'It’s pretty amazing.' Highlands digs deep to end losing streak to Covington Catholic

PARK HILLS, Ky. – After committing its fifth turnover of the game midway through the fourth quarter, it was easy to think that the Highlands football team was going to miss out on its chance to beat archrival Covington Catholic for the first time in 10 meetings.

But the Bluebirds dug deep and came from behind Friday night at CovCath’s Griffin Stadium, beating the Colonels 32-21 in a KHSAA Class 5A, District 5 seeding game.

Senior Charlie Noon’s kickoff return for a touchdown following a Highlands' safety with six minutes left in the fourth quarter gave the Bluebirds the lead for good and reversed seven years of misfortune.

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“It’s pretty amazing, knowing we’re the first team in a couple of years to come out here and win,” Noon said. “We put ourselves into a couple of holes early on, but this team fought like hell to bring it back. It’s a great feeling.”

Highlands improves to 7-2 this season, 3-0 in district play

Highlands won its seventh-straight overall to improve to 7-2 this season, 3-0 in district play with a game against Cooper next week in Fort Thomas to finish the regular season. CovCath fell to 6-2, 2-1 with a home game against Conner next week.

Highlands beat CovCath for the first time since 2015, having lost nine consecutive games including three in the playoffs. It was head coach Bob Sphire’s first win over CovCath after losing twice last season, including a gut-wrenching 8-7 loss in the regular season.

“Adversity is no longer the master of this program,” Sphire said. “When I got here 16 months ago, adversity was the master of this program. They couldn’t handle it. They went into the tank. It was individualism and we are no longer that football program. We were our own enemy at times tonight, but we were never going to let it break us.”

Highlands trailed 21-17 after CovCath junior Owen Leen scored a touchdown with nine minutes to go in the fourth quarter. Highlands started at its 20 and moved quickly to the CovCath 28, with the big plays a 36-yard pass from Brody Benke to Charlie Noon and a 13-yard pass from Benke to 85.

From the CovCath 28, Benke threw a long pass to the endzone that CovCath junior Noah Johnson intercepted at the goal line. He was ruled down at the CovCath 2-yard line. It was Highlands’ fifth turnover of the game, Benke’s third interception.

Highlands stuffed Leen on two straight running plays. On third down, sophomore Hollan Schweitzer got to CovCath quarterback Evan Pitzer and pulled him down. Pitzer flung the ball away as he was going down and the play was ruled a safety, one of at least eight times that Highlands sacked Pitzer or forced him into a penalty. Highlands trailed 21-19 with 7:12 to go.

'He is a pitbull, a football-playing dog.'

By rule, CovCath kicked off from the 20 after the safety. Noon took the kick and returned it all the way for a touchdown. Highlands went for two and failed, but led 25-21.

“I went into that knowing I was going to start right and cut back left, so it was a matter of executing,” Noon said. “I knew we had to make big plays and make a drive, come back and keep our team in it.”

Said Sphire, “He is a pitbull, a football-playing dog. That dude is a football player, a flat-out football player.”

CovCath got the ball back and went nowhere, with Highlands getting another sack during the drive. Two false-start penalties forced the Colonels to punt with three minutes left.

Highlands got the ball and scored quickly on a 31-yard run up the middle by Dawson Hosea, and the sideline and students erupted in joy.

Sphire, a longtime head coach, doesn’t remember any of his teams committing five turnovers and winning.

“If it ever happened, it probably wasn’t against a team that good (as CovCath)," he said. “Our guys just come to work for the last 12 months. The body of work they put in, in the film room, in the weight room, in practice, it works. They’re playing the way they’re supposed to play.”

Highlands committed turnovers on its first three drives of the game, two fumbles and an interception.

After the third turnover, a fumble at its own 21, CovCath converted quickly on a 20-yard TD pass from Pitzer to junior Braylon Miller and led 7-0 with five minutes to go in the quarter. Miller had nine catches for 116 yards.

Noon returned the next kickoff to the Highlands’ 46, part of his 260 all-purpose yards in the game.

“We’ve been huge on special teams all year,” Sphire said. “We’ve flipped plays, we’ve flipped momentum.”

Highlands drove down to get a field goal from Davis Burleigh and trailed 7-3.

Highlands then got a turnover of its own when the Bluebirds got a strip-sack on Pitzer, with TreVaughn Woods recovering at the CovCath 31. Highlands converted right away with Benke finding Noon for a 31-yard TD pass. Highlands led 10-7 after one period.

Highlands stepped up on defense late in the half in what was a slugfest by both teams, as neither team had 100 yards of offense in the first half

CovCath’s Tate Kruer intercepted Benke, returning it to the Highlands 30. On third down, Highlands got another strip-sack on Pitzer. Junior Carson Shelton recovered the fumble. CovCath had another chance in Highlands territory in the final minute of the half after a bad Highlands punt, but the Bluebirds held.

Unofficially, Shelton had two sacks. Leo Fenik, Torin Bryant, Noah Hodge, and Woods had one. Carson Schwalbach forced a grounding penalty. All against CovCath’s massive offensive line, which had been dominating foes of late.

“We use our speed to our advantage,” Shelton said. “We have a lot of that. Coach Sphire has been putting us in the weight room and getting us stronger the whole year. I think we’re starting something new here and it will be here for a long time. We have that passion to go out and win.”

Highlands scored on its first drive of the second half after Cam Giesler returned the opening kickoff to the 40. Giesler had a 21-yard reception, and Hosea scored from five yards out to give Highlands a 17-7 lead four minutes into the third quarter.

CovCath answered right away with an 80-yard drive. Leen had a 36-yard run and Benke completed a 32-yard pass to Miller for a TD, and it was 17-14.

CovCath took the lead on a drive that started at its own 8-yard line. Oliver Link had three big catches on the drive, including a 25-yard reception. Two personal fouls by Highlands on one play put CovCath at the 4-yard line, and Leen cashed in with nine minutes to go.

CovCath had 308 yards to 277 for Highlands. Hosea rushed for 85. Highlands limited Leen, one of Northern Kentucky’s top rushers this season, to 53 yards.

Highlands 32, Covington Catholic 21

Highlands           10          0            7            15-32

Covington Catholic     7            0            7            7-21

C – Miller 20 pass from Pitzer (Weitzel kick)

H – Burleigh 35 field goal

H – Noon 31 pass from Benke (Burleigh kick)

H – Hosea 5 run (Burleigh kick)

C – Miller 32 pass from Pitzer (Weitzel kick)

C – Leen run run (Weitzel kick)

H – Safety, Pitzer intentional ground in endzone

H – Noon kickoff return (pass failed)

H – Hosea 31 run (Burleigh kick)

Records: H 7-2, 3-0 5A D5; CC 6-2, 2-1.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Kentucky high school football: Highlands ends losing streak to CovCath