Friday, April 20, 2001
Highlands, Beechwood will kick off Showcase
Boone County meets Holmes in second game
By Ray Schaefer
Enquirer Contributor
FLORENCE — Highlands football coach Dale Mueller and Beechwood coach Mike Yeagle are used to playing scrimmage games against each other. At 2 p.m. Sept. 15, they'll play a game that counts.
The Bluebirds and Tigers will kick off the inaugural Snappy Tomato Pizza Gridiron Showcase at Highlands' David Cecil Memorial Stadium. In the second game at 5 p.m., Boone County will take on Holmes.
Highlands and Beechwood meet again in 2002 in Fort Mitchell.
September's game is the first Highlands and Beechwood have played since football became a sanctioned sport in the 1950s.
Highlands' third straight Class AAA title in December was the school's 15th, fourth in the past five years. Beechwood has eight Class A titles overall, including seven in Yeagle's 10 seasons.
“We have such respect for the Beechwood program, especially Mike Yeagle,” Mueller said. “Seven state championships in 10 years is phenomenal.”
Yet Highlands and Beechwood have several major questions to answer.
Highlands has only three starters returning, linemen Rob Smith and Billy Evans and running back Eamon Mueller. Beechwood has to replace 18 starters and wants to make people forget last year's 17-14 second-round playoff loss to Newport Central Catholic - the only time a Yeagle team has not reached at least the state semifinals. COULD TAKE OUT
“We left with a bad taste in our mouth,” Yeagle said. “We have to replace 10 on defense and eight on offense. That's the way we are.”
Boone County-Holmes is also a strong matchup. The Rebels finished 6-4 last year, and Holmes was 9-3.
First-year Holmes coach Mike Farley calls the Bulldogs' schedule tough; his players also meet Beechwood and Highlands.
“No pressure or anything, is there?” Farley said. “It only makes us stronger.”
Boone County coach Rick Thompson knows about getting strong. The Rebels' top three running backs, Timmy King, James Brown and Greg Bowling, went down with injuries last season. But he said there's a benefit now.
“Because of the injuries, we were prepared for the time Timmy (who graduates this year) was going to leave,” Thompson said. “We just had to prepare earlier.”
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Highlands, Beechwood will kick off Showcase
