Highland Park vs Frisco Centennial
7pm Kickoff, Saturday, August 30, 2014
The 2014 edition of Highland Park football storms into the Ford Stadium spotlight Saturday evening in a Tom Landry Classic battle with the strong Frisco Centennial Titans.
While the world is clammering about Highland Park moving up to the large 6A classification, the Scots will have their hands full with the local powerhouse from the lower 5A level.
“Centennial has emerged as the best team in its district,” said HPhead coach Randy Allen. “The Frisco teams are good and Centennial has averaged 11 wins a season over the past three years.”
The Scots last tangled with the Titans in the 2010 playoffs, with HP dominating, 49-7. In that game Jake Howeth completed seven of nine passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns, and also ran for 146 yards and two more scores. But it was also a preview of HP’s next big quarterback. Brady Burgin stepped in the spotlight, completing 12 of 12 passes for 180 yards.
Brady’s younger brother, Brooks, returns as the Scots starting quarterback and reigning district MVP. Last season he led his team to the state semifinals as he passed for 3,500 yards and 31 touchdowns and ran for 725 yards and 19 more TDs. Then, as now, he has been operating behind a big, talented offensive line.
The Titans boast some serious D-1 talent. Offensive tackle Trace Ellison, who is 6’5”, 280 lbs., has committed to play for Texas Tech where he may someday protect its potential Heisman quarterback, Davis Webb. The King brothers, Jack and Sam, are two other offensive linemen who are both 6’5” and 300 lbs. The Titan center is another returning starter, as are three wide receivers. Devin McCord, with 4.5 speed, is the one to watch for going deep.
Centennial returns only three starters on defense but one of them is an aggressive linebacker named Brandon Anderson, who has 4.4 speed and can be found making tackles all over the SMUcampus. Watch for him playing some offense against the Scots.
HPcoach Randy Allen enters the game as the 6th winningest coach in Texas high school football history. The irony is that his opposing coach, Mark Howard, got his start in coaching as an assistant at Brownwood, where he was hired by its young head coach, Randy Allen.
“Mark Howard is a very steady professional,” said Allen of his former assistant. “He has his life in perspective.”
Howard remembers Brady Burgin completing 12 of 12 passes against his playoff team in 2010. He just hopes that little brother Brooks doesn’t have a perfect game this Saturday night.
But he knows it’s possible. He’s got good perspective.