HIGHLANDS 37, COVCATH 14

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New star rises in Ulbricht

Saturday, November 21, 1998

BY NEIL SCHMIDT
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Highlands' secret weapon, Brian Ulbricht, ran for 183 yards. Aimee Obidzinski photo) | ZOOM |

FORT THOMAS - Jared Lorenzen is a great quarterback, and his salesman skills aren't shabby, either. After committing to Kentucky, the Highlands senior talked All-American teammate Derek Smith into doing the same.

Now he's bartering with the Wildcats: I got you Derek, you get me Brian.

That's Brian Ulbricht, the Highlands senior linebacker - fullback who's making a better late-season surge than the '69 Mets. Ulbricht's career-high 183 rushing yards and 12 tackles Friday paced a 37-14 regional-title victory over Covington Catholic and furthered his last-ditch bid for a UK scholarship.

"I'm trying like crazy to get him down to UK," Lorenzen said. "Claude Bassett (UK's recruiting coordinator) was up here this afternoon to see Derek and I, and we just showed him films of Brian the whole time."

The live show hours later was worth the wait, too. With Highlands' vaunted passing attack stuck in neutral - Lorenzen completed a career-low two passes for 53 yards - it was up to Ulbricht to save the day.

In doing so, he helped Highlands (13-0) advance to a Class AAA semifinal Friday at Inez Sheldon Clark (9-4). The Bluebirds' 298 rushing yards against CovCath should surely gave Sheldon Clark pause.

"They're going to look at this film and say, "Gosh, now what do we have to stop?" Lorenzen said.

Ulbricht, for starters. Though he finished the regular season with fewer rushing yards than his QB - no shame, because Lorenzen averages 9.7 yards a carry - Ulbricht picked up the pace with a 102-yard rushing game last weekend against Dixie Heights.

He earned the National Defensive Player of the Week award from the Dick Butkus Football Network (www.dickbutkus.com/dbfn/) for the Dixie game, in which he also made 17 tackles. Then he produced a better all-around game Friday.

"I'm happy with (the performance)," he said. "This is a team game, but it's nice to have you (media) guys talking to me."

Ulbricht has now rushed for 985 yards and a team-high 20 TDs this fall with a 10.0 average per carry. He has also caught 11 passes for 253 yards. On defense, he has a team-high 117 tackles, including 22 tackles for loss.

The 6-foot-1, 210-pound Ulbricht is Highlands' battering ram, and 5-8, 150-pound tailback Noah Gibson is the sword. Gibson rushed for 55 yards and a TD on 10 first-half carries, but he hurt his back and carried just once after halftime.

Up 21-0 at that point, Highlands turned to Ulbricht, who had 71 yards. He responded with those non-stop carries, churning his legs for extra yards,wearing tacklers like costume jewelry.

"He's just so tough to bring down," Highlands coach Dale Mueller said. "He just willed it. No way he was going to let us lose."

Said Lorenzen: "He was our horse. What can you say? He's a powerful, speed, quick, bowl-you-over running back."

CovCath (8-5) played well in spurts, improving greatly on its 70-26 loss to Highlands six weeks ago. It sacked Lorenzen four times for minus-46 yards; he had been sacked just eight times all season. CovCath cut the lead to 21-7 and recovered the ensuing onsides kick, but Ulbricht and his defensive mates clamped down.

"Once we got down early, they could tee off on us with their running game," CovCath senior defensive back Tom Beechem said. "But I'm proud we made them earn every point."

So was his coach.

"You lost to the team that's going to win state," Lynn Ray told his team.

Highlands junior kicker Brennan Jones made four point-after conversions, giving him a new single-season state record of 76. The previous state mark was 73, set by Pikeville's Diego Ramos in 1993.

With its victory Friday, Highlands now leads the series with CovCath 25-16. It has won four of the past five meetings.

Covington Catholic 0 0 7 7-14
Highlands 14 7 7 9-37

H-Gibson 7 run (Jones kick)
H-Lorenzen 21 run (Jones kick)
H-Lorenzen 1 run (Jones kick)
CC-Chadwick 8 run (Goetz kick)
H-Lorenzen 11 run (Jones kick)
H-Ulbricht 4 run (kick blocked)
CC-Huller 11 pass from Dietz (Goetz kick)

Records: Highlands 13-0, Covington Catholic 8-5.