For Week Seven of the high school football season, the Blitz 5 Game of the Week crosses the river into northern Kentucky for a Top 25 matchup, as the #10 Highlands Bluebirds make the trip from Fort Thomas to Park Hills to take on their longtime NKY rival, the #16 Covington Catholic Colonels, in a battle between two Kentucky Class 4A powers which have combined for 31 state championships in their long histories.
#10 HIGHLANDS BLUEBIRDS (5-1) at #16 COVINGTON CATHOLIC COLONELS (4-2)
Kickoff: 7:00 p.m., October 2
At: Art’s Rental Field at Dennis Griffin Stadium, Covington Catholic High School, Park Hills, Kentucky
Follow on X: @TSFootball
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Highlands sophomore quarterback Bryce Armstrong leads a balanced Bluebirds offense that averages 164 yards passing and 169.2 yards rushing per game. Armstrong went off last week against Harrison County, completing 66.7 percent of his passes for four touchdowns. Armstrong has thrown for 819 yards and 12 touchdowns through six games, while adding 422 yards and six touchdowns on the ground.
The Highlands ground game is also bolstered by junior running back Colton Kremer, who has rushed for 213 yards and five touchdowns this season, and senior Tayden Lorenzen, who was the Kentucky Football Coaches Association Class 4A, District 5 Player of the Year last season, who has added 230 yards and two touchdowns.
Bluebirds senior defensive lineman Griffin Benke, a Second Team All-NKY last season, has racked up 4.5 sacks this season to lead a Highlands defense that has 13 total sacks so far in 2026. His fellow senior Lorenzen, who has committed to Miami of Ohio, is also wreaking havoc in opponents’ backfields, having notched 3.5 sacks of his own.
Covington Catholic will be led offensively by junior quarterback Dylan Courtney, who has thrown for 1,297 yards and 13 touchdowns this season, and sophomore running back Kiyan Miller, who has carried 86 times for 695 yards and 15 touchdowns, while also catching 12 passes for 179 yards and two touchdowns.
Two of Courtney’s favorite receiving targets for the Colonels are senior Mac Cogswell, who has caught 8 passes for 269 yards and a touchdown, and senior wide receiver Jason Fedor, who has 6 receptions for 211 yards and two touchdowns.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Colonels are led by senior defensive lineman Jonny Lind, who has committed to the United States Military Academy at West Point, with 6 sacks, and junior linebacker Cash Myers, who has collected 32 tackles and one sack.
TEAM TRENDS:
Since its season opening loss to Frederick Douglass, Highlands has reeled off five consecutive wins in which they’ve averaged 49.4 points per game, and their smallest margin of victory being 20 points. The Bluebirds are only allowing 11.1 points per game on defense.
Covington Catholic’s high-powered offense is averaging 40.6 points per game, while their defense is only giving up 16 points per game. Their only two losses on the season are to #5 Elder and #14 Beechwood, who have a combined record of 11-1 on the year.
This year’s game is the 79th meeting between Highlands and Covington Catholic, with the Bluebirds holding a 50-27 advantage over the Colonels. Highlands has won three of the last four meetings, including a 31-28 classic last season.
HEAD COACHES:
Highlands: Bob Sphire (52-18 at Highlands, fifth year; 331-121 overall, 36th year)
Covington Catholic: Eddie Eviston (124-32 at Covington Catholic, 11th year; 159-40 overall, 14th year)
PLAYOFF HISTORY:
Highlands: State Champion (23) – 2014 (4A), 2012 (4A), 2011 (4A), 2010 (5A), 2009 (5A), 2008 (5A), 2007 (5A), 2004 (3A), 2000 (3A), 1999 (3A), 1998 (3A), 1996 (3A), 1992 (3A), 1989 (3A), 1982 (3A), 1981 (3A), 1977 (3A), 1975 (3A), 1970 (3A), 1968 (2A), 1964 (2A), 1961 (2A) & 1960 (2A) State Runner-up (six) – 2013 (4A), 2003 (3A), 1995 (3A), 1966 (2A), 1963 (2A) & 1959 (2A)
Covington Catholic: State Champion (eight) – 2019 (5A), 2017 (5A), 2006 (3A), 1997 (3A), 1994 (3A), 1993 (3A), 1988 (3A) & 1987 (3A). State Runner-up (two) – 2023 (4A) & 2018 (5A).
HIGHLANDS’ KEYS TO VICTORY:
Slow down the high-powered Covington Catholic offense. With multiple weapons both on the ground and in the air, the Colonels offense can do some damage. The Highlands defense needs to take away CovCath QB Dylan Courtney’s receiving threats, or put the clamps on RB Kiyan Miller, to make the Colonel offense one-dimensional.
COVINGTON CATHOLIC KEYS TO VICTORY:
Get in the backfield and disrupt Highlands sophomore quarterback Bryce Armstrong. The dual-threat quarterback is only a sophomore, and can possibly be rattled if he has Colonel defensive lineman Jonny Lind and company consistently in the backfield and putting pressure on him. A lot of the Bluebirds offense is run through Armstrong, so the more his routine can be rattled, the better for CovCath.
Prediction: Highlands 42, Covington Catholic 35
