Box Score It had been 505 days since the Scotties last took the football field for a game and a lot has happened to the team in the year and a half since they last played. One of the most notable changes for Highland was a completely revamped coaching staff, led by Head Coach Jeff Hancock.

Based on the team's overall play on Sunday, it looks like Hancock and his staff made a lot of good decisions in the offseason and the weeks leading up to opening day.

There were several standouts for the Scotties on Sunday, but few shined as brightly as freshman Quinn Buessing. Buessing, in his collegiate debut threw for 270 yards with an impressive completion ratio, completing 27 of the 31 passes he threw. He did make a few freshman mistakes and wound up with three turnovers on the day. 

"I didn't know how the game would go on Sunday. Practices had been up and down, but a few days before the game we got locked in as a team and that's when I knew we would win. We played with heart, we came together as a team and I'm really looking forward to playing the rest of the season with these guys", said Buessing.

Another pleasant surprise for the Scotties on Sunday was running back Zyshaun Johnson, who stepped in for an injured Marvin Jordan by taking the bulk of the Scotties' running game on his shoulders. Johnson finished the day with 102 rushing yards on 25 carries, adding another 31 receiving yards. While Johnson failed to reach the end zone Sunday, he did everything in his power to get his teammates into a position to score.

"I kept telling myself like it's really here. I'm about to play my first game in college when my boy Marvin went down. That sparked me and I plugged in, even more, to go even harder," added Johnson.

Deontay Campbell also added a big offensive boost for the Scotties against Fort Scott. Campbell led all receivers in the game, totaling 88 yards and a touchdown on 7 receptions.

Defensively, the Scotties were strong for most of the day. Defensive Coordinator, Jake Landoll, said, "We started out really solid, with 7 straight 3-and-outs. Made a few mistakes late in the game, but we played really solid for game 1."

The Highland defense was led by Major Weems with 9 tackles and a pass break up, but it was a 30-yard interception return for a touchdown by Jaylin White that brought an excited Porter Family Stadium to its feet in celebration.

"These guys know the challenges we will face and the physicality that awaits us with the rest of the schedule. We will get better; our athletes want to improve and Fort Scott was a good measuring stick for where we are and where we need to get to. We will get better," added Landoll.

When asked about what worked well for the Scotties on Sunday, Head Coach Jeff Hancock was quick to point out that, "We played together. That was a point of emphasis for us to come together as a team. I was very proud of how our kids played and how well they played together. The defense did a phenomenal job of shutting them down for the most part and offensively we were able to move the ball to a lot of different people. The assistant coaches did a fantastic job of preparing the team."

The Scotties are off this weekend as they prepare to travel to meet Garden City on April 10 at 1 p.m. and they return to Highland and Porter Family Stadium on April 18 to take on the Ravens of Coffeyville at 1 p.m. As always, if you can't make it to Highland, be sure to catch us live on the Scottie Sports Network!