Randall, Defense Push Scots Past Hawks

ROCKWALL — The Highland Park offense answered some questions, while the defense showcased its considerable potential during Thursday’s season opener.

Making his first career start, sophomore quarterback Buck Randall tossed two touchdown passes and ran for another score during a 34-21 victory over Rockwall-Heath at Wilkerson-Sanders Memorial Stadium.

Thanks to a solid performance on both sides of scrimmage. the Scots will bring plenty of momentum into their home opener on Sept. 6 against Lovejoy.

The HP defense gave Randall a boost by forcing two early turnovers, including a 98-yard interception return for a touchdown by Angus Wall that provided a huge momentum swing.

The first takeaway came on Heath’s first play from scrimmage, when the Scots forced a fumble after a completed pass in HP territory.

The Scots (1-0) responded with a 68-yard drive in 11 plays — including a key fourth-down conversion — capped by a 12-yard scoring strike from Randall to Cannon Bozman. HP never trailed from that point forward.

“We made some big plays throwing the football. Our quarterback had a good night,” said HP head coach Randy Allen. “He made some big throws on third down, and made some long throws in critical situations.”

Randall, who won a four-man competition during fall practice, played every offensive snap as the first sophomore starting quarterback for the Scots since Matthew Stafford in 2003.

The youngest player on the roster showed poise under considerable pressure from the aggressive Heath defense led by edge rusher De’Von Turner, which recorded five sacks with an array of stunts and blitzes.

There’s room for improvement, for sure, but the HP offense excelled on third and fourth downs, and that might have been the difference between a close game and a comfortable win. All three first-half scoring drives covered at least 11 plays.

Randall’s second touchdown pass came on fourth-and-goal from the 17, culminating with a leaping catch by Harrison Cullum at the goal line. That finished off a 13-play, 75-yard drive in the final two minutes before halftime.

Earlier in the second quarter, Heath failed to capitalize on favorable field position when Wall stepped in front of a pass targeted for the end zone. His return gave HP a 14-0 advantage.

“That was really a 14-point swing because Heath was going in to score,” Allen said. “Our defense played great all night.”

The Hawks responded quickly when Jaylon Rochell zigzagged down the field to take the ensuing kickoff back 101 yards for a touchdown.

However, HP answered with a 46-yard field goal by Sutton Stock on his first career attempt. Stock added a 33-yarder in the third quarter.

Heath cut the deficit to 17-14 moments later when Bradford sprinted 68 yards on a scoring run. Bradford finished with a game-high 105 rushing yards.

The touchdown left enough time on the clock for the Scots to execute a two-minute drill and regain a double-digit advantage at the break.

Later, Randall shook off a third-quarter interception with a touchdown plunge midway through the fourth quarter to extend the margin to 34-14.

Heath struggled to move the ball consistently against the seasoned HP defense and its elite linebackers, who limited the Hawks to just 96 passing yards. The Scots controlled field position and leveraged the clock for much of the game.

“We’re not a big-play offense that can get off schedule,” said Heath head coach Rodney Webb. “These early-season games are all about identifying the flaws and fixing them. We were exposed tonight, and we will have a lot of teachable moments coming out of this game.”

Randall wound up 17-of-27 passing for 187 yards. Bozman was his top target with a game-high six catches for 97 yards. However, HP accumulated just 54 yards on the ground.

Dutka completed nine passes including a late scoring toss to Shawn Gary. The Hawks, who lost significant experience after advancing to the second round of the Class 6A playoffs in Webb’s first season, were hampered by untimely penalties and miscues.

Webb was the athletic director for the Scots in 2022, but said much of his football-related preparation for the game dates back to the memorable clashes he had with HP when he was coaching at Rockwall in the late 2010s.

“They have evolved a lot, especially defensively,” Webb said. “Both of us felt the same. We just came in with a sort of generic game plan, to just throw it on the wall and see if it stuck.”