Prolific Partners Messer, Walker Give Defenders Nightmares

HP’s top-scoring duo has been playing together since elementary school

The sting of last season’s playoff exit had barely worn off, but Coleson Messer and Dylan Walker knew the situation and the commitment it would require.

Highland Park was transitioning to Class 6A in basketball, and much of the team’s firepower was graduating. The spotlight was now on them, and they decided to tackle it like they always had — together.

Messer and Walker are the leading scorers for a Scots team contending for a title in a challenging District 7-6A and hoping for another deep postseason run against stiffer competition.

Their chemistry dates to fifth grade when they first played alongside one another and developed their complementary skillsets.

“That helps a lot,” Walker said. “That’s a reason we’ve been successful.”

Still, the development from their junior to senior years has been noteworthy — not just because they play more significant roles or more minutes for the Scots, but because of that commitment during the offseason.

“We knew it was going to be a lot more difficult, especially in our district,” Walker said. “You don’t get any easy games. It keeps us focused.”

Moving to a nationally prominent summer program came with some sacrifices. Messer and Walker skipped a spring break trip to Florida to attend preseason workouts. They missed prom to play in a tournament in Indiana.

Walker has always been a lanky guard and Messer a bulkier forward, but with both standing at 6-foot-4, they have become more interchangeable in an era defined less by positions and more by roles. Messer is adept at shooting from the perimeter, while Walker can grab rebounds and defend in the paint.

“It helps with mismatches, too,” Messer said. “Our teammates help to create so many shots.”

In addition to their shooting prowess, the Scots have always been known for crisp ball movement and opportunistic transition baskets, something that wouldn’t be possible without contributions from fellow seniors such as Jackson Heis, Drew McElroy, and Jordan Stribling.

Before the season, Messer and Walker casually spoke of an ambitious goal to combine for 35 points every game — not as a way of focusing on their statistics, but because they knew HP’s success could depend on it.

“We’ve been putting the work in,” Messer said. “For us, it’s whatever needs to happen for us to win.”