By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
It's been a tough three weeks for Highland Park's football team.
But it was smiles all around after the Scots, playing their first game since Sept. 19, rolled to a 42-18 Homecoming win over Meadowlark Conference rival Atchison Thursday night at Hummer Sports Park.
Highland Park senior quarterback Dontrail Fox got the Scots started with a 73-yard touchdown pass in Thursday's 42-18 win over Atchison. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Junior JoJo Kingcannon had another big night Thursday as Highland Park remained undefeated on the field in a 42-18 win over Atchison. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
"It felt great,'' said Highland Park coach Jermaine Monroe, who picked up his first win over Atchison in five tries. "We had two weeks off, so we kind of treated it like it was the end of the season. We analyzed everything, we made some adjustments and changes and we were really competitive in practice.
"I think (the layoff) made us stronger. We went through some situations that were tough, that we could not control, but we learned from it and we bounced back from it and got stronger. And it put us in a position to be mentally stronger this game.''
The Scots, who improved to 4-2 overall and 4-1 in the conference, had been forced to forfeit its previous two games in the wake of a Week 3 onfield altercation with Kansas City-Schlagle, but after forcing an Atchison punt on the Phoenix' opening possession, it took Highland Park just five plays to strike for a 73-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Dontrail Fox to junior JoJo Kingcannon (conversion run failed) and the hosts never looked back.
Junior G'Honi Montgomery helped lead Highland Park to a 42-18 win over Atchison Thursday night at Hummer Sports Park. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Highland Park made it a 14-0 late in the opening quarter on 2-yard run from junior G'Honi Montgomery and a two-point conversion pass from Kingcannon to senior Tremaine Savage and Atchison (3-3, 3-2) got no closer the rest of the night.
Highland Park's defense stops Atchison in Thursday's 42-18 win over the Phoenix. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The Scots took a 20-6 advantage to the locker room at the half after a 57-yard TD from Fox to Montgomery and scored three plays into the second half on a 52-yard pass from Fox to Savage and capitalized on an Atchison fumble with a 55-yard highlight-film run from senior Genesis Cooper and a two-point conversion pass from Fox to Montgomery to put the game out of reach at 34-6 with 7:14 left in the third quarter.
"Coming back on the field and really getting that chemistry back, it feels good,'' Cooper said. "This (a win over Atchison) gets a monkey off our back and that feels good.''
The Phoenix scored a pair of fourth-quarter TDs to get within 34-18 before Fox scored on a 31-yard run and Kingcannon hit sophomore Lorenzo Sullivan-Sowell with a two-point conversion pass to account for the final score.
"We got the lead and kept the lead and then when it got down to within two minutes left, that's when the smiles started happening and it was like, 'This thing's really about to happen,' so it's amazing,'' Monroe said.
Highland Park is scheduled to be off next week after KC-East opted not to field a team in 2025, but the Scots are still hopeful of finding a Week 7 opponent.
HIGHLAND PARK 42, ATCHISON 18
Atchison (3-3, 3-2) 0 6 0 12 -- 18
Highland Park (4-2, 4-1) 14 6 14 8 -- 42
Highland Park -- Kingcannon 73 pass from Fox (run failed)
Highland Park -- Montgomery 2 run (Savage pass from Kingcannon)
Atchison -- Thompson 7 run (pass failed)
Highland Park -- Montgomery 57 pass from Fox (pass failed)
Highland Park -- Savage 52 pass from Fox (run failed)
Highland Park -- Cooper 55 run (Montgomery pass from Fox)
Atchison -- J. Thompson 32 pass from Bonnel (run failed)
Atchison -- Greenly 20 run (run failed)
Highland Park -- Fox 31 run (Sullivan-Sowell pass from Kingcannon)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing -- Atchison: Boldridge 13-133, Greenly 5-34, Bilderback 5-15, Purdy 1-8, J. Thompson 1-7, Bonnel 7-0, K. Thompson 1-(minus)-9. Highland Park: Cooper 8-71, Montgomery 14-51, Kingcannon 9-50, Fox 8-29, King 2-14, McMillon 1-(minus)-3.
Passing -- Atchison: Bonnel 14-25-0, 119 yards. Highland Park: Fox 5-9-0, 216; Kingcannon 2-2-0, 11.
Receiving -- Atchison: J. Thompson 4-61, Purdy 4-15, Bilderback 3-13, Boldridge 2-8, Lutz 1-4. Highland Park: Savage 3-86, Kingcannon 1-73, Montgomery 2-60, Sullivan-Sowell 1-8.
Punting -- Atchison: Bonnel 3-46.0. Highland Park: Fox 1-35.0.
