Kirk Dooley’s Blog
The Highland Park defense picked an opportune time to put the team on its back. Last Friday at Highlander Stadium the Scots faced the big, fast, strong and talented Horn Jaguars with the district championship fluttering in the wind. It was the classic battle everyone expected but featured two defenses that bottled up two potent offenses for much of the night, keeping the fireworks to a minimum.
Sure enough, the game came down to the final drive and the Scots defense – led by Players of the Week Turner Rejebian, Josh Block, Turner Coxe, Hayden Schneiders and John House – got serious about winning the game and shut down the Jags. Not only on the last drive, but two before that, any one of them potential game winners for Horn.
With everything at stake in this game, it was the greatest home win for HP in several years and it was impressive watching a defensive unit step up and mature right before your eyes.
There is an asterisk in the Scots 24-17 victory. Superlative Horn quarterback Chris Robison was injured in the second quarter as he was chased out of bounds throwing an off-balance pass and running into a big electric fan.
That was his last play of the game. He had completed eight of 11 passes for 110 yards, including a 61-yard touchdown to Jared Atkinson, but he watched the rest of the game on crutches. He had an arm that reminded me of Matthew Stafford’s, with a velocity that broke the sound barrier. Had he not been injured, the game would have been more challenging for the Scots.
And who knows? HP may see Horn in the quarterfinals. If Pearce doesn’t make the playoffs, the Scots and the Jaguars will advance to the small school division.
Speaking of playoffs….
Highland Park travels to Lake Highlands this Friday and the Scots need to bring their A game.
These two teams are the only remaining undefeated teams in district play. Since HP has already faced the two strongest teams in 10-6A, the Wildcats still have a nasty schedule in front of them. But right now they have a good chance of making the playoffs and Friday they’ll fight like it.
The Scots cannot relax this week because they will face yet another fleet-footed quarterback who can throw. Brendyn Gettens has completed 60 percent of his passes for 958 yards and has run for a team-leading 404 yards, accounting for 15 touchdowns.
He has a stable of running backs, led by Bryan Cooper (eight yards every time he touches the ball), plus a gaggle of receivers which includes Romel Price (33.7 yards per catch) and Blake Cronin (215 yards the past two games). The Wildcat offense has more than 1,000 yards of total offense over the past two games.
HP is catching the Wildcats when they are peaking. They lost their first three games and averaged 21 points per game. Then in district play, they’ve won all three games and have been averaging 53 ppg.
Note to Scots defense: Whatever you did in the second half against Horn to hold the Jaguars to three points, do that again this week. It will be imperative.
