When the Highlands (Ky.) Bluebirds host the Bombers of St. Xavier (Ohio) on Friday night in a game televised nationally by CBS College Sports, there will be a lot more on the line than interstate bragging rights.
Highlands’ national title hopes may also be at stake.
"Our whole goal this year was to be the best team in Kentucky, be the best team in the greater Cincinnati area, win a state championship and become nationally ranked," head coach Dale Mueller said. "And the ultimate goal is to win a national championship.
"They are pretty big goals for a small school in Kentucky," Mueller admits.
With an enrollment hovering around 800, Highlands would qualify as a 3A school by KHSAA standards. However, the Bluebirds compete in the 5A classification in football and routinely take on 6A opponents during the regular season.
The two-time defending state champions return many key players from last year’s squad that finished 14-1. At 5-0 heading into the showdown with St. Xavier, Mueller thinks that beating the Bombers would cement Highlands’ résumé on the national scene.
"This game really puts us in the mix," he said. "Playing St. Xavier on national TV is a bigger atmosphere than the state championship games. We really like playing top Cincinnati-area schools because we are looking to play nationally ranked teams."{VIDEO_1422e590-dbb2-488e-9b58-3781a5854e96,floatRightWithBar}
The top Cincinnati teams have also enjoyed playing Highlands in recent years. Both Colerain and Elder have claimed two victories over the Bluebirds in the past five seasons, and it was Colerain that handed Highlands its only lost in 2008, 33-18.
Highlands has also struggled to keep up its level of success against Louisville powerhouses Trinity and St. Xavier, typically regarded as two of the top programs in the state. Mueller has a record of 2-2 when playing either the Shamrocks or the Tigers.
St. Xavier, however, may be the program’s biggest challenge yet, in more ways than one. First, the all-boys school averages 1,500 students. One graduating class of over 400 boys is roughly the entire male population of Highlands, which averages 100 boys in each grade.
Furthermore, the Bombers aren’t physically big, they’re huge. The roster boasts more than 30 players that are 6-foot-2 or taller. They have a number of 6-4 linemen, and have one 300-pounder who is only a freshman.
St. Xavier also has one of the most well-respected coaches in the country, Steve Specht, who was an assistant coach for Team USA under Chuck Kyle at the Junior World Championships last summer.
Highlands (Ky.) is small but talented.
Photo by Wayne Litmer
None of this appears to intimidate Mueller or the Bluebirds, who have 18 state championships and have won nearly 800 games in program history.
"We’re the smallest," Mueller said, referring to top Cincinnati-area programs. "But you only put 11 on the field at a time, and we really feel like we have big-time players at our school."
Austin Collinsworth, son of Cris Collinsworth, certainly fits that description. As a junior in 2008, Collinsworth was a MaxPreps All-American after catching 46 passes for over 800 yards. He was moved from receiver to running back this summer, and he has already rushed for 10 touchdowns this season.
The Bluebirds’ quarterback, Will Bardo, is a 6-4 athlete who is another weapon at Mueller’s disposal. Receiver Nick Buten and running back Jordan Streeter, a transfer from St. Xavier, provide added depth on offense.
Still, Mueller knows his team will have to play near-perfect football to beat the Bombers on Friday night.
"They’re a good football team," Mueller said. "They just don’t have any weaknesses. They excel player after player. They are as good of a high school football team as we’ve faced."
They are also the team’s biggest obstacle en route to a mythical national championship.
