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HP WINS FOURTH CHAMPIONSHIP DECEMBER 2016 I Vol. 36, No. 13 Special Edition I parkcitiespeople.com I    @pcpeople I 214-739-2244

SCOTS TAKE STATE

HP tops Temple 16-7 Scots dominate second half Jones, Coxe named MVPs

4 DECEMBER 2016 | SPECIAL EDITION | PARKCITIESPEOPLE.COM

RESILIENT SCOTS EARN STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

By Todd Jorgenson Sports Editor

Make some room in the trophy case and reserve a spot in Highland Park lore. The Scots are state champions again.

In a scrappy performance that exemplified the grit and tenacity of this year’s HP squad, the Scots rallied to defeat Temple 16-7 on Dec. 17 in the Class 5A Division I title game at AT&T Stadium.

It is the fourth state title for the program with the most wins in state history, marking a season that will be immortalized alongside those from 1945, 1957, and 2005.

“We have a great football tradition,” said HP head coach Randy Allen, who also helmed the 2005 squad. “They set themselves apart by the way they performed.

To bring a state championship home will mark these guys forever.”

It was another true team effort that allowed the Scots (14-2) to shift the momentum after an early deficit and roll off 16 unanswered points. Once again, the HP defense was stellar against another high-powered offense, shutting out the Wildcats (124) during the final three quarters.

“Our defense has gotten better as the year progressed. They were just hustling on every play. When the chips are down and they’ve got to make a play, they came up with a play,” Allen said. “They’ve been a great defense throughout the playoffs, and today put the icing on top of the cake for how great they really are. Temple got that tempo offense going, and they found a way to stop them.”

John Stephen Jones rushed for both HP touchdowns and earned offensive MVP honors. Paxton Alexander was a workhorse as the Scots protected their slim lead in the second half, accumulating 144 yards on 26 carries.

On defense, Turner Coxe claimed MVP recognition by sacking Temple quarterback Reid Hesse in the end zone early in the fourth quarter for a critical safety. The play came after a Michael Clarke punt pinned the Wildcats at their own 1-yard line while HP was nursing a 14-7 lead.

“That was a great punt and they were pinned back down there,” said Coxe, who also recovered a fumble on Temple’s opening drive in the first quarter. “I was thinking pass rush and they pushed him up in the pocket, and I got him.”

Temple put HP on its heels early with a 70-yard drive midway through the first quarter that culminated in a 38-yard touchdown run by Jemiyah Franklin, who finished with 86 yards on 20 carries.

Meanwhile, the HP offense was sputtering, with its first four possessions resulting in six total yards.

Momentum shifted in the second quarter, when the Wildcats saw a 16-play drive stall on downs at the HP 22-yard line. Seven plays later, Jones broke free for a 36yard run on a quarterback draw that tied the score.

“We put ourselves in real bad field position several times. If we didn’t make plays, they’re going to get away from us,”

H I G H L A N D P A R K 2 0 1 6 S E A S O N R E S U LT S REGULAR SEASON Aug. 26 Sept. 2 Sept. 9 Sept. 16 Sept. 23 Oct. 7 Oct. 14 Oct. 21 Oct. 28 Nov. 4

OPPONENT Rockwall Waxahachie Mansfield Timberview Lovejoy North Forney West Mesquite Mesquite Poteet Forney Royse City Wylie East

WIN/LOSS Win Loss Win Win Win Win Win Win Win Loss

SCORE 43-21 37-40 31-0 27-20 66-7 25-3 40-29 44-7 49-3 9-20

PLAYOFFS Nov. 12 Nov. 18 Nov. 25 Dec. 2 Dec. 10 Dec. 17

Mount Pleasant Frisco Independence Mansfield Lake Ridge Mansfield Legacy Denton Ryan Temple

Win Win Win Win Win Win

70-2 45-3 41-27 14-7 31-24 16-7

A relentless Scots defense helped Coach Allen earn the second state title of his storied career.

Allen said. “Those early defensive stops were critical to us winning the football game.”

It became a defensive struggle from there, with the importance of small mistakes and little breaks becoming magnified.

Jones gave the Scots the lead with 1:46 left in the third quarter when he scored on a 1-yard plunge on fourth-and-goal.

The Wildcats appeared as though they would bounce right back with a long drive, but the HP defense came up with another huge play. Bennett Brock stuffed Temple’s Zion Leach on a fourth-down rushing attempt at the HP 5.

“Just from a technical standpoint, those guys are phenomenal,” said first year Temple head coach Scott Stewart. “We didn’t run the ball well, and they did a great job.”

After that, the Scots were content to milk the clock and play keep-away. They

drove to midfield and punted, which led to the safety. In all, the Scots held the ball for almost 10 minutes in the fourth quarter, thanks largely to Alexander moving the chains.

“He was a real slippery kid,” said Temple linebacker Rogers Franklin. “Everything he got, he basically earned.”

Hesse was effective in the short passing game for the Wildcats, completing 21 of 31 throws for 177 yards. But Temple failed to produce many big plays against the HP secondary, with Alex Walzel intercepting a pass late in the second quarter.

