By Audrey Carrico
NKyTribune sports reporter
Three points. That was all that separated Dixie Heights from a trip to the second round of the Class 5A state playoffs a season ago. Now, as the Colonels gear up for a new campaign, a fresh start brings a new set of challenges.
“Our team has done a phenomenal job preparing for the 2026 season,” Dixie Heights head coach Patrick Burke said. “We have a very close-knit group of guys who hold each other accountable.”
Before the Colonels hit their stride last year, they had to dig out of a 0-4 hole. The early stumbles were largely defined by an offense struggling to find its rhythm as Dixie Heights was held to 10 points or fewer in three of those first four outings.
The team went 4-3 the rest of the season, ending with a disappointing 52-49 loss to Collins in the first round of Class 5A playoffs.
While the offseason brought significant roster turnover through graduation, Dixie Heights returns a core of six offensive and six defensive starters.
During summer practice, Burke reportedly used multiple players to find a replacement for quarterback Mason Fields, who threw for 2,669 yards and 28 touchdowns last season.
The top returning skill players are seniors Parks Vonderhaar, Henry Waters and Levi Gilliland, who provide experienced leadership through the air and on the ground.
Vonderhaar and Waters caught a combined total of 55 passes for 832 yards and nine touchdowns last year. Gilliland was the leading rusher with 86 carries for 384 yards and four TDs.
“We’re looking for big things from Parks in the passing game as he is a big target with great athleticism,” Burke said. “Levi is our top returning running back and linebacker. He’s a physical downhill player who will be a major contributor on both sides of the ball.”
Gilliland’s impact extends far beyond the offense. Defensively, he finished among the team’s top three tacklers last season, recording 56 stops and two sacks from his linebacker spot.
He’ll be joined in the front seven by senior Brad Roaden, who posted a team-high 80 tackles at outside linebacker while also giving the Colonels a valuable option at tight end.
“Brad is one of the top returning defensive players in Northern Kentucky,” Burke said. “He will be the anchor of our defense as a team leader and key contributor on offense.”
Dixie Heights will face no shortage of tough opponents to prepare for district play. After opening against county rival Simon Kenton, the Colonels face a gauntlet of local teams that have all made deep playoff runs in recent years, including Class 2A powerhouse Beechwood, Class 4A contender Covington Catholic and Class 6A heavyweights Cooper and Ryle.
Surmounting that non-district gauntlet won’t be easy, but it serves a clear purpose. Tested against Northern Kentucky’s elite, the Colonels aim to emerge battle-tested and ready to finish what they started a season ago.
DIXIE HEIGHTS COLONELS
2025 SEASON: 4-7 record, lost to Collins, 52-49, in first round of Class 5A playoffs.
STARTERS RETURNING: 6 offense, 6 defense.
DISTRICT: Class 5A, District 6 with Boone County, Conner, Cooper, Scott.
HEAD COACH: Patrick Burke (15-30 in four seasons at Dixie Heights, 45-62 in nine seasons overall).
2026 SCHEDULE
Aug. 21 – SIMON KENTON, 7 p.m.
Aug. 28 – at Hamilton Badin (Ohio), 7 p.m.
Sept. 4 – at Beechwood, 7:30 7 p.m.
Sept. 11 – COVINGTON CATHOLIC, 7 p.m.
Sept. 18 – at Lexington Henry Clay, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 25 – SCOTT, 7 p.m.
Oct. 2 – at Cooper, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 8 – at Conner, 7 p.m.
Oct. 16 – BOONE COUNTY, 7 p.m.
Oct. 30 – RYLE, 7 p.m.