ScotSports.com Blog

I spoke with HP football coach Randy Allen at halftime of tonight's boys basketball game, and, surprise, we talked football.

The Scots have two of their three non-district games apparently set for the 2010 and 2011 seasons. HP is already contracted to open both seasons taking on Everman in the Tom Landry Classic. Beyond that, Allen said he's got a verbal agreement to play Sherman, and may also agree to play Prepa Tec, a team out of Monterey, Mexico, in non-district action the next two years.  Sherman has been a frequent opponent on HP's schedules in years past, and the Everman-Sherman combination would seriously upgrade HP's non-district slate from previous seasons.

Prepa Tec played at Allen the past two seasons, losing 35-21 this fall, and has made a handful of other visits to take on D/FW teams in the past. Allen said he's consider playing Prepa Tec in order to guarantee HP has at least five home games each season, with the assumption HP is realigned into an eight-team district next spring and has only three non-district dates available. Prepa Tec would come to Highlander Stadium both seasons.

All scheduling is unofficial until at least Feb. 1, 2010, which Allen said is the first day that binding contracts can be signed.

Kaitlyn Read erupted for a career-high 24 points, and HP came back from a five-point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter for a key 62-56 win over Richardson Pearce at Highlander Fieldhouse.

The win keeps HP in a tie for second place in District 10-4A with a 2-1 record, one game behind Rockwall. Guard and wing play were essential for the Lady Scots. Sydney McDaniel and Katherine Krause each scored nine points, and Hartley Hobson had eight among other HP scoring.

The Lady Scots are 9-6 on the season, and will take part of the holidays off before facing nationally-ranked Irving MacArthur in the first round of the Dallas ISD/Coca-Cola Tournament on Dec. 28.

Pearce's Darius Revels hit a three-pointer at the buzzer Friday night to send HP home with another crushing loss, this one a 45-44 nail-biter in both teams' District 10-4A opener. The Scots (6-6, 0-1) rallied from a three-point deficit in the final minute and had a two-point lead with 1.6 seconds left. Revels' shot came from two steps beyond the arc at the top of the key.

Daniel Edwards led HP with 17 points.

HP plays at Everman at 1 p.m. Monday hoping to end a two-game losing streak. The Scots lost a one-point decision last Saturday at Burkburnett on another jumper at the buzzer.

HP senior receiver Chris Hipps earned first-team all-state honors from the Texas Associated Press Sports Editors on the selection list released today. Hipps (6-4, 212 lbs.) caught 68 passes for 1,304 yards and 15 touchdowns during the regular season and was the Scots' scoring leader. He finished the season with the 11-2 Scots with 84 catches for 1,577 yards and 17 touchdowns, averaging 18.8 yards per catch.

Hipps has signed a letter-of-intent to play lacrosse at Duke, but is also considering playing football for the Blue Devils as well.

HP senior center Matt Gibson (6-2, 265) also made the second team.

Senior quarterback Luke Woodley, senior defensive end Matt Sealy, senior linebacker Charlie Foose and junior linebacker Jake Howeth were honorable mention candidates on the TAPSE teams. Look to the ScotsSports.com home pages for more on the all-state football teams.

HP fans don't have to look or go very far to see the state's best teams. Go north (No. 3 Frisco and No. 10 Frisco Wakeland), west (No. 2 Mansfield Timberview), east (No. 4 West Mesquite and No. 8 Rockwall) or south (No. 6 Waxahachie or No. 9 Waco Midway) and you'll find a team in the surrounding counties that is ranked in the top 10 of this week's TABC poll.

Region II has an amazing six of the top 10 teams in this week's Class 4A poll. There are eight Region II teams in the top 25, and three from District 9-4A, which HP's district will face in the first round of the playoffs. HP (8-6) is not ranked in this week's poll.

Here are this week's state rankings courtesy of the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches and the Texas Girls Coaches Association:

Texas Association of Basketball Coaches
Class 4A poll, Dec. 14, 2009
1. Canyon (13-0)
2. Mansfield Timberview (11-1)
3. Frisco (12-2)
4. West Mesquite (13-3)
5. Schertz Cibolo Steele (16-1)
6. Waxahachie (11-2)
7. Del Valle (16-1)
8. Rockwall (14-3)
9. Waco Midway (11-5)
10. Frisco Wakeland (11-2)
11. Hendrickson (13-2)
12. Stephenville (9-2)
13. Denton Ryan (10-4)
14. McKinney North (12-1)
15. Rockport-Fulton (14-3)
16. Mont Bellvieu Barbers Hill (12-3)
17. Livingston (12-0)
18. Beaumont Central (12-3) 
19. Springtown (11-3)
20. Longview (11-3)
21. Wolfforth Frenship (8-3)
22. Saginaw (14-2)
23. Willis (10-4) 
24. Dripping Springs (15-6)
25. Houston Yates (6-0)

Texas Girls Coaches Association
Class 4A rankings, Dec. 14, 2009 (no records provided)
1. Canyon
2. Schertz Cibolo Steele
3. Del Valle
4. Saginaw
5. Rockwall
6. West Mesquite
7. Frisco
8. Livingston
9. Hendrickson
10. Rockport-Fulton
11. McKinney North
12. Stephenville
13. Mansfield Timberview
14. Waxahachie
15. Waco Midway
16. Austin Lake Travis
17. Frisco Wakeland
18. Wolfforth Frenship
19. Plainview
20. Dripping Springs

The Texas Association of Basketball Coaches' state poll is still a work in progress in determining who are the best teams in the state. How else to explain Fort Worth's Arlington Heights' exclusion until this week, and then the Yellow Jackets debuting all the way up at No. 6 with their 16-0 record? Or Killeen's first ranking coming in at No. 9 this week? Houston Waltrip lost its only game last week, and moved up from No. 20 to No. 13. Huh?