“I knew we were going to have to make plays on the ball,” Allen said. “Three or four times, our guys found a way to keep a good receiver from getting the ball. They played the ball well in the air on deep balls.”

The Scots punted six times and connected on just 10 of 24 passes for 127 yards.

P H O T O S B Y K E LS E Y K R U Z I C H

Those are hardly the kind of numbers for which HP has become known, but on this day, with this team, it didn’t matter.

“It was a very unusual way to win. It’s not the kind of game we usually play,” Allen said. “It was a hard-fought game, and it wasn’t smooth, and I never felt like we had a lot of rhythm. But we just had to take what we could get. They made plays to win it.”

So for the HP players who were in first or second grade the last time the Scots hoisted the trophy, it couldn’t have been sweeter.

“We dreamed of this, especially in Highland Park. Ever since you’re a kid, you go to these Highland Park camps, and they show you a video of the 2005 team winning state,” Jones said. “Just to be able to do that with your team and your brothers, it’s an incredible feeling.”

6 DECEMBER 2016 | SPECIAL EDITION | PARKCITIESPEOPLE.COM

PARKCITIESPEOPLE.COM | SPECIAL EDITION | DECEMBER 2016  7

P H O T O S B Y C H R I S M C G AT H E Y A N D K E LS E Y K R U Z I C H

8 DECEMBER 2016 | SPECIAL EDITION | PARKCITIESPEOPLE.COM

Grit and Determination

1945

Highland Park 7 - Waco 7 • Record 12-0-2 C O U R T E SY H P I S D

1957

Highland Park 21 - Port Arthur 9 • Record 11-1-1 C O U R T E SY H P I S D

2005

As Highland Park was grinding the clock down in the fourth quarter of a 16-7 win over Temple in the Class 5A Division I state championship game at AT&T Stadium, fans and onlookers could be forgiven for simultaneously screaming in jubilation and shaking their heads in disbelief.

People kept counting out Highland Park in 2016. They’re too inconsistent, especially on offense. They don’t have enough size or speed. They’re good, but they can’t make it through the playoffs.

The outsiders muttering such observations had plenty of ammunition on Nov. 4, when the Scots failed to score a touchdown during a 20-9 loss at Wylie East in the regular-season finale.

Again came the calls, louder and more widespread. They’re too inconsistent.

They don’t have enough size or speed.

They can’t make it through the playoffs.

“ T H EY ’R E T E NACIO US C O MP ET ITO R S . T H E Y P L AY H AR D FO R T H EIR T E AMMAT E S , AN D T H EY P L AY H AR D F O R 4 8 MIN U T E S . ” R ANDY ALLE N

Highland Park 59 - Marshall 0 • Record 15-0

But none of that sentiment was being echoed among players and coaches in the HP locker room. It didn’t even enter their minds. The defeat, as humbling as it might have been against a quality opponent, only added fuel to the fire.

Early-round playoff foes such as Mount Pleasant, Frisco Independence, and Mansfield Lake Ridge were unfortunate victims of the relentless shift in momentum that followed. Suddenly, a buzz was building.

As the calendar turned to December, victories against Mansfield Legacy

TODD JORGENSON and previously unbeaten Denton Ryan, which once might have seemed unlikely, suddenly seemed well within reach.

The Scots have always been known for their depth, their tradition, their discipline, their stellar coaching, and their unselfish mindset. And each of those qualities played a major role during the six weeks that defined this gritty squad.

“When everybody was watching, and they had to make plays against an extremely talented Temple football team, they came through,” said longtime HP head coach Randy Allen. “They’re tenacious competitors. They play hard for their teammates, and they play hard for 48 minutes.”

When HP won its prior state title in 2005, it did so with an unblemished record, a prolific offense featuring a future NFL star at quarterback, and a dominating 59-0 shutout in the championship game. There were virtually no injuries for a team that relished the role of favorite.

Fast forward 11 years, and the Scots were snapping pictures with another championship trophy on Dec. 17, despite a banged-up roster and two regular-season losses for the first time since 1998.

Unlike their predecessors, this was a team that thrived as the underdog.

The defense remained superb, even as the offense lost its top two running backs and top two receivers to injury during its postseason run. The Scots kept making plays even as the pressure mounted and the competition got tougher. They weren’t winning pretty, but they were winning. And that was most important.

Such tenacity in defying the odds earned the current HP team a spot alongside those from 1945, 1957, and 2005. Congratulations to the Scots on giving us all a lesson in resiliency and determination.

