[Stardust]

The Covington Catholic defense did something to the Highlands offense on Friday night that hadn’t happened in the last 17 games the Bluebirds had played against teams from Kentucky, but the Highlands offense was able to do more than any other team had done to the CovCath defense this season, and that was more than good enough.

CovCath became the first Kentucky team to hold Highlands to less than 42 points in a game since the Bluebirds 2011 season opener, but the Highlands rolled up 277 yards rushing on a defense that had allowed just 231 total yards rushing in its first four games against Kentucky teams and went on to post a 35-21 win at Cecil Dees Memorial Stadium in Ft. Thomas.

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“They just lined up and teed off on us and beat our heads in,” said CovCath coach Dave Wirth. “It was real simple.”

CovCath (4-2, 0-1, Class 4A, District 7), which has lost eight straight games in the series dating back to a playoff win in 2006, used an interception to take 7-0 lead through one quarter, but Highlands (5-0, 1-0) scored on five straight possessions over the second and third quarters to secure its 25th straight victory.

Highlands senior quarterback Donovan McCoy, who completed 33 of 44 passes for 408 yards and six touchdowns in last week’s 61-3 win over Mason County, threw just seven passes, completing five for 51 yards, rushed for a team-high 104 yards on 28 carries and a touchdown. Senior running back Colin Seidl added 81 yards rushing on 10 carries and a touchdown and junior running back Zach Harris had 73 yards and two touchdowns rushing on 17 carries.

“We came into this game wanting to establish the running game early and we may have gotten to the passing game, maybe not, depending on how the game was going,” said McCoy. “We were really feeling like we were dominating them on the ground so we just stayed with what was working and ended up winning in the end with it.”

Highlands coach Dale Mueller said his offensive philosophy is always to take what the defense gives his team, and credited the offensive line of tackles Richie Whitford (6-foot-4, 295 pounds) and Scott Turner (6-5, 270), guards Tyler Schweitzer (6-2, 260) and Bryan Saunders (6-2, 265) center Mitch Dee (5-9, 225) and tight end Nick True (6-6, 240) for paving the way for the running game.

“We go into a game with a wide array of things we can do,” said Mueller. “Early on we were controlling it well with the run. We just really felt like we were controlling the ball with the run and stayed with it. The linemen just love it. They’re just big, strong powerful guys.”

Highlands used that ground game to take a 14-7 lead with 5:54 left in the first half, but CovCath tied it on its next possession when thanks to a trick play. A double-reverse that ended with the ball being pitched back to senior quarterback Blake Bir led Bir to passing 37 yards to a wide open Matt Summer for a touchdown that tied it at 14-14 with 4:02 left in first half.

Other than Bir kneeling on the final play first half it was the last time the CovCath offense ran a play until it trailed 28-14.

Highlands retook the lead on its next possession when it drove 65 yards in 10 plays and scored when McCoy passed four yards to Jac Collinsworth on an out route to put the Bluebirds up 21-14 with 27 seconds left in the half.

Then after CovCath had forced Highlands to punt on the first possession of the second half after three plays, CovCath junior Adam Fisher, whose interception of a McCoy’s first pass of the game set up the Colonels first touchdown of the game, fumbled a punt return, which was recovered by the Bluebirds Blake Myers at the CovCath 18. Eight plays later, McCoy ran in from two yards out on third-and-goal to put Highlands up 28-14.

Highlands defensive back Quentin Murray essentially sealed the win when he intercepted Bir on the final play of the third quarter with the Bluebirds on top, 35-21.

Bir completed 12 of 19 passes for 129 yards and three touchdowns, two to Summe, and CovCath rushed for 106 yards, 85 of which came from junior Luke Bir. CovCath had 88 of its rushing yards in the second half.

“We’re going to see them again,” said McCoy. “Tonight we were just better.”


CovCath 7 7 7 0 -- 21
Highlands 0 21 14 0 -- 35

CCH-Egbers 2 pass from Bir (Goddard kick)
H-Seidl 12 run (kick failed)
H-Harris 12 (McCoy run)
CCH-M. Summe 37 pass from Bir (Goddard)
H-Collinsworth 4 pass from McCoy (Brockett kick)
H-McCoy 3 run (Brockett kick)
CCH-M. Summe 4 pass from Bir (Goddard kick)
H-Harris 6 run (Brockett kick)

Records: Covington Catholic 4-2 (0-1 Class 4A, District 7), Highlands 5-0 (1-0).http://nky.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/...309210207/