Texas high school football is more than just a game — it’s a way of life. Dave Campbell's Texas Football is spotlighting a different program from across the Lone Star State, diving into their history, traditions, and legends. From powerhouse programs to hidden gems, Texas High School Football Spotlight is your deep dive into what makes each team unique. Whether it’s unforgettable seasons, iconic players, or fierce rivalries, this series celebrates the schools, communities, and stories that define Texas high school football.

Today's Spotlight: Highland Park Scots

The Rundown

Highland Park has everything you look for in a historic TXHSFB program. The Scots’ 912 wins are the most in state history. They have more undefeated seasons (22) than losing seasons (10). Their alumni are also some of the seminal players who shaped college and professional football. Think running back Doak Walker, whose name is on the award for best collegiate running back. Or QB Bobby Layne, an NFL Hall of Famer who at the time of his retirement ranked first in professional history in pass completions, passing yards, and passing touchdowns. Don’t remember watching those two? How about Super Bowl champion and reigning NFL MVP Matthew Stafford?

With all the Hall of Famers and state champions who’ve walked these halls, how could you possibly narrow down the best coach, player, and team in program history? We were foolish enough to try.

By The Numbers 

Class – 5A DI
Enrollment – 2,177
Location – Dallas County, 7 miles north of Dallas

Trophy Case

State Championships – 6 (1945 (Co-Champs), 1957, 2005, 2016, 2017, 2018)
State Championship Appearances – 10 (1944, 1945, 1947, 1957, 2005, 2007, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2024)
District Championships – 60 (most recent: 2025)
Playoff Appearances – 67 (most recent: 2025)

Glory Days 

Entering the Class 5A State Championship game in 2005, Highland Park had waited 48 long years to hoist the trophy. In that sense, the 59-0 bludgeoning of Marshall – the most lopsided state championship in UIL history – was total catharsis. The Scots were led by future Super Bowl champion quarterback Matthew Stafford, but running back Jake Feldt and the Scots’ defense were the stars of the day. Feldt set a Class 5A State Championship record with five touchdowns, while the defense allowed 21 total yards and two first downs. It was a fitting end for Highland Park’s 2005 ‘Band of Brothers,’ nicknamed after the 2001 HBO miniseries. Sure, they had the EA Sports National Player of the Year at quarterback. But it took an entire team to break a decades-long drought. 

While the 2005 Scots are the best singular team, the 2016-18 three-peat deserves recognition as the glory era for Highland Park. The 2017 Class 5A DII State Championship victory over Manvel is one of the best games in state history. Trailing 49-39 with three minutes to play, QB John Stephen Jones led the Scots on an improbable comeback with a UIL State Championship record 564 passing yards. The next season, QB Chandler Morris took over for Jones and brought Highland Park their first 16-0 season in program history. 

The GOAT

Legendary Highland Park head coach Randy Allen first heard the whispers about quarterback Matthew Stafford when the boy was an eighth-grader. When Allen visited the middle school and first met Stafford, he asked him what his goals were.

“I want to win a state championship,” Stafford said.

By the time his high school career concluded, Stafford had done that, and then some. He led the 2005 ‘Band of Brothers’ to Highland Park’s first state championship in 48 years. In three seasons as a starting quarterback, he threw for over 9,000 yards and 94 touchdowns, blossoming into a five-star quarterback prospect.   

Stafford became an All-American at Georgia, a No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick for the Detroit Lions, and a Super Bowl champion with the Los Angeles Rams. It’s still TBD on whether he’ll be a first-ballot NFL Hall of Famer, but he did earn the No. 4 spot on Dave Campbell’s all-time TXHSFB quarterback rankings last week.

The Architect

Highland Park made its first three state championship games in four years: 1944, 1945, and 1947. Normally, the head coach of that dynasty would be the easy answer for the program architect. The only issue is that a different man led the Scots to each of those state title games (H.N. “Rusty" Russell in 1944, Esker “Eck” Curtis in 1945, and Herman “Sleepy” Morgan in 1947). Let’s examine each man’s case.

Rusty Russell mentored foundational Highland Park players like record-setting quarterback Bobby Layne and immortalized running back Doak Walker.

Eck Curtis won the first championship in program history in 1945, sharing the title with Waco after a 7-7 tie. That game was one of the most highly attended state championships in UIL history, with 45,790 fans crammed into the Cotton Bowl. 

Sleepy Morgan was on staff for all of those games before taking over as head coach in 1946. He went 38-12 over four seasons with a state championship appearance.

