Scots or Highlanders?

Why does Upland High School have two nicknames? Are we the Scots or are we the Highlanders? According to Wikipedia, “The term Scots is in direct reference to the Highlanders and not to the whole of Scotland. Unlike the Highlander, the Lowlander were a mix of Romans, Frisian, Angles, Saxons, Danes, Norwegians, Normans, and Flemings just as the Englishman immediately to the south of them were.” Therefore we are both the Scots and the Highlanders and they have been used interchangeably by members of our community.

Regardless, if you call us Scots or Highlanders, the Upland Football Program has a long rich history of playing football the way it’s supposed to be played….. fast, physical, and with passion. Every year the Scots learn the fundamentals of football and are striving to be the most disciplined team in the stadium. We believe that an emphasis on blocking and tackling leads to more success on the field.

Even though we have experienced a number of championships throughout the years by winning the Baseline League ten times and four CIF titles, it is not our main goal. Our mission is to “to help young people achieve their highest potential while having one of their greatest experience playing football.” Yes, we want to help every young man become the best version of himself while playing the greatest team sport ever created—football.

Football is a very demanding sport, which is not for everyone. It takes a special person to stay dedicated to the Green, Black, and White and in order to be part of the football program we ask all of our players to follow Three Simple Rules:

1. ALWAYS DO THE RIGHT THING

2. DO EVERYTHING TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITY

3. SHOW OTHER PEOPLE THAT YOU CARE

The Highlanders are always striving to get better everyday. We want players who believe that you never stay the same. You are either getting better or you are getting worse. In other words, we want players who believe in the acronym C.A.N.I. (Constant And Never-ending Improvement). We want players who are never satisfied and have a burning desire to get better on and off the field.

Lastly, we only worry about the things we have control over in life. Even though we recognize that this is hard, there are only two things we have control over, and that is our attitude and our effort. We understand that people can’t control what happens to them, but they can control how they respond to the situation and the effort they display which is a fundamental value we believe in and is the main reason why Upland Football will continue to Pound The Rock (P.T.R.). Let’s go Scots!!