Tyler High School's Lions suffered their first loss of the football season on Friday, falling to Highland Park 38-21 in a non-district matchup at Highlander Stadium. The defeat brings the Lions' season record to 2-1, while Highland Park achieved its first win, also moving to 2-1 for the season. Highland Park established an early lead, scoring the first three touchdowns and holding Tyler High scoreless in the first half.
Highland Park took a 21-0 lead into halftime. Scots quarterback Buck Randall, an SMU commit, connected with Liam Thomas for touchdown passes of 76 yards and 8 yards in the first and second quarters, respectively. James Flowers added a 4-yard rushing touchdown with 1:07 remaining before halftime. Shep Pryor kicked all three extra points.
The Lions responded to start the second half when Kayden Walker returned the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown, pulling Tyler High within 21-7 with 11:43 left in the third quarter after Marvin Espinal's extra point. Highland Park then extended its lead with a 31-yard field goal from Shep Pryor, making the score 24-7. Tyler High's CaDarius McMiller then scored on a 48-yard run, with Espinal's kick making it 24-14 at 5:29 in the third quarter.
Highland Park scored the next two touchdowns to widen the gap. James Flowers recorded his second touchdown with a 1-yard run, and Buck Randall found Beckett Lawrence for a 21-yard reception. Pryor's extra points brought Highland Park's total to 38 points. In the final minutes, Tyler High's Jacob Harper threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to Charles Davis with 1:53 remaining, and Espinal's kick set the final score at 38-21.
Despite the loss, several Tyler High players delivered notable performances. Running back CaDarius McMiller, an Oregon commit, continued his strong season with 122 rushing yards and a touchdown on 17 carries, marking his third consecutive game with over 100 rushing yards. He has accumulated 577 yards in three games. The Lions’ offensive line, composed of center Josh Coats, guards Elijah Campbell and Zach Bush, and tackles Raul Medina and KeLynn Merrick, helped Tyler produce 345 yards of total offense.
On defense, Keiundrae Ekwuruke created his fourth turnover of the season with a diving interception at the three-yard line on Highland Park's opening drive, his third pick this season, alongside a fumble recovery. The Tyler defense also recorded three sacks, with Sedaedrian McGee and Daniel Bush sharing one, and Adrion Phillips and Romello Bendy each contributing one. Ken’Drelyn Quinsey made a significant play in the third quarter, chasing down Highland Park’s Caiden Reeves after a 74-yard pass and tackling him at the five-yard line, which saved four points as the Scots subsequently settled for a field goal.
Quarterback Raykell Ford started the game, completing 6 of 9 passes for 101 yards in the second half before sophomore Jacob Harper entered the game. Harper completed 8 of 19 passes for 94 yards and threw his first career touchdown pass. Wide receiver Kayden Walker led the team with six receptions for 83 yards, in addition to his kickoff return. Trey Haralson, an SMU commit who has been recovering from a knee injury suffered in last year’s playoff game, saw his first extended action of the season, catching three passes for 30 yards.
Highland Park quarterback Buck Randall completed 21 of 30 passes for 355 yards and three touchdowns, although he did throw an interception to Ekwuruke. Injured standout defensive lineman Nick Van Der Westhuizen returned for the Scots and made several stops.
The Lions had hoped to enter district play unbeaten after two strong offensive performances to start the season.
Tyler High will begin District 7-5A Division I play on Friday, September 18, against West Mesquite. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Mesquite Memorial Stadium. Highland Park will play another non-district game on Friday, September 18, traveling to Argyle.