Or, how about a fourth option? After the rampant success of the 1940s, Highland Park hit a slump in the early 1950s, going 24-25 from 1951 to 1955. Thurman “Tugboat” Jones pulled the Scotties out of the slump, winning 11 games in three seasons. In 1957, Jones’s Highland Park squad ended Abilene High’s 49-game winning streak in the state semifinals, then went on to win the school’s first outright state championship. 

You know what? It’s too hard to pick from these men, so I’ll cheat and pick a fifth option. For the first time in Dave Campbell’s Texas High School Football Program Spotlight series, I am picking the first football coach as the program’s architect. That’s because Floyd Betts didn’t just start the first Highland Park football team in 1923; Betts changed the school colors from orange and black to the blue and gold fans wear today. He also changed the mascot from a coyote to a Highlander, which is still the name of the school’s stadium. Those switches were just as impactful as winning three district championships in the first five years of varsity football.  

While Betts takes the title of “program architect,” it’s important that we acknowledge Randy Allen as the most decorated coach in program history. Since taking over the Scots in 1999, Allen has won fewer than 10 games twice (8-2 in 2004, 9-2 in 2012). He has also won four state championships, first with the Band of Brothers 2005 squad, then a three-peat from 2016-18. Allen, the longest-tenured head coach in TXHSFB with 45 seasons under his fedora, is 16 wins from passing the legendary Phil Danaher as the winningest coach in TXHSFB history. 

Battle Lines

The all-time score may be a little lopsided in football (Highland Park leads the series 8-1), but the rivalry with Dallas Jesuit is fierce across all sports. The game is often held at SMU’s Gerald J. Ford Stadium because the high school fields can’t fit all the community members who want to see these two teams square off. The schools may be 11 miles apart on the Dallas North Tollway, but they feel even closer – like brothers. The students all come from similar backgrounds: Dallas Jesuit is a private school, while Highland Park is tied with Southlake Carroll as the wealthiest school district in Texas. Sometimes, these opponents are even neighbors! Last fall, four Dallas Jesuit football players attended Highland Park Middle School. 

Home Turf

Opened in 1980 and named after the first football team’s mascot, Highlander Stadium has become one of Texas’s most iconic stadiums. It’s also one of the hardest to win in. The Scots had an 84-game home winning streak from the time Coach Randy Allen took over in 1999 to 2015. Some teams lose before the game kicks off because of the intimidating 9,600-capacity crowd. The opponent might not be ready, but the fans always are. Even if they forgot their spirit wear at home, they can also stop by the Scot Shop before the coin toss for some school swag. 

The Year That Was

After falling just short in the 2024 Class 5A DI State Championship, Highland Park entered the 2025 season ranked No. 4 in the state. A rare home loss to Rockwall-Heath in the season opener could’ve spelled trouble, but the Scots reeled off 12-straight wins to reach the regional final, losing to eventual state finalist Frisco Lone Star. Junior QB Buck Randall earned District 7-5A DI Overall MVP with 4,396 passing yards, 509 rushing yards, 63 total touchdowns, and nine interceptions. Three players had double-digit receiving touchdowns, headlined by WR Cannon Bozman with 1,115 yards and 16 touchdowns on over 20 yards per catch. 

Looking Ahead

The 2026 season could be a historic year for Highland Park. Coach Randy Allen is one playoff win away from passing Phil Danaher for most playoff wins in TXHSFB history. Meanwhile, QB Buck Randall is closing in on Matthew Stafford’s career passing records. The defense returns just three starters, but all are impact players. CB Dean Dulin exhibits outstanding coverage skills with 12 pass breakups and three interceptions. LB Graham Rodgers impressed after moving up from the JV team for the playoffs. DL Nick Van der Westhuizen is a physical specimen in the interior at 6-foot-4, 260 pounds.

Xs and Os

Offense – Shotgun Spread
Defense – Multiple-3-4

On the Rise 

Highland Park has two offensive linemen who enjoyed standout sophomore seasons and will be critical in protecting QB Randall on his record chase. Benton Weathersby (6-foot-2, 245 pounds) started at both right and left guard and earned Second Team All-District 7-5A DI. OT Colton Williams (6-foot-4, 255 pounds) recently earned his first Division I offer from UTEP. 

In Their Own Words

What makes your program special?

“Most wins in the history of Texas High School Football – 912 wins. Great former players – Doak Walker (Heisman), Bobby Layne (All-Pro), Dave Richards (NFL), and Matthew Stafford (MVP, Offensive Player of the Year in 2025).” Coach Randy Allen.