[Stardust]

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. —
The Highlands High School football team won one for its coach -- and the record books.

With coach Dale Mueller absent because of the death of his mother-in-law earlier in the week, the Bluebirds put together a dominating performance and whipped Collins 47-0 in Friday's Class 4-A championship game.

A crowd of 8,312 at Houchens Industries/L.T. Smith Stadium saw Highlands win its record 22nd state title (a mark that Trinity can tie today) and become the first Kentucky school ever to win six in a row. Boyle County won five straight from 1999-2003.

Highlands defensive coordinator Brian Weinrich assumed head-coaching duties after Mueller informed the team earlier in the week that he would miss the game.

"He's here," Weinrich said after the victory. "What happened tonight was because of him. He built the program, and the foundation is so solid. We just had to make sure we didn't screw it up tonight."

Highlands (14-1), No. 2 in The Courier-Journal's Litkenhous Ratings, improved its record to 87-3 during the six-year title run. The Bluebirds scored touchdowns on three of their first four possessions, rolled up 476 yards of offense and became the first team to shut out Collins in its brief, three-year history.

"They're as sound of a football team as you're going to play," Collins coach Jerry Lucas said. "We'd have to rise to that level. They're not going to come the other way."

Highlands quarterback Donovan McCoy completed 10 of 15 passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed for 105 yards and two scores. Colin Seidl (115 yards, one TD) and Zach Harris (96 yards, two TDs) also had big games on the ground.

McCoy had two TD passes in the first quarter, and Harris' 8-yard TD run gave the Bluebirds a 20-0 lead on the first play of the second quarter. Seidl and Harris added TD runs as Highlands built a 33-0 halftime bulge.

Collins managed just 173 total yards and was held to 67 rushing yards on 38 attempts (1.8 yards per carry). DeAndre Farris carried 10 times for 60 yards to lead the Titans (11-4).

"They played (pass) coverage all night, and we struggled to run the football," Lucas said. "If they're playing coverage and you can't run the football, you're going to have some problems."

Collins also had problems containing Highlands junior defensive end Seth Hope. The 6-foot-3 216-pounder recorded a game-high nine tackles and had five sacks.

"The biggest source of motivation we had was Coach Mueller," Hope said.

http://www.usatodayhss.com/louisville/