Highlands has been voted Northern Kentucky's best football team in The Enquirer's coaches poll for the fifth straight year, but the Bluebirds are thinking about another streak.

FINAL POLL

1. Highlands (8) 80   2. Beechwood 72   3. Ryle 54   4. Boone Co. 51   5. Bellevue 50   6. Holmes 40   7. Covington Catholic 30   8. Dixie Heights 20   9. Newport Cent. Cath. 16   10. Simon Kenton 15   Others: Lloyd 9, Conner 3.

        “When these seniors were sophomores, they said, "Wouldn't it be great to win state three years in a row,'” Highlands coach Dale Mueller said. “Now they've just gotta go out and do it.”

        Highlands (9-1), state Class AAA champions in 1998 and '99, is rated 20th nationally by USA Today, the fifth consecutive season it has appeared in those ratings.

        This team has assembled some eye-popping numbers. It is outscoring opponents by an average of 49-13. Senior quarterback Gino Guidugli is 180-of-276 (65.2 percent) for 3,067 yards and 42 touchdowns.

        With potentially five more games, Guidugli could break the single-season state record of 57 TD passes set by Louisville Male's Chris Redman in 1994. He also could threaten the single-season passing record of 4,630 yards set last year by Breathitt County's Allen Sperry.

        Senior Brett Hamblen has caught 48 passes for 1,116 yards (23.3 average) and 24 TDs. Counting two punt returns, a kickoff return and an interception return, he has 29 TDs this season.

        Hamblen set the state's single-game TD reception record with six Oct. 6 against Scott. And he needs just two more TD catches to break the single-season state mark of 25 set last year by Lexington Catholic's Clay Wolford.

        All-America linebacker Brent Grover has 137 tackles, and leads the team in that category for the third straight season.

        “Any of those those guys could be worthy of winning Mr. Kentucky Football,” Mueller said.

        Complete prep football coverage at Enquirer.com/prepfootball

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