Only hours after their 2021 season end ed prematurely with a heartbreaking playoff loss, Highland Park players and coaches met to set goals, not knowing yet that they would not get to avenge their earliest postseason exit in almost a decade. Instead, a new challenge will greet HP this fall. The perennial powerhouse pro gram returns to the Class 6A level for the first time since 2015. During a spirited offseason, anticipation has combined with lingering disappoint ment for returnees eager to atone for their 29-28 defeat against Frisco Wakeland in the Class 5A Division I playoffs area round. “We don’t want to have that same feel ing again,” senior receiver Luke Herring said. “We have to come in with the same intensity in every game.” That’s especially true given HP’s more daunting schedule this season, including a rare nine-team district to determine four playoff“We’llspots.need to be playing our best foot ball right at the beginning of the season,” HP head coach Randy Allen said. The front-loaded schedule dictates a sense of urgency with just two non-district games before the District 7-6A opener against Lake Highlands on Sept. 9. Never has HP been aligned in such a large league nor began district play so early. Plus, while only four of HP’s foes had winning records last season, the Scots will face all of them in their first five games. “We’ve seen that competition,” senior running back Jay Cox said. “We’ve played 6A teams, and we’ve always done well againstIndeed,them.”the Scots are 9-1 against 6A competition the past four years, with each of those games coming in the first few weeks of the season. The last time HP was in 6A — a twoyear stretch in 2014 and 2015 — the Scots went 13-1 in district play and lost in the second round of the playoffs to Waco Midway both times. “There are no weeks off,” senior corner back Adam Rourke said. The Scots are the only newcomer to a district that otherwise remains intact from a year ago when Jesuit Dallas was the unbeat en champion. The other opponents come from Irving ISD and Richardson ISD. “It’s exciting that we’re playing new people, but we don’t know much about them,” Allen said. The bigger challenge likely will come in postseason play, especially in 6A Division II Region I, where the bracket could fea ture Denton Guyer, Southlake Carroll, and Flower Mound Marcus, the opponent for the Scots’ regular-season opener on Aug. 26.
(PHOTO MELISSA MACATEE)
By Todd Jorgenson People Newspapers
| 2022 FOOTBALL PREVIEW
@pcpeople | @peoplenewspapers | parkcitiespeople.com September 2022
UPPERCLASSMEN: SCOTS READY FOR JUMP TO 6A
Whereas HP has been among the larg est 5A schools in the state in terms of en rollment in recent years, now it is among the smallest 6A programs. But don’t label the Scots as an under dog. They have the roster size to match any 6A school annually, and their expecta tions are as high as ever, including a league crown. HP is the all-time state leader in victories (864), playoff appearances (63), and district titles (56). “We prepare the same way no matter what,” Allen said.
FROM LEFT: Jay Cox, Luke Herring, Lawson Petty, and Adam Rourke.
