Catching Up on Some Football Accolades
The season might be over, but the awards keep pouring in for the Highland Park football team following a 13-2 record and an appearance in the Class 4A Division II state semifinals.
Something we mentioned in our weekly Plaid Report (subscribe here for free) but neglected to bring up here on the blog is that several HP players were recognized in all-state voting by the Associated Press.
Offensive lineman Tony Richards, defensive lineman Andrew Clyde, linebacker Mitchell Kaufman, and kicker Will Sanders each also earned honorable mention all-state recognition.
Congratulations are also due for longtime Scots coach Randy Allen, who was given the prestigious Grant Teaff Lifetime Achievement Award on Monday by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at the annual American Football Coaches Association convention in Indianapolis.
Allen has been coaching football in Texas for 34 years, including the last 15 at Highland Park, where his record of 174-21 includes a state title in 2005. Allen is just the second high school coach ever to win the award, putting him alongside Brownwood legend Gordon Wood.
“It means that I’ve been coaching a long time,” said Allen, who added he has no plans to retire anytime soon.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, Scots junior quarterback Brooks Burgin was honored as the newcomer of the year at a banquet unveiling The Dallas Morning News annual all-area football team.
Looking ahead to next season, the editors at Dave Campbell’s Texas Football don’t think the transition to Class 6A will be much of a problem for the Scots. The magazine revealed its first 6A rankings for the upcoming year, which will be published later this month. And Highland Park checks in at No. 10, as the only current 4A school on the list.
