Temperatures may be soaring in the 100’s but fall football will not be delayed. If you have a son playing high school football you are aware that practices have been reworked to prevent the players being subjected to the extreme hot outdoor temperatures our area is experiencing this year. With these adjustments comes some drawbacks, while the players health and well being is first and foremost in making these adjustments, they may not be prepared for that first steaming hot Friday Night football game. The balancing factor is that all area teams are facing the same challenge.
A rite of passage every August is the inner squad scrimmage, the offense takes it’s place on one sideline of Highlander field with the defense on the other sideline. Water is always available thanks to the tireless work of the trainers who come early to set up in addition to taping players and stay late to clean up and ice players afterwards.
This year Highland Park has an abundance of quarterbacks on display. Seniors include Warren Peck, Parker Thompson and Cade Trotter. Warren Peck has been waiting in the wings for his turn to lead the Scots while picking up valuable knowledge and experience and evidently more height, Warren has no problem seeing over the line as he looks downfield for receivers. Parker Thompson left Highland Park for his junior season but has returned as an Air Force commit, Thompson likes to run the ball and evade tacklers. Lastly, Cade Trotter who attended Highland Park school when he was younger, his family moved away for his father’s Toby Trotter’s job, a former Scots’ football coach. The family has returned to the Park Cities for Cade’s senior year.
The Scots showcased some passes, a variety of running backs and the always reliable kicking team. Scrimmages were held all morning, one squad after another Saturday August 12th with the final scrimmage coming to a close as the temperatures began to rise.
While the coaches were still assessing players and trying out different combinations it was clear the team is still a little work in progress, a scrimmage next week against Plano East will flush out more positives and hopefully less negatives as this young team continues to find its footing.
