LAURINBURG — Oh, how good it feels to have football back in Scotland County.
Tuesday was the first day of summer workouts for the Scotland High football team. Fueled by last year’s one-point loss in the third round of the playoffs and the fact that a state championship was within their grasp, the Scots enter the 2026-27 year with the motto ‘hunting the ring.’
“Elite is the standard,” head coach Richard Bailey said. “The guys know we were close last year to a state championship but also just how hard they have to work to get back there. We have to be elite at everything we do. If you’re not pushing for that, you will not play.”
As three-star running back Michael McLean put it, “The goal this year is to win the state championship.”
Despite losing several key players from last year’s team, the Scots have retained and acquired talent that will help them stay among the elite.
Headlined by three-star running back Michael McLean, Scotland’s offense remains intact, with four of their five offensive linemen returning, dynamic playmakers Samier Pate and Nasiah McLean on the outside, and new addition Nazire’ Campbell, whom coaches have raved about in the off-season.
But, for this offense to thrive, new signal-caller Collin Hill will have to answer the question that plagued the team last year: Can he threaten defenses with his arm?
Offensively, Scotland averaged 86.3 passing yards per game last year while completing 95 of 166 passes for 1,035 yards, eight touchdowns and seven interceptions. To put that into perspective, the national average was 104.3 passing yards per game, along with 78 completions on 140 attempts for 1,120 yards, 12 touchdowns and six interceptions.
“Collin Hill has looked good; he has a grasp of what we’re doing offensively. One thing about Collin: he’s going to work extremely hard; he’s a quiet leader, and the guys rally around him,” Bailey said.
Hill was last year’s backup quarterback to then-starter Bryson Powell. In five appearances, he completed nine of 20 attempts for 113 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Entering his second year, Hill said he is much more comfortable in the offense.
“I’m confident going into the season; I put in the work to be where I am now,” Hill said. “Last year I was trying to learn the playbook, but this year the offense has revolved around me.”
“I want to make opposing defenses really watch film when they play our offense and not just stack the box. The receivers and I have gotten our chemistry down to where we can score points through the air,” he added.
With the first day of summer workouts out of the way, Collin Hill will have a huge target on his back stepping in as the new face of the Scotland High football team. The question now is: can he lead the Scots to a state championship?
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