Scots Host the Woodrow Wildcats Friday Night

by Kirk Dooley

   This Friday the Scots will need to contain Mr. Lucas Woltjen.
   He’s the 5’10”, 170-lb. quarterback for the Woodrow Wilson Wildcats. He’s the team’s leading passer and leading rusher. He’s a hard runner who likes to pull the ball on option plays and run it himself. And he has had good success, passing for 557 yards and eight touchdowns and running for 300 yards and three TDs. Woltjen led the Wildcats to a 3-0 pre-district record, beating Frisco, Frisco Heritage and Wylie East.
   Then last week the district 6-5A race started and Woodrow battled Mansfield Timberview in a game that introduced the Wildcats to the quality of the HP/Timberview/Lancaster/Legacy district leaders. The Wolves surprised the Wildcats, 54-7. (This Friday Timberview faces crosstown rival Legacy and the winner will be a leading candidate to challenge the Scots for the district title.)
   The Scots are the number two 5A team in the AP state poll. They have a 4-0 record and have beaten three strong teams, including Rockwall, who opened their district race last week with a 73-point performance. HP’s game last Friday against Bryan Adams was another surreal game that got moved up to 6:00 p.m. then got called near the end of the third quarter. Like the Mesquite Horn game, it was a weather-delayed match that ended in a water-logged, empty stadium. But the BA game was different in that the Scots won 49-0 without playing the final quarter.
   Highland Park dominated Bryan Adams on both sides of the ball. The defense held the Cougars offense to minus-two yards of total offense and two first downs. Had the Scots offense missed the bus and never showed up HP would have won, 7-0, based on linebacker Colby Hopkins’ fumble recovery in the BA end zone.
   Chandler Morris had another outstanding game, throwing five touchdown passes – three of which went to Mr. Touchdown, Finn Corwin – in a game that was missing a quarter. Statistically, Morris in now the top 5A quarterback in the area (with over 1,000 yards) and Mr. Touchdown is the number two receiver.
   Against Woodrow, Hopkins has been moved to outside linebacker to fill in for injured Andrew Bonnet. Cal Hirschey will start at inside linebacker next to James Lightbourn.
   With temperatures in the mid-’70s and no rain in the forecast, the Woodrow game at Highlander Stadium will bless fans from both teams with perfect weather under the Friday night lights. Like Highland Park, Woodrow Wilson has a long, storied history. It’s alumni association is strong, like HP’s and they will sell out the visitors’ section. The Woodrow fans will loud and proud.
   While Highland Park is proud of its Heisman Trophy winner, Doak Walker, Woodrow is the only public high school in America to boast two Heisman winners – Davey O’Brien and Tim Brown. And while HP loves its NFL star quarterback, Matthew Stafford, WW boasts two NFL players – Sergio Kindle and Greg McCoy.
   Pride, heritage and tradition aside, only the current players can dictate Friday night’s score. I don’t think the talented Wildcat defense will stop Morris and the HP offensive machine. The game will probably come down to Lucas Woltjen and if he is able to move the ball gainst the Scots with his arm and/or his legs. 
   Pick your poison.

