Bluegrassrivals

The game was never in question as Highlands put the nail in the coffin early in the 3rd.

Ryle………..7 0 7 0 -- 14
Highlands…7 13 14 3 -- 37

R – Elliott 1 run (Pederson kick)
H – Bardo 24 run (Weinel kick)
H – Collinsworth 52 run (Weinel kick)
H – Collinsworth 8 run (pass failed)
H – Collinsworth 28 run (Weinel kick)
H – Collinsworth 1 run (Weinel kick)
R – Hempel 1 run (Pederson kick)
H – Weinel 31 field goal

Collinsworth leads Highlands over Ryle
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After his team became the latest victim of Northern Kentucky’s most decorated football program, Ryle coach Bryson Warner looked at the players circled around him and motioned to the opposition.


“That’s a great football team,” he said. “We’ve got a pretty good football team.”

That fact became apparent midway through Highlands’ 37-14 victory at Ryle on Friday night. The Bluebirds, who opened the season last week with a lackluster 19-8 victory at DuPont Manual, reverted back to form against the Raiders. They looked dominant, although still not dominant enough for some.
http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll...308280092/

Ryle came out with a dominant running game from the start. Quite impressive, but undisciplined enough that it was evident it couldn't last. Highlands answered quickly and began the process of making the Raiders pay. Ryle has a lot of potential, but they need to harness the thug mentality that some of the players have. Emotion can take you a long way in a game like this, but if you can't control it, it tends to eat you alive.

I agree that Ryle has one or two kids who need to check their emotions, though I wouldn't go so far as calling them thugs. But if those one or two are thugs then Highlands is just a big gang of 'em. I heard from multiple people on the sidelines/media that Highlands from the get go was playing dirty as it comes. And does that really surprise anyone? The offsetting unsportsmanlike penalties, although in the end it was fair as both teams started piling up, it was purely Highlands being "thugs".

Nice victory on the road but like AC said they still aren't running on all cylinders.

drizzy Wrote:I agree that Ryle has one or two kids who need to check their emotions, though I wouldn't go so far as calling them thugs. But if those one or two are thugs then Highlands is just a big gang of 'em. I heard from multiple people on the sidelines/media that Highlands from the get go was playing dirty as it comes. And does that really surprise anyone? The offsetting unsportsmanlike penalties, although in the end it was fair as both teams started piling up, it was purely Highlands being "thugs".

Get a grip Ryle played dirty all night.Late hit 5 yards out of bounds,cheap shot on the kicker,not to mention their stud running back giving Cov Cath coaches the finger the week before!:flush:

First let me congratulate Highlands on a big win. Second these two schools are two of NKY's finest programs and finest communitys as well.To accuse any of these kids of being thugs is just crazy:HitWall:. Lets not forget it's football, and sometimes emotions run high. Good luck to Ryle and Highlands as they move foward. Both schools do a great job with the kids.

Highlands showed last night why they're the best program in nky and one of the best in the state. As scary as it sounds, they actually aren't even playing to their potential yet. AC is in just his second game starting at RB and is starting to show what all the hype is about. Don't be surprised if he surpasses Miles Simpson as the best RB up here in nky. The kid is scary fast, hits the holes hard, and is very elusive.

As far as Ryle, they will get better but last night proves that Covcath is just that bad. Holding Elliott to 119 yards after many were proclaiming the kid as being one of the top 2 rb's up here shows just how good Highlands defense is. Ryle needs to develop a passing game ASAP if they want to play with the big boys. They can't rely on Elliott/Eubanks just pounding the ball every play against good teams.

Can't wait for round 2.

kywldcat01 Wrote:Highlands showed last night why they're the best program in nky and one of the best in the state. As scary as it sounds, they actually aren't even playing to their potential yet. AC is in just his second game starting at RB and is starting to show what all the hype is about. Don't be surprised if he surpasses Miles Simpson as the best RB up here in nky. The kid is scary fast, hits the holes hard, and is very elusive.