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4C | September 2022 parkcitiespeople.com MCGATHEYCHRISPHOTO: 2022 VARSITY ROSTER No. Name Pos. Class 2 Grayson Schrank WR Sr 3 Jackson Heis WR Sr 4 Beau Lilly WR Sr 5 Jay Cox RB Sr 6 Luke Herring WR Sr 7 Brennan Storer QB Sr 9 Adam Rourke CB Sr 10 Robert Rehme LB Sr 11 William White LB Sr 12 Warren Peck QB Jr 12 Wes Giese DB Jr 13 Miller Farris DB Jr 14 Marshall Miller WR Sr 15 Tanner Muse RB Jr 16 Ethan Berde QB Sr 17 Gil Wagner QB Jr 17 Jack McCallum DB Jr 18 Colin Hale WR Sr 19 Max Sloan WR Sr 20 Nathan Harper DB Sr 21 Preston Bond DB Sr 22 Collin Sewall WR Sr 23 Hunter Thornton LB Sr 24 Brady Dauterive DB Sr 25 Lucas Koellner RB Sr 26 Barrett Denton DB Sr 27 Frank Mousa RB Sr 28 Ethan Burt DB Sr 29 Walker McCollum DB Sr No. Name Pos. Class 30 Carl Williams DB Sr 31 Jackson Cullum DB Sr 32 Wagner Perry RB Sr 33 Jose Suarez DB Sr 34 Mac Ballard DB Sr 35 Connor Cornell DB Sr 36 Wilson Axley WR Jr 36 Andrew Wade DB Jr 37 Tucker Pogue LB Sr 38 Hank Skorpil RB Sr 39 Wes Miller DB Sr 40 Tommy Rossley LB Sr 41 Lucas Trotman LB Sr 42 Brian Rapp RB Jr 43 Andrew Baker RB Sr 44 Charlie Barton LB Sr 45 Sam Webster LB Sr 46 Justin Johns DB Sr 47 Keller Holmes RB Jr 47 Will Heinrich DB Jr 48 Ben Salter LB Sr 49 Travis Stewart RB Jr 49 Hudson Reed DB Jr 50 Ford Hummel DL Sr 51 Wyatt Swaner OL Jr 51 Jonah Chahwan DL Jr 52 Cormac Carroll LB Jr 53 Paul Flowers DL Sr 54 Daniel Turner DL So. No. Name Pos. Class 54 Nicholas Rigas K Jr 55 Whit Basso OL Sr 56 Noah Lilly DL Sr 57 Zach Bowers OL Jr 57 Ryder Smith DL Jr 58 Andrew Maroulis OL Sr 59 Charlie Thomason OL Jr 59 Chase Grimaud DL Jr 60 Matthias Zacharias OL Sr 61 Lewis Montgomery OL Sr 62 J.D. Copeland OL Jr 62 John Allen LB Jr 63 John Middendorf OL Jr 63 Jonathan George DL Jr 64 Jake Tanzy K Sr 65 Jake Watts OL Sr 66 Josh Banes K Sr 67 Carter Noonan DL Jr 68 William Haney OL Jr 68 Aidan Fisher DL Jr 70 Nicholas Farris OL Jr 70 Owen Hillesheim DL Jr 71 Case Pickelman OL Jr 71 William Schneider DL Jr 72 Will Ogle OL So. 72 Reed Jackson LB Jr 73 Whit Thompson OL Sr 74 Ryan Yates DL Sr 75 Greenlee Hill OL Jr No. Name Pos. Class 75 Braden Resnansky LB Jr 76 Lawson Petty OL Sr 77 Coleman Donham DL Sr 78 Robert Sweeney OL Sr 79 Bowen Nussbaum OL Sr 80 Walker Kashata WR Sr 81 Collin Patrick WR Sr 82 James Gunnerson WR Jr 82 Hudson Groth DB Jr 83 Hatcher Clark WR Jr 85 Steel Tobin WR Jr 86 Wayne McCullough WR Sr 87 Ted Higgins WR Sr 88 Julien Pham-Davis WR Sr 89 Cannon Knippa WR Sr 90 Alex Prous LB Sr 91 Jay Cejka WR Jr 91 Tyler Heck LB Jr 92 Spencer Brown DL Sr 93 Blake Andrews DL Sr 95 Judge Ellis DL Sr 96 Matthew Wallace DL Sr 97 Jack Danner WR Jr 97 Henry Richter DL Jr 98 William Suarez LB Sr 99 Kyle Carlson DL Sr JV BLUE Date Opponent Time Aug. 25 at Flower Mound Marcus 7 p.m. Sept. 1 Lewisville 7 p.m. Sept. 8 at Lake Highlands 7 p.m. Sept. 14 Irving 5:30 p.m. Sept. 29 at Jesuit Dallas 7 p.m. Oct. 5 Richardson Berkner 5:30 p.m. Oct. 13 at Irving Nimitz 5:30 p.m. Oct. 20 Irving MacArthur 5:30 p.m. Oct. 27 at Richardson 5:30 p.m. Nov. 3 Richardson Pearce 