By Dan Weber
NKyTribune sports reporter
It’s been a while, 12 years to be exact, since the second-winningest high school football program in Kentucky, the Highlands Bluebirds, has added to its 23 state championships.
Most of this year’s Bluebirds were in kindergarten the last time Highlands won it all. But ask Bryce Armstrong, the mature sophomore quarterback who will be leading the Ft. Thomas team this fall, if he knows about the tradition here, he absolutely does.
“A lot,” Armstrong says. “My parents went to Campbell County. They know all about the Bluebirds’ football tradition. Highlands is the big dog here.”
Is or was? That is the question. And the goal of this Highlands team is to use the past to define the present.
One player who can surely do that is multi-position senior Tayden Lorenzen, a top 10 candidate for Kentucky Mr. Football, an honor his legendary father, the late Jared Lorenzen, earned back in 1998 as quarterback for a state champion Highlands team.
“I’m going to try to win it,” the 6-foot-3, 230-pound Lorenzen says, but he’s not talking Mr. Football. That would be nice. But a state title, that’s his focus.
Highlands’ coach Bob Sphire lists Lorenzen’s position as ATHLETE. “I wish they had that position on the all-state teams,” Sphire says.
Lorenzen agrees, as the Miami of Ohio commit should. He’ll line up at wide receiver, tight end and deep back in the goal-line offense, where he can run it, throw it or catch it.
He also expects to be playing more out wide with less blocking assignments, which will free him up for added duties at both linebacker and defensive end.
“And our backup holder and punter,” Sphire says. Which is why Lorenzen says he chose a Mid-American Conference college football program where the opportunity to do many things is more likely than with a Big Ten or SEC team.
“Whatever they need,” Lorenzen says of the Highlands team that he claims “has worked harder in the offseason than any in my four years of varsity football.”
Despite his youth, the 6-1, 195-pound Armstrong has taken easily to the leadership role he stepped into as a freshman last December in the offseason. “He’s got great demeanor,” Sphire says. “He’s steady every day, really mature.”
As for the pressure of being the next quarterback in Ft. Thomas, “he sure doesn’t show it,” Sphire says. “He’s got that championship attitude where you’re going to get a great practice every day.”
“I do try to show up every day as a leader,” Armstrong says. “On the field, in the weight room and on the sidelines, “where we suffered a little bit of toxicity last year.”
Senior Gabe Williams, who will focus on defense this season after back problems a year ago on offense, had this analysis of last year’s sideline issues.
“Maybe some egotistic attitudes,” he says of a Highlands team that finished 10-3 against a tough schedule with wins over Ryle and district rival Covington Catholic but a one-point loss at state power Boyle County as well as to Cincinnati Elder before an extremely disappointing 35-21 home playoff loss to Corbin.
“Have a great next-play mentality,” Williams says of not letting setbacks set you back. His own example is a good one. “I let Boyle throw a 50-yard bomb over me, but then I came back later to force a fumble.”
That’s the goal, he says, as the Bluebirds go against the same tough schedule with four of their offensive linemen gone from the state’s biggest front line averaging some 280-pounds a man.
But also returning are the five leading scorers – Lorenzen (136 points), senior kicker Kai Anderson (61), senior receiver John Feldbrugge (36), junior running back Colt Kremer (30) and Armstrong (24).
And there’s still decent size up front with the senior Benke brothers. Colt, a 6-5, 260-pound defensive lineman, is headed to Ball State. Griffin, a 6-5, 235-pound tight end, will be playing at Ohio University.
HIGHLANDS BLUEBIRDS
2025 SEASON: 10-3 record, lost to Corbin, 35-21, in region finals of Class 4A playoffs.
STARTERS RETURNING: 5 offense, 6 defense.
DISTRICT: Class 4A, District 5 with Covington Catholic, Harrison County and Mason County
HEAD COACH: Bob Spire (47-17 in five seasons at Highlands, 326-120 in 37 seasons overall).
2025 SCHEDULE
Aug. 21 – at Fredrick Douglass, 7 p.m.
Aug. 28 – COOPER, 7 p.m.
Sept. 4 – at Campbell County, 7 p.m.
Sept. 11 – BOYLE COUNTY, 7 p.m.
Sept. 18 – at Ryle, 7 p.m.
Sept. 25 – HARRISON COUNTY, 7 p.m.
Oct. 2 – at Covington Catholic, 7 p.m.
Oct. 9 – CINCINNATI ELDER (Ohio), 7 p.m.
Oct. 16 – MASON COUNTY, 7 p.m.
Oct. 23 – at Scott County, 7:30 p.m.