HP Faces 7-5A Road Challenge at Red Oak

In the first half of the season, Highland Park has remained close to home, whether at Highlander Stadium or nearby SMU.

That changes down the stretch, when the Scots will spend the majority of their time on the road, including a Friday game at Red Oak that could have significant implications on playoff seeding in District 7-5A Div. I.

HP passed its first test in the geographically diverse district alignment with a 35-9 victory over Tyler last week, mostly due to an aggressive and opportunistic defense that flexed its muscle against a young Lions offense.

The Scots (4-1, 1-0) are seeking more consistency from their offense, which has flashed plenty of potential under sophomore quarterback Buck Randall. HP’s rushing game, led by senior James Lancaster, has come around recently.

Randall is averaging more than 245 passing yards per game, and his 13 touchdowns have been spread among seven different receivers.

Meanwhile, the Hawks (2-2) bounced back after back-to-back losses with impressive wins over Cedar Hill and Killeen Ellison in their past two games. Red Oak had a bye last week.

The Hawks are missing standout receiver Taz Williams, who is verbally committed to Baylor but is out with a knee injury.

However, Red Oak still has plenty of weapons remaining from a team that won its first 12 games a year ago before falling to eventual state champion Aledo in the third round of the 5A Division I playoffs.

Among the targets for dual-threat quarterback Billy Middleton are Michigan State commit Charles Taplin and speedy slot receiver Brayden Robinson. Top rusher Lorenzo Holman is bulky and strong.

Defense was an issue early for the Hawks, who allowed 82 points combined in their first two games but just 21 in the past two.

It’s a matchup between two teams with legitimate hopes of claiming a league title this season. For the Scots, they can also clear a significant hurdle heading into the upcoming bye week.