Scots Ground Eagles in Championship Game

By Mike Waters / Contributor

Highland Park reclaimed the throne and reaffirmed its status as the most decorated high school lacrosse program in Texas.

The Scots pulled away late for an 8-4 win over defending champion Episcopal School of Dallas on Sunday in the Texas High School Lacrosse League championship game at Highlander Stadium. It marks the ninth title in program history for the Scots.

HP won the crown in 2023 before ESD took over last year. The perennial powerhouses have staged classic semifinal showdowns in each of the past two postseasons, so a showdown for the title seems appropriate.

“A dream come true,” said HP senior Duncan Zielke, who won his second championship MVP award, after earning the same honor two years ago as a sophomore. “Total team effort. All game long. All season long.”

A smothering HP defense and stellar goalkeeping by two-sport standout Jack Morse — an all-state linebacker in football — staked the Scots (19-3) to a 5-0 halftime lead.

However, the ESD offense came alive just past the midway point in the third quarter.  After Michael Goglia put the Eagles on the board with 5:06 left in the period, junior Josh Logan — a Virginia verbal commit — registered back-to-back goals less than two minutes apart, the latter on a assist from Goglia.

The Eagles (19-3) held the Scots scoreless in the third stanza, which ended with a 5-3 Scots advantage. ESD freshman Wayte McKnight, just over a minute into the final quarter, scored to slice the HP lead to a goal.

The Scots responded in a big way. Zielke, a Quinnipiac signee, rifled in consecutive goals in a 59-second span to shift momentum back to HP.  Harrison Brown, a sophomore, sealed the championship with the final goal at the 5:22 mark.

“I knew we could not let them [ESD] come back,” said Zielke. “We needed an offensive boost, and fortunately I was able to get a couple of quick goals there.”

During an 11-3 win over Jesuit Dallas in the semifinals on Saturday, Zielke took a stick to the head in the opening minutes and went down. He sat out the remainder of the first half with dizziness. At intermission, however, Zielke passed concussion protocol tests and returned to score three second-half goals to help HP advance.

“Zielke is one tough kid,” said HP head coach Mike Pressler. “To come back the way he did and play the way he did is just phenomenal.”

Brown scored twice in the first half, with HP building its cushion behind additional tallies by Hunt Henry and Parker Addison. Zielke contributed a late goal before the break.

“Our defense was tremendous, especially in the first half,” said Pressler, who has won two titles in his first three seasons with the Scots. “And Jack Morse did such an exceptional job in goal.”

Zielke and Brown recorded three goals apiece. Morse registered seven saves in goal. The Scots held a 36-29 advantage in shots on goal. Jackson Bond was named the game’s defensive MVP.

Logan scored two of ESD’s four goals. Connor Kowaleswki tallied 13 saves for the Eagles, whose two losses to the Scots this season were their only defeats against in-state competition.

“We put ourselves in a hole in the first half,” said ESD head coach Jay Sothoron. “Getting to within one goal really pumped some life into the team. “In the end, only one team is champion. This year it is Highland Park.”

Sothoron praised his team for overachieving throughout a season in which the Eagles only had five seniors on the roster.

“If you had told me at the beginning of the season we would be playing in the state championship game, I would have said it’s not likely,” Sothoron said. “So proud of what this team has accomplished this season.”

The Scots eliminated Cypress Woods 20-7 in the quarterfinals before their semifinal victory over Jesuit. ESD ousted The Woodlands 11-7 in the other semifinal after rolling past Southlake Carroll 19-6 in its playoff opener.