50 greatest NKY prep sports teams in 50 days: Day 11, 1982 Highlands football

We gave you the 50 greatest sports icons from NKY last summer. Since we had so much fun with that, we’re bringing you another list of the 50 greatest things this summer…The 50 greatest prep sports teams from NKY. 

Each day for the next 50 days, we’ll release one of the area’s 50 greatest prep sports teams. It starts June 22 and runs into August. This is not a ranking 1-50, it’s just a collection of the 50 best sports teams ever assembled.

We’ll preface this by saying you may or may not agree with all 50 and that’s fine. Sports editor Evan Dennison assembled a panel of dedicated and longly-tenured NKY sports fans to weigh in and give their takes on who should be on the list. I trust those people because of their history and knowledge of the game in NKY. We compiled numerous lists and identified the most certain candidates for inclusion. 

Some of the traits we sought in these teams were state championships (almost certainly a requirement), dominance, and standout players and coaches. We may have cheated a little by lumping some dominant teams together that achieved numerous consecutive state titles, but that gives a few more teams an opportunity to be recognized. 

I hope you enjoy this, as sports are slow in the summer. This list serves as a way to remember the past a little and keep you entertained daily as it continues.

Another note, while we respect and give coverage to golf, tennis, wrestling, bowling, track and field and cross country, we consider those individual sports, so any teams from those sports will not make the list.

Here we go!  

1982 Highlands football

They said this team’s helmets were made of cement. They were that tough. The 1982 Highlands football team finished nationally ranked in the USA Today Top 25, going 15-0 and outscoring the opponent 422-79. They’re labeled one of the stingiest defenses in program history.

They were led by Jeff Kremer, John Bankamper and coached by legendary Bill Herrmann. They defeated 4A champ Christian County in the regular season (four class system at the time, Birds were 3A). Jim Ulbricht was the tight end who played both ways like Kremer and Tony Dougherty and Mark Cottingham were also defensive standouts along with David Fischer at nose guard.

“We’ll hit you the first play, the 14th play, the 24th play and the 44th play,” Herrmann said after their 23-13 victory over Christian County. “And the final play.”

They had some close calls outside of beating Christian County. They defeated rival Covington Catholic 13-7 in the second round of the playoffs and beat Franklin-Simpson 6-0 in the Class 3A state championship.

The 1982 team represented the peak of Highlands’ early-1980s dynasty. The Bluebirds won their third straight state championship and capped a remarkable three-year run in which they established themselves as Kentucky’s premier program. Their blend of physicality, defensive dominance and success against larger schools still makes the 1982 squad a measuring stick for greatness at Highlands decades later.

Here’s the rundown of the 50 greatest NKY prep sports teams day by day:

Day 1: 1998 Highlands Football

Day 2: 1963 Holmes Baseball

Day 3: 2019 Covington Catholic football

Day 4: 2021 Notre Dame Academy Girls Soccer

Day 5: 1960 Highlands Football

Day 6: 1980 Villa Madonna Volleyball

Day 7: 1976 Lloyd Memorial Football

Day 8: 2009 Holmes Boys Basketball

Day 9: 1991 Beechwood Football

Day 10: 1954 Newport Catholic Baseball

Day 11: 1982 Highlands Football

Day 12: 2019 Ryle Girls Basketball

Day 13: 1987 Boone County Football

Day 14: 1981 St. Henry Volleyball

Day 15: 2021 Beechwood Football

Day 16: 2002 Covington Catholic Baseball

Day 17: 1957 Highlands Football

Day 18: 2006 Ryle Softball

Day 19: 1975 Ludlow Football

Related