1A Six Man

Week Eleven 1A Team of the Week: Highland Hornets

by
Adam Ogburn
November 9

Highland Hornets named Texas HS Football's Week Eleven 1A Team of the Week after defeating Baird 62-54 to clinch their first playoff berth since 2017.

1A Team of the Week: Highland Hornets

Heading into this season, Highland had not made the playoffs since 2017, but they entered this past Friday with a golden opportunity to end that drought.

The winner of the District 7-1A Division I showdown between Baird and Highland would punch a ticket to the postseason.

It didn’t disappoint.

Baird jumped out to a 30-16 halftime lead before the Hornets rattled off 30 unanswered points to take a 44-30 advantage in the fourth quarter.

Baird would eventually tie the game up at 54, but a nine yard touchdown pass from Highland quarterback Rhyder Glass to Aikman Anderson ended up being the difference in a thrilling 62-54 victory.

“I was most impressed with our team’s resiliency and ability to battle adversity throughout a game that was filled with so many ups and downs,” Highland head coach Bryson Oliver said. “It really has been the story of not only the year, but in my 3 years here at Highland. We have been training these kids to battle adversity and never give up, and it was cool to see it come to life on the field Friday night.”

Jaxton Fullwood was the engine of the Highland offense on Friday with 28 carries for 254 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Glass also made a number of big plays through the air, finishing with 117 passing yards and four touchdowns.

Anderson had two touchdown receptions, while Rhett Glass and Brandt Skoviera each had one apiece.

With the win, Highland finishes the regular season 7-3 and 4-1 in district play. The Hornets will now get ready to make their long-awaited return to the playoffs this Thursday with a bi-district showdown against Menard.

“Making the playoffs for the first time in 9 years is something we have talked about as a group ever since realignment came out back in February,” Oliver said. “This is a program and a community with a lot of great history, especially on the football side, so it is truly a blessing that I was put in a place to help lead this program back into the playoffs again.”