Randall Emerges as Scots’ Steady Sophomore Leader

Despite being the youngest player on the team, QB has ability, maturity

Buck Randall remembers telling his mother when he was in third grade that he would be starting quarterback as a sophomore in high school. Nobody could have predicted then the validity of his primary-school prophecy.

Randall followed through by earning the starting nod for Highland Park this year, becoming the first sophomore to lead the Scots offense since Matthew Stafford more than two decades ago.

But it’s more than just wishful thinking that got Randall to this point. His elite array of skills and abilities enabled him to win a four-way battle for the starting role — with three fellow signal-callers who are older and more experienced — that lasted through the spring and into fall practice.

“It was always my main goal,” Randall said. “I had been working toward that.”

He was named the starter only a few days before the season opener against Rockwall-Heath, a game in which he had two touchdown passes and a rushing score.

“Buck is an accurate passer that makes good decisions,” said longtime HP head coach Randy Allen. “He has the ability to turn a bad play into a good play by scrambling while keeping his eyes down the field. He is tough and durable so he can take a hit, and he has good running ability.”

Randall was a standout for the HP freshman team last season, but now he’s playing in front of thousands of fans rather than dozens. That required an adjustment and a calming of the nerves.

“It is so different,” Randall said. “It takes about a drive or two to realize I’m just playing football, and I’ve been doing this a long time.”

It didn’t take Randall long to settle in. He was stellar during an early-season win over neighborhood rival Jesuit Dallas. He surpassed 1,000 passing yards in just four games against some strong defenses.

However, beyond his statistics, Randall has shown an uncommon poise and maturity in commanding such a complex offense as the youngest player on the entire roster.

“He is a leader and competes for the team,” Allen said. “He has receivers that can make difficult catches. He has an offensive line and running backs that can pass-block to give him time to throw.”

After he became a starting candidate, Randall developed chemistry during the offseason with some of his senior teammates that has since paid off. They have helped him improve in terms of reading defenses and learning from mistakes such as turnovers and sacks.

That camaraderie extends to his fellow quarterbacks who are now Randall’s backups, ready to help however they can.

“It’s all love in the QB room. We’re all good friends now,” Randall said. “There’s no beef. It’s all encouragement.”