Kirk Dooley’s Blog
For those of you who set your watches 12 months ago for 7:30, Friday, October 9, 2015, your alarm is about to go off. The HP-Horn game is finally here at Highlander Stadium.
After last year’s 42-27 loss to the Jaguars, the Scots players and coaches circled 10-9-15 on their calendars and pledged to avenge HP’s only district loss, which gave the 10-6A championship to Horn. It was only the third district loss by the Scots under Randy Allen’s reign, which began in 1999. but it still burns in the guts of the Scots who played last year.
The 2014 loss was no fluke. Horn had one of the best teams in the state. Last year the Jaguars were loaded with D-1 talent and this year they’ve reloaded with more. The biggest difference is that the player who commandeered the airspace above the Scots secondary last season – Jarrison Stewart – has graduated and is already terrorizing Big 12 DBs as a freshman wide receiver for the TCU Horned Frogs. He’s now catching passes for Heisman Trophy candidate Trevone Boykin, including five catches for 88 yards against Texas Tech.
Last season against the Scots, Stewart caught six Chris Robison passes for 120 yards and three touchdowns – 20 yards, 34 yards and 28 yards. In his spare time he returned a punt for 67 yards and another score.
When TCU plays the Oklahoma Sooners in 2018, I predict that Stewart will be the star TCU receiver and Robison will be the hot OU quarterback.
This year’s Horn offensive line boasts two 300 pounders and the defensive line has a couple more. The Jaguars have two wide receivers bigger than Dez Bryant. I’m not kidding. You will see for yourself.
Horn is larger and faster than Highland Park. Is has more players who will play on Saturday and some that might play on Sunday while most Scots will be watching NFL games on TV at the lake house.
HP coach Randy Allen and his staff know how talented Horn is. Facing the Jaguars’ offense is like facing the Baylor offense. It comes at you hard and fast from all angles. But the Scots feel like they will win this game and win the district championship. The HP players will be well prepared by the HP coaches, who will have a game plan that will give their players a fighting chance.
This is Highland Park football at its best. The Scots are playing a better team that is predicted to win. HP’s normal-sized, sort-of-fast, big-hearted athletes will come together as a team and challenge a squad of very real future college players. I feel like intangibles will dictate the winner of this game – HP’s winning attitude, an excited fan base at home, revenge from last year’s loss and a tradition of playing big in big games.
There could be 1,000 yards of total offense, 100 total points and the winner could be the last one with the ball. Take Jarrison Stewart off the field and this game could go either way. I predict that the Scots will surprise the Jaguars and whether that translates into a win will be determined by who has the ball last.