ARLINGTON, Tex.—35,000-plus fans looked on as the Highland Park Scots and their fans hoisted their fourth state championship trophy at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
The Highland Park Scots capped off a fantastic playoff run with a 16-7 win over the Temple Wildcats to capture the programs first state title since current Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford’s Scots won a title in 2005.
Leading by seven in the second half, Highland Park came up with a huge defensive stand early in the fourth quarter, when senior linebacker John House stuffed Temple's Zion Leach on fourth-and-inches from the Scots' five-yard line, with 10 minutes remaining in the game. The Highland Park defense would never allow the Wildcats to threaten again, sewing up the state championship.
Things did not look to be going Highland Park’s way after the first snap of the game resulted in a 14-yard loss and a sack two plays later resulted in a three-and-out.
After an early turnover, it was Temple who struck first with 4:49 to go in the opening quarter. A 38-yard touchdown run by Jemiyah Franklin gave Temple an early 7-0 lead as Franklin found an open hole which led to his 11th touchdown of the year.
Temple led the game 7-0 as the first quarter concluded, thanks to a stellar touchdown run from Franklin and outstanding defense. Highland Park’s offense struggled to get anything going as they finished the first quarter with one-yard of total offense. Temple’s defense accumulated three sacks and held the Scots to minus-23 rushing yards throughout the first 12 minutes.
For Highland Park, the second quarter brought much of the same misfortune as the first. Following a series of punts by both teams to begin the quarter, the Scots’ defense came up with a big stop on fourth down to force a turnover on downs at the 22. Junior quarterback John Stephen Jones and the Highland Park offense would take over with five minutes to go before half, having been outgained 163-6 to that point.
The Scots strung together a group of plays accumulating solid chunks of yardage to start the drive. Eventually, Jones found a wide open Ryan Waters for 27-yards up the middle of the field to set Highland Park up at the Temple 36. On the very next play, Jones, the grandson of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, tucked the ball and ran down the sideline for a 36-yard touchdown on a quarterback draw.
Jones’ touchdown represented the longest play on the day for Highland Park, along with the tying score, as the Scots and Wildcats found themselves knotted at seven with 3:49 to go before half.
Temple looked to be responding well before Reid Hesse’s pass was intercepted on the 17-yard line of Highland Park. Momentum began to shift with 1:35 to go in the first half with the interception and a dead ball personal foul by Temple, which added 15-yards to the interception.
Highland Park began driving down the field, but incompletions and the clock proved to be the enemy of the Scots. One last effort to find the end zone by Jones resulted in an interception with three seconds to play in the half. Jones finished the first half 6-of-15 passing with 66 yards, an interception, and a rushing touchdown.
Temple’s Jemiyah Franklin racked up 77 yards on 16 carries in the first half as his 38-yard touchdown run represented the Wildcats’ lone score in the first half. Hesse finished 13-of-17 with 101 yards and one interception through the first twelve minutes.
Franklin would come out in the second half, now sharing the workload with Leach, as junior running back Anthony Jefferson exited the game in the second quarter with a severe ankle sprain.
Temple’s first two drives of the second half resulted in a turnover on downs and a punt as the defensive struggle continued for both teams.
Highland Park’s back-up quarterback, senior Michael Clarke, found Jones on a trick play for 31-yards to kick start Highland Park’s second drive of the half. After the trick play, the Scots’ offense looked to finally be clicking before Temple’s defense answered, coming up with a fourth down stop to force yet another turnover on downs.
Despite all of the pre-game chatter surrounding Temple’s versatile defense, Highland Park’s Alex Walzel seemingly stole the show. Walzel finished the game with 4 passes broken up and one interception in his last game for the Scots.
After a 10-play drive down field that consumed 3:55 of clock, Highland Park broke the deadlock with 1:46 to go in the third quarter on a one-yard run from Jones. Jones’ second rushing touchdown of the game gave Highland Park a 14-7 lead over Temple deep into the third. Jones finished the game 9-for-23 with 96 yards and two rushing touchdowns.
Pinned down inside their own ten, following the defensive stand in the fourth quarter, Highland Park head coach Randy Allen, dressed in a navy suit and fedora, looked to Paxton Alexander to get the Scots out of trouble. Three big runs by Alexander resulted in a net gain of 44 yards and set Highland Park up near midfield.
Although unable to get into scoring position, back-up quarterback Clarke, who also acts as the Scots’ punter, pinned Temple down with a punt that found its way out of bounds inside the Temple one-yard line.
The struggling Wildcats offense would have to march 99 yards downfield in order to tie the game.
Two incompletions led to a third-and-ten for Temple, and then disaster struck. Hesse dropped back and was sacked in the end zone by Highland Park senior Turner Coxe to force the safety. Coxe finished the day with four tackles and one sack.
With five minutes to play in the game, Highland Park received the safety punt with a 16-7 lead.
Highland Park continued to feed Alexander, who picked up a pair of first downs, in an attempt to run the clock out.
Alexander found himself deep down on the depth chart before injuries to running back’s Jack Kozmetsky and Jacob Urbanzek resulted in his chance. Alexander finished with 26 carries for 144 yards.
A solid portion of the 35,089 fans in attendance erupted as Jones took a knee with 21 seconds remaining as the Scots’ dreams became reality. The Highland Park Scots were state champions once again.
