Highland Park Scots 2018 Championship

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SIXTH CHAMPIONSHIP FOR SCOTS

SPECIAL EDITION JANUARY 2019

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BLUE & GOLD PERFECTION

Scots 3-peat with sweet 16-0 season

CHRIS MCGATHEY

3 Special Edition | January 2019 | parkcitiespeople.com

THESE SCOTS COOKED UP SOME IDEAL INGREDIENTS

TODD JORGENSON

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here are many reasons why Highland Park could have regressed this season.

The Scots had a new quarterback who had never started a varsity game, plenty of fresh faces elsewhere in the starting lineup, a legendary head coach retiring after back-to-back state titles, a new defensive coordinator, and a target on their backs.

But doubters weren’t in the HP locker room, whose occupants not only matched the Class 5A Division I championships from the previous two seasons, but went a step further.

With the defeat of Alvin Shadow Creek 27-17 on Dec. 22, the Scots completed just the second perfect season in the program’s storied history and established a new mark with 16 wins, surpassing the 15 victories by the 2005 squad that many consider the greatest at HP. It turned out to be a flawless combination of factors.

Head coach Randy Allen reconsidered his retirement, junior quarterback Chandler Morris was sensational in his debut as a varsity starter, the aggressive defense produced takeaways at a remarkable pace, and these Scots handled pressure as well as any of their predecessors.

HP’s sixth state title run was undoubtedly among the most impressive. Let’s look at some key ingredients in the recipe for perfection:

was back in charge, with plenty of energy left in the tank.

“In those two and a half weeks, our leadership stepped up,” Morris said. “But I’m not going to lie; we were all excited when Coach came back.”

Leaving now isn’t even under consideration. Allen said he’ll be back in 2019 for a shot at four straight state titles.

Chandler Morris’ poise It makes sense that the son of Arkansas

head coach Chad Morris would be a successful high school quarterback. But Morris passed every test as a first-time varsity starter, winning every game while following in the footsteps of John Stephen Jones — arguably one of the greatest signal-callers to wear an HP uniform.

“John Stephen taught me so much,” Morris said. “Before the season, it was a lot of pressure trying to fill those shoes. I just put my head down and kept working.”

Morris put up numbers that surpassed those from Jones’ junior campaign and excelled both running and throwing. He passed for more than 4,000 yards and 46 touchdowns with just six intercep-

tions. And he ran for 20 scores — more than all of his teammates combined.

A big-play defense Under the aggressive philosophy of new defensive coordinator Cale Melton, the Scots forced more than 40 turnovers, including four in the state championship game. They also recorded nine sacks against Shadow Creek, setting a new record for a UIL title game.

On multiple occasions this season, it seemed like the offense would give HP the lead in the first half, and the defense would preserve it in the second half. The Scots allowed 21 or fewer points in 14 of their 16 games despite facing several high-powered offenses.

Junior defensive end Prince Dorbah was a sack machine. Hudson Clark led the team in interceptions, and Ryan Khetan was the top tackler. But there were major contributors up and down the depth chart, many of which had never played significant minutes before this season.

Confidence and camaraderie

Randy Allen’s return One of the most decorated coaches in Texas high school football history could have been forgiven for hanging up his fedora after last season.

He’d just won two straight crowns, led the Scots to unprecedented heights, and had nothing left to prove.

When he announced in March that he was walking away after more than four decades, he thought his decision was final. A couple of weeks later, however, he

Texas high school coaching legend Randy Allen adds another trophy to his legacy.

SUPER SIX Highland Park won its sixth state football title in school history on Dec. 22 against Alvin Shadow Creek. Here’s a breakdown of the trophy haul.

YEAR 1945 1957 2005 2016 2017 2018

RECORD 12-0-2 11-1-1 15-0 14-2 15-1 16-0

OPPONENT Waco Port Arthur Marshall Temple Manvel Shadow Creek

CHRIS MCGATHEY

To be a state champion, you have to play your best in the biggest games, and that characteristic defines this HP team as much as anything.

Whether it was grinding out a 10-7 win over Frisco Lone Star or holding off Rockwall in a shootout, the Scots always had an answer.

The season’s most memorable win came in the state quarterfinals when HP rallied from 21 points down in the fourth quarter against John Tyler. In the last two games, the Scots toppled a pair of previously unbeaten opponents in Denton Ryan and Shadow Creek.

“I thought we were peaking at the right time,” Allen said.

This was a season for the ages, setting a standard that will never be surpassed and producing endless memories for those who were part of it.

“We’ve got the best coach in the world,” said senior receiver Finn Corwin.

“Heart and confidence. A lot of it is mental. Little things.

