High School Football Preview 2023: Highland Park Scots

TOPEKA (KSNT)- Times are changing for Highland Park football.

"It felt good to win," junior two-way player Ricky Crawford said.

Last fall the Scots broke a losing streak that dated back to 2014. Moreover, they burst onto the scene in the Meadowlark League with six wins on the year, earning a home playoff game.

"My freshman year people didn't really like care much about football," junior wide receiver Jamon Wilson said. "Now people are asking us when the game is, how we feel about practice, really everything around the school- just the energy has changed."

These guys won't be hanging a banner just for a winning season. They know there is still work to be done in turning the program around.

"The goal is to definitely keep building," Wilson said. "We got to keep on trending higher and higher, and succeed more."

The biggest challenge will be replacing Tre Richardson, who contributed over 50 touchdowns and well beyond 3,000 yards last fall.

"This is my 16th year coaching high school football. I never had a Tre and I'll probably never have a Tre again," head coach Jermaine Monroe said. "But we'll always have athletes here at HP. We're not going to be able to replace him but I think we have enough weapons that we can share the ball and still be pretty dangerous offensively."

The Scots have north of 70 players on the roster, and coach says more could join. They currently have 23 players more than last season.

The team is out to prove that 2022 was no fluke. Plus, the players and coaches understand their efforts could have long last impacts on a program that has been starved for success.

"If we keep moving forward the way we are I feel like we'll set a trend and everyone will just keep following onto it," junior quarterback Craig Sipple said.