11-20-25 Reedy

Check your calendar. Thanksgiving must be right around the corner.

   We know that because of the holiday tradition of Highland Park playing a Frisco team at The Star in Frisco in the Area round of the 5A playoffs. This year’s holiday season will feature the 10-1 Scots and the 8-3 Frisco Reedy Lions. Last year HP played Frisco Wakeland during this second round, then advanced to play Reedy in the next round. After winning that game, the Scots advanced to play Frisco Lone Star in the quarterfinals. Three Frisco games in three weeks in one location, The Star in Frisco.

   So this Thursday’s game will feel like a home game for the Lions and a playoff home game for the Scots. For those who are not familiar with The Star in Frisco, it is the Dallas Cowboys practice facility. It includes an indoor practice field that happens to include 12,000 seats. The Cowboys have an agreement with the FISD to allow Frisco high schools to use the facility on weekends. Other schools can use it during the playoffs.

   Coaches and players prefer playing at The Star because the November and December wind, rain, sleet and snow don’t affect the game at all. 

   I’ll tell you who else likes playing there, Mr. Buck Randall. The Scots quarterback has never lost a game at The Star. Last year, as a sophomore, he led his team to the HP victories over Wakeland, Reedy and Lone Star. He averaged 288 yards in the air and threw eight touchdown passes in three games. Receiver Cannon Bozman averaged 113 yards he caught four of Randall’s eight touchdown passes.

   This week the Reedy quarterback will be DJ Carlisle, who will be in for the injured Lincoln Harn, who broke his collar bone two weeks ago in the Lone Star game. Carlisle stepped in and played well against Lone Star (who won, 28-26) and then had a nice game in Reedy’s first round playoff win over Carrollton Creekview, 24-3.

   Reedy is a run-first team and will pass occasionally when it’s time for a home run. The play of the quarterback is key to their offense. Last week Carlisle had 63 yards passing and 65 yards running. The other heavy lifter for the Lions is running back Jarrett Walker. He picked up 112 yards on 23 carries against Creekview.

   Coach Randy Allen said that the Reedy defense is one of the best he’s seen on film. And with a good running back and a quarterback that can run, the Reedy offense can be just as dangerous. 

   The Lions lost two district games. Wakeland beat them by four points and Lone Star outlasted them by two. And those two points became the difference in the game when Reedy scored in the final seconds and went for two to send the game into overtime. The attempt for two failed. Lone Star remained undefeated but its game with Reedy could have gone either way.

   There is an 80 percent chance of thunderstorms on Thursday night, so you might need an umbrella to get from your car to the stands. But when you say your prayers of thankfulness on Thanksgiving Day, give an extra thanks to the weatherman upstairs for creating indoor football facilities.