Coach has juniors pick a senior to play for. That makes such a difference.’’

SCORE NOTABLE 7-7 Co-champion team led by Doak Walker, Bobby Layne 21-9 Scots defense allowed only 5.8 points per game 59-0 Unbeaten HP broke mark for title-game win margin 16-7 HP won 800th game in school history in state semis 53-49 Scots set school record for points scored in a season 27-17 Third straight title, plus most wins in a season for HP

4 Special Edition | January 2019 | parkcitiespeople.com

THE BEST FOOTBALL TEAM IN HIGHLAND PARK HISTORY? 2018 Scots make their case with school’s first 16-0 season

To cap a stellar season, Highland Park’s defense forced four turnovers against Shadow Creek and set a UIL championship game record with nine sacks.

By Todd Jorgenson People Newspapers

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umbers prove that Randy Allen is one of the most successful coaches in Texas high school football history.

Perhaps he’s also clairvoyant.

When he came back to the Highland Park sidelines following a brief retirement in March, he must have known the Scots had a legitimate chance to win their third-consecutive Class 5A Division I state championship.

Allen and his players did just that in the most emphatic way possible — completing a perfect season with a 27-17 victory over upstart Alvin Shadow Creek in the title game at AT&T Stadium.

This year’s Scots (16-0) won more games than any other squad in program history. And they became just the second HP team to finish a season undefeated.

“Three-consecutive state championships has been very difficult, but they found a way to do it,” Allen said. “Our players and coaches met every challenge.”

Junior quarterback Chandler Morris was named the offensive MVP in the championship game after connecting on 23 of 35 passes for 262 yards and three scores. He surpassed

4,000 passing yards for the season and remained unbeaten as a varsity starter.

Once again, his primary target was Finn Corwin, who caught 12 passes for 142 yards and a score. Corwin also had a touchdown catch overturned by instant replay in the second half.

“We wanted our legacy to end on top, and to be the best team in Highland Park history,” Corwin said.

The defense was outstanding as well, forcing four turnovers — including two interceptions by Whit Winfield — while breaking a UIL championship game record with nine sacks.

Four of those were by Prince Dorbah, who was named the game’s defensive MVP. The Scots neutralized the speed of Shadow Creek and contained the scrambling of dual-threat quarterback Jamarian George. The Sharks (15-1) managed just one drive of more than 16 yards in the first three quarters.

Experience under pressure might have played a factor in the fast start for the Scots.

Corwin returned the opening kickoff 59 yards to the Shadow Creek 28-yard line. Less than a minute later, Morris hit Bennett Brown with an 8-yard scoring pass to give HP a lead it never relinquished.

Shadow Creek’s defense turned the tide a few minutes later when Xavion Alford intercepted a pass and returned it to the HP 12. The Sharks took advantage of the favorable field position two plays later, when George threw a touchdown pass to Jared Jackson to make the score 7-6.

Three consecutive state championships has been very difficult, but they found a way to do it. Our players and coaches met every challenge.

Randy Allen Following an HP punt, Winfield grabbed his first interception deep in HP territory.

The Scots drove 91 yards in eight plays, including a 75-yard hookup between Morris and Corwin on third-and-long.

Then HP went deep into its playbook for a 3-yard scoring toss from Morris to Sam Morse, who lined up at tight end and secured his first of

two key catches in the game.

Following a Shadow Creek field goal, the Scots extended the margin to 21-9 on a 24yard scoring pass from Morris to Corwin, who employed a nifty spin move to reach the end zone.

On the next Shadow Creek drive, HP’s Colby Hopkins intercepted a deflected pass near midfield, leading to a 36-yard field goal by Wesley Winters that extended the advantage to 24-9 shortly before halftime.

While the HP offense added just three points in the second half, the defense made sure those tallies stood up.

Hudson Clark picked off a pass near midfield early in the fourth quarter to stop one Shadow Creek scoring opportunity, and Winfield’s second interception in the closing minutes secured the final margin.

George provided a bright spot for the Sharks with a 99-yard touchdown run on a third-down scramble in the fourth quarter. It kept Shadow Creek within striking distance and produced more than a third of the team’s total yardage on one play.

However, the Scots shut down any subsequent scoring chances thanks in large part to Dorbah, whose final sack of the game came on a fourth-down

MELISSA MACATEE

play with 4:02 remaining.

Shadow Creek, part of Alvin ISD south of Houston, certainly overachieved in its first varsity season, reaching the state title game under head coach Brad Butler, who was a standout quarterback when Allen was the coach at Brownwood in the late 1980s. “(Allen) is a true professional, always in control of his emotions,” Butler said. “I’ve tried to be as steady as I can and treat players with respect like he does.”

