Plenty at Stake Tonight For Scots, Jaguars

Highland Park's Stephen Dieb scored four touchdowns last week against Richardson Pearce. (Photo: Chris McGathey)
HP’s Stephen Dieb scored four touchdowns last week against Richardson Pearce. (Photo: Chris McGathey)

When the UIL announced its redistricting assignments in February, the big news wasn’t that Highland Park would jump to Class 6A — that was already known at the time — but who their district opponents would be.

Among football folks, the initial reaction was the Scots got a favorable draw under the circumstances, with the Richardson and Mesquite schools keeping travel to a minimum (three trips to Mesquite, as it turns out) and placing HP with schools of similar size.

In terms of competition, District 10-6A also put the Scots in a district in which they would likely be able to contend immediately for a league title. The primary obstacle to such an accomplishment, some said, would likely be Mesquite Horn.

So tonight’s showdown between the Scots (5-0, 2-0) and Jaguars (4-1, 2-0) at Hanby Stadium might have more at stake than the average midseason clash. The winner will take sole possession of first place in the 10-6A standings, and will have the inside track to the top Division II playoff seed from the district.

The Scots will try to keep alive a 36-game winning streak in district play that dates back to 2008. But they’ll need to contend with a Horn squad that will have both a size and speed advantage, and has been more battle-tested through the first half of the season.

Horn has averaged 52 points per game in a pair of lopsided victories to start league play behind sophomore quarterback Chris Robison, who has emerged as one of the top passers in the area. He threw five touchdown passes last week, all in the first half, during a 62-12 road win over Richardson Berkner.

Thus far, HP’s transition to the 6A level has been remarkably smooth, with three shutouts in five games and an offense that averages almost 50 points per game.

Brooks Burgin has accumulated 1,223 passing yards and 12 touchdowns, with a deep corps of receivers including Kevin Ken, Campbell Brooks, and Andrew Frost.

Meanwhile, Stephen Dieb has become a weapon at running back, with two straight 100-yard games. He scored four touchdowns in a 56-0 drubbing of Richardson Pearce last week.

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