BACKGROUND AND HISTORY
Highlands High School is located in the city of Fort Thomas, Kentucky. Fort Thomas, a residential community with a total population of approximately 17,000, is located a few miles south of Cincinnati, Ohio, just across the Ohio River. Highlands High School (HHS) is the only high school in the Fort Thomas Independent School District (a public school district), which also includes three elementary schools (Johnson, Moyer, and Woodfill) and one middle school (Highlands Middle). Highlands High School, which has an enrollment of around 820 students (both boys and girls), is located at 2400 Memorial Parkway, Fort Thomas, Kentucky 41075. The current superintendent of the Fort Thomas Independent School District is Mr. John Williamson, and the current principal of Highlands High School is Mr. Brian Robinson. Academically, the high school and entire school district are regarded as outstanding throughout the state of Kentucky. In 2007, Highlands was awarded the Pacesetter Award from the High Schools That Work program. Nationally, only 20 schools received this honor in 2007, out of a total of more than 1100 schools that participated in the program. Highlands was the only school from Kentucky selected for this award. The school was awarded the No Child Left Behind - Blue Ribbon School designation in 2007, one of only 30 public high schools out of 120,000 to receive this recognition. In 2008, the school was honored with a High Schools That Work Gold Achievement Award, presented nationally to only 16 schools.
Highlands High School has been in existence since 1888, and the school has been playing football since 1915. The Highlands High School football team, nicknamed the Bluebirds (or 'Birds, for short), plays its home games at David Cecil Memorial Stadium (capacity: 4700), located right behind the high school building. The team colors are blue and white. Interestingly, Highlands' football team was nicknamed the Blue Devils for a period of time in the 1920s.
Highlands holds several current official Kentucky state high school football records, including undefeated seasons (11), touchdowns in a season (113, in 1998), points in a season (801, in 1998), and touchdown receptions by an individual player in a game (Brett Hamblen - 6, in 2000). HHS holds a tie for the state record for the longest touchdown pass (99 yards, in 1996). Also, HHS ranks second in the state with 17 official state championship titles (behind Louisville Trinity, with 18) and second in the state in total number of wins, with 758 (second to Louisville Male, with 781 wins). In addition to Highlands' statewide records, the Bluebirds currently rank fifth nationally in all-time football wins, and the program has been nationally ranked in the following final national football polls at the conclusion of seven football seasons: the USA Today Super 25 (21st) in 1982, the USA Today Super 25 (21st) in 1996, the USA Today Super 25 (19th), the Prep Nation poll (15th), the National Sports News Service poll (14th) and the Comp USA poll (16th) in 1998, the Dick Butkus poll (16th), the Fox Fab 50 poll (45th) and the Tony Bianco "Tony" poll (18th) in 1999, the USA Today Super 25 (13th), the Tony Bianco "Tony" poll (12th), the Dick Butkus poll (10th) and the Fox Fab 50 poll (47th) in 2000, the Tony Bianco "Tony" poll (22nd) in 2004, and the MaxPreps/CalPreps poll (21st) in 2007.
The current head football coach and athletic director at HHS is Dale Mueller. Mr. Mueller, an alumnus of Highlands (he also played for the football team while at HHS), attended college and received his degree from Cornell University. He has spent the past fourteen years at HHS as the head coach of the football team (beginning in 1994). Prior to that, Mr. Mueller was the head football coach at Cincinnati Sycamore High School (1991-1993) and Cincinnati Withrow High School (1984-1990). While at Highlands, Coach Mueller has won six Kentucky state championships and has taken the Bluebirds to the state title game a total of eight times. He has also led the 'Birds to playoff appearances every year while coaching at Highlands.
Coach Mueller follows a long line of successful and distinguished coaches at Highlands. Before Coach Mueller, HHS was led by Tom Duffy. Coach Duffy (1988-1993), who left his job as head coach at Danville High School to come to HHS, won two Class AAA state titles with Highlands before moving on to coach for Henderson County High School. He currently ranks 21st on the all-time Kentucky football coaching wins list. Before him, Jack Eicher coached from 1984-1987. Bill Herrmann was the head coach of the 'Birds from 1976-1983, and while at Highlands, he and the 'Birds won three state championships. Coach Roger Walz (1974-1975) led the Bluebirds to one state title while at HHS. Mike Murphy won two state championships with the Bluebirds while he coached from 1967-1973. Coaching great Owen Hauck was in charge of the football program from 1962-1966, and won one state football title during that time. When Owen Hauck retired from high school football coaching (he ended his career as the head coach at Boone County High School), he had amassed 258 wins in Kentucky (plus 26 wins as head coach at Mount Healthy, Ohio), currently 12th on the all-time Kentucky football coaching wins list. Prior to Owen Hauck, Homer Rice was the head football coach for the 'Birds. Coach Rice is arguably the most honored and respected individual ever to be associated with the Fort Thomas Highlands football program. While coaching at HHS from 1954-1961, he won two Class AA state championships and one "mythical" state championship in 1957 (Kentucky high school football did not begin playing statewide championship games until 1959). After leaving the high school game, Mr. Rice was the head football coach at the University of Cincinnati, Rice University, and the NFL's Cincinnati Bengals, and he finished his career as the athlectic director at Georgia Tech. Many consider Homer Rice to be the man most responsible for the tremendous success Highlands football has enjoyed in the last half-century. From 1942-1953, Ewell Waddell was the head coach, and he won one "mythical" state championship during his tenure (in 1943). The previous head coaches at Highlands were: Bernie Sadosky (1938-1941), Honey Rader (1937), Walter "Rip" Van Winkle (1932-1936), Homer Jackson (1926-1931, winning one "mythical" state championship in 1930), Collis "Pop" Jorden (1923-1925), J. H. Keck (1922), John Gillespie (1917-1921), Gosnell Layman (1916), and Thomas Lewis (1915).
Highlands built and maintains its impressive football tradition by relying on the strong, unwavering support of the Fort Thomas community. Highlands High School, and indeed the entire school district, has won national recognition for its educational achievements. The school and school district are considered top-notch throughout the state of Kentucky. Because of this, the school truly is the pride of the entire community. That is why Fort Thomas places such an emphasis on the school's success, both academic and athletic. The Highlands Bluebirds football program embodies this sentiment, as it has touched the lives of so many Fort Thomas residents over the course of the last century, and there is no reason to believe this trend will ever cease. All the Highlands student-athletes, students, teachers, coaches, school administrators, parents and fans have played such a key role in nurturing the football program throughout the years, and this website is dedicated to all of them (in addition to the website creator's wife, Dr. Taufika I. Williams, for her assistance in designing this website).
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