After a 6-5 season last year under first year head coach, Aaron Arnold the Highland Scotties football team was eager to hit the football field to start the 2015 season with quite a bit of experience back. On Saturday the Scotties welcomed Garden City to town and were looking for a bit of revenge from last year's season opening three-point loss, but this time Garden City got the best of them again as Highland fell 36-28 to open the season 0-1. 

Garden City struck first with the lone score in the first quarter leading 7-0 but Highland responded with 21 unanswered points all in the second quarter as quarterback, Chandler Shantz hit Bob Pugh for a 10-yard score to tie the game at 7-7 and then Trey Elliot scored a touchdown on one-yard run and Shantz hit Troy Grant for a seven-yard TD pass to make it 21-7 Highland in the second quarter. Garden City pushed back with the final 14 points of the first half and tied the game at 21-21 going into halftime.

In the third quarter turnovers continued to hurt Highland as they did throughout the game and Garden City posted 12 points in the frame to regain the lead and never give it back. The Scotties scored their fourth touchdown of the game in the fourth quarter as Marquis Terry scored on a one touchdown run. Highland had the ball late with a chance to tie the game on a touchdown and two-point conversion but just outside the Garden City redzone the Scotties turned the ball over for the fifth time in the contest and ultimately suffered the 36-28 loss. 

Highland in the loss had their defense pick off a pair of Garden City passes and rack up 14 sacks, a new school record for a single game. Shantz finished 25-53 for 221 yards with two touchdowns and four interceptions, while connecting with 10 different receivers in the contest. Isaiah Ming led the team in rushing with 37 yards on 13 carries, while Grant and Terry caught seven and four passes, respectively for 59 yard each. Onaga native, Michael Bliss handled the kicking duties for Highland and was 4-4 on extra points. 

The Scotties won't hit the field again in the 2015 until Saturday, September 12th when they travel to Iowa Western for a non-conference match up.