Category: KIRK DOOLEY’S BLOG

by Kirk Dooley

It’ll be Thursday Night Lights for the Scots as they travel to Mansfield to challenge the Timberview Wolves this week. For those of you not taking the family helicopter to the game, I urge you to leave early so that you don’t arrive late. There’s a lot of Metroplex rush-hour traffic to be navigated before the 7:00 p.m. kickoff.

The 1-1 Scots face the 1-1 Wolves in a rematch of last year’s HP shutout, 31-0, at Highlander Stadium. It was the Scots’ first shutout in two years and it set the tone for a dominant season for the HP defense.
In its opening game two weeks ago, Timberview trounced Everman, 44-8, then last Friday the Wolves fell to a very good Frisco Lone Star team, 45-21. QB Jyron Russell is back for the Wolves and he is the team’s top runner and top passer. The most electric player on the team is Jalen Knox. Last week Knox caught two passes for 137 yards. You do the math on his yards per catch. I’ll spot you a 93-yard touchdown reception and you guess how many yards his other reception was for. We’ll be able to tell whether you went to Armstrong, Bradfield, Hyer or University Park.
In last year’s game HP safety James Herring had 10 tackles and a fumble recovery. Two weeks ago he was injured in the Rockwall game and did not play against Waxahachie. He may or may not play this week. The same goes for fellow team captain Paxton Alexander, the hero RB of last year’s Scots playoff run. The bad news is that two key Scots are banged up. The good news is that Ryan Khetan has filled in well at safety, while running backs Conner Allen and Benner Page have covered Alexander’s running back spot well. Khetan was a Player of the Week for his performance last Friday. Allen carried the ball 12 times for 108 yards while Page gained 59 yards on 10 carries. Together they averaged 7.6 yards per carry, which is where Alexander left off.
Quarterback John Stephen Jones had another impressive night, completing 18 of 26 passes for 290 yards and two touchdowns (both to Finn Corwin). He was even highlighted on national television when the NFL Sunday Night Football broadcast team showed film of the Scots’ win over Waxahachie, coached by former Cowboys quarterback Jon Kitna.
After two games the most amazing statistic in Highland Park is that Scots receiver Cade Saustad has already caught 13 passes for 343 yards. That’s a pretty good season for most humans. Corwin has jumped up to the second best on the team, with 123 yards. Meanwhile, running backs Page and Allen are both averaging at least six yards per carry. That speaks well of their abilities as well as the offensive linemen’s performances, including Thomas Shelmire, who is having another all-state season so far.
The Defensive Players of the Week against Waxahachie were Khetan (with a key pick) and lineman Jack Jurgovan. Note to the HP defense: On Thursday night keep Jyron Russell in the pocket and keep Jalen Knox out of the end zone. If you’ll do those two things you can take Friday off.

by Kirk Dooley

As the Waxahachie Indians ride into Highlander Stadium Friday night for the Scots’ home opener, two thoughts come to mind.