As far as Ryle, they will get better but last night proves that Covcath is just that bad. Holding Elliott to 119 yards after many were proclaiming the kid as being one of the top 2 rb's up here shows just how good Highlands defense is. Ryle needs to develop a passing game ASAP if they want to play with the big boys. They can't rely on Elliott/Eubanks just pounding the ball every play against good teams.

Can't wait for round 2.

I would hardly say that the Birds held Elliott to 119. The kid was impressive. Ryle changed their gameplan in the 2nd half, but for Elliott to get 119, mainly in one half is I-M-P-R-E-S-S-I-V-E

Stardust Wrote:I would hardly say that the Birds held Elliott to 119. The kid was impressive. Ryle changed their gameplan in the 2nd half, but for Elliott to get 119, mainly in one half is I-M-P-R-E-S-S-I-V-E

Exactly. Say what you want. Collinsworth had 124 yards rushing, Elliott had 119, almost all in the first half alone. Credit is due to the defense for seeing that he was the big threat and keying on it, but although Collinsworth cuts harder than Elliott, and Elliott still has a lot to learn...there was a 5 yard difference in their yard production, and Elliott is a sophmore, Collinsworth..a senior. Safe to say that Elliotts' hype isn't overdone.

birds3pete09 Wrote:Get a grip Ryle played dirty all night.Late hit 5 yards out of bounds,cheap shot on the kicker,not to mention their stud running back giving Cov Cath coaches the finger the week before!:flush:

I don't need to get a grip. I was there. And I'm well aware of the kid on Ryles' team who has a lot of maturing to do, and is the one emotion issue on the team. Good thing he has three years to improve on this. Highlands from the get go was getting in extra pushes and digs, running their mouths (and this I heard from people on the sidelines reporting as obviously in the stands I wouldn';t have known that), late hits, and they DID start the pile up that resulted in offsetting penalties. You can make excuses for Highlands all you want, but to not admit that there is a problem with the dirty attitude is just crazy. Ryle fans are more than willing to admit ONE of their players has a big problem he needs to get a handle on..

Highlands playing dirty? Highlands Coaching staff would NEVER let that happen.

Stardust Wrote:I would hardly say that the Birds held Elliott to 119. The kid was impressive. Ryle changed their gameplan in the 2nd half, but for Elliott to get 119, mainly in one half is I-M-P-R-E-S-S-I-V-E

drizzy Wrote:Exactly. Say what you want. Collinsworth had 124 yards rushing, Elliott had 119, almost all in the first half alone. Credit is due to the defense for seeing that he was the big threat and keying on it, but although Collinsworth cuts harder than Elliott, and Elliott still has a lot to learn...there was a 5 yard difference in their yard production, and Elliott is a sophmore, Collinsworth..a senior. Safe to say that Elliotts' hype isn't overdone.

Elliott deserves the hype...I agree. But he still isn't on Austin Collinsworth level yet and won't reach that level this year. Collinsworth is a much better all around player and running back. After seeing the game last night, one person covering the game agreed that AC and Miles Simpson are on another level when compared to other RB's in NKY.

Say what you want about there being a 5 yard difference but here's the thing...Collinsworth rushed for 124 yards on just 13 carries. It took Elliott 21 carries just to get 109 yards. Can you imagine the numbers AC would be putting up if he were getting over 20 cpg?

::

drizzy Wrote:I don't need to get a grip. I was there. And I'm well aware of the kid on Ryles' team who has a lot of maturing to do, and is the one emotion issue on the team. Good thing he has three years to improve on this. Highlands from the get go was getting in extra pushes and digs, running their mouths (and this I heard from people on the sidelines reporting as obviously in the stands I wouldn';t have known that), late hits, and they DID start the pile up that resulted in offsetting penalties. You can make excuses for Highlands all you want, but to not admit that there is a problem with the dirty attitude is just crazy. Ryle fans are more than willing to admit ONE of their players has a big problem he needs to get a handle on..

