2024 Pigskin & Hoops Preview: Highland Park Scots Football

TEAM: Highland Park Scots

CLASSIFICATION: 5A

LEAGUE: Meadowlark Conference

COLORS: Green & Red

SOCIAL MEDIA: @FightingScotsFB on Twitter

HEAD COACH: Jermaine Monroe (4th year, 15-15)

2023 RECORD: 7-3 (5A Regional runners-up)

2023 IN REVIEW

The days of Highland Park football as doormat are a thing of the past. The Scots proved their breakout 2022 campaign was no one-year wonder, posting six regular season victories for a second consecutive year. Losses to Atchison and Washington denied the Scots a shot at a Meadowlark Conference championship, but their record was still good enough to earn the third seed in the 5A East bracket. The Scots drew league rival Harmon in the first round of the playoffs and made some more history, shellacking the Hawks 55-7 to earn the program’s first playoff win since 1973! A loss to Shawnee Heights in regionals brought their season to an end, but did little to dampen the continued excitement building around Coach Monroe’s revitalized program. While they regret not putting forth better showings against the toughest teams on their schedule, the success of the 2023 season adds another layer to the foundation the Scots are building.

KEY DEPARTURES 

Only three seniors graduated from last year’s team, and of that group, only Amari Taylor was a significant contributor to either side of the ball. He led the Scots in rushing with 651 yards on 72 carries and was a second-team All-Conference selection on offense, while also seeing time at defensive back. The Scots did have some unexpected losses heading into fall camp, with standout seniors Ja’Corey Robinson and Mikey Williams Jr., who projected to be big parts of the offense, deciding to forgo football to focus on basketball. Lineman Adrian Burney, who was first-team All-Conference on the offensive and defensive lines, suffered a knee injury and will miss the season as well.

TOP RETURNERS

Nineteen starters are back for Coach Monroe’s Scots this season, nine of whom earned some level of All-Conference honors.  Offensively, junior center Andres Ochoa-Perez (honorable mention) and sophomore Tayseaun Rouser (second team) join Burney to help form a formidable front five. Defensively senior Elijah Thomas posted 8.5 sacks to lead the team in 2023. Ricky Crawford emerged as a standout linebacker as a junior last year, recording a team high 78 tackles and picking up first-team All-Conference plaudits. He and junior Jamelle Wms-Sanders are stalwarts on the second level. Junior defensive back Tremaine Savage was a first-team All-Conference selection with a team-high 15 passes defensed. His fellow DB, senior Jamon Wilson, recorded three interceptions and was honorable mention All-Conference. Offensively, Coach Monroe is spoiled for choice at QB, with senior Craige Sipple his leading returning passer, and junior Dontrail Fox coming off an outstanding year with the JV and a promising varsity cameo. Wilson led the team in receiving yards last year with 544 yards on just 27 receptions, and also rushed for 368 yards. He was a second-team All-Conference receivers. Sophomore G’Honi Montgomery, who rushed for 352 yards on just 34 carries in an impressive debut, will step into the primary ball-carrying role. And keep an eye out for senior CJ Brown, who Coach Monroe says might be the most dynamic offensive weapon on the roster.

2024 SCHEDULE:

9/6 vs Wyandotte

9/13 @ Sumner Academy

9/20 @ Schlagle

9/27 vs Harmon

10/4 @ Wichita East

10/11 @ Atchison

10/17 (Thurs.) vs East KC (MO)

10/24 (Thurs.) vs Washington

Meadowlark Conference

2024 OUTLOOK

The ingredients are in place for the Scots to continue their upward trajectory. Coach Monroe has never had a team this experienced with this much production returning. With nine seniors with starting experience returning, this will be a veteran group who has both experienced the excitement of the program’s rise the last two seasons and will desire to take it up one more notch before they graduate. The two-week stretch where the Scots play road games at Wichita East and two-time defending Meadowlark Conference champions Atchison will be season-defining for the Scots, who were disappointed to suffer a blowout home loss to the Phoenix last year and know that part of taking the next step as a program is to play their best football in the biggest games. If the Scots can turn the table on the Phoenix this season, they could claim the Meadowlark crown and continue setting new standards for the program.

FROM THE COACH’S HEADSET 

“The quotes of the year are ‘live in the moment’ and ‘don’t witness history – be a part of it’. This is going to be the strongest team I’ve ever coached in my 16 years of coaching!” – Jermaine Monroe

–Dan Lucero

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