Bardo Latest 'Bird to be Offered

Highlands senior Will Bardo has received an offer to play football for the United States Air Force Academy, located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Bardo began the 2009 football season as the team's starting quarterback; however, he was switched to running back and return specialist during the season after sustaining an elbow injury. Bardo is the fourth Highlands football player to be made an NCAA FBS (formerly Division I-A) offer for the upcoming season.

Mueller Named National Coach of the Year

Highlands coach Dale Mueller was recently announced as the recipient of the National High School Coach of the Year Award (also known as the Yoast Award). The announcement was made during the US Army All-American Awards Dinner held in San Antonio, Texas, on January 8, 2010, and Coach Mueller formally received this award during halftime of the US Army All-American Bowl, which was televised live nationally on NBC the following day.

The Awards Dinner, presented by the Rotary Club of San Antonio, is the nation's largest prep football awards event. The coaching award is named after coach Bill Yoast, who was portrayed in the movie "Remember the Titans."

Coach Mueller is the first Kentucky coach to win this prestigious award.

Roller Receives Offer

Highlands senior linebacker Brandon Roller has received an offer to play football for Army at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Roller is the third Highlands senior to be made an NCAA FBS offer (Austin Collinsworth and Tyler Grubbs being the other two players).

Four 'Birds Named to the All-BluegrassPreps.com Team

The following Highlands players have been named to the 2009 All BluegrassPreps.com Football Team:

RB Austin Collinsworth
OL Hunter Schlosser
OL Tyler Grubbs
LB Brandon Roller

Grubbs Named MaxPreps All-American

Highlands OL Tyler Grubbs has been named a 2009 MaxPreps High School Football All-American. Grubbs, a senior, was named as a second-team offensive lineman. Grubbs has verbally committed to play football for Miami University (Ohio). He is the only player from Kentucky listed as a MaxPreps All-American.

Three Bluebirds Invited to Border Bowl

Three Highlands seniors, OL Hunter Schlosser, LB Brandon Roller and WR John Drennen have been invited to participate in the 2010 National Guard Border Bowl, a high school football "all-star" game pitting Kentucky prep players against Tennessee prep players. This game will be held at the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Kentucky, at 12:00PM on Saturday, January 16.

Highlands Ends 2009 Nationally Ranked

Fort Thomas Highlands has finished the 2009 season with the following final national rankings:

USA Today Super 25: 3rd nationally
Rivals High 100: 8th nationally
ESPN Rise Football Fab 50 Rankings: 8th nationally
MaxPreps Xcellent 25: 18th nationally
PrepNation National Prep Football Poll: 24th nationally

This marks the eighth year that Highlands has finished the season nationally ranked. Also, Highlands' 3rd-place finish in the 2009 USA Today Super 25 is the highest final ranking by a Kentucky prep football team in the history of the USA Today Super 25.