BY BRIAN GOSSET
X – @Gosset41
FRISCO – Highland Park kicker Sutton Stock battled injury earlier this fall before making his return. Sharing kicking duties, his name was called on for the biggest field goal of the season for the Scots and he knew it was good before it even split the uprights. Stock made the go-ahead 28-yard field goal with six seconds left and HP went on to beat Denton Ryan 24-21 in the Class 5A Division 1 state semifinals on Friday night at the Ford Center.
HP (14-1) clinches a spot in the state championship game for the 10th time in program history.
The Scots have won six titles all time and they look to bring home trophy #7 when they play 11 am next Saturday 12/21 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. It’s their first trip to the championship since winning three in a row from 2016, 2017 and 2018. Meanwhile, Ryan ends the season with a 13-2 record.
Ryan was forced to punt on fourth and 9 and set up Highland Park with first down at its own 41 with 1:44 left to play with the game tied at 21. The Scots converted several third downs in the second half and had one to keep the game winning drive alive. QB Buck Randall hit Charlie Olmstead near the sideline for 16 yards and a first down at the Ryan 43. Randall then ran a QB draw and his helmet was ripped off which resulted in a 15-yard facemask on the Raiders.
The penalty pushed the ball to the Ryan 16 and after a few timeouts, Stock and the Scots field goal unit came on with nine seconds on the clock. Stock and the team started to cheer before the officials signaled it good.
After a couple of pooch kicks that went out of bounds, Ryan finally took the final play and ran 10-20 laterals – lasting a minute long. However, the Raiders had trouble moving forward and ended up in its own end zone before losing the ball and HP falling on it – sending the sideline onto the field to celebrate.
Highland Park’s three-peat included wins over Temple, Manvel and Shadow Creek. The Scots also won in 1945, 1957 and 2005. They also played in the title game in 1944, 1947 and 2007. Ryan was looking for its eighth state title game appearance and first since 2020.
The Raiders led 14-0 after the first quarter highlighted by a pick-six.
Running back Nemo Warmate picked up 37 yards to set up first and goal at the 5 and then punched it in from the 3 that gave the Raiders a 7-0 lead with 6:56 left in the opening period. Then just under three minutes later, a HP pass attempt bounced off a receiver and Trae Williams returned it for a 40-yard touchdown and 14-0 lead.
HP running back James Lancaster scored twice in the second quarter – the first coming on the first play of the period out of the wildcat formation. However, the kick was blocked and Ryan led 14-6. The Ryan D forced a Highland Park punt and Braeden Mussett returned it 75 yards for a touchdown, but it was negated on a blindside penalty. Ryan’s offense stalled and had to punt the ball back to the Scots.
On the ensuing drive, Randall hit Cannon Bozman for a first down and then Randall found Benton Owens for a 27-yard gain to the Ryan 17. HP converted a fourth and 1, and then Lancaster’s second TD closed the gap to 14-12. Going for the 2-point conversion, it was called back on a penalty and then after a timeout, the Scots converted again when Owens made a diving catch with 1:47 left in the half.
Ryan would take the second half kickoff and march downfield – eating up nearly half the quarter. After setting up first and goal, penalties pushed the ball back and HP was able to defend off two completion attempts before a field goal was missed from 32 yards.
On the next play from scrimmage, HP scored on a 85-yard TD from Randall to Bozman that gave the Scots a 21-14 lead with just over six minutes on the clock. But Ryan answered on its next drive on a TD catch from QB Quin Henigan to Mussett and it was 21-all with 4:40 left in the third.
Both teams had their chances in the fourth.
HP punted with 7:55 left and Ryan started at its own 23. Anders Corn picked up the sack and a loss of five and Ryan punted on fourth and long. Highland Park got a first down on a Ryan DPI to the 27 with 4:30 to play, but a sack from Dillon Arkansas on third and 8 forced a longer field goal, which was missed by the Scots with 2:53 to go. A false start gave Ryan a second and 18 from its own 22 before the Raiders punted with 1:52 remaining.
