[Hoot Gibson]

Highlands edges Johnson Central

For the third year in a row, Highlands defeated Johnson Central in the playoffs, but Friday was the first time in the series the Bluebirds had to sweat out the ending.

The Bluebirds scored less than four minutes into the fourth quarter and halted a late Golden Eagles drive to advance to semifinals of the Class 5A state tournament with a 21-14 win at Eagle Field.

Highlands will play Harlan County in Baxter next week for a shot at its fourth consecutive state finals berth.

Johnson Central coach Jim Matney said the score reflected the whole night: so close.

“We came up short on some plays and it wasn’t our night,” Matney said. “It was the kind of night where things seemed like they weren’t going our way.”

That way of thinking was evident on the second to last play of the game.

Johnson Central had the ball in the Highlands red zone with 12 seconds left trailing by seven.

Quarterback J.K. Hall took a snap and fired into the right corner of the end zone to a wide-open Ross Sanor, who guided it into his hands.

The ball didn’t stay there, as the Johnson crowd erupted thinking it was a touchdown, but it was incomplete.

Highlands forced one more incomplete pass and gained way to its fourth straight regional title, and Bluebirds coach Dale Mueller knew his team dodged a bullet after he saw the ball hit the turf.

“What was going through my head was, gosh we sure were lucky,” Mueller said. “If they would have scored they would have went for two and we would have had a hard time stopping them.”

But Johnson Central had the hard time stopping Highlands’ quarterback, junior Patrick Towles.

Towles accounted for all three Bluebirds’ touchdowns en route to finishing the game with 164 yards passing and 64 yards rushing.

Mueller said with Towles it’s easier to get these close wins.

“He came up big when we needed him,” Mueller said. “He’s a great quarterback, he’s just big for us.”

Towles led Highlands to a 14-point lead in the first half with an 17-yard scramble for one touchdown, followed by a 39-yard bomb to receiver Austin Sheehan.

Towles also found his favorite target, Daniel Gold four times for 88 yards, including a 51-yard bomb that the Golden Eagles defense couldn’t knock out of the air.

Down by 14, Johnson Central capitalized on a Highlands mistake after Hall took a fumble back 55 yards to bring the Golden Eagles within seven.

Hall was big for the Golden Eagles all game on both sides of the ball. He was 5-for-8 for 57 yards under center and he intercepted a pass in addition to the key fumble recovery.

Matney said that level of play is something he expects from his seniors, especially Hall.

“That’s what you expect from your seniors, for them to come up big on these nights,” Matney said. “J.K. played that way all night, and I hate for our seniors, to put up a chance to win state, but it wasn’t our night.”

The Eagles tied the score, 14-14 in the fourth quarter on a five-yard run by junior J.J. Jude.

But Towles put Highlands ahead for good on a five-yard touchdown run with 8:34 left in regulation.

Jude ran for 103 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries, while fullback Tanner Bratton added 66 yards on 18 carries.

Highlands knew it would have to keep them from breaking the long run, keeping them to short carries. Mueller was proud his defense could stop the big plays from happening on the ground by a team know for electrifying runs.

“We really needed to contain them, so that was our plan: To make them drive it,” Mueller said. “They had been going 60 and 80 yards all year, so we were happy to keep them at three and four.”

For the third year in a row Highlands found a way to skirt by Johnson Central. The Bluebirds won, 35-21 in 2008 in Paintsville and 42-21 in Fort Thomas last season.

“Every game against them is a good game, but this one was the absolute best," Mueller said. "There is no quit in Johnson Central. I would love to have them on my team.”

Matney said that it was a war, and the dropped catch in the end zone was the latest and most devastating bomb of the series.

“The past three years it’s been a war,” Matney said. “Tonight we had an opportunity, but we couldn’t hang on to it. It just happens.”

HIGHLANDS 7-7-0-7—21
at J. CENTRAL 0-0-7-7—14
H-Towles 17 run (Weinel kick)
H-Sheehan 39 pass from Towles (Weinel kick)
J-Hall 55 fumble recovery (Davis kick)
J-Jude 5 run (Davis kick)
H-Towles 5 run (Weinel kick)
RECORDS: Highlands 12-1, Johnson Central 10-3.