5:30 p.m. Date Opponent Stadium Time Aug. 26 Flower Mound Marcus Highlander 7 p.m. Sept. 2 at Lewisville Goldsmith 7 p.m. Sept. 9 Lake Highlands* Highlander 7 p.m. Sept. 15 at Irving Ellis 7 p.m. Sept. 23 OPEN Sept. 30 Jesuit Dallas* Highlander 7 p.m. Oct. 6 at Richardson Berkner* Wildcat-Ram 7 p.m. Oct. 14 Irving Nimitz* Highlander 7 p.m. Oct. 21 at Irving MacArthur* Ellis 7 p.m. Oct. 28 Richardson* Highlander 7 p.m. Nov. 4 at Richardson Pearce* Eagle-Mustang 7 p.m. *—District7-6Agame
JV GOLD Date Opponent Time Aug. 25 at Flower Mound Marcus 5:30 p.m. Sept. 1 Lewisville 5:30 p.m. Sept. 8 at Lake Highlands 5:30 p.m. Sept. 29 at Jesuit Dallas 5:30 p.m. Oct. 5 Richardson Berkner 5:30 p.m. Oct. 13 at Lake Highlands 7 p.m. Nov. 3 Sachse 7 p.m.
FRESHMAN BLUE Date Opponent Time Aug. 25 Flower Mound Marcus 7 p.m. Sept. 1 at Lewisville 7 p.m. Sept. 8 Lake Highlands 7 p.m. Sept. 14 at Irving 7 p.m. Sept. 29 Jesuit Dallas 7 p.m. Oct. 5 at Richardson Berkner 5:30 p.m. Oct. 13 Irving Nimitz 7 p.m. Oct. 20 at Irving MacArthur 7 p.m. Oct. 27 Richardson 7 p.m. Nov. 3 at Richardson Pearce 7 p.m.
FRESHMAN GOLD Date Opponent Time Aug. 25 Flower Mound Marcus 5:30 p.m. Sept. 1 at Lewisville 5:30 p.m. Sept. 8 Lake Highlands 5:30 p.m. Sept. 14 at Irving 5:30 p.m. Sept. 29 Jesuit Dallas 5:30 p.m. Oct. 13 Irving Nimitz 5:30 p.m. Oct. 20 at Irving MacArthur 5:30 p.m. Oct. 27 Richardson 5:30 p.m. Nov. 3 at Richardson Pearce 5:30 p.m.
SCHEDULEVARSITY2022
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FLOWER MOUND MARCUS Friday, Aug. 26 7 p.m. at Highlander Stadium
JESUIT DALLAS Friday, Sept. 30 7 p.m. at Highlander Stadium
Nickname: Marauders Head coach: Kevin Atkinson (sixth season) 2021 record: 8-3 (6-1 in district) Notable: After closing the regular season with six straight wins, the Marauders fell to Prosper in the first round of the playoffs. The high-powered offense will be led by WR Ashton Cozart, an Oregon commit who caught a team-high 11 touchdown passes. Chance Sautter, Jake Ballard, and Jace Bardwell will steer a stingy Marcus defense.
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LAKE HIGHLANDS Friday, Sept. 9 7 p.m. at Highlander Stadium
Nickname: Wildcats Head coach: Lonnie Jordan (eighth season) 2021 record: 10-2 (6-1 in district) Notable: The Scots will open District 7-6A play against a team with 14 straight playoff appearances and which set a school record for points scored last season. Most of the top returnees are on a defense that posted three shutouts, including DB Carson Klein and DL Andre Johnson. Dynamic playmaker Shamar Donaldson keys the offense.
Sometimes the most important words have the fewest letters.
Nickname: Farmers Head coach: Michael Odle (sixth season) 2021 record: 11-2 (6-1 in district) Notable: Lewisville’s recent resurgence culminated in its most successful season since 2000, which ended with a shutout loss to Southlake Carroll in the third round of the playoffs. QB Ethan Terrell returns to spearhead an offense that averaged 41.1 points in its 11 wins. The massive offensive line includes multiple 300-pounders.