Bring your umbrella to watch the Scots play at Bryan Adams

by Kirk Dooley

   Highland Park football fans who were at the Frisco Lone Star game last Thursday are still hyperventilating.
   The few who stayed for the rain-soaked, lightning-delayed marathon against Mesquite Horn two weeks ago are still wet. Or at least their clothes are. 
   But nobody is complaining. The Scots are 3-0 in pre-district play, topping three very good teams and earning the ranking of the number two 5A team in the state.
   Playing 0-3 Bryan Adams this Friday might won’t be as challenging for the Scots in many ways but it will be difficult in one key area: Playing the game at all.
   There is rain in the forecast Thursday night, Friday morning, Friday afternoon and Friday evening. Then around game time there is an 80 percent chance of heavy thunderstorms. That’s the kind of rain that includes lightning and we know what that means. Dozens of Dallas-area high school games have been moved up from Friday to Thursday.
   If the game does get cancelled after several lightning delays, there’s several great restaurants I can recommend that are on the way back to the Park Cities. The burgers at Goodfriend Beer Garden (Peavy and Garland Road) are among the best in Dallas. Next door to Goodfriend is Twenty Feet Seafood Joint, which has the best lobster rolls in town. On the other side of Goodfriend is Hello Dumpling, a noodle place that also carries Wild About Harry’s custard. Tex-Mex? Try El Vecino at the corner of N. Buckner Blvd. and Northcliff Drive.
   But what if the game takes place as scheduled? The Scots are 3-0 and the Cougars are 0-3. HP is favored. 
   Through the first three games. BA quarterback Morgan Spears has completed 16 of 45 passes for 164 yards with one touchdown and six interceptions. Running back Kenvodrick Shaw has rushed 53 times for 177 yards. And the Cougar’s leading receiver, DaQuan Bell, has caught nine passes for 129 yards and two TDs. Bryan Adams has lost its three games by the scores of 32-7, 33-7 and 37-7. After much thought, I have deducted that the Cougars are averaging seven points per game. They were district champions last year and were D1 area finalists, so they are proven winners. In the new district realignment the Cougars landed in the same district with Highland Park, Lancaster and two difficult Mansfield teams. Tough sledding.
   The one statistic that stands out to me is that Bryan Adams has scored three touchdowns so far this season while Finn Corwin has scored four.
   Forester Field is named after the grandfather of 1972 HP captain Mike Forester. I hope there’s a good HP crowd there Friday night, but to quote the President of the United States, Friday night’s storms will be “wet”.

Thursday Night Lights at Frisco’s Memorial Stadium

by Kirk Dooley

   The playoffs begin this Thursday in Frisco. Are you ready?
   OK, I realize that the district race hasn’t even started yet but the Scots are walking into a major playoff atmosphere as they challenge Frisco Lone Star in a Thursday night showdown at Memorial Stadium.
   It will be the first time these two teams have ever met. Since Lone Star was founded eight years ago it has become the football royalty of Frisco, which has six teams in district 5-5A Div I.
   The Lone Star Rangers were regional finalists last year, boasting a 12-2 record. They return 13 starters and  have begun the 2018 season by trouncing Richland, 42-2, and Denton, 51-6.
   The Scots and the Rangers are ranked the top two 5A teams in the Dallas area. The AP ranks HP number two and Lone Star number four in the state. This will be one of those “clash of the titans” battles and it’s only the third game of the season.
   It is important to note that this is the biggest game in the history of Lone Star High School. Memorial Stadium in Frisco will be shaking with playoff electricity. Highland Park usually has a big target on its back and on Thursday the Rangers will have a M1 Abrams tank pointed at it.
   The Scots are coming off two impressive wins over good 6A teams. The Rangers are also 2-0 and have outscored their opponents 93-8. Last week Lone Star quarterback Julian Larry completed 10 of 12 passes for 154 yards and three touchdowns. Six receivers caught at least one pass, led by Ife Opere who caught five for 75 yards and two scores. Running back Quinn Maloney ran for 140 yards and two TDs. The Rangers secondary is solid, consisting of four returning starters.
   Denton was down 51-0 when it scored on a three yard pass in the last 83 seconds. It was the only touchdown the Rangers have allowed this season. That will be a good challenge for Mr. Touchdown on Thursday.
   Mr. Touchdown, aka Finnegan Corwin, is the Scots receiver who has a knack of turning receptions into six points. He was named the Dallas Morning News Offensive Player of the Week after his 205-yard, four-touchdown performance against Mesquite Horn last Friday. Defensive end Prince Dorbah was honorable mention Defensive Player of the Week for his five sacks and a safety.
   Last week’s rain and lightning delays caused both bands and both drill teams abandon ship and miss the game. The contest was ultimately played in its entirety but the loss of the music and dancing made those rain-drenched warriors still in the stands realize how important the bands and drill teams are to the magic of the Friday night lights.
   I’ll go out on a limb and make two predictions. The Lone Star defense is allowing an average of four points per game and I predict that the Scots will score more than four points. My other prediction is that this won’t be the only time the Scots face the Rangers this season. 
   A playoff atmosphere this Thursday? Get used to it.