with the girls, too,” coach Riley said. “It’s great to be a part of their success and Highlands’ success and we want to keep that going.”