The Highland Park and Jesuit rivalry went head to head on Sep. 13, 2024, with the Scots winning through a score of 43-20. The Scots continue to hold their rivalry win streak over Jesuit’s Rangers, as this game pushed their consecutive win streak to five games.
With SMU hosting the rivalry game for the second year in a row, and the Scots being away for both games, players said they were surprised by the amount of student support.
“The atmosphere was crazy,” Senior Will Ogle said. “It was a lot of energy, the student section really showed out.”
The student support really made the SMU game feel like home, according to Ogle, making the players have a more comfortable experience overall.
“We got to be in the new locker room that was donated by a former HP football alumni. Even though we were away it was kind of a home game for us,” Ogle said.
The students really made the difference on how the Scots felt about playing at SMU’s stadium, but according to Ogle, the Scots still felt their hard work and coaching advantage prepared them for this rival game.
“Our confidence is obviously always really high because we prepare really hard during the week,” Ogle said. “Some of the coaches on the Jesuit team used to coach at Highland Park and they run the same defense as us. So, we knew what to expect going into the game.”
The Scots, according to Assistant Head Coach Grayson Wells, were expecting both a win and an interesting game.
“The kids really buckled down and practiced hard,” Wells said. “I felt like we were going to have a good game.”
With the starting kick off drawing near, students and fans began to funnel into the stadium.
After the starting kickoff, the Rangers would gain an early lead over the Scots, with them scoring a touchdown in the first minute making the game 0-7.
“Our first drive of offense, we were just a little rusty getting out there,” wide receiver Hunter Cannon said.“By the second drive-out our defense was able to shut down Jesuit, and our offense showed out.”
The Scots were quick to answer back, as sophomore quarterback Buck Randall found junior wide receiver Cannon Bozman for a 46-yard pass, securing a first down to advance the Scots to the Rangers’ 10-yard line. Two plays later the Scots were on a fourth down.
After this, the Scots called a time-out, and the coaches consulted the players for the next move.
“[Our coaches are] the best in the business,” Ogle said. “That’s why we’re able to be so successful.”
The coach’s choice was them playing the fourth down, and through this choice Randall connected with wide receiver Benton Owens, giving the Scots an opportunity to continue their possession. In turn, the Scots scored a touchdown to end the first quarter, with Randall running it into the endzone. This left the score at 12-7.
“We kind of knew then and there that we were going to win,” said Cannon. “It was only a matter of time before we knocked up that score to where we took all their hope away.”
The Scots dominated the Rangers throughout the second quarter by shutting down the Rangers offense, as two more touchdowns by junior running back Isaiah Lee and Owens and a field goal by senior kicker Reece Tiffany allowed the Scots to lead 29-7.
In the third quarter, the Scots continued to dominate after senior Running back James Lanscaster rushed for another touchdown, pushing the score to 36-7
The Rangers would score in the end of third quarter and beginning of the fourth bring the score to 36-20 with ten minutes left in the quarter.
The Scots would extend their lead further with another touchdown by junior running back Matthew White, as the game came to a close, with a final score of 43-20. The Scots went on to celebrate their victory as a team by singing the alma mater and a group prayer led by Ogle.
“Everyone did their job, and I know that kind of sounds funny, but football is a team game,” said Ogle. “When everyone does their job as a unit, we are able to create a very successful game plan.”
