HIGHLAND PARK — The Highland Park Scots (2-0) emerged victorious after upsetting No.13 Lewisville (1-1) in a 21-18 clash of 6A high school football heavyweights on Friday night at Highlander Stadium.
Highland Park controlled the game from the beginning, shutting down a Lewisville offense that had scored 50 points in a season-opening win and taking advantage of excellent field position thanks to out-of-bounds kickoffs and a crucial turnover.
Lewisville took the first drive of the game into the red zone, but Highland Park held the Fighting Farmers’ offense to a field goal after a penalty nullified a touchdown from Oklahoma commit Jaydan Hardy. The Scots responded with a touchdown drive of their own when quarterback Warren Peck ran into the end zone from the four-yard line.
Highland Park seized momentum with a fumble recovery late in the first quarter despite failing to score on the possession. Peck later found receiver Charles Schneider for a touchdown, and running back Keller Holmes added another before the half to take a 21-10 lead.
Lewisville played much better in the second half and came up with its only score on a pass from quarterback Ethan Terrell to Hardy with 1:25 left in the third quarter, and converted on the ensuing two-point conversion with a jump pass to cut the deficit to three.
The Scots drove deep into Lewisville territory one more time but were stymied on four plays from the one-yard line. The fourth-down play call ended up being a jump pass that Lewisville nearly intercepted.
“They did it on us for a two-point play, and we had struggled, in an unbalanced formation, to get the yard,” Highland Park head coach Randy Allen explained to The Dallas Express after the game. “A bad call as it turned out to be. We weren’t in the right formation, but they did a good job defending it.”
Lewisville had one final chance with the ball on its one-yard line and 2:17 on the clock. A holding penalty by Highland Park helped Lewisville escape the shadow of its goal line, and the Fighting Farmers made it to the Highland Park 47-yard line before Terrell’s final pass fell to the ground.
Peck finished the game with 172 passing yards and two touchdowns (one rushing and one passing), while Holmes ran for 85 yards with a touchdown.
Terrell threw for 161 yards and a touchdown for Lewisville, and running back Viron Ellison ran for 117 yards and a touchdown.
