Scots Head to Richland for an Early District Showdown 10/02/2026
Last Friday while the Scots were takin’ care of business (cue Bachman-Turner Overdrive) against Naaman Forest, 38-7, they also picked up a win in the record book when Lewisville was forced to forfeit its season-opening victory over Highland Park because of an ineligible quarterback.
None of that makes this Friday any easier.
The Scots head to North Richland Hills to face an unbeaten Richland team that is 5-0 and ranked No. 9 by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football. If you’re getting tired of the Scots facing teams capable of putting 50 points on the board, you’ve got one more to endure.
And this one matters. Both Highland Park and Richland opened District 6-5A Division I play with victories, so Friday night could go a long way toward shaping the district race.
The Challenge at Richland
Richland has been impressive through five games. The Royals opened with a 42-7 win over Frisco Wakeland, followed with victories over Haltom (49-21), Brewer (51-32), Colleyville Heritage (47-29) and Carrollton Creekview (63-7).
The name the Scots will hear plenty on Friday is Jayshon Gibson.
Gibson is a four-star running back committed to UCLA and is ranked among the top running backs in the Class of 2027. Through five games he has rushed for 735 yards on 76 carries, averaging nearly 10 yards every time he touches the ball on the ground.
He has scored 16 touchdowns — 14 rushing and two receiving.
Two weeks ago, the Royals found themselves trailing Colleyville Heritage, 29-23, after three quarters. They then scored 24 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to win, 47-29.
Gibson was the story. He rushed for 301 yards and four touchdowns and added another touchdown through the air. That is the kind of performance that can change a game quickly.
Richland showed another side of itself last week. Quarterback Brett Kates directed an offense that scored 63 points against Creekview, while the Royals’ defense held the Mustangs to just 165 total yards.
In other words, the Scots aren't simply facing a team that can score. They’re facing an experienced, balanced team that has been difficult to stop.
The Buck Randall Watch
Buck Randall enters Friday as Highland Park’s all-time leading passer.
On the Scots’ side of the ball, the Buck Randall record watch continues.
Randall has now thrown for 9,865 career yards after already surpassing Matthew Stafford’s Highland Park record of 8,958. That is a remarkable sentence when you consider the quarterbacks who have come through this program.
The Dallas-Fort Worth public-school career passing record belongs to our old friend Graham Harrell of Ennis, who finished with 12,532 yards.
Randall still has plenty of ground to cover, and it would take some very large passing nights to get there, but considering the way Highland Park throws the football, it is a record worth watching as the season continues.
Another Record Within Reach
Coach Randy Allen has another piece of Texas high school football history directly in front of him.
Allen is tied with former Calallen coach Phil Danaher with 93 career playoff victories, the most in Texas high school football history. Highland Park’s next postseason victory would put Allen alone at the top of the list.
That milestone would be another remarkable chapter for a program that already stands as the all-time leader in victories in Texas high school football.
Remembering Rusty Combes
Former Highland Park and SMU standout offensive lineman Richard Neely contacted me with the news that his HP teammate, Rusty Combes, passed away last week.
Combes was a solid Scots linebacker who was involved in a horrific automobile accident in Austin while he was attending the University of Texas. He survived the crash but was partially paralyzed and lived with a speech impairment.
His personality still shined through. His family, friends, classmates and teammates were inspired by his spirit and attitude.
Combes and Neely were members of the 1976 Highland Park team that finished 12-1 and reached the state quarterfinals before losing to Temple.
Think about the turnaround that team represented. Highland Park had gone 1-9 in 1974 and 5-5 in 1975. Then came the 12-1 season in 1976 under Coach Frank Bevers.
Those Scots helped re-establish the winning tradition that generations of Highland Park players have carried forward.
The tradition has only grown stronger during the Randy Allen era, and Highland Park today stands as the winningest program in Texas high school football history.