TYLER — Highland Park needed every bit of its trademark resilience to fend off an upset bid in its District 7-5A Div. I opener on Friday.
After all, the Scots surrendered 66 points, squandered a 28-point lead, and committed three costly turnovers, yet still somehow prevailed against Tyler in a 70-66 shootout at Rose Stadium.
HP scored two touchdowns in the closing minutes to rally from a 10-point deficit, highlighted by Matthew White’s game-winning touchdown run with 1:47 left, to cap a game in which the momentum swung like a pendulum. But HP, as it so often does, had the final say in a remarkable contest that players, coaches, and fans won’t soon forget.
“When it was do-or-die, our guys figured out a way to do it,” said HP head coach Randy Allen. “Some nights, the other team is hot and you make a few mistakes, and you get in a dogfight like this and you’ve got to find a way to win it somehow, and that’s what our guys did.”
White and Buck Randall combined for all 10 HP touchdowns. White ran for five scores and accumulated 213 all-purpose yards — including 129 on the ground.
Meanwhile, Randall picked apart the Tyler defense to the tune of 467 passing yards on 27-of-40 completions. He threw for three touchdowns and ran for two.
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The Scots (4-1, 1-0) racked up 675 yards of total offense, yet somehow it almost wasn’t enough, and required a miraculous late comeback on a night when HP led by 28 points early in the second quarter and trailed by 10 late in the fourth.
The only blemishes were a pair of interceptions by Tyler’s Braylen Ford, including one on a tipped pass in the first half, and an ill-fated series of laterals on the final play before halftime that resulted in a fumble scooped up by Markeithian Potts for a touchdown.
The final Scots turnover led to a 19-yard scoring pass from Caden Granberry to Christopher Moore that gave the Lions a 59-49 advantage early in the fourth quarter.
HP responded with a quick five-play drive that include two White receptions, leading to his 1-yard plunge.
However, Tyler answered right back, capping a 75-yard possession with an 11-yard scramble to the end zone by Caden Granberry on third-and-long to make it 66-56 with 4:29 remaining.
On the ensuing HP possession, Randall found White for a first down on fourth-and-14 near midfield. Three plays later, he connected with Case Messer for a score to make it 66-63.
But the fatigued HP defense, which had allowed points on eight straight drives, still had to make back-to-back stops. The Scots forced a three-and-out and took over at their own 20 with just over two minutes left.
With the Lions on their heels, Randall hooked up with Charlie Olmstead for consecutive passes covering 50 yards. He then found Cash Tanner on a sideline route before White rumbled into the end zone.
A final push by Tyler reached midfield before fizzling out, ending with a sack and sending the HP sideline into celebration mode.
“They’re so explosive on offense,” Allen said. “Our guys did a great job of putting pressure on the quarterback, getting him out of the pocket, and chasing him down. Even though we didn’t tackle him very often, we got that big play at the end.”
The HP offense looked unstoppable early with five straight touchdowns to take a 35-7 lead after only 13 minutes. The Scots were particularly efficient on third down, converting their first eight opportunities.
The early barrage included two scoring runs by White, a touchdown pass to Harrison Cullum, and two scampers to the end zone by Randall in quick succession.
HP capitalized on two early miscues by the Lions, with Ronan Moreland intercepting a pass in the first quarter and Grant Gussio recovering a fumbled kickoff in the second.
However, the Lions battled back with 35 points in the second quarter to trim the deficit to 49-42 at the break, and they carried that surge out of the locker room, holding the Scots scoreless in the third.
Although a quick-strike passing attack enabled the Lions to rally in the first half, they effectively employed a more methodical approach after halftime that controlled the clock and steadily wore down the HP defense.
Granberry, a diminutive dual-threat quarterback, helped Tyler utilize its speed advantage by throwing for 323 yards and three touchdowns in addition to his late rushing score.
Cadarius McMiller ran for 151 yards and three touchdowns for Tyler, while Trey Haralson had 112 receiving yards and two scores. Ja’Michael Cook added six catches for 101 yards.
Playing without injured receiving leader Cannon Bozman, several other HP wideouts stepped up with career-best performances. Olmstead finished with 158 yards on eight grabs, while Harrison Cullum and Jack Swaldi each caught touchdown throws from Randall.
The Scots will carry a four-game winning streak into another critical district clash next week when they host Red Oak.
“The three turnovers hurt us, but we scored on almost every possession, and for a while. I thought we were going to have to score on every possession,” Allen said. “We just did what we had to do to win the game.”
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