By Todd Jorgenson
Highland Park’s home opener wasn’t just about earning a confidence-boosting win heading into the start of district play, but also showing substantial improvement.
The Scots accomplished that on Friday at Highlander Stadium, bouncing back from two straight hard-fought defeats with a decisive 38-21 victory over Tyler.
HP hopes to carry momentum into a challenging District 6-5A Div. I matchup at perennial powerhouse Argyle. And it appears the Scots, after starting with back-to-back losses for the first time since 1989, are trending in the right direction.
“We needed to make a stand, and we did that and got a win. Now we’ve got to get another one next week,” said HP head coach Randy Allen. “You can see different phases of our team beginning to take shape.”
The growth was most noteworthy on defense. After allowing a combined 105 points in its first two games, HP shut out a potent Tyler offense — which came in averaging 52 points per contest — in the first half.
“They’re a dynamic offense, so I’m proud of the progress we’ve made,” Allen said. “Holding them to no points in the first half was a big motivation for our team. We had been behind in every game we played this year. Our guys are resilient and hung in there.”
On offense, Buck Randall threw for 358 yards and three touchdowns. Randall, who broke Matthew Stafford’s school career passing yardage record a week ago, connected with Liam Thomas for scores on consecutive drives as the Scots (1-2) built a 21-0 lead before halftime.
The initial touchdown was set up by a Corbin Gray fumble recovery deep in HP territory. Randall found Thomas on a 76-yard strike two snaps later.
Following a Tyler three-and-out, the Scots marched 65 yards, reaching the end zone with an 8-yard toss from Randall to Thomas. Earlier in the possession, Miller Merrick grabbed a short Randall pass on fourth down to move the chains.
The Lions (2-1) then reached the HP 24 before turning the ball over on downs. James Flowers capped the ensuing drive with his first of two short touchdown runs.
Tyler rallied in the third quarter, starting with Kayden Walker returning the second-half kickoff 96 yards for a score. A short HP field goal made the score 24-7 before Tyler’s Cadarius McMiller broke free for a 48-yard touchdown scamper midway through the third quarter.
However, the Scots regained command in the fourth quarter with back-to-back touchdown drives, first on a short run by Flowers and then on a Beckett Lawrence reception moments later.
Randall finished 21-of-30 passing as the banged-up HP offense was balanced and moved the ball consistently all night, racking up 323 total yards before halftime. Randall had one interception when Keiundrae Ekwuruke snagged a tipped ball inside the Tyler 10-yard line on HP’s opening possession.
“He was really poised in the pocket and escaped and made some big plays, and hit some receivers. He had a great game,” Allen said. “We know we can throw it and run it when we need to. We’ve just got to stay healthy and keep getting better.”
Caiden Reeves tallied 211 all-purpose yards for the Scots, including 148 on five catches and a team-high 63 on the ground. Thomas posted five catches for 99 yards, all in the first half.
McMiller, who is verbally committed to Oregon, provided a late spark and led Tyler with 123 rushing yards. Walker was the top receiver for the Lions with 83 yards, and Charles Davis hauled in a late scoring pass from Jacob Harper.
HP and Tyler have a history of meaningful clashes, mostly in the playoffs. The Scots defeated the Lions for the third consecutive season, including a memorable 70-66 shootout last year when the two teams were part of the same district.
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