George finished 13-of-21 passing for just 87 yards and a touchdown with three interceptions. He wound up with a game-high 79 rushing yards, too, with the long scamper negating the yardage lost on sacks.

For the Scots, Benner Page rushed for 77 yards on 21 attempts, pushing him past the 1,000-yard barrier for the season.

The Scots became just the 18th school in the state to ever earn three consecutive championships in any classification. The team’s winning streak now stands at 31 games and counting.

HP checked every box on its list of goals this year. And it happened only because of contributions from all over the field. By asserting their dominance, the Scots made history.

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parkcitiespeople.com | January 2019 | Special Edition  7

PHOTOS BY CHRIS MCGATHEY, MELISSA MACATEE, AND BIANCA R. MONTES

8 Special Edition | January 2019 | parkcitiespeople.com

MELISSA MACATEE

TEXAS’ WINNINGEST PROGRAM JOINS ELITE COMPANY

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ighland Park already is the winningest program in Texas high school football history.

This season the Scots joined some elite company by becoming just the 18th team to achieve the rare three-peat.

HP’s sixth crown overall moved the Scots into the top 10 among all programs in the state, two behind the leaders (Celina, Katy, and Southlake Carroll have eight apiece).

The Scots also extended a school-re-

cord winning streak to 31 games, the longest active streak for any school in Texas, as is Highland Park’s string of 18 consecutive playoff victories.

Incidentally, only three schools have won four straight state championships, and just Lake Travis has won five in a row, something it accomplished f rom 2007 to 2011.

More than half of the three-peat achievers have accomplished the feat in the 21st century.

HIGHLAND PARK SCOTS Landon Alhadef, Bryce Anderson, Paxton Anderson, Will Anderson, Rhodes Baker, Brock Bakich, Brant Barton, Michael Bassett, John Beecherl, Andrew Bonnet, Spencer Borrego, Nick Bowman, Bennett Brown, Ryan Butz, Luke Cameron, Campbell Castleman, Chance Chadwick, Hudson Clark, Hayden Clyce, Clint Conger, Brister Conser, Jeffrey Copeland, Owen Copley, Finn Corwin, Charlie Craft, Jack Cunningham, Cayden Davis, Braden DeFeo, Travis Dickey, Padgitt Diehl, Nick Digno, Drew Dodge, Hayes Donham, Prince Dorbah, Michael Downie, Owen Dunston, James Durand, Jared Elliott, Cooper Feagans, Harris Feferman, Cole Filley, Grant Gallas, Kyle Garberding, Will Gibson, Harris Gould, Clay Grant, Charlie Griege, Tripp Groth, Henry Hagenbuch, Harrison Hall, Dylan Ham, Jack Ham, Jeremy Hanes, Spencer Harper, Hunter Heath, Henry Hempel, Connor Henderson, Christopher Herrod, Cal Hirschey, Colby Hopkins, Harris Hurley, Thomas Hurst, Nick Johnson, Jack Jurgovan, William Kibler, Tyler Kilgus, Ryan Khetan, Patrick Krejs, Noah Landsberg, Colton Leonard, Avery Lewis, David Lightbourn, James Lightbourn, Matthew Mathison, McClain Matter, Cade McCarter, Mason McKenney, Grant McVeigh, Kipp Miller, Chandler Morris, Nick Morris, Sam Morse, Trey Nanney, Andrew O’Brien, Ryan Olds, Benner Page, Ford Parker, Sam Parker, Isaiah Pedack, Cade Pettijohn, Will Pettijohn, Colston Pierce, Patrick Pierce, Jack Puckett, Holt Randall, Chris Read, Marshall Reynolds, Regan Riddle, Sumner Robertson, Jack Rourke, Roman Sabatini, Campbell Saustad, Case Savage, Brayden Schager, Dray Schmidt, Drew Scott, Jack Sharpe, David Sherer, Jack Sitzer, Sam Sloan, Ben Smith, Maxon Smith, Boone Snyder, Hudson Soetenga, Andrew Stanzel, Luke Sullivan, Jack Tanner, Patrick Turner, Gus Vincent, Doak Walker, Reid Walker, Jake Walsh, Maxwell Warren, Andrew Washburne, Matthew Weyman, Parrish Wilson, Whit Winfield, Wesley Winters, Saunders Wood, and Chase Yarbrough.

