 |
| G. Michael Graham Photo. Highlands sophomore running back Nicholas Kendall (with ball) breaks free on a 94-yard touchdown run in Friday’s 70-6 first-round Class 4A playoff win over Boyd County. Kendall ran for 156 yards on five carries and two touchdowns in the win. |
By G.
MICHAEL GRAHAM
Fort
Thomas Matters Sports Reporter
Many younger Highlands
players experienced the playoffs for the first time in Friday’s 70-6 thrashing
of Boyd County in the first round of the Class 4A playoffs.
The Bluebirds led
56-0 at halftime. That helps Highlands build up experience for the future as many played in the second half.
“It’s
a valuable experience for them because a number of those guys will be varsity
starters next year,”
said Dale Mueller, Highlands Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator. “They are not so much the focus of it, but
still, they’re getting in there and getting ready for next year.”
Sophomore wide
receiver Eric Miller was one of those players to experience the playoffs for
the first time. He caught a pass from quarterback Austin Hergott in the fourth
quarter.
“It
is pretty cool to get in there when it really matters,” Miller said. “Even getting a catch is pretty awesome. We
work hard all year to finally get in.”
Making
the 70s:
Highlands scored in
the 70s for the 10th time during the 97-3 run since the start of 2007. That includes the
fourth time this year with those games coming against its last four Kentucky
opponents.
That mark outdid
the last time Highlands finished undefeated in 2011. That team led by senior
quarterback Patrick Towles and wide receiver Austin Sheehan smashed the state
record with 849 points. They scored 71 on Mason County before scoring 79 on
Pendleton County and another 77 on Covington Holmes in district action.
Half of those
70-plus scoring games have come against two opponents. The Bluebirds have done
it three times to Covington Holmes and twice to Pendleton County.
Highlands has
recorded two 70-point games in the first round of the playoffs during that
time. The other one came in a 70-8 victory over Woodford County to open the Class
5A playoffs in 2010.
Undefeated
in the first round in Mueller Era:
The Bluebirds moved
to 20-0 in the first round of the playoffs since Mueller became head coach in
1994.
The average margin
of victory for first-round opponents is just more than 45 points during the
playoff winning streak. The closest anyone came to beating Highlands during
that time is Bryan Station. The Bluebirds escaped 28-22 when Tony Guidugli
threw a late touchdown pass to Austin Collinsworth.
Highlands has not
gone on the road in the first round of the playoffs since 1995. The Bluebirds
won 40-20 at Lawrence County to open the playoffs that year. They finished
state runner up in Class 3A that year losing 28-12 to Bowling Green in the
title game.
Highlands has not
lost in the first round of the playoffs since 1991. The Bluebirds have beaten
their last 19 first-round opponents by 842 points for an average margin of
victory of just more than 44 a game.
Of the 19
first-round opponents since 1995, six meetings have come against two teams. Highlands
has beaten Boyd County and Franklin County three times each. The Bluebirds have
also beaten Anderson County and Rowan County twice during that time.
Records
against Class 4A, District 8 opponents:
Highlands moved to
30-5-1 against Class 4A, District 8 opponents.
The Bluebirds are
4-0 against Johnson Central and 2-0 against both Greenup County and Rowan County
in school history. Every meeting against Rowan County, Johnson Central and Boyd
County has come in the playoffs.
They are also
19-5-1 against the Ashland Blazer Tomcats, which comes to Fort Thomas on
Friday. Highlands has not lost to Ashand since about the time of Mueller’s
birth in 1954. Ashland knocked off 5-6 Covington Holmes, 49-20 in Ashland on
Friday.
Another
77 put up against Harrison County:
Johnson Central
equaled the Bluebird effort of 77 points scored against the Thorobreds in a
77-13 playoff win in Paintsville on Friday.
That marked the end
of another tough season in the rebuilding process for second-year head coach
Jim Carr. But Harrison County did make progress finishing 3-8 after going 1-10
last year.
Junior
Varsity Notes:
The Highlands
Junior Varsity was not able to finish the year undefeated. Scott County beat
the Bluebirds, 56-20 on Saturday. Highlands finished the year at 6-1.
Within
30 of Valdosta:
The Bluebirds moved
30 wins shy of tieing the Valdosta Wildcats of south Georgia for the most wins
of school history. The Wildcats lost 38-17 to Region 1-AAAAAA rival Coffee
County on Friday to conclude the regular season.
Highlands is
852-226-26 in school history since starting its program in 1915. Valdosta
started its program in 1913 and is 882-213-34 in that time.