I guarantee you if a Highlands player had flipped off an opposing coach he would not have been playing the next week.Take your but whipping like a man.Stop whining and get a coach who can restore some discipline and class to your program.:dontthink

drizzy Wrote:I agree that Ryle has one or two kids who need to check their emotions, though I wouldn't go so far as calling them thugs. But if those one or two are thugs then Highlands is just a big gang of 'em. I heard from multiple people on the sidelines/media that Highlands from the get go was playing dirty as it comes. And does that really surprise anyone? The offsetting unsportsmanlike penalties, although in the end it was fair as both teams started piling up, it was purely Highlands being "thugs".

I would, and it looks like they start them out that way at a young age. At one point during the game a group of grade school/middle school kids came over to the HHS student section to taunt the fans. They began just waving towels and yelling, but this quickly progressed to throwing popcorn, then pop bottles. They were down there for five or ten minutes without anyone saying a word to them, but once they started with the pop bottles, someone from the HHS administration stood up and told them to clear out. At that point there was an adult in a Ryle shirt who finally came over to herd them back, but all he did was point the way. Several years ago some kids at Conner did something similar, coming over to the HHS student section to talk trash. Conner's people were there as soon as the kids started talking and let them know there would be nothing along those lines that night.
As for Highlands play, they tend to give what they get and let the opponent set the tone for the game. Last week at Manual was a pretty clean game both ways, because that's the kind of teams Highlands and Manual are. Last night, Ryle started with the thug play after the first play from scrimmage, which set the tone for the game. As the Campbell County fan I sat next to said, "Typical Ryle."

I think mentioning the word "thug" with either of these teams or their players is taking it a little far. Maybe emotions got the best of a few players last night but let's remember we're talking about kids here...not adults.

When I think of "thug" I look at some of the NFL players...not a 15/16/17 yr old KID. Everyone loses their temper on the field at times but that doesn't mean they're a bad person off the field. Football is a physical sport. Things like this are going to happen.

kywldcat01 Wrote:I think mentioning the word "thug" with either of these teams or their players is taking it a little far. Maybe emotions got the best of a few players last night but let's remember we're talking about kids here...not adults.

When I think of "thug" I look at some of the NFL players...not a 15/16/17 yr old KID. Everyone loses their temper on the field at times but that doesn't mean they're a bad person off the field. Football is a physical sport. Things like this are going to happen.

Trust me, I've been around long enough to understand the nature of the game. I know tempers get out of hand on occasion, but as often as I saw it last night, I've got to figure it's something else. I've got no problem with fired up players. This was beyond that.
That said, I was talking to a Ryle parent at halftime and he had some rather "pointed" things to say about the player in question. My opinion isn't just of something shared by the occasional Highlands fan and I'm not saying that they've never had kids that took things too far. When they have, I've never shied away from saying something about it, no matter who I was talking to. Same rules apply here.

Can you dig it? Wrote:Trust me, I've been around long enough to understand the nature of the game. I know tempers get out of hand on occasion, but as often as I saw it last night, I've got to figure it's something else. I've got no problem with fired up players. This was beyond that.
That said, I was talking to a Ryle parent at halftime and he had some rather "pointed" things to say about the player in question. My opinion isn't just of something shared by the occasional Highlands fan and I'm not saying that they've never had kids that took things too far. When they have, I've never shied away from saying something about it, no matter who I was talking to. Same rules apply here.

I wasn't at the game so I can't really comment on the players involved or the situation being discussed. My point is, a better use of words could be used rather than calling these KIDS thugs.

There's a different way for yourself and Drizzy to go about discussing the kids in questions rather than calling their play "thuggish" and saying they play like "thugs." Let's not take away from the game and topic at hand. Both teams played hard but the better team came out on top.

kywldcat01 Wrote:I wasn't at the game so I can't really comment on the players involved or the situation being discussed. My point is, a better use of words could be used rather than calling these KIDS thugs.

