[sstack]

HHS 19 Manual 8

[Stardust]

Any stats sstack. I heard Collinsworth scored one, but was contained for much of the night?

[Stardust]

Austin Collinsworth led Highlands' ground attack with 66 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries.


Junior running back Jordan Streeter added 72 yards on the ground for the Bluebirds.

Highlands 7 6 6 0--19
Manual 0 0 0 8-8

H-Collinsworth 2 run (Weinel kick)

H–Collinsworth 1 run (run failed)

H–Fennell 3 run (pass failed)


M–Helm 4 run (Helm run)

Records: H 1-0, M 0-1

NKY.com

[OrangenowBlue]

Game was closer then I thought it would be. Highlands always starts out slow and finishes fast. Sign of a good coaching staff.

[BaseballIsLife]

Highlands may be in the 5A class but remember their school numbers actually make them a 3A school in reality. Played a 6A school in Manual and it just goes to show how truly great this team is. Highlands is much better than what they showed tonight as there offense was a little stagnant but this was just the first game of the season and they will get better as the season progresses.

[sstack]

Any stats sstack. I heard Collinsworth scored one, but was contained for much of the night?

he had about 66 yds and 2 tds

[BlackcatAlum]

Expected a wider margin of victory, but a win is a win and Manual is no pushover.

Congrats Blue Birds!

[dbcooper]

That is a quality win against a team that is just barely on the outside looking in as far as great Louisville programs go. Manual is always very tough.

[Stardust]

Highlands 19, Manual 8
By Bob White • Louisville Courier Journal • August 21, 2009




LOUISVILLE – Two-time defending state Class 5-A state champion Fort Thomas Highlands wasn’t razor sharp, but the Bluebirds were talented and experienced enough to whip Manual 19-8 in the season opening game for both football teams Friday night at Manual Stadium.


“Sloppy” is how Highlands coach Dale Mueller described his team’s play as it grabbed a 13-0 halftime lead and held off a rallying Manual club in the second half.,
“We turned it over three times (on a fumble and two interceptions),” Mueller said. “Both teams will get a lot better as the season goes along. Neither team showed its best tonight. We’re ranked nationally, but we’ll have to play better than we did tonight.”

Austin Collinsworth, Highlands’ All-State wide receiver in 2008, began this season as a running back. He scored two touchdowns and gained 78 yards on 16 carries against a Manual defense that was surprisingly tough despite its youthfulness. Collinsworth, a son of former Cincinnati Bengals star receiver Cris Collinsworth, caught one pass for eight yards.

Two runs of over 10 yards by Collinsworth were called back because of penalties, as was a 25-yard punt return early in the fourth quarter.

“He played well, if you take those penalties away,’’ Mueller said. “Manual played him well. Give them the credit. I was impressed with Manual’s defense.’’


So was the 6-foot-1, 195-pound Collinsworth, a top candidate for Mr. Football honors.

“I don’t know if they were keying on me, but they play pretty good defense,’’ Collinsworth said. “So give credit where it’s due. We were a little sloppy. We expected to beat them more than we did.’’

Highlands scored on its second possession after Cameron Dierig recovered a Manual fumble at the Crimson 23-yard line. Collinsworth ran for 11 and 2 yards on the last two plays of the four-play drive.

Collinsworth’s 13-yard run ignited Highlands’ second TD drive, which he capped by leaping over the goal from one yard out with 38 seconds left in the first half.

Highlands took the second-half kickoff and scored in six plays, with quarterback Will Bardo hitting receiver Nick Buten for gains of 13 and 48 yards. Buten caught the 48-yarder between two defenders at the Manual four. Tyler Fennell ran the ball in on the next play for a 19-0 cushion.

Manual, after flubbing two scoring opportunities in the first half, scored in three plays after linebacker David Schnur intercepted a Bardo pass at the Manual 48. Manual quarterback Derek Woodmore, who gained 63 yards on 15 carries, ran 28 yards and Marcus Helm picked up 20 yards on the next play. That put Manual on the Highlands four from where Helm scored with 7:55 left in the contest. Helm, who had 98 yards on 16 carries, ran for the two-point conversion.

“Highlands is a good team,” Manual coach Joe Nichols said. “We’re young and inexperienced, but we’ll take this and learn from it. Woodmore is a great athlete, but the guys around him have to get sharp. Our defense did well.”.

Manual, ranked No. 5 in 6A, drove to the Highlands 14 in the escond quarter, but Woodmore’s pass to Quintez Sutton in the end zone was erased by a penalty. After Manual’s Kris Stein recovered a fumble at the Highlands 16, Woodmore gained six yards and threw two incomplete passes.

On fourth down, Manual lined up for a 27-yard field goal, but Woodmore – the holder – fumbled the snap from center and was smeared at the 18.

“We’ll get better and they (Highlands) will too,” Nichols said.

[kywldcat01]

I, too, expected a much wider margin than this. Although Dale isn't too pleased with the play of the Birds, a W is a W.

1 down 14 to go. Expect the Birds to come out fired up this coming week against Ryle.

[Stardust]

I'm interested in the Ryle game. Ryle has a very solid run and passing game, which will keep the Birds on their toes defensively.

[kywldcat01]

I'm interested in hearing how the Birds o-line played. Schlosser, Grubbs, Welz, and Combs are tough up front.

[qryche11]

The Birds will be fine, 1st game and only 2nd against an opponent. Remember they only had 1 scrimmage and many kids saw action. Point is its going to take a couple games to get things clicking. They showed they have the talent even through adversity to win against a 6A school. Manual I'm sure scouted them well abnd they have some athletes. Ryle has some quality talent and the Birds are going to need to be better offensively next week.

[sstack]

I'm interested in the Ryle game. Ryle has a very solid run and passing game, which will keep the Birds on their toes defensively.

This team (Highlands) is going to give up some points, but when the offense gets clicking, they are going to put up some big numbers. Looking forward to watching HHS and Ryle play next week.

[Stardust]

This team (Highlands) is going to give up some points, but when the offense gets clicking, they are going to put up some big numbers. Looking forward to watching HHS and Ryle play next week.

And Ryle may be the kind of team that can score with them.

[tradition]

I'm interested in hearing how the Birds o-line played. Schlosser, Grubbs, Welz, and Combs are tough up front.

The O-line had a pretty good game. There were some blocking issues but they were not necessarily O-line blocking issues.

[kywldcat01]

The O-line had a pretty good game. There were some blocking issues but they were not necessarily O-line blocking issues.

Good to hear.