Author: Hal

by Kirk Dooley

Wylie East certainly got the Scots’ attention last year.
In the final district game of 2016 the Raiders climbed up on the back of Eno Benjamin and used his 186 yards rushing to grind out a 20-9 win over the sleep-walking Scots, prompting a Dallas Morning News sportswriter to predict that Highland Park would make an early exit in the playoffs.
It was the first win over Highland Park by any Wylie ISD school ever. The shocking loss did the Scots a favor by revealing how low HP could go. Even though the Raiders controlled the clock with its battering ram offense, when the Scots got the ball they couldn’t put it in the end zone. Matteo Cordray was the Scots’ leading scorer with two field goals. It was the first time since the opening game of 2013 that the Scots didn’t score a touchdown in a game.
This time last year I wrote that the Wylie East loss would be the best thing that happened to the Scots.
What?!
The next morning the HP coaches gathered the team together and they hit the reset button.
“We put our 8-2 record behind us and used the Wylie East loss to refocus,” said HP head coach Randy Allen. “We dedicated ourselves to never play below our abilities again, to have a chip on our shoulders and to create the goal of winning six playoff games including the state finals.”
It was obvious that the HP universe shifted during the days after the Wylie East loss. The players were wildly focused. The first team they met in the playoffs, Mount Pleasant, shouldn’t have gotten off the bus. They felt the brunt of the Scots’ wrath, 70-2.
My, how things can change in a year. Wylie East is now armed with a new star running back, Corbin Johnson, but the Raiders have won only two games all year. Meanwhile North Forney is in the playoffs and Lovejoy (who started the season 0-4) could make the playoffs this Friday, possibly at the expense of Poteet, who made it to the state semifinals last season.
The HP seniors will never forget the Wylie East beatdown last year. They’ve been foaming at the mouth for a year to get back on the field with these guys. It will be a physical game and it should bring out the best in the Highland Park players. A win for Wylie East will make their 2-7 season a success. A win for Highland Park will let 50 seniors finally sleep at night.
Then they can enjoy dreaming about being state champions.

By Kirk Dooley

In their final district road game, the Scots will head east on Interstate 30 this Friday to take on the Royse City Bulldogs. This game – and this team – should remind us of Forney. Potentially threatening but possibly over at halftime.
Highland Park will need to come out fast and strong and not let the Bulldogs think they can stay in the game. Like the Forney contest last Friday, the hope is that the HP backups will be unleashed in the second half. As you recall from a week ago, the Scots jumped out to a 28-0 halftime lead and pulled the starters. Christian McAnalley came in at quarterback and hit Camden Clark with a 25-yard touchdown pass in the third period to give the Scots a 35-0 lead. Not much of a dropoff from John Stephen Jones’ dazzling night of completing eight out of 10 of his passes for four touchdowns in less than one half. A lot of bench warmers got to play in the Forney game and 22 defenders were credited with at least one tackle.
To me, that was the most amazing statistic of the night.
Royse City won all three of its pre-district games – over South Garland, North Garland and Waco Connally. Reality then set in when the Bulldogs opened district play against West Mesquite and got drilled, 41-3. RC then lost a close one to Forney, 30-27, before beating Wylie East, 32-25. The last two weeks have not been kind to the Bulldogs as they found out that North Forney is for real, 67-28, and Poteet is still dangerous, 36-14. The Bulldogs now stand 4-4 for the season and 1-4 in district play.
Royse City quarterback Matthew Yelverton has passed for 743 yards and six touchdowns, but he also has suffered six interceptions. Meanwhile HP quarterback Jones has thrown for 2,121 yards and 28 touchdowns, good enough to be ranked third among area 5A quarterbacks. Like Forney’s QB, Yelverton’s top receiver is his little brother. Elijah Yelverton has caught 25 passes for 266 yards. At the same time, HP’s top receiver, Cade Saustad, a lacrosse all-American, has caught 36 passes for 746 yards, good enough to be ranked fifth among area 5A receivers. College football coaches are still crying about one of the state’s top 6’5” receivers taking his talents to a different sport. Hard to recruit against that.
My sophisticated computer analytics tells me that Royse City will score 24 points against the Scots. The Bulldogs are averaging 24.9 points per game and the Scots are allowing 24.3.
However, I think I’ll toss my computer out the window because I predict a shutout.
Last Friday the Bulldogs held Poteet running back Seth McGowan to 195 yards rushing. The only way they’ll hold Paxton Alexander and Conner Allen to a combined 195 yards is to make sure they don’t play in the second half.

by Kirk Dooley

Let’s go back to the beginning of the season. A long-haired, wild-eyed football prognosticator predicts which district 15-5A teams will have the best and worst records after seven games. 
   Tied for the best record (6-1) will be the Scots and …
   North Forney?!
   And alone in last place at 1-6 will be …
   Wylie East?!
   I would have bet $100 that the poor guy got his teams backwards, but he didn’t. Welcome to 2017, where Mesquite Poteet and Lovejoy have losing records and Royse City has a wining record. This does not feel like last year’s district. It feels like 52-card pickup.
   While the Scots are improving each week like the 2016 state champions did last season, the biggest surprise in the district is North Forney, a team that still leads the area 5A teams in total offense (3,823 yards), rushing (2,064 yards), yards per game (546.1) and scoring (57 points per game).
   The Scots offense is seventh in total offense (3,179) and yards per game (454.1 yards) and is ninth in scoring (42 points per game). John Stephen Jones is third in passing with 1,921 yards while his favorite 6’5” receiver, Cade Saustad, is sixth in receiving with 667 yards.
   In the Scots most recent two games, the defense has allowed an average of 13 points and 245.5 yards.
   Oh, and by the way, the 6-1 Scots play the 2-5 Forney Jackrabbits Friday night at Highlander Stadium. The key to the game will be stopping dual-threat quarterback Devon Rideaux, who is a good passer and even better runner. Over the past two weeks the Jackrabbits have lost to Lovejoy, 63-15, and West Mesquite, 61-20, so they may be a little stressed right now. If the Scots play well in the first half, many backups may see action in the second half.
   Friday is Senior Night for the football team. The 51 seniors will be introduced before the game. This week don’t waltz into the stadium after the kickoff. Come 15 minutes early and help honor the players who make our Friday nights so special.