There's a different way for yourself and Drizzy to go about discussing the kids in questions rather than calling their play "thuggish" and saying they play like "thugs." Let's not take away from the game and topic at hand. Both teams played hard but the better team came out on top.

It is what it is, as Tracey Jones says. If the players they emulate with their style of play can be lumped into that category, it's obviously their choice. Chances are those that I'm speaking of would consider it a badge of honor.

Thugs was never my choice of words kywldcat. I was using the lunacy of that persons use of it as a way of making a point. I don't need to be told how to talk.

And everyone is aware that the player in question is a problem. Ryle fans know this, and admit it, and it needs to be worked on. But it is mind boggling that highlands fans can't see what is sitting in front of them. One Highlands "fan" or "player" said..well Ryle set the tone and we answered the call. That's a really mature way of handling things. "Well we came in pushing and shoving, they pushed back AND mouthed off, so we did it back just as bad". There was no innocent side. Both had their fair share, Highlands got away with it a bit more than Ryle did, and they were just as bad.

drizzy Wrote:Thugs was never my choice of words kywldcat. I was using the lunacy of that persons use of it as a way of making a point. I don't need to be told how to talk.

And everyone is aware that the player in question is a problem. Ryle fans know this, and admit it, and it needs to be worked on. But it is mind boggling that highlands fans can't see what is sitting in front of them. One Highlands "fan" or "player" said..well Ryle set the tone and we answered the call. That's a really mature way of handling things. "Well we came in pushing and shoving, they pushed back AND mouthed off, so we did it back just as bad". There was no innocent side. Both had their fair share, Highlands got away with it a bit more than Ryle did, and they were just as bad.

Okay, one more lunatic question and then I'll quit.
How many Highlands players shoved a ref during the game?

highlands is always good

drizzy Wrote:I don't need to get a grip. I was there. And I'm well aware of the kid on Ryles' team who has a lot of maturing to do, and is the one emotion issue on the team. Good thing he has three years to improve on this. Highlands from the get go was getting in extra pushes and digs, running their mouths (and this I heard from people on the sidelines reporting as obviously in the stands I wouldn';t have known that), late hits, and they DID start the pile up that resulted in offsetting penalties. You can make excuses for Highlands all you want, but to not admit that there is a problem with the dirty attitude is just crazy. Ryle fans are more than willing to admit ONE of their players has a big problem he needs to get a handle on..

It's kind of ironic that I read this post this morning. I am friends with the father of Ryle's QB. The father sent me an e mail over the weekend stating that his son told him after the game that the Highlands players weren't mouthty at all and just played a clean hard game. The son told his father that the one Highlands player that had given him some lip during the game, later came up during the game and actually apologized.

I was at the game and stood on the sidelines. There was little dirty play by either team. What perhaps has some Highlands folks thinking that Ryle played dirty was the fact that on the opening kickoff, a Ryle player blindsided the Highlands kicker who was jogging down the field (he plays the safety on that play). The kick off was into the endzone and as the ref was blowing the whistle, the blindsided hit occurred. A penalty was called on it. Truth be told, the Ryle kid was just doing his job and I didn't think it was a late hit or if it was late, it wasn't late by much. But it looked very bad to the Highlands fans in the stand. Then on the next play there is a fumble by Ryle and the resulting scramble and pile. A Highlands player is on the top of the pile fighting to get down into the pile and grab the ball. A Ryle player pulls the Highlands kid off the pile and pushes him. A ref steps in to separate. The Ryle player actually pushes the ref. Should have been penalized for doing so and thrown out of the game. Ref made a mistake by not doing anything.

Ryle had a play when they hit a Highlands runner out of bounds. Highlands had a play when they hit a Ryle runner out of bounds. Neither was malicious and both hits were simply a continuation of pursuit. Neither was called.