Nickname: Rangers Head coach: Brandon Hickman (12th season) 2021 record: 10-2 (7-0 in district) Notable: The first meeting between the rivals whose campuses sit just 6 miles apart could carry 7-6A championship implications. Jesuit defeated eight of HP’s 2022 opponents last season. The uptempo Rangers won all seven of their district games by an average margin of 30 points before falling to Denton Guyer in the playoffs.
LEWISVILLE Friday, Sept. 2 7 p.m. at Goldsmith Stadium
2022 OPPONENTS
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Nickname: Tigers Head coach: David Munoz (second season) 2021 record: 2-8 (1-6 in district) Notable: Irving snapped a 32-game winning streak last season, but still has just 11 victories in the past eight years combined. The Tigers averaged just 15 points per game but will have plenty of experience with QB Adrian Medina and WR Kyle Sampson returning. Irving’s two wins came by a combined margin of just four points.
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IRVING Thursday, Sept. 15 7 p.m. at Ellis Stadium
Nickname: Cardinals Head coach: Beck Nitcholas (second season) 2021 record: 4-6 (3-4 in district) Notable: MacArthur’s sixth straight losing season showed signs of progress, especially on offense. Several playmakers return to lead the run-based attack, including QB Glendon Willis and running backs Darelle Smith and JerBrandin Henderson. Despite a young roster, the Cardinals averaged 45 points in their four victories.
BenchmarkBank.com 7019 Hillcrest 972.673.4060Avenue parkcitiespeople.com September 2022 | 7C RICHARDSON BERKNER Thursday, Oct. 6 7 p.m. at Wildcat-Ram Stadium
IRVING NIMITZ Friday, Oct. 14 7 p.m. at Highlander Stadium Nickname: Vikings Head coach: M.A. Small (interim) 2021 record: 5-6 (4-3 in district) Notable: Nimitz will have just its fifth head coach in 52 years after Brian Rogers was promoted to district athletic director. HP topped the Vikings in consecutive years in the bi-district playoff round in 2014 and 2015, the last time the Scots were in 6A. Dual-threat QB Pedro Maldonado returns to lead an inexperienced offense.
Nickname: Mustangs Head coach: Jarrett Lambert (first season) 2021 record: 3-7 (3-4 in district) Notable: Pearce ended a streak of four straight postseason appearances last year. The Mustangs have played HP many times in the past, but not since 2015, when both teams were last aligned together in a 6A district. Most of the returning talent is on defense, although QB John Gesin threw nine touchdown passes in a reserve role.
RICHARDSON Friday, Oct. 28 7 p.m. at Highlander Stadium Nickname: Eagles Head coach: Greg Pels (seventh season) 2021 record: 1-9 (0-7 in district) Notable: Richardson’s last winning season came in 2010, and its last playoff victory came in 1992. The Eagles scored nine or fewer points five times and had an average margin of defeat of 29.7 points. Dual-threat QB Howard Armstrong and RB Kaden Alcorn are the top returning threats for an offense that rushed for 15 of its 20 scores.
RICHARDSON PEARCE Friday, Nov. 4 7 p.m. at Eagle-Mustang Stadium
IRVING MACARTHUR Friday, Oct. 21 7 p.m. at Ellis Stadium
2022 OPPONENTS
Nickname: Rams Head coach: Trey Bryant (second season) 2021 record: 4-7 (4-3 in district) Notable: Berkner returned to the playoffs for the first time in a decade, losing to Grand Prairie in the first round. The Rams were inconsistent on offense, but new QB D.J. Shelton should benefit from experienced playmakers such as receivers Jarvis Saine and Tre Randle. Berkner hasn’t finished with a winning record since 2011.