 
   First, the Indians won’t have interstellar receivers Jalen Reagor and Kenedy Snell anymore. Last season the two track stars sprinted through the Scots secondary for 289 yards on 11 receptions. They had touchdown catches of 90, 73, 54 and six yards – the latter coming with 19 seconds left to win the game, 40-37. 
   Second thought is that quarterback Bryce Salik is back for his senior year at Waxahachie. Last year he completed 15 of 25 passes for 320 yards and four touchdowns against the Scots.  Now that Reagor and Snell have graduated and moved on to TCU and the Big 12, the Indians will attempt their own “Reload and Repeat” with a new cast of speedy characters.
   Jerreth Sterns (#4) is the Indians’ most explosive threat. Last week against Garland Lakeview Sterns he returned a first-quarter punt 60 yards for a touchdown, then had a 64-yard TD run in the second quarter as Waxahachie rolled up 35-points in the first half. Salik completed passes to eight different receivers while his running backs picked up 392 yards on the ground. When the Lakeview defense focused on Sterns, Demani Richardson (#6), scored on his own 64-yard run, which is nifty because he plays safety. He carried the ball three times for 127 yards. Maybe he should step away from safety and try offense full time. A third running back, Jaden Watson (#26), picked up 114 yards on eight carries.
   So we understand that Waxahachie is explosive. Four of the top skill players on this potent offense – Sterns, Richardson, Jarvis McCray and lineman Alonso McGruder – go both ways and are standouts on defense. They’ll get tired but not any more tired that last year as they racked up 40 points.
   The Scots are coming off a heart-breaking 53-49 shootout loss to Rockwall, who used two kickoff recoveries to outscore the Scots. Both teams combined for more than 100 points and more than 1,000 yards of total offense. Receiver Cade Saustad broke a Highland Park school record for receiving yards in a game as he gathered in 10 of John Stephen Jones’ passes for 268 yards and three touchdowns.
   Safety Zak Folts led the Scots defense with 20 tackles. Linebackers Ryan Coxe (10 tackles), Noble Nash (9) and Marshall Ballard (8) had solid games. Kicker Matteo Cordray was outstanding on kickoffs, field goals and punts. He deserved three game balls. Coach Allen was pleased with his team’s heart and its fighting spirit. The Scots unveiled a new secret weapon at defensive end – a sophomore named Prince Dorbah, who at 6’4”, 215 lbs. is built like Ezekiel Elliott and has the potential to shut down his half of the field. Keep an eye on number 32. This guy will be fun to watch the next three years.

by Kirk Dooley

It’s good to be king.
The Scots and their coaches and fans and families and neighbors and alums have all had a big time celebrating their unlikely state championship ever since the moment Turner Coxe slammed Temple quarterback Reid Hesse into his own end zone for a safety with five minutes left to ice the title game on December 17.
Never has a safety been so important to a Highland Park team. It wasn’t the only outstanding play by the Scots, but it was the nail in Temple’s coffin. The Scots walked away from AT&T Stadium with a state championship, a Defensive MVP (Coxe), an Offensive MVP (QB John Stephen Jones) and the Ford Tough Player of the Game (running back Paxton Alexander).
There has been a video created on the magical season, as well as a coffee table book. The celebration has been ongoing ever since that fateful state championship victory.
While it is good to be king, it is also hard to be king, as the Scots will find out Friday night in Rockwall. All the partying and all the pats on the back will end with the kickoff of a new season. Highland Park will have a huge target on its back for every game, starting in Rockwall.
And the Yellowjackets, who are picked to finish in the top two of its 6A district, are still bitter about the way a 5A team from Dallas ran them out of the stadium last year. The Scots jumped out to a 22-0 first-quarter lead last season and cruised to a 43-21 win. An HP quarterback who had never taken a varsity snap – Jones – lit up the Rockwall secondary for 327 yards and four touchdowns. He completed an impressive 18 of 22 passes and distributed his TD strikes to four gentlemen – Alexander, Scully Jenevein, Cade Saustad and Hudson Wood.
We begin a new season this Friday but the Scots come armed with veteran offensive starters such as Jones, Alexander, Jenevein, Saustad and all-state offensive lineman Thomas Shelmire. The defensive returns starting safeties James Herring and Zak Folts. The team’s theme this season is “Reload. Repeat.” Here’s who else they are reloading with: On offense it will be center Matt Sewall, guards Ben Boudreaux and Bolton Corwin, tackle Regan Riddle, receivers Carson Bryant and Jay Smith, and Cameron Reeves stepping in as the second running back. The rebuilt defense will include defensive ends Luke Lochausen and sophomore Prince Dorbah, nose guard Elliott Newsom, linebackers Marshall Ballard, Noble Nash, Ryan Coxe and Cole Bohner, and cornerbacks Grayson Serio and Hudson Clark. It is early in the season so many players will be fighting for playing time. Be prepared for some new starters to emerge.
In the meantime your defending state champions – picked fourth in the state in Texas Football’s preseason poll – is predicted by The Dallas Morning News to lose this Friday to Rockwall, 35-34.
It ain’t easy being king.