Late HP Rally Falls Short Against Bruins

Highland Park dug itself a hole early, then almost clawed its way out late. But the visitors who traveled almost 800 miles were relentless.

Despite a late rally, the Scots fell to perennial Colorado powerhouse Cherry Creek 51-39 on Friday at a sweltering Highlander Stadium, ending HP’s 29-game home winning streak.

Surrendering more than 500 total yards, including 400 on the ground, the Scots (3-1) suffered their first defeat of the season heading into next week’s District 7-5A Div. I opener against Tyler.

The outcome spoiled the best statistical game thus far for HP sophomore quarterback Buck Randall, who threw for 321 yards and five touchdowns, although three of those came in the fourth quarter with the Scots scrambling to get back into the game.

HP cut a 27-point deficit to 44-39 down the stretch after a wild three-minute sequence that included Randall touchdown strikes to Case Messer and Benton Owens — the latter on fourth down — with an onside kick recovery sandwiched in between.

“Our guys never quit, and that’s all you can ask from your players, is that you get a chance at the end of the game to win,” said HP head coach Randy Allen, who had the stadium’s field formally dedicated in his honor during a halftime ceremony. “I couldn’t be more proud of the way our guys came back.”

The Scots also recovered an onside kick earlier in the fourth quarter, but couldn’t pounce on another one in the final minute, enabling Cherry Creek to run out the clock.

“We played really hard. To come here, in these conditions, and get a win is a big deal for our program,” said Cherry Creek head coach Dave Logan. “I thought we played a good game up front against a quality opponent.”

The Bruins (3-1) capitalized on consecutive HP turnovers in the first quarter, and the Scots were never able to retake momentum until it was too late.

With HP leading 9-6, a fumbled option pitch was returned 24 yards for a score by Cherry Creek’s Jayden Spencer, and the Bruins never trailed after that.

The subsequent HP possession lasted just two snaps before Cherry Creek’s Marquevious Lee snagged a fumble at the Scots 31-yard line. Maxwell Lovett ran for a score three plays later to extend the margin to 20-9.

“The two turnovers back-to-back really changed the momentum. It was hard to get back in it,” Allen said. “They controlled the line of scrimmage and could run the ball on us. We had a time hard ourselves, running it on them.”

Earlier, the Scots took a quick 7-0 lead after a 14-yard scoring toss from Randall to Owens. The Bruins responded with a 27-yard touchdown pass from Brady Vodicka to Jeremiah Hoffman.

However, the extra-point attempt was blocked and returned for two points by HP’s Jonathan Boyanovsky. The Scots also blocked a punt later in the game.

Just before halftime, HP trimmed the margin to 27-17 after Randall hooked up with Brandon Lilly in the end zone, then added a two-point conversion.

From there, the Bruins pounded HP with their size advantage along the line of scrimmage. They controlled the clock and moved the chains. The Scots countered with tempo on offense, only to bog down after a hot start. HP managed just 13 yards in the third quarter.

Also hurting HP was the inability to capitalize on Cherry Creek’s miscues. Jackson McGinley recovered a fumble in the second quarter and Jack Morse intercepted a pass midway through the third, but neither led to any points. Plus, the Bruins had 17 penalties for 131 yards.

Jayden Fox was the offensive standout, tallying 208 rushing yards on 21 carries with two touchdowns. Hoffman added a rushing score to go with his receiving touchdown, and had 101 total yards.

Mason Kegarise contributed 65 yards as a powerful complement to the speedy Fox. Vodicka threw for 146 yards with one touchdown, and managed another score on the ground. The Bruins averaged 8.7 yards per rushing attempt, compared to 2.3 for the Scots.

“Cherry Creek has a great offensive line and good running backs. They’re very quick on defense, as well,” Allen said. “They’re a very strong, physical football team.”

Cherry Creek, located in suburban Denver, has been the most dominant program in Colorado over the past decade, with five state championships — all under Logan, a former NFL receiver and current Denver Broncos broadcaster. The Bruins were a late addition to the HP schedule after Lufkin was reassigned to a different district following the initial UIL realignment announcement.

They were making their third out-of-state road trip in less than a month, after falling at Skyridge from Levi, Utah, in their season opener and defeating Millard North from Omaha, Nebraska, the next week.

The Scots can take away some positives as they look to regroup for district play. Besides the resiliency in the fourth quarter, Lilly had a career-best game with 10 receptions for 104 yards.

Owens and Messer had two touchdowns apiece through the air, and became Randall’s primary targets during the comeback.

Messer’s first score cut the Cherry Creek advantage to 44-25 early in the fourth quarter. He recovered the ensuing onside kick, too, although a leaping interception by Bruins cornerback TreVon Polk on the next play stalled that particular threat.