FRISCO — Once Highland Park took control of Friday’s playoff game against Frisco Wakeland, the Scots never relented.
A stellar defensive effort before halftime and a dazzling offensive display afterward propelled HP to a 47-20 victory in a Class 5A Division I regional semifinal at The Star.
The Scots (12-1) stretched their winning streak to 12 games heading into a showdown against either Frisco Lone Star or West Mesquite in the Region II final on Dec. 5.
Junior quarterback Buck Randall threw for three touchdowns and ran for another score to lead the HP offense past the 40-point threshold for the 11th time this season.
On defense, the Scots forced three turnovers and shut out Wakeland in the first half, sparking a momentum swing with a safety late in the second quarter.
HP scored 17 points in the final 2:03 before halftime, beginning with a 22-yard touchdown pass from Randall to Jack Swaldi to make the score 14-0. The 11-play drive included a pair of fourth-down conversions, both on throws to Harrison Cullum.
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An interception by Ronan Moreland deep in HP territory led to a punt, which was downed by Cannon Bozman at the Wakeland 2-yard line. Dylan Palmer recorded a safety for the Scots on the next snap.
On the ensuing free kick, HP used some trickery to free Bozman for a touchdown return. Combined with a two-point conversion, it ballooned the margin to 24-0.
“It was a big momentum shift,” said HP head coach Randy Allen. “They were right there with us and making some explosive plays. We knew they had a lot of grit and a lot of character and could come back on us.”
Both offenses exchanged blows in the third quarter, when the Wolverines (11-2) scored all three of their touchdowns — two on passes from Jayden Maples to Grayson Myer, and another on a 66-yard hookup between Maples and D.J. Summons.
However, the Scots consistently answered with big plays of their own, with Randall finding Cullum on a 62-yard score, then hitting Matthew White from 33 yards on third-and-long.
Wakeland couldn’t get enough stops to tighten the margin before HP pulled away in the final quarter. An interception by Dean Dulin near midfield set up an Isaiah Lee plunge into the end zone to make the score 44-20.
The Scots forced another miscue on Wakeland’s next drive when Heston Lazenby recovered a fumble following a sack. It was symptomatic of HP’s aggressiveness against Maples for much of the game.
“Our defense played outstanding. We wanted to pressure him,” Allen said. When we needed a big play, they came up with a turnover or a big stop.”
Allen recorded the 93rd playoff win of his career, which ties him with retired Corpus Christi Calallen coach Phil Danaher for the most in state history.
Cullum had 136 yards on seven grabs to pace another balanced offensive attack for the Scots. White accumulated 125 total yards and kept the chains moving when HP needed to control the clock late.
Earlier, the Scots were scoreless in the first quarter for the second consecutive week. They reached the Wakeland 4-yard line on the opening drive before a fourth-down sack by Blake Landry ended the threat.
Although the Wolverines struggled to run the ball, Maples finished with 320 yards through the air on 28 completions. Ten of those catches and 167 of those yards went to Myer.
Despite the loss, Wakeland set a new program record for wins this season and matched its deepest postseason run.
“We didn’t make as many plays in the first half as we needed to. They made some plays to give themselves a cushion,” said Wakeland head coach Chandler Isom. ““They can score fast and can score often. We gave ourselves a chance, but we can’t make mistakes against talented teams this late in the playoffs.”
The Scots eliminated the Wolverines for the second consecutive season following last year’s 38-10 thumping in the area round on the same field.
