[Stardust]

TE position strong in area
By Ryan Ernst • [email]rernst@enquirer.com[/email] • August 19, 2009

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Don't expect many changes this season from the Highlands offensive scheme - the one that has powered the Bluebirds to back-to-back Class 5A state titles.


But there is at least one difference: a two-tight end set.

"Oh yeah," Highlands coach Dale Mueller said recently with a smile. "We didn't have that formation last year, but we do this year."

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It was a pretty easy call. When a coach has two of the best tight ends in the area on his roster - as Mueller does in Brandon Roller and Kyle Welz - he does what he can to maximize their playing time.

Ryle coach Bryson Warner is employing a similar strategy with two-way behemoth Tate Nichols.

Yeah, it's a pretty good year for Northern Kentucky tight ends.

Nichols committed to Stanford in the offseason. Roller is drawing attention from Mid-American Conference, Big East and Atlantic Coast Conference schools as a linebacker, and Welz also is hearing from Division I programs.

All three still have work to do.

Nichols (6 feet 7, 260 pounds) had an injury-plagued 2008, when he missed the first half of the season because of a broken foot. In the offseason, Warner worked Nichols at both tight end and defensive end, and he said Nichols has been dominant on both sides of the ball.

"It's just great to be healthy," Nichols said. "I was unable to walk for a month and a half last year. Then I was in a walking boot for two weeks. Two weeks after I got out of the boot, I was back and playing football. But I was nowhere near where I needed to be. I'd say at the end of the season I was about 75 percent."

Roller ended last season on crutches due to a knee injury. After working his way back, he'll play full-time on defense in addition to his offensive responsibilities. Both he and Welz should be key cogs in what should be a very effective Highlands passing attack.

"We can throw to a lot of different people, and everybody's solid," Welz said. "We can go long or short. Brandon's more of a deep threat, and I'm more of a possession guy."

While Roller's best chance to play college football lies on defense, Mueller said Welz (6-5, 245) has the body to be a Division I tight end.

"He has to do a lot in a short period of time because he was playing behind Roller most of last year," Mueller said. "He really didn't get all that much time last year, but he's a big-time player. He just has to have a really quick learning curve