It’s Senior Night at Highland Park as the Scots host the Richardson Eagles in the final district game of the season. Before the game, each HP senior will be introduced on the field.
When the game kicks off, the Eagles will be fighting and scratching for a playoff spot. They come in with a 3-3 district record and a two-game wining streak. Last week the Eagles were down 28-17 to the Mesquite Skeeters with eight and a half minutes left in the game when Eagles quarterback Michael Johnson (#2, 5-9, 165) hit Kahlil Lacy (#12, 6-0, 160) with a 9-yard touchdown. With the 28-24 game on the line, the Eagles got the ball back and Johnson hit Lacy with an electrifying 87-yard TD strike to win the game, 31-28. Lacy was a Dallas Morning News Player of the Week Honorable Mention for his 121- yard performance.
The week before, Richardson defeated Berkner, 27-24. The Eagles would have lost the game without Lacy’s 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
In other words, keep an eye on Lacy. He’s the blur wearing number 12. All he needs is a step and he’s gone.
On the defensive side, the Eagles top performer is defensive end Jayrie Bundage (#41, 6-0, 215) who had 11 tackles and a forced fumble last Friday.
The Eagles started the season 0-3, with losses to Colleyville Heritage, Lakeview Centennial and Wylie. But in their district opener, the Eagles mangled J.J. Pearce, 48-30, and showed their true potential. They then lost close games to North Mesquite and Lake Highlanders before being blown out by Horn, 56-7. They put themselves in the playoff conversation by edging Berkner and Mesquite by three points in each game. That leads us to the game tonight, which could propel the Eagles into the playoffs or end their season.
Meanwhile the 8-1 Scots are competing at a high level. The move to 6A has not diminished HP’s winning tradition. A win tonight would give the Scots a 9-1 record going into the playoffs.
The Scots have accumulated an impressive statistical resume this season. They are ranked fifth in passing yardage in the Dallas area on the 6A level with an average of 275 yards per game. They rank 15th in total offense with an average of 436.8 yards per game. The Scots are 13th in scoring, averaging 43.9 points per game.
Scots quarterback Brooks Burgin (#5, 6-2, 189) is having a great season. He is ranked sixth in passing yardage with 2,302 yards on 152 completions. He has completed 64 percent of his passes and thrown for 22 touchdowns.
Burgin’s receiving corps include two of the statistical leaders in 6A, Kevin Ken (#17, 6-0, 170) and Andrew Frost (#3, 6-0, 180). Ken is the 10th ranked receiver, catching 51 passes for 717 yards and seven touchdowns. Frost, ranked 25th, has caught 33 passes for 577 yards and five TDs.
A major part of the Scots’ success in 6A is their smothering defense. The top three 6A defenses in yards allowed are Euless Trinity, Southlake Carroll and Highland Park. The Scots are allowing 267.3 yards per game. They rank second in run defense, holding teams to 112.8 yards per game.
Scots linebacker Michael Linehan (#35, 6-1, 230) was an Honorable Mention Dallas Morning News Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against Berkner. He had four tackles, three assists, one for a loss and one sack. “Our defense has shown promise this season as they earned three shutouts and allowed 10, 7 and 14 points in three games. We had the number one defense in our district and that’s a big deal,” said HP head coach Randy Allen. “It all starts with defense. When we start to focus on the playoffs tomorrow, we’ll need to have a good defense, a sound kicking game and a productive offense that limits turnovers.”
Allen is pleased with the depth at the wide receiver position. While Ken and Frost are among the area statistical leaders, Campbell Brooks (#2, 6-0, 175) and Sam Welfelt (#9, 6-2, 180) are right behind them with 463 yards and 378 yards respectively. Having four strong WRs in the playoffs is huge for the Scots since there’s no way for a defense to bottle up all four receivers. Some teams with one star receiver can be neutralized by doubling up on that one player.
Stephen Dieb (#34, 5-7, 145) has a 6.3 yards per carry average that will come in handy when the Scots want to maintain a balanced attack. Dieb’s incredible balance has led the way to his 696 yards on 110 carries. He leads the Scots in scoring with 13 TDs.
Who will the Scots face in the first round of the playoffs? Probably Irving Nimitz. Possibly Jesuit. We’ll know by 10:00 p.m.