JEREMY CHESNUTT

2016

Publisher: Patricia Martin EDITORIAL

A DV E R T I S I N G

O P E R AT I O N S

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Highland Park 16 - Temple7 • Record 14-2 C H R I S M C G AT H E Y

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PARKCITIESPEOPLE.COM | SPECIAL EDITION | DECEMBER 2016 11

2016 State Champs

FRONT ROW Turner Coxe, Grey Giddens, Parker Alexander, Luke Blanton, Bennett Brock, John House, Michael Clarke, Matt Gahm, Harrison Murski, JT Dooley, Alex Walzel, Jack Toohey SECOND ROW Brennan Fewin, Jack Fain, Junior Dorbah, Ryan Khetan, Scully Jenevein, John Stephen Jones, Tait Langston, John Sell, Jon Welfelt, Bennett Brown, Hudson Clark, Finn Corwin, Benner Page THIRD ROW Christian McAnalley, Ryan Waters, Kyle Massimilian, Jack Kozmetsky, Walker French, Grayson Serio, Jeremy Hanes, Whit Winfield, O’Neil Sitzer, George Stewart, Spencer Stowe, Jackson Dugger, Cole Jackson, Zac Folts FOURTH ROW Metteo Cordray, Colby Hopkins, Walker Williamson, James Herring, Will Rose, Jon Jurgovan, Tres Page, Jackson Hubbard, Grant Gallas, Paxton Alexander, Will Simmons, Michael Mills, Marshall Ballard FIFTH ROW Ryan Coxe, Jack Marks, Noble Nash, Luke Lochausen, Tanner Etheridge, Cameron Reeves, Elliot Newsom, Max Holsomback, Stanley Walker, Baron Holmes, Connor Stone, Ryan Landsberg, Garrett Wingrove SIXTH ROW Cole Everett, Matt Sewall, Blake Barton, Ian Raphael, Ben Boudreaux, Ryan Butz, Colton Shawver, James Lightbourn, Sam Jackson, Wyatt Esquivel, Gus Reppeto, JD Beverly, Gunther Stricker Puchalski SEVENTH ROW Spencer Landwehr, Cole Bohner, Bolt Corwin, Trevor Hart, Calvin Kean, Ben Richardson, Henry Sherer, Jack Hickey, Jack Yates, Will Rhodes, Thomas Shelmire, Giff Giffin, Regan Riddle EIGHTH ROW Jake Pogue, Jack Brown, Hudson Wood, Cooper Marchetto, Tal Armayor, Jack Kemendo, Gavin Heyde, Jay Smith, Jack Hurt, Nolan Roberts, Cade Saustad, Camden Clark, Adam Mahmalji NINTH ROW Noah Elliot, Will Vermillion, John Hoover, Luke Schmit, Marshall Hammack, Emory Porter, Joe Kane 10TH ROW Coaches Lorenzo Vite, Jay Harris, Christal Clark, Tyler Fox, Carter Bien, Bobby Leidner, Don Woods, Randy Allen, Grayson Wells, Todd John, James Farnsley, Cale Melton, Toby Trotter, Damon Tenison, Ron Ashby, Trace Mallett 11TH ROW Jason Antesberger, Tyler Williamson, Morgan Stringer, Chae Davis, Stephen Byrd, Jonathan Roan, Leonard Reed, Tristan Weber, Ryan Gibbs, Max Hawsey, Daren Eason, David Clarke, Marc Lechlitner, Andy Watkins

Plaid Pride

M E L I S S A M A C AT E E

Celebration to continue in January

John Stephen Jones celebrates with his father, Stephen, and grandfather Jerry.

K E LS E Y K R U Z I C H

By Joshua Baethge

People Newspapers The crowd sensed a fourth title was within reach when defensive lineman Turner Coxe bulldozed past the Temple line and sacked quarterback Reid Hesse in the end zone.

The safety gave the Scots a twoscore lead and the ball with only five minutes left to play.

As the final seconds ticked away, fans invaded the sideline in anticipation of the chaos to come.

The final gun brought sheer pandemonium as what looked like half of the Park Cities descended on the AT&T Stadium midfield star to cele-

brate Highland Park’s most improbable championship.

Players, parents, and coaches screamed and hugged, many wiping away tears.

Students ran around jumping for joy, dodging players from DeSoto and Cedar Hill who were attempting to warm up for the next game. Their preparation would have to wait: This was Highland Park’s moment.

“It was amazing to look in the stands at AT&T Stadium and see the huge number of HP fans,” HPISD athletic director Johnny Ringo said. “The team definitely responded to the energy from the crowd.”

The game garnered national atten-

tion thanks in large part to the heroics of offensive MVP quarterback John Stephen Jones.

His father, Dallas Cowboys COO Stephen Jones, chose not to say much during the season because he did not want to take attention away from the Scots. However, he was front and center during the post-game celebration alongside Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, John’s grandfather.

NBC’s Sunday Night Football mentioned the state title and showed highlights during the Cowboys-Buccaneers telecast the following day.

The segment featured a graphic listing famous Highland Park alums like Doak Walker, Clayton Kershaw, and Matthew Stafford. Those names will now be joined by Coxe, Jones, and Paxton Alexander in the annals of HP legend.

“The Scots have always had a proud football tradition, but state championships are hard to come by,” said HPISD superintendent Tom Trigg. “I know these players and fans will cherish these memories for years to come.”

Highland Park schools are closed for the winter holidays, but district leaders have promised to continue the party when classes resume, and will release official celebration plans during the week of Jan 2.