by Kirk Dooley
The Scots travel to Sprague Field this Friday to challenge the Sunset Bison. It is this year’s matchup between the team in first place and the team in last place. The Scots are 7-0 and the Bison are 1-6. 
On paper, how far apart are these two teams? Let me put it this way. Highland Park beat Samuell, 59-0, and Samuell beat Sunset, 35-0.
Two weeks ago the Bison were shut out by the Lancaster Tigers, 61-0, and last week the Bison lost to Mansfield Timberview, 71-9. A team giving up and average of 66 points per game playing the state’s second-ranked 5A team sounds like a difficult undertaking. But that’s why we get out on the field and play the game.
Sunset beat Hillcrest, 16-14, in Week Two and they looked good doing it. Kicker Julian Lievanos nailed a 26-yard field goal with two minutes left in the game to give the Bison the winning margin.
For the season, quarterback Ty Williams leads the team in passing by completing 20 of 52 passes for 242 yards, but he has tossed seven interceptions and zero touchdowns. Lievanos has completed five of 11 passes for 129 yards and the season’s only TD. Jay Hernandez is the team’s leading rusher with 160 yards on 51 carries. The top receiver is Pablo Simental who has 11 receptions for 202 yards. Pretty good for a guy who played football for the first time in his life two years ago.
Last year the Bison were 1-9 for the season and 0-6 in the district race, so their slump is not new to this year. But they are out there giving it their best effort and the Scots players and coaches respect them.
The HP backups are hoping to see some game action this Friday but the starters will need to take care of business – and to play to their level – for the subs to be able to take the field.
After the Sunset game things get very serious for the Scots the final two weeks of the regular season. Next Friday the Scots host Lancaster, which is currently tied with HP for the district lead at 4-0. Then the final week of the regular season will be a Thursday night tilt in Mansfield against Timberview. Two very tough games which will propel the Scots into the playoffs where their goal is to run the tables and win their third state championship in a row.
But first they need focus on making the sun set on the Bison this Friday evening.
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