Highlands comes from behind to beat Boyle County

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20120817/SPT0302/308170129/Highlands-comes-from-behind-beat-Boyle-County?odyssey=nav%7Chead

For one half on Friday at David Cecil Memorial Stadium, visiting Boyle County looked like a football squad that could end Highlands' 15-game winning streak and become just the second team in more than five years to knock off the Bluebirds.

However, Highlands rallied from a 21-8 first-half deficit with 37 unanswered points to begin the second half and defeated the Rebels 52-31 in the season opener for both teams.

"Turnovers got us back in the game," said Bluebirds senior lineman Gabe Schultz, who recovered a third-quarter fumble that set up a Donovan McCoy 18-yard keeper for a touchdown to give Highlands the lead at 28-24.

Michael Ayers recovered a fumble on Boyle County's first drive of the second half. Highlands took over at the Rebels' 19 and two plays later, McCoy scored the first of four second-half rushing touchdowns to pull the Bluebirds to within 24-22.

McCoy, a senior, finished with 10 carries for 99 yards. Tailback Zach Harris added 19 carries for 111 yards and Jaylen Hayes ran six times for 98, 80 coming on a back-breaking touchdown run to give Highlands a 34-24 lead.

"That play is 'right buck' and I'm supposed to break it to the outside but I cut inside and saw it and scored," Hayes said.

Highlands, the defending Class 4A state champion, amassed 358 rushing yards and McCoy completed five of 11 passes for 97 for a total of 455. Boyle County rushed for 261 yards, 161 on 30 carries by Seph Burke, and passed for 142 for a total of 403 yards.

"It feels great to get a win," said McCoy who also scored on a 49-yard run and won his first varsity start.

Highlands coach Dale Mueller said his team's sense of opportunism and fast-breaking offense dug itself out of the early hole.

"Turnovers were huge for us," said Mueller, whose Bluebirds did not turn over the football. "The best thing about this is we were down by nine at halftime and we stopped them and scored and stopped them and scored to begin the second half."

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