There was another pile up when Ryle was again on offense. The Highlands player had been cleanly pancaked by a Ryle blocker. As they were on the ground and trying to get untangled, it looked like they were going at it. They weren't. But another Highlands player mistakenly thought they were fighting. He runs over to break it up, but you know what happens when players see other players running to what looks like a fight. Lots of players run over. Actually the refs did a very good job of quickly stopping things before it could get out of hand. Refs called off setting penalties which is a good indication that nothing really severe was done by either team.

All in all, it wasn't a dirty game by either team. There is the oft talked about player on Ryle's team that does have some growing up to do. He more than any one player on the field did some after the play pushing and is the one that pushed the ref. But all in all, it wasn't as bad as some have posted. I was on the sidelines and have seen the tape several times. Ryle is always a physical team that attempts to dominate and intimidate their opponents. Highlands is used to schools trying to intimidate it by physical play and is always on the "look out" for teams trying to do it to them. We know that we always have a bullseye on our back and this year with all the talk about who good we are, the bullseye is even brighter. With the way the first two plays of the game went, I'm sure the Birds' senses were tingling.

But neither team was any where close to being as bad as is being portrayed on here by fans of both programs.

charlie22 Wrote:It's kind of ironic that I read this post this morning. I am friends with the father of Ryle's QB. The father sent me an e mail over the weekend stating that his son told him after the game that the Highlands players weren't mouthty at all and just played a clean hard game. The son told his father that the one Highlands player that had given him some lip during the game, later came up during the game and actually apologized.

I was at the game and stood on the sidelines. There was little dirty play by either team. What perhaps has some Highlands folks thinking that Ryle played dirty was the fact that on the opening kickoff, a Ryle player blindsided the Highlands kicker who was jogging down the field (he plays the safety on that play). The kick off was into the endzone and as the ref was blowing the whistle, the blindsided hit occurred. A penalty was called on it. Truth be told, the Ryle kid was just doing his job and I didn't think it was a late hit or if it was late, it wasn't late by much. But it looked very bad to the Highlands fans in the stand. Then on the next play there is a fumble by Ryle and the resulting scramble and pile. A Highlands player is on the top of the pile fighting to get down into the pile and grab the ball. A Ryle player pulls the Highlands kid off the pile and pushes him. A ref steps in to separate. The Ryle player actually pushes the ref. Should have been penalized for doing so and thrown out of the game. Ref made a mistake by not doing anything.

Ryle had a play when they hit a Highlands runner out of bounds. Highlands had a play when they hit a Ryle runner out of bounds. Neither was malicious and both hits were simply a continuation of pursuit. Neither was called.

There was another pile up when Ryle was again on offense. The Highlands player had been cleanly pancaked by a Ryle blocker. As they were on the ground and trying to get untangled, it looked like they were going at it. They weren't. But another Highlands player mistakenly thought they were fighting. He runs over to break it up, but you know what happens when players see other players running to what looks like a fight. Lots of players run over. Actually the refs did a very good job of quickly stopping things before it could get out of hand. Refs called off setting penalties which is a good indication that nothing really severe was done by either team.

All in all, it wasn't a dirty game by either team. There is the oft talked about player on Ryle's team that does have some growing up to do. He more than any one player on the field did some after the play pushing and is the one that pushed the ref. But all in all, it wasn't as bad as some have posted. I was on the sidelines and have seen the tape several times. Ryle is always a physical team that attempts to dominate and intimidate their opponents. Highlands is used to schools trying to intimidate it by physical play and is always on the "look out" for teams trying to do it to them. We know that we always have a bullseye on our back and this year with all the talk about who good we are, the bullseye is even brighter. With the way the first two plays of the game went, I'm sure the Birds' senses were tingling.

But neither team was any where close to being as bad as is being portrayed on here by fans of both programs.

Great post which really puts it into perspective for those of us that weren't there.

Can you dig it? Wrote:Okay, one more lunatic question and then I'll quit.
How many Highlands players shoved a ref during the game?

I assume the same number of players that Dale Mueller would have tolerated having on his team.....

I think we all know that HHS players understand any consequences of such a foolish move