9-11-26 Tyler

This Friday evening at 7:00 the Scots host the Tyler Lions at Highlander Stadium. It will still be hot. And frozen drinks will still not be allowed in the stands.

   HP has dropped two close games to a couple of talented (and fast) 6A programs. This week the Scots will be facing a talented (and fast) 5A program. All indications are that this will be yet another eruption of unstoppable offenses. 

   Well, unstoppable until one team is stopped.

   In facing Lewisville, Rockwall-Heath and Tyler, it seems like the Scots are playing Frisco Lone Star every week. Their top two or three skill players will be playing on Saturdays and possibly Sundays, like Marvin Mims and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who are lighting up NFL scoreboards.

   After going back and forth with Lewisville most of the game, the Scots fell behind by two scores and that proved fatal. Against Rockwall-Heath the Scots were on a valiant final drive to win the game, when they ran out of gas – and time – inside the 10-yard line and had to settle for a short field goal to send the game into overtime. But kicker Shep Pryor never got the chance because the snap was mishandled and suddenly the game was over.

   As a key part of a 15-point surge which gave the Scots a fourth quarter lead, Pryor booted a surprise onside then he personally fell on the ball. Pryor deserves to be in the HP Kicker Hall of Fame for that one play alone.

   Some of the bright spots for the Scots so far this season have been linebacker Lee Wagner and defensive back Dean Dulin leading the defense in tackles, quarterback Buck Randall with 726 passing yards in two games, breaking Matthew Stafford’s Highland Park passing yardage record, RB James Flowers picking up 104 yard receiving on four receptions against Lewisville and sophomore Beckett Lawrence catching two TD passes in the first game then exploding for 183 yards and a TD on eight receptions last week.

   Overall, the offense looks good, with a great quarterback, solid offensive line, a talented receivers room and a three headed running back machine named Caiden Reeves, James Flowers and Logan Jones. Coach Allen is thrilled with Shep Pryor’s kickoffs that will sail out of the end zone and into Douglas or Westchester. The Scots defense is getting better each day and will be at full-strength when a few key players are back from injuries.

   I don’t want to sound an alarm about Tyler and its skill players but here’s a quick study:

   (1) Against Marshall in their first game. Lions quarterback Raykell Ford completed four of 14 passes for 125 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions, which on its own is not scary. But when he tucks the ball and runs, it can be terrifying. Against Marshall he scrambled six times for 177 yards and two TDs. That’s 29.5 yards per scramble. 

   (2) Last Friday against Tyler Legacy, running back Cadarius McMiller carried the ball 46 times for 326 yards and four touchdowns. He averaged more than seven yards per carry. He’s committed to play for Oregon.

   (3) The Tyler Lions are averaging 52 points per game.