At any rate, HP's runner-up performance at the Burkburnett Tournament dropped it to No. 24 in this week's poll. The Scots have played a grueling schedule of late against Cedar Hill (then-No. 1 in TABC's 5A poll), Flower Mound Marcus (No. 9 in 5A) and Burkburnett (No. 9 in 3A) in the past two weeks, and now faces No. 20 Richardson Pearce  on Friday in both teams' District 10-4A opener.

Here is this week's state poll, with records provided by the TABC website:

Texas Association of Basketball Coaches
Class 4A poll, Dec. 14, 2009
1. Houston Yates (6-0)
2. Dallas Lincoln (11-0)
3. La Marque (11-1)
4. Lancaster (9-2)
5. Austin Lake Travis (10-3)
6. Fort Worth Arlington Heights (16-0)
7. Kerrville Tivy (9-3)
8. Amarillo Palo Duro (7-3)
9. Killeen (11-3)
10. Austin Johnson (8-4)
11. Friendswood (9-2)
12. Dallas Kimball (6-6)
13. Houston Waltrip (6-2)
14. Del Valle (9-4)
15. Austin Reagan (7-5)
16. Brenham (5-2)
17. The Colony (7-6)
18. Mansfield Timberview (8-6)
19. Frisco Wakeland (6-5)
20. Richardson Pearce (8-4)
21. Mansfield Legacy (5-5)
22. Humble Kingwood Park (7-5)
23. Houston Jones (4-3)
24. HP (6-5)
25. Pearland Dawson (6-5)

BURKBURNETT - Derrell Gibbs dribbled nearly the length of the floor and sank a high-arching shot off the backboard at the buzzer as Burkburnett won its own Bulldog Classic with a 66-65 win over HP on Saturday. It was a downer game for a Scots team that had flourished with its inside game all weekend, but couldn't stop Gibbs' shot from just inside the lane.

Scots post Daniel Edwards scored a career-high 30 points in the loss and had his way in the paint all afternoon. HP had its shots falling from the outside, too, and hit all but two of its free throws in the see-saw game. It will be a long bus ride home with this loss on their minds.

HP plays at Richardson Pearce next Friday at 7:30 p.m. in the district opener.

BURKBURNETT - It's a cold 28 degrees here along the Red River tonight, but the frigid air  affected only one team here tonight at HP moved past Lawton (Okla.) Eisenhower 62-48 to advance to the title game of the Burkburnett Tournament.

HP guard David Allen was a hot shooter early, and post Daniel Edwards had his way for the most part inside with nine first-half points and 19 overall. The Scots' consistent makes from the outside drew Eisenhower's defense out and left Edwards with plenty of room to work.

HP, ranked No. 18 in the TABC state poll, faces host Burkburnett in the championship game Saturday at 2:30 p.m. Saturday. Burkburnett is No. 10 in the TABC Class 3A poll and has destroyed its two opponents in the tournament so far. HP will have its hands full tomorrow.

I just got done broadcasting HP's opening round game of the Burkburnett Tournament. The Scots fought off a 14-point rally by Whitehouse in the second half with a scoring run of their own and got a satisfying 49-44 win over their East Texas 4A counterparts. HP (5-4) will face Lawton (Okla.) Eisenhower in the semifinals at 6 p.m. Friday.

The Scots led 35-23 at the end of the third quarter, holding the Wildcats to one field goal in the quarter and scoreless for the first six minutes while posting an 11-0 run. The Scots' inside game of Daniel Landess and Rex Huddleston worked throughout the game, and the posts combined for 24 points with their offensive rebounding and follow-shots. Huddleston came up with two crucial steals down the stretch for HP, and Edwards came just short of a double-double with 14 points and nine rebounds.

HP kept its close into the second half, but couldn't stay with Flower Mound Marcus in a 57-47 loss on the road Tuesday night. The Scots, who fell to 4-4 on the season, trailed by only one at halftime. But Marcus rang up a 16-7 margin in the quarter, and HP could come no closer.

Both teams entered the game state-ranked - Marcus is No. 7 in the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches' Class 5A poll this week, and HP is No. 18 in the 4A state poll.

Daniel Edwards led HP with 13 points, followed by Luke Turpin (9), David Allen (9), Caleb Landes (5), Ryan Massad (4), Jon Jessen (4) and Zach Chu (3).

HP travels to Burkburnett for the Union Square Bulldog Classic beginning Thursday. The Scots face Whitehouse in the opening round quarterfinals at 8:30 p.m. HP will face either Plainview or Lawton (Okla.) Eisenhower in Friday's second round.