50 greatest NKY prep sports teams in 50 days: Day 17, 1957 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!  

1957 Highlands football

Before the Kentucky High School Athletic Association introduced a football playoff system, Highlands was already building a championship tradition.

The 1957 Bluebirds authored a perfect 11-0 season, outscoring opponents 411-44. Their dominance culminated with a 20-6 victory over Danville in the Rotary Bowl at Covington Holmes Stadium, securing what was recognized as Highlands’ third mythical state championship in the pre-playoff era.

The architect behind the undefeated campaign was legendary head coach Homer Rice, one of the most influential figures in Kentucky football history. Rice guided Highlands from 1954-61, compiling a 71-11-6 record that included three undefeated seasons, five NKAC championships and a 50-game winning streak. His innovative offensive concepts helped earn him recognition as a pioneer of the air-option offense. Rice later coached at Kentucky, Oklahoma, Cincinnati and with the Cincinnati Bengals before becoming a prominent athletic director at North Carolina and Georgia Tech.

Rice’s staff included future Hall of Fame coach Owen Hauck, who began as a Highlands assistant in 1954 before eventually becoming one of Kentucky high school football’s most successful coaches.

The 1957 squad was powered by several standout athletes.

Team captain Bill Straub earned All-NKAC honors at quarterback before playing at Kentucky and Western Kentucky and later becoming a highly successful assistant coach, highlighted by seven state championships at Moeller. Co-captain Gary Cochran was an All-State selection and NKAC All-Star who later played fullback at Kentucky. Denny McAtee, a defensive back and multi-sport standout, captained football, golf and swimming, earned Highlands’ Most Outstanding Athlete award and later entered the Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame.

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

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