Highlands Bluebirds Football Fans: A Legacy of Unity, Tradition & Community

In the heart of Fort Thomas (on Friday nights) everyone has always packed into the David Cecil Memorial Stadium, where the community goes to watch the Bluebirds play football. “The people were with us, it was a big deal; Fort Thomas rallies around the school,” stated Highlands Cheerleader Lela (Randall) Emmerich.  

For nearly 150 years, the Highlands Bluebirds have been among the most successful and prestigious football schools in the state. They’ve won 23 state championships, also setting a record in 2012 with most consecutive titles, six in a row! These are only two examples of the eight state records that the Fort Thomas bred Bluebirds hold. Among their many years of excellence, one era stands out; during the mid 1960’s to the early 1980’s football traditions were a little different then they are now. Some things like a Cowbell and a Stadium Cushion are still used today, but they are different. The second half of the twentieth century was the golden era of Highlands football. 

As great as the atmosphere is today at Highlands home games, they typically garnered more interest in the golden era. That was a time when Highlands didn’t offer so many other fall  sports, so the town was laser focused on Bluebird Football. Similar to home games for the University of Kentucky, the cheerleaders of this era would throw small plastic footballs into the crowd following a Highlands Touchdown.  

“I would always throw the footballs to my friends,” said Sally Sparks Muehlenkamp.  Every touchdown was a celebration as the cannon boomed , cheerleaders tossed mini footballs, and fans threw handfuls of computer-generated confetti.  

Game day paraphernalia included a Highlands Stadium Cushion. Its original purpose was not only to make fans more comfortable, but also to be sold as a fundraiser by the Highlands Athletic Boosters. The front revealed the classic Highlands football logo, with all the local business sponsors on the back. One of these local businesses was Dixie Chili. Many players and other supporters would typically go to  Dixie Chili following games. The cushion in our possession belonged to the family of Lela Randall Emmerich, who graduated from Highlands in 1967.