By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Editor's note: TopSports.news has finished its tour of preseason football practice at all 10 Shawnee County high schools and will be posting preview stories over the coming days leading into the opening games of the 2022 season Sept. 1-3.
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Most of Highland Park's football players were about nine or 10 years old the last time the Scots won a varsity football game, with the most recent time Hi Park tasted victory coming in a 60-26 win over Kansas City-Harmon in the second game of the 2014 season.
Since then Highland Park has suffered 65 straight defeats and second-year Scots coach Jermaine Monroe knows it's way past time for the program to put that frustrating skid in the past.
"I have a list of goals every year that I look at and I was staring at my goals all summer long and I ended deleting the whole Google doc and I just put, 'Win,' '' Monroe said. "My one and only goal this year is win, and that's what I told the boys.''
Highland Park senior Tre Richardson, who has orally committed to New Mexico State, was a TSN All-Shawnee County Top 22 selection last season. [File photo/TSN]
Senior Kei'Juan Johnson (7) returns to quarterback Highland Park this season as the Scots look to snap a 65-game losing streak. [File photo/TSN]
Highland Park has had some close calls over the past seven seasons since its last victory -- two losses by a single point, two by two points and another by just four points -- and the numbers-strapped Scots held leads in multiple games a year ago before running out of gas in the second half.
"I think our guys, even in the losses that we had, were very resilient,'' Monroe said. "Our guys came out to play and now our goal this year is to finish games. Last year we were leading games, we were leading at half and we were happy about that, but we just didn't finish. There were a few games that we were up by a few touchdowns and we ended up losing when we started gassing out.
"We want to be in the best shape that we can be in and be competitive enough to finish games. That's the goal.''
Highland Park figures to benefit from improved numbers this season, with right at 44 players on the Scots' roster in preseason.
"I think it's great, just being on campus, because me and my assistant head coach, coach (Lashad) Buffett, he's on campus, too, and we're able to see these guys every day and build relationships with them.
"But the most important thing is the senior class of guys that we have. They're all about family and we're just trying to bring the young guys in and make them feel welcome to the program.''
Highland Park returns one of the state's most dynamic players in 5-foot-11, 175-pound senior receiver/returner Tre Richardson, a TopSports.news All-Shawnee County Top 22 selection a year ago and the reigning Class 5A 200-meter dash state champ.
Richardson, who has made an oral commitment to New Mexico State, caught 32 passes for 523 yards as a junior, carried the ball 38 times for 674 yards and was one of the state's top kick/punt returners.
Other top returning players for Highland Park include seniors A'Ydren Drew-Gregory (6-2, 165 receiver/running back/defensive back), Kei'Juan Johnson (6-2, 200 quarterback/defensive back), Mackey James (5-10, 215 lineman/running back/tight end) and Gabe Davis (6-5, 260 offensive/defensive lineman).
Drew-Gregory, James and Davis all received All-Shawnee County honorable mention last season.
Highland Park begins its first season in the Meadowlark Conference this fall, opening with a home game against league foe Wyandotte on Sept. 2. The Scots will play all of their home games at Hummer Sports Park.
Highland Park
2022 football schedule
(Home games at Hummer Sports Park)
September -- 2 Wyandotte, 9 at Schlagle, 16 Summer Academy, 22 Harmon, 30 at Lincoln Prep.
October -- 7 at Atchison, 14 at Northeast, Mo., 21 at Washington, 28 Playoffs.
Next up: Rossville.
