11-28-25 Frisco Wakeland

Let me introduce you to a couple of gentlemen from Frisco, Texas. 

   Say hello to Grayson Myer and Lucas Mangham. They represent a high school called Wakeland where they are both employed as receivers. Last week in a playoff game against Cedar Park Myer caught seven passes for 145 yards, which is high cotton for any pass catcher. But Myer wasn’t even the featured receiver. That job went to his buddy, Mangham, who caught six passes for 174 yards, including touchdowns from 55, 16 and 71 yards.

   So together they snagged 13 receptions for 319 yards. We’re talking 24.5 yards per catch. Who needs first downs if you can go the length of the field in four plays?

   Their quarterback, Jayden Maples, has the arm that delivers these eye-popping stats. In last week’s Cedar Park game he completed 18 of 25 passes for 390 yards and four touchdowns. The greatest compliment I can give Maples is to say that he is putting up Buck Randall numbers.

   Are we about to see an aerial shootout at The Star?

   Probably, but you should know that the Wakeland running back, Braxton Cole, gained 127 yards and scored twice last week. In other words, the Wolverines have all kinds of offensive fireworks. That’s the reason they’re still playing after Thanksgiving.

   Last year the Scots and the Wolverines faced off in the area playoffs at The Star and HP won 38-10. Maples threw for 191 yards while Randall threw for 268 and two touchdowns. The Wolverines receiving duo of Myer and Mangham caught four passes for 69 yards while Scots receiver Cannon Bozman caught eight passes for 143 yards by himself.

   That was last year and this is this year. Right now both teams are 11-1 and have dreams of going all the way. It would appear to be an offensive shootout in the making but I’ve seen defenses step up and knock the holy ammo out of an offensive shootout. 

   As these two teams square off, what can we expect? I anticipate a Ronan Moreland interception at a key time. I anticipate Wakeland double-teaming Cannon Bozman which will give Harrison Cullum, Cash Tanner, Jack Swaldi, Colton Hammel and others one-on-one freedom to make big plays. I anticipate running back Matthew White making a huge difference in this game ... as a receiver. I believe that the Scots’ depth at linebacker and on the defensive line will keep fresh legs as they battle the big Wakeland offensive line. I anticipate that in the third quarter Scots quarterback Buck Randall will hit the 4,000-yard mark for passing this season. That will impress Matthew Stafford, John Stephen Jones, Luke Woodley, Chandler Morris and other HP links in the chain. 

   I don’t anticipate Wolverines tight end Cedric Thornton getting tired even though he is also a starting linebacker. In the past I would anticipate two-way players getting tired but they never seem to.

   Do I anticipate a Scots victory the day after Thanksgiving? I’ll let Matthew White and his teammates answer that one on the field.