West Mesquite visits Highlander Stadium on Black Friday

by Kirk Dooley

It’s Senior Night at Highland Park. Before the West Mesquite game this Friday night, all the HP seniors on the team will be introduced, so come early to honor these guys.
Highland Park football has been a Texas tradition since 1923 and this year’s version of the Scots has the most seniors ever. Hats off to these players for being a part of something bigger than themselves and a tip of the fedora to their coaches for keeping this large number of young men on board, focused and contributors to the team’s success.
Special teams players and scout team players make up a healthy percentage of the team. The offensive scout team and defensive scout team do an admirable job of making the starters better and more prepared for each week’s opponent. While they will not set foot on the field during a game, the scout team players deserve a lot of credit for each win.
Highland Park football is like a well-oiled machine. When Players of the Week are announced after each game, the honorees include offensive players, defensive players, special team players, scout team players, managers/trainers and two awards for injured players – 12th man and video. When each division of the corporation has a couple Players of the Week, there are about a dozen honorees. In the locker room, the star offensive player is on the same level as the trainer of the week and the scout team players of the week. It is a very healthy and successful system. It is one of the reasons why Highland Park has won more football games than any school in Texas history.
This Friday West Mesquite visits Highlander Stadium and the Wranglers are coming off a 41-27 win over Wylie East. The fact that they lost their previous seven games doesn’t matter to the Scots. The Wranglers have tasted victory, are on a winning streak and are playing their best football of the season right now.
The Scots have gotten off to sizzling starts the past two games over McKinney North and Tyler. They will need to continue this tradition on Friday and next week against Wylie East. This is not the time to fall asleep against teams with poor records.
If the Wranglers get the momentum and the Scots are not in the proper mental state to fight back, I say put in the entire scout team, with players foaming at the mouth to get in a game. Fans in the stands will see spirit and fury that the HP starters see every day in practice. Which, of course, is why the starters will be totally prepared and in the proper mental state so that they won’t let a momentum shift throw them off.
The Scots have earned enough respect this season to be ranked second in the state. Every player, coach and trainer shares in this ranking. And each one will tell you, “When you play one of us, you play all of us.”