BOWLING GREEN, Ky. -- Highlands came in to Friday’s Class 5A state championship game at Houchens-L.T. Smith stadium in Bowling Green looking to validate its place as the best team in Kentucky and one of the best in the nation, and also to secure a share of the record for most state titles.
The Bluebirds (15-0) did just that. They were a model of offensive efficiency, powered by standout senior running back Austin Collinsworth, and generated key takeaways on defense to easily dispatch John Hardin, 35-7 for their third straight title and record-tying 19th as a program.
The Highlands offense was virtually unstoppable for most of three quarters of play, running the ball effectively over and around the Bulldogs defense. The Bluebirds scored touchdowns on five of their first six offensive possessions, fumbling the ball away on their one failed first-half drive, and didn’t turn the ball over on downs until John Hardin finally got a stop with 1:28 to play in the third quarter.
Collinsworth was dominant en route to winning most valuable player honors, piling up 111 yards and three touchdowns on 15 first-half carries. He shared more of the load in the second half only carrying 10 times to finish with 176 yards on 25 carries.
“He's just a phenomenal player,” Highlands head coach Dale Mueller said. “I don't know every player in the state, but he just got the Paul Hornung Award for the best player in the state. Really, this year his biggest handicapper has been me. We've got up so early that he's had games where he only had six or seven carries. He's just phenomenal.”
John Hardin (14-1) moved the ball down to the Highlands 34-yard line on its first drive, eating up over five minutes and 42 yards in 12 plays, before the Bluebirds tightened up and forced a punt.
Taking over at their own 20 with 6:26 in the first, the Bluebirds marched downfield on an eight-play, 80-yard drive, capped by Collinsworth’s 8-yard touchdown run with 3:19 remaining in the first to grab an early 7-0 lead.
The second quarter was more of the same. Another Collinsworth touchdown run, this one from 12 yards out, put Highlands up 14-0 with 8:54 before halftime. Three plays into the ensuing Bulldogs drive, sophomore cornerback Drake Bruns intercepted quarterback Alex Dingle’s pass and returned it 15 yards to the John Hardin 15-yard line. Three plays later Collinsworth charged into the end zone from four yards out for his final score to put the Bluebirds comfortably ahead, 21-0 with just over six minutes in the half.
The Bulldogs threatened on their final possession of the half, taking over with 1:59 remaining and driving 79 yards down to Highlands 3-yard line. But on first and goal, dingle handed off to fullback Darnell Alston who fumbled the ball, and his team's momentum, away with 35 seconds in the half. Senior defensive end Mark Snyder fell on the loose ball at the Highlands 5-yard line to secure the 21-0 halftime advantage.
The Bluebirds offense got a breather to start the second half. Senior running back Will Bardo fielded the second-half kickoff at the 2-yard line, started down the right side where it looked like he’d be forced out of bounds around the 30, but managed to elude defenders and burst down the sideline, tiptoeing his way to a 98-yard touchdown return that put Highlands ahead, 28-0 just seconds into the third quarter.
Then with 4:39 in the third, sophomore quarterback Patrick Towles busted up the middle for an 11-yard touchdown run to cap a nine-play, 78-yard drive that gave the Bluebirds their final score and 35-0 lead.
Towles finished with 73 rushing yards and the score on just eight carries, and completed just 1-of-2 passes, though it was a 16-yard strike to convert third and long on Highlands’ first possession.
John Hardin finally got on the board with 9:06 in the fourth, when Dingle threw laterally to tight end Matt Simmons, who then found wide receiver Jeremy Harness over the middle for a 35-yard touchdown strike.
The trick play managed to spoil the shutout, but it didn’t spoil anything else. The celebration was on. The Bluebirds achieved a three-peat, and once again claimed a share of the all-time record for most titles. But just like last year, they’ll have to wait for the 6A championship to see if Louisville Trinity inches back ahead with its 20th crown.
While the Bluebirds finish as the top team once again in 5A, and came into the game ranked sixth in the nation by USA Today, Mueller said their goal from the start was even loftier.
“We want to be No. 1 in the nation,” he said. “A lot of people think it might sound ridiculous for a little school in Kentucky to say that, but that’s where we want to be, so hopefully those teams ahead of us lose.”J. HARDIN 0-0-0-7--7 HIGHLANDS 7-14-14-0--35 H-Collinsworth 8 run (Weinel kick) H-Collinsworth 12 run (Weinel kick) H-Collinsworth 4 run (Weinel kick) H-Bardo 98 kickoff return (Weinel kick) H-Towles 11 run (Weinel kick) JH-Harness 35 pass from Simmons (Harber kick) RECORDS: Highlands 15-0, John Hardin 14-1.
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