Dallastown’s Michael Scott talks James Madison commitment, senior season ahead of playoff matchup at Harrisburg

A nickname like "Joystick" isn't given out lightly. It's earned. And Dallastown's Michael Scott has earned that moniker.

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The do-it-all offensive weapon says he first started taking up the moniker during 7-on-7 ball thanks to his propensity to drop defenders, sharing the name with one of his favorite players ever, former Kansas City Chiefs kick returner Dante Hall.

But that big-play ability hasn't limited itself to offseason competition, as Scott has continued to establish himself as one of the best weapons in District 3. The senior has put together a standout final campaign in a year that saw him determine his future destination and head to the first playoff of his career.

"It's truly been amazing, because these seniors, we have have been with each other since little league days," Scott said. "So just building this bond and connection that we already have had really helped us play as a team."

"We've always had talent. Even last year we had talent, but we just really weren't fully connected. We were a little young. This year we were mature. We understood defensively, offensively, how to play as a team. And when we started doing that, we started winning games."

Scott's Wildcats sit at 9-1 on the year, as he's continued to shine on both sides of the ball, rushing for 633 yards and 10 scores, tallying 288 receiving yards and two more touchdowns and picking off four passes on defense.

It hasn't been an entirely stress-free fall for Scott, though. After committing to Arizona State in June, the three-star recruit battled with his pledge, eventually deciding he needed to stay closer to home and find a program that fit.

The 5-foot-9, 166-pound athlete says he's accomplished that now, committing to James Madison in October.

"I prayed about that for months," Scott said. "I didn't just make a spontaneous decision. I prayed about it and talked with my mom, my coaches, and I felt like decommitting was the best option for me, especially because I didn't really want to be that far away from home."

"So a school like James Madison was perfect, because it wasn't too far, not too close. Good academics, a great football team, a winning program. Everything about JMU, I love."

He's hoping to be the next in a line of recent Division I talents from York, including York High's Jaheim White (West Virginia), Central York's Juelz Goff (Pitt) and his former teammate, Pitt wide receiver Kenny Johnson.

"When [Johnson] comes home, we always work, go to the field and get better, go to the gym," Scott said of Johnson. "So he's always giving me some pieces of knowledge to learn and know about going into college, and I feel like that's going to be helpful."

Unlike Johnson, though, Scott has had to battle biases against his height. It took longer for him to garner the attention of Division I coaches, despite feeling like he was performing up-to-par at camps.

"I definitely play with a chip on my shoulder," Scott said. "Even though I was getting recognition, I always felt like I was underrated. I would go to camps and beat five-star receivers, five-star defensive backs. I feel like recruiting and stars and stuff is just politics."

"I know I have three stars now, but honestly they gave me three stars because I committed. I feel like that stuff doesn't matter."

Scott will be going up against some other starred recruits on Saturday, as he faces the biggest game of his high school life when he heads to Severance Field to take on a Harrisburg team that he is more than familiar with.

Scott is close with Cougars stars Elias Coke, Messiah Mickens, D'Antae Sheffey, Kevin Brown and Mikal Shank among others. But with his first chance to play against those friends, he's ready to compete.

"It's gonna be fun," Scott said. "There's so much talent on the field. And I feel like York has started to get that recognition that I feel like we've been deserving."

"I feel like this is going to be one of the better games in District 3."