Rating:

0.0 (0 votes)

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) - Patrick Towles started his high school career modestly as Highlands' backup freshman team quarterback.

"And now he's the best player in the state," said Highlands coach Dale Mueller.

Towles earned the compliment Saturday, posting more than 100 yards rushing and passing in the Bluebirds' 42-14 Class 4A championship win over Franklin-Simpson.

Highlands (15-0) won its fifth state title in a row and 21st overall, tying Louisville Trinity's mark set Friday in the Class 6A game for most in Kentucky.

"We're excited about being a part of the whole 21 thing, but really it's about these guys and this fraternity of guys right here," Mueller said.

That starts with Towles, who shaved his No. 8 into the side of his head and was first to jump into a mob of Highlands students celebrating after the game.

"The guy is a man in every aspect of the word, and he's also a fun little guy that just loves being on a team and competing to win," Mueller said. "You just don't find any better than him."

A verbal commitment to Kentucky, Towles rushed 19 times for 122 yards and a touchdown and went 12 of 18 for 183 yards and a touchdown through the air.

Running back Zach Harris added 90 yards rushing and scored three touchdowns, spoiling the first Franklin-Simpson (13-2) championship game appearance since 1995.

"It's a true testament to how hard we've worked," Towles said. "We just played awesome today."

Highlands, which scored no fewer than 35 points and as many as 79 in games this season, posted 324 yards of total offense against a Franklin-Simpson unit that came in giving up 218 yards a game.

The Bluebirds built a lead on scoring drives of 95 and 99 yards in the first half. The latter was set up by Wildcats' running back Darrius Wickware's fumble on the Highlands 1-yard line.

Instead of tying the score at 14-14, Franklin-Simpson entered the half trailing 21-7. The deficit could have been worse with Towles coming up a yard short on a dive for the end zone as time expired.

"If we don't fumble right before the half when it's 21-14, it's probably a different ballgame," said Franklin-Simpson coach Tim Schlosser, who added that his Wildcats were "supposed to get beat by 50-something points, and at halftime I thought we were in good shape."

Cousins Jerrell Wickware (127 yards on 16 carries) and Darrius Wickware (97 yards on 23 carries) paced the Wildcats' offense.

Leading 28-14 after the turnover on downs, Highlands capitalized with a pair of fourth-quarter rushing touchdowns - Jake True's 7-yard run and Towles' 1-yard dive.

"When you deal with high school kids, sometimes you have a hard time convincing them of the game plan," Schlosser said. "We wanted to slow the ball down. We were going to onside kick every time. We weren't afraid to get beat by 80 to have a chance to win the football game."