by Kirk Dooley
Last Friday the Scots played their most complete game of the year as they slashed McKinney North, 73-20. The offense was unstoppable, a good position to be in halfway through the playoffs. The Scots scored on every possession except one before running out the clock to end the game. The HP defense was strong against another high-powered offense. The Bulldogs had averaged 59.5 points per game the over their previous four games. Holding them to 20 points was impressive. Matteo Cordray was seven-for-seven on PATs and eliminated several Bulldog scoring threats by sending his kickoffs out of the end zone. For a high school kicker, he is amazing.
Like McKinney North, Mansfield Summit was the #4 team to out of their district to make the playoffs. Unlike McKinney North, the Jaguars are still alive. There are now four teams still standing in Region II.
What do we know about Summit?. First, they are from a very competitive district, but then again, so are the Scots. Second, they are faster and more athletic than McKinney North. They are coming off a 69-0 win last Friday so we could be in for an offense fireworks show.
I think the Scots defense will slow down the Jaguars offense and I have no reason to believe that the Jaguar defense can slow the Scots offense. They do have a cornerback named William Jones (#2) who had three interceptions last Friday and also ran back a punt for a touchdown. The Jaguars run four defensive linemen, four linebackers, two corners and one safety. On every play one or two of HP’s receivers will be covered by a linebacker. I have a hunch that Mr. John Stephen Jones will know how to handle that. That’s why he was just named the Dallas Morning News Offensive Player of the Week.
On offense the Jaguars line up in a spread … then run the ball. They’ve got fast, shifty running backs who will have the space they need to break past the line. But the way Jack Jurgovan, Elliott Newsom and Prince Dorbah performed last week, the Jaguars may not get past the line. That should be the quest because, as Randy Allen said about the Jaguars, “They’ve got speed at every position.”
This will be the first outdoor playoff game for HP since 2015. The Scots should have something of a home-field advantage for two reasons. First, Ford Stadium is in University Park, just like Highland Park High School. And second, on Nov. 2 Randy Allen was honored as a 2017 SMU Distinguished Alum, so there should be plenty of good karma on the Hilltop Friday night.
Last thought: If there are three interceptions Friday night, my score is Folts 1, Herring 1, Khetan 1 and William Jones 0.
Official Booster Club Website Supporting HP Athletics and Teams