One of the 10 former athletes and coaches selected for induction into the Highlands High School Hall of Fame next fall deserves to be honored this Memorial Day as well.
Joseph Ross was a member of state championship teams in football and track at Highlands. After graduating in 1961, he attended the Air Force Academy and competed in those same two sports. He played in the 1964 Gator Bowl football game and ran the mile relay in the 1966 NCAA track and field championships.
After graduating from the academy, Ross served in Vietnam and flew the F4D fighter/bomber. On August 1, 1968, his plane was shot down during a reconnaissance flight over North Vietnam. Captain Ross and the plane were never found.
Ross will be inducted into the Highlands Athletic Hall of Fame posthumously during a banquet on September 17. This year’s group of inductees also includes James Burt, Richard Grover, Robert Herfel, Nancy Jones Barre, Robert Luecke, Bernie Sadosky, Cindy Schlarman Graves, Melissa Slone and Roger Walz.
The 1968 Highlands football team will also be honored as this year’s Team of Distinction at the banquet. The Bluebirds won the Class AA state championship and finished with a perfect 13-0 record that season. The team outscored its opponents, 608-43, and allowed only seven points in three playoff games.
Here is more information on the other Hall of Fame inductees:
James Burt (1961 graduate) — Burt lettered in football and baseball for four years and basketball for three years. He served as co-captain in all three sports as a senior. He was the leading rusher on the 1960 Highlands football team that won the program’s first-ever state championship. He went on to play football and baseball at Western Kentucky University and was named to the All-America team as a defensive back in football. He was drafted by the Detroit Tigers baseball team and the New York Jets and Los Angeles Rams for football, but he turned down those offers to study medicine at the University of Kentucky. He graduated from medical school in 1969 and is currently still practicing medicine.
Richard Grover (1971 graduate) — Grover lettered five years in swimming and three years in football and track. He was selected as an all-state football player for three years and received All-America honors as a senior. After attending the University of Cincinnati on a football scholarship for one year, he transferred to the University of Kentucky to pursue a career in medicine and graduated in 1979.
Robert Herfel (1989 graduate) — Herfel was named first-team all-conference in football for three years while also earning letters in swimming and track. He was named to the Courier-Journal all-state football team twice and went on to play at Centre College, where he was an all-conference player as a senior. He continued his education and received a degree in medicine from the University of Kentucky.
Nancy Jones Barre (1970 graduate) — Barre received 14 varsity letters in tennis, basketball, swimming and cheer. In swimming, she was a state champion in the 50 freestyle and selected to compete in the American/Canadian Championship Meet on relay teams that set national records. After attending the University of Kentucky, she returned to coach girls’ sports at Highlands and retired as a physical education teacher at Johnson Elementary School.
Robert Luecke (1945 graduate) — Luecke was named first-team all-conference in football and basketball as a junior and senior and won two regional titles in the shot put event as a member of the track team. He went to Ohio University to study education and played football and basketball there for four years. He returned to Highlands and was a beloved teacher and coach for several years.
Bernie Sadosky (coach) — Sadosky began teaching at Highlands in 1937 and coached football, basketball and track while also starting an archery program. In track, he led the Bluebirds to the 1959 state team championship as well as several regional titles. He helped establish the winning tradition at Highlands that is still prevalent today.
Cindy Schlarman Graves (1985 graduate) — Graves earned nine varsity letters in volleyball, basketball and slow-pitch softball. During her junior and senior years, she led the volleyball and basketball teams to state tournament appearances. She attended Northern Kentucky University on a basketball scholarship and was named an Academic All-American three consecutive years. She received a degree in elementary education and has been teaching at Moyer Elementary School since 1990.
Melissa Slone (1987 graduate) — Slone played varsity basketball for four years and scored 1,590 points during her career. She was a starting point guard on two 9th Region championship teams, an all-region selection three times and earned all-state honorable mention as a senior. In slow-pitch softball, she was a five-time all-region player and finished with a .515 career batting average. She batted .652 in her senior season and was named Player of the Year by the Kentucky Post newspaper. She played basketball and softball at Northern Kentucky University and graduated with a degree in education. She coached women’s basketball on the college level and is currently the director of K-12 education in Charlotte, South Carolina.
Roger Walz (1962 graduate) — Walz was a three-sport athlete who lettered in football and basketball for four years and baseball for two years. Highlands had a 35-1 record and won two state championships in football during the three seasons he was starting quarterback. He continued his football career at the University of Cincinnati and the University of Kentucky. He returned to Highlands to coach football and guided the Bluebirds to a Class AAA state title in 1975. He was also the school’s athletic director for several years before retiring.