Fighting Scots return to action with high expectations

LAURINBURG —“We were not as fresh today as we were days prior; we started off a little sluggish,” head coach Richard Bailey said after Wednesday’s scrimmage. “But we picked it up later on in the scrimmage, and we played really well.”

After a long 10-day break, the Scotland Fighting Scots were back on the football field in the North Carolina heat, competing in a seven-on-seven scrimmage. Unlike previous weeks, when the Scots faced Grey’s Creek and St. Paul’s, this time there were seven teams in attendance: Purnell Sweet, St. Paul’s, Fairmont, Red Spring, Hoke County, Grey’s Creek and Westover.

Competition was at an all-time high, with teams ranging from junior varsity to varsity. The Scots have demonstrated this off-season that they possess the talent to catch attention; however, will the scoreboard reflect that?

New addition Matt Quinn is the offensive coordinator for the Scots after being the former head coach at St. Andrews University. Quinn is bringing an up-tempo offense that prides itself on versatility and getting the ball to playmakers in space.

“Explosive, start fast and dictate the tempo,” Quinn said. “Our main goal is to get the ball to athletes in space and take what the defense is giving us, not trying to do anything too special.”

Traditionally, the offenses at Scotland High School have been the driving force of the program. In the 2022 and 2023 seasons, the Scots averaged 30-plus points per game and won 17 games. However, last year the Scots took a step back, averaging only 28.8 points per game.

This season, Quinn and quarterback Bryson Powell are working to bring that work spark back. With versatile receivers and a dynamic group of players such as Samier Pate and Tyjurian White, the Scots have all the weapons to make this year’s offense a must-see on Friday night.

“Bryson Powell has taken great strides. Bryson has done a great job of picking up reads and understanding the offense,” Quinn said. “Our receivers have been electric for us; the diversity of our players allows them to move around the field. It gives us an advantage because we can create mismatches and headaches for defenses.”

“It’s all coming together fast,” Samier Pate stated. “We are growing together and getting that chemistry that we need. As a team, we are talented on both sides of the ball. If everyone can play their role, we have a chance to go far.”

Head coach Richard Bailey has emphasized to his team the importance of not getting carried away with seven-on-seven success, reminding them that they still finished last season with a 7-6 record.

“I don’t like to get the cart in front of the horse, because we were really good at seven-on-seven last year, but then when the season started, we went 7-6,” Bailey said.