Football score(s) of the week

Hutchinson did Butler one better this week:

Highland........ 0 7 0 0 -- 7
Hutchinson.... 21 28 14 27 -- 90

Highland has given up 179 points in two games. Hutch's last two scores were interception returns, meaning that the Scotties have had five picks taken back to the house in two weeks. So, yeah, Highland's been outscored 35-7 by the other team's defense the past two weeks.

(Background: Highland is located in the smallest town in the Kansas Jayhawk Conference, population 1,012. It's almost impossible to recruit there because of its size, remoteness [extreme northeast Kansas] and nearly-zero budget.)

 

Yeah, but it's just an hour from KC, which makes it "tolerable"

 

Nothing tolerable about Highland. Figured, for my first visit there, I'd eat lunch at the local McDonald's or Subway. Since there was a college there, surely Highland would have one or the other, right?

Wrong. Ended up eating a slice of pizza at the Johnson's General Store.

Sadly, Highland's football stadium is one of the better ones in the conference.

 

And it's not easy to get to KC from there. It's more like an hour and a half and U.S. 36, the first 20-25 miles of that link, is not as good of a highway as it needs to be. If feels like forever just to get to St. Joe.

And, yes, Highland has been working hard on its facilities -- school-wide, not just athletics. It used creativity when rebuilding its press box, with the coaches' boxes able to double as offices and staff for smaller sports on the back half and a luxury suite on the lower level. Also since the PA announcer (who's on the board of trustees) has to use an electric wheelchair, it's probably the most handicap-friendly box you'll ever see. The odd thing is the position of the scoreboard. It's way down at one end of the track but facing where the visitors' sideline would be if it extended that far. It makes the clock nearly impossible to read unless you are in the press box. The visitors' bench can't see it at all.

The press box is probably the third best in the conference after Hutch and Coffeyville. At worst fourth, because there's a good view from Dodge City's box and they always have food. But the football program hasn't been competitive at all since joining the conference. I don't think they've ever finished higher than sixth (out of eight). Even Dodge City, which barely cares about athletics, has been able to get to the conference championship game within the past 10 seasons.

Highland is the place to go to school if you're used to being in a small town or if you don't want distractions. Out-of-state players are pretty much used to the exact opposite.

 

The press box in Coffeyville is overkill.
The press box in Hutch is sweet.