TEAMS WITH THREE OR MORE CONSECUTIVE TITLES SCHOOL

YEARS

COACH

Abilene Aledo Allen Amarillo Big Sandy Bremond Cameron Yoe Carthage Celina Daingerfield Highland Park Lake Travis La Marque Midland Lee Richland Springs Sealy Southlake Carroll Waco

1954-56 2009-11 2012-14 1934-36 1973-75 2014-16 2012-14 2008-10 1998-2001 2008-10 2016-18 2007-11 1995-97 1998-2000 2010-12* 1994-97 2004-06 1925-27

Chuck Moser Tim Buchanan Tom Westerberg Blair Cherry Jim Norman Jeff Kasowski Rick Rhoades Scott Surratt G.A. Moore Barry Bowman Randy Allen Jeff Dicus, Chad Morris, Hank Carter Alan Weddell John Parchman Jerry Burkhart T.J. Mills Todd Dodge Paul Tyson * — Six-man champions

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10 Special Edition | January 2019 | parkcitiespeople.com

SCOTS SUPERFAN A CONSTANT SINCE 1979

It took a hospital stay to get UP man to skip a game

BIANCA MONTES

By Tim Glaze

2018 SEASON RESULTS

People Newspapers

T

he ultimate Scots football fan couldn’t stand Highland Park High School when he was a student.

What a difference 70-plus years makes.

Chuck Thompson, an 85-year-old University Park resident, bought his first set of Scots season tickets in 1979, and to his recollection, he’s only missed two games since then.

He’s gone to the away games, out-ofstate games, and of course, the last three state championships at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

Thompson graduated f rom Grand Prairie High School in 1951, and remembers Highland Park “pounding” his school in football throughout his tenure as a student.

“I thoroughly disliked Highland Park,” he said. “But I ended up going to law school at SMU, so we lived in University Park, and I sent my five kids to Highland Park High. I knew I was in trouble when two of my boys started showing an interest in football.”

I just immediately fell in love with the way they played the game. They never played dirty, and they always made the smart football play.

Chuck Thompson Thompson told himself that if his boys played varsity football, he would “have to end up cheering for Highland Park.” They did, he did, and Thompson was hooked in 1974.

“I just immediately fell in love with

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBIN SKINNER

Date Opponent Nondistrict Aug. 31 Rockwall Sept. 7 Mesquite Horn Sept. 13 Frisco Lone Star District 6-5A Div. I Sept. 21 Bryan Adams Sept. 28 Woodrow Wilson Oct. 12 Mansfield Legacy Oct. 19 Samuell Oct. 26 Sunset Nov. 2 Lancaster Nov. 8 Mans. Timberview Playoffs Nov. 16 Frisco Independence Nov. 24 College Station Dec. 1 Mans. Timberview Dec. 8 Tyler John Tyler Dec. 15 Denton Ryan Dec. 22 Alvin Shadow Creek

Score

Record

W, 49-42 1-0 W, 35-18 2-0 W, 10-7 3-0 W, 49-0 W, 56-14 W, 28-7 W, 49-0 W, 72-0 W, 39-14 W, 42-7

4-0 5-0 6-0 7-0 8-0 9-0 10-0

W, 35-14 W, 28-20 W, 52-0 W, 42-35 W, 43-21 W, 27-17

11-0 12-0 13-0 14-0 15-0 16-0

TOP: Fans look to the AT&T Stadium video board to rewatch what they thought was a Scots’ touchdown before replay officials overturned the play. BOTTOM: Chuck and Judy Thompson attend another championship game. the way they played the game,” he said.

“They never played dirty, and they always made the smart football play.”

Since then, he’s seen Scot football from as far away as Louisiana, and he’s traveled to games in west and south Texas. He’s seen incredible games, including the 1976 and 1977 state quarterfinals, and the past three state championships.

It’s gotten easier to see the Scots play in the playoffs in recent years, he said, thanks to the draw of the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

“Most schools from around the

state love playing at AT&T Stadium [in Arlington], and at Texas Stadium [formerly in Irving] before that, so it was quite easy to see Highland Park play in the big games,” he said.

One of the joys of the past three seasons, Thompson said, was watching the Scots continuously defy odds and improve as the season progressed.

“I honestly didn’t think they would be as good as they were

last year, and last year, I didn’t think they would be as good as they were the year before that,” he said. “They just got better, each year, as the season progressed. They play the right way. If there’s a football play to be made on the field, the Highland Park players more often than not make the correct move. I think that’s the secret to their success.”

Thompson had a health scare during this year’s playoff run, spending time in the hospital and ultimately missing one of the Scots’ games. However, Highland Park won the game to continue in the playoffs, and Thompson left the hospital the day before Thanksgiving.

Did he miss the following playoff game three days later in Waco? Of course not.

“Most people don’t think I’m 85 when they talk to me,” he said. “I’ve been fortunate to have lived a pretty healthy life up to this point.”