Defense Pushes Scots Into Third Round
MURPHY — While its high-powered offense was slow to get started, the Highland Park defense provided the spark during Friday’s playoff win.
The Scots pulled away in the second half for a 38-10 victory over Frisco Wakeland in a Class 5A Division I area round game at Kimbrough Stadium.
HP, which extended its winning streak to eight games, advances to play Frisco Reedy in a Region II quarterfinal on Nov. 29 at The Star in Frisco.
The Scots (11-1) sputtered on offense in the first half, but defense and special teams ensured momentum remained on the HP sideline, from a leaping interception by Jack Morse to a fumble recovery by Anders Corn to a blocked punt by Martin True.
All of them led to points for HP, and that doesn’t even include critical third-and-long sacks by Corn and Beau Jones, as the Scots prevented Wakeland from finding its rhythm.
“I was really proud of our defense, because that was a pretty explosive offense, and we held them to very few explosive plays,” said HP head coach Randy Allen. “They’ve been great all year. They came up with some big turnovers and field position, and we finally figured out some ways to get the ball in the end zone and score.”
Sophomore quarterback Buck Randall threw for 268 yards and two touchdowns while running for two more scores to lead an HP offense that surged after halftime.
However, the Scots struggled after opening with a 75-yard drive in just 100 seconds. A 47-yard strike from Randall to Cannon Bozman did the bulk of the damage, and James Lancaster polished it off with a short touchdown plunge.
From there, HP punted four straight times and had a possession end on downs. But the Wolverines (8-4) weren’t doing any better. Wakeland’s only significant gain in the first half came on a 28-yard catch by Lucas Mangham, but Morse picked off a throw on the very next snap.
Moments later, the Scots were back in the end zone. Randall found Brandon Lilly for a 36-yard gain deep into Wakeland territory, and he scrambled into the end zone two plays later, making the score 14-0.
The teams traded field goals, with HP’s Reece Tiffany tacking on three points following the punt block by True, which came on Wakeland’s opening possession of the second half. It was scooped up by Ronan Moreland deep in Wolverines territory.
Both squads then matched touchdowns in the span of less than a minute later in the third quarter. Wakeland’s Aidan Poole scored on a 12-yard scamper, but HP responded with a 57-yard connection between Randall and Bozman.
Corn’s fumble recovery came on the next snap by the Wolverines, setting up the HP offense at the Wakeland 35. Randall’s 19-yard hookup with Benton Owens teed up a short touchdown run to give the Scots a 31-10 advantage.
“We knew Highland Park has a really stout defense. Their front seven is something else,” said Wakeland head coach Chandler Isom. “I was proud of our kids for hanging in there and giving it everything they’ve got.”
With the Wolverines in desperation mode, HP capitalized on favorable field position for a final touchdown, with Randall finding Charlie Olmstead on a fourth-down pass with 3:48 remaining.
Bozman finished with eight receptions for 143 yards, while Lilly added four catches for 67 yards for HP.
Wakeland quarterback Jayden Maples connected on just 15 of 34 throws, often under duress. Ryder Treadway was his top target with eight grabs for 127 yards. Poole tallied a game-high 74 rushing yards on 15 carries.
The result snapped a six-game winning streak for the Wolverines, and enabled the Scots to avenge a 2021 postseason loss to Wakeland in the same round.
