Starting out with a game against Ryle, the Boys Varsity Basketball team has played many regional teams such as Bishop Brossart, Holy Cross, and Scott. The Birds have won every game so far this season, giving them a 13-0 record only potentially matched by the state finalist team of 1997. 

Additionally, the boys have competed in multiple tournaments over the holiday break including the Huck Turner Classics, Carespring Holiday Classics, and City of Middletown Holiday Classic. While they had winning records in all of the tournaments, the City of Middletown Holiday Classic in Louisville, Kentucky was the largest, with eight teams attending. 

Regarding the City of Middletown Holiday Classic, Athletic Director Kevin Nieporte said, “The quality of competition was very impressive and was an eight-team invitational, so we had to win more games to win the overall tournament.” 

Currently, Highlands is ranked second in the state behind Ballard High School in Louisville in terms of scoring with 83+ points per game. Though the team is yet to receive an overall state ranking, Nieporte is “sure they will receive one soon, as they continue to show promise as they work their way up.”

Helping the team move up are Junior Sam Vinson and Senior Jacob Brass. Vinson is the team’s leading scorer, racking up as many as 44 points in a game. Brass is the team’s point guard and also the “leader” of the team. His experience as a senior has allowed him to aid the team in their plays and scoring. 

Besides Vinson and Brass, Seniors Jack Delagrange and Hunter Ahlfed, Juniors Luke Muller and Bryson Cody, and Sophomores Zach Barth and Oliver Harris have all contributed heavily to the team’s successes. 

Nieporte says, “The team has unbelievable chemistry. The seniors all lead the team very well, you wouldn’t know how talented the team is by how they behave, they are very modest in their successes.” 

However, despite the boys’ impressive record, some of the hardest games are yet to come. Tonight, the Birds will begin the Northern Kentucky Conference and will be playing against Newport High School. During this conference, two out of three teams will go on to the regional tournament, and the winner of the conference tournament gets the higher seed in the tournament. Come out and support the boys tonight at 7:30 P.M. as they play Newport High School at Newport High School.