10-26-23 Richardson
The Scots have another Thursday game as they travel to Richardson to battle the Eagles at Eagle-Mustang Stadium. This will be the first of HP’s final two games in district play. Next Friday HP will host the Pearce Mustangs in the final 7-6A game. If things go as planned the Scots will host the bi-district game against one of the Arlington schools the following week.
It’s hard to figure out the Richardson Eagles. They have a 4-4 record but there are two games that the Scots should be concerned with. First, the Eagles ran MacArthur out of the stadium, 32-3, four weeks ago. Quarterback Cole Cage passed for 220 yards and ran for 70 more. The Eagles had 419 total yards while the Cardinals were held to 59 total yards, 44 on the ground and 15 in the air. Richardson was up, 25-0, with five minutes left in the game. So the Eagles dominated a team that gave the Scots a hard time.
And let’s compare the Richardson and Highland Park games against Lake Highlands. The Wildcats led the Scots all night and then handed them their only loss of the season, 51-41. Then Richardson played the Wildcats closer than any team in the district as the game was tied, 21-21, at the end of regulation time. In overtime the Wildcats scored to win, 28-21.
Your honor, the evidence shows that the Richardson Eagles are capable of upsetting the Highland Park Scots in a Texas high school football game. Especially on a Thursday night and especially in Richardson. Witnesses from MacArthur and Lake Highlands will testify to Richardson’s abilities. Potential rain at game time could taint the jury pool. Would precipitation ground the HP air raid? If so, do you put 6’9. 285-lb. Hill Greenlee at Wildcat and let him tush-push the ball up and down the field all night?
Right now only one team in district 7-6A has clinched a spot in the playoffs and that would be our friends at Lake Highlands. The Scots can join the Wildcats in the playoffs (and take the top seed in Division II) if they beat Richardson Thursday or if Pearce loses to Irving. Jesuit can earn a playoff spot by beating MacArthur and HP beats Richardson. And Berkner gets a spot by beating Nimitz. So it is likely that Lake Highlands, Highland Park, Jesuit and Berkner will represent the district in the playoffs. The two smallest schools, HP and Jesuit, will be the Division II representatives.
But if favored teams don’t win this week, we’ll need to hire some computer experts to walk us through the possibilities next week. There is even a chance that five teams could tie for second place.
Assuming the Scots beat Richardson and clinch a playoff spot, then next week the playoff race would concern the Scots if the Pearce Mustangs are in a position to earn the fourth playoff spot if they beat the Scots. Pearce would become laser-focused and would become a much-tougher opponent. And they are already tough.
In short, the Scots will focus on taking care of business this Thursday night. Richardson has scored more than 50 points twice this season and they played Lake Highlands closer than HP did.
The Scots have a chance to go deep in the playoffs but first they need to do what it takes to make the playoffs.