Step 1 :The maximum height of the ball can be found by finding the vertex of the parabola represented by the quadratic function. The x-coordinate of the vertex of a parabola given by the equation \(y = ax^2 + bx + c\) is \(-\frac{b}{2a}\). In this case, \(a = -16\) and \(b = 120\), so the time at which the ball reaches its maximum height is \(-\frac{120}{2(-16)}\).
Step 2 :Substituting this value into the equation will give the maximum height.
Step 3 :The maximum height of the ball is \(\boxed{289}\) feet.