After catching five touchdown passes in 2021, Herring emerged as one of the state’s top hurdlers, finishing sixth at the 5A state meet while breaking his school record. Luke Herring, WR makingDecision-will be a plus for him. Randy Allen Storer, Scots Look to Showcase Plenty of Offensive Firepower
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As the Scots transition to the Class 6A level, Storer will have plenty of talent and experience surrounding him. The versatile Jay Cox will take over as the pri mary running back after finish ing second on the team in both rushing and receiving with more than 900 all-purpose yards and 10 touchdowns.Thetoptwo returnees at re ceiver are two-sport standouts Jackson Heis and Luke Herring, who combined for 40 catches and 10 scores a year ago. Beau Lilly and Grayson Schrank each return to the lineup after missing much of last season with injuries. “Our receiving corps is so strong this year,” Herring said. “Getting that chemistry last year will be a big step up.”
This season, Brennan Storer will join an esteemed group of recent two-year starters at quar terback for Highland Park — one that includes state champi ons like John Stephen Jones and Chandler Morris. Storer built a solid founda tion in 2021 with more than 2,500 passing yards and 25 touchdowns, along with eight rushing scores, as HP averaged more than 38 points per game and finished with a 10-2 record. “Those games will make him a better player,” HP head coach Randy Allen said. “Deci sion-making will be a plus for him. I think he will execute bet ter as a senior.”
By Todd Jorgenson People Newspapers
PLAYER TO WATCH
Jackson Heis, WR Lawson Petty, LTBeau Lilly, WR Grayson Schrank, WR Jake Watts, LG Robert Sweeney, RTAndrew Maroulis, C Whit Basso, RG
PROBABLE STARTERS Jay Cox, RBBrennan Storer, QB
Left tackle Lawson Petty is the only returning starter on the offensive line, where Rob ert Sweeney will return from a knee injury to anchor the right side. Andrew Maroulis likewise is healthy at center, and guard Whit Basso had a solid spring.
parkcitiespeople.com September 2022 | 9C
By Todd Jorgenson People Newspapers
Rourke and linebacker Rob ert Rehme will lead an aggres sive unit aiming to use that speed and depth to slow down some high-powered offenses in the state’s highest classification.
“We lost a lot of experience,” senior cornerback Adam Rourke said. “We might not be the big gest, but this is the most athletic defense we’ve had by a long shot.”
The new-look defensive line will include Kyle Carlson, Ford Hummel, Judge Ellis, Lew is Montgomery, and Spencer Brown. Rehme will be joined at linebacker by Tommy Rossley, William White, Ben Salter, and converted receiver Charlie Barton. Anchored by Rourke, the secondary will see some relative newcomers battling for playing time, such as Mac Ballard, Ethan Burt, and Wes Giese at corner back, plus safeties Brady Daute rive and Carl Williams.
After missing spring practice following offseason shoulder surgery, the hard-hitting Rehme (6 feet, 190 pounds) is healthy and will bring welcome experience at inside linebacker. Robert Rehme, LB You can’t coach speed, and we have speed on Randydefense.Allen Quickness Can Slow
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Westwood Wealth Management Mac Ballard, CB Carl Williams, SAdam Rourke, CB Brady Dauterive, S Ford Hummel, DT William White, LBCharlie Barton, LB Tommy Rossley, LB
Kyle Carlson, DESpencer Brown, DE
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HP head coach Randy Al len expects to rotate several play ers into the Scots’ aggressive 3-4 scheme, especially among the front“Weseven.have to have those guys grow up in a hurry,” Allen said. “They’ve been working extremely hard. You can’t coach speed, and we have speed on defense.”
The Scots have been tradi tionally adept at reloading their lineup, and this year’s group will feature several players who saw significant action at the varsity level last year. In fact, there’s a chance that HP might start 11 seniors who were all teammates three years ago on a freshman squad that fin ished with a 9-1 record.
HP Defense Hopes
PROBABLE STARTERS
It probably wouldn’t be wise to underestimate a Highland Park defense that moves up to Class 6A with just two returning starters.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Down 6A Opponents
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