Here comes the 3-3 Lake Highland Wildcats.
This will be the first meeting between the Scots and the Wildcats since 1999. That was the year that Randy Allen blew in from West Texas on the wings of his Air Raid Offense and ever since then things around here have been riveting.
For those of you who remember the Herman Bailey days, the current state of football at Highland Park seems miraculous. Coach Bailey put together a 42-27-2 record over a seven-year period from 1967 to 1973 with similar talent as today but the program lacked the winning tradition that Tugboat Jones brought in when he was recruited from West Texas in 1956.
It was in 1974 that Frank Bevers (from Mineral Wells) single-handedly brought back the championship attitude that Highland Park had trademarked in the 1940s.
After that, Randy Emery, Don Richardson and Scott Smith combined for 84 wins and 33 losses to continue the winning tradition. But then came Randy Allen and he redefined championship football in a way that would impress even Doak and Bobby. His record is 179-22 since 1999, and includes only three district losses and zero losses at home. Each of those stats is incredible. In the meantime the Scots have now won more games than any team in Texas high school football history.
Had Coach Allen or Coach Bevers arrived in the late ‘60s and stayed through the early ‘70s they might have strung together several 10-game seasons. Give them Kyle Rote, Jr. or Bobby Halpin or Larry Dupre in a spread offense and watch the fireworks erupt. Throw in Johnny Koons, Paul Flowers, Bond Beams, David Clarke or Mike Forester and there might have been some state championships using a Randy Allen offense or a Frank Bevers defense.
Fireworks is what we have right now. The Scots are 4-1 on the big 6A stage and Lake Highlands is the next challenge. After two fumbles and two interceptions doomed the Scots’ perfect season last week, they will regroup and work on their weaknesses. The Scots face the Wildcats while HP’s lip is still bloody and so I wouldn’t want to be Lake Highlands this Friday.
Look for Wildcats running back Tyler Hughes to assault the HP defensive line with his five yards per carry average. (At least he isn’t 290 pounds, like Horn’s nose guard/running back Dalen Morgan.) Stop Hughes and the Wildcats will have a hard time staying in the game.
The Highland Park Independent School District celebrates its 100th anniversary this weekend and the eyes of many old timers will be on the 2014 Scots on Friday. What these silver-haired alums will see is a team of young men out to prove that their link in the storied HP football tradition is as strong as their fathers and grandfathers and great grandfathers.
It’s not all about winning. It’s about pride and heritage and leadership and character on the football field.
And it dates back to 1923.