Jayshon Gibson's 5 TDs, 270 Yards Not Enough as Highland Park Edges Richland 45-42

Five touchdowns and 270 rushing yards from a single player still wasn't enough to beat Highland Park.

Richland senior tailback Jayshon Gibson, a UCLA commit, was virtually unstoppable in a key district matchup against the Scots, turning a crack in the defense into an 80-yard touchdown on his first carry of note and never really slowing down. He found the end zone again in the second quarter on a 50-yard run through an open middle, helping the Royals take a 35-31 lead into halftime.

But Highland Park, anchored by senior quarterback Buck Randall, kept pace throughout. Randall connected with Evan Snellman on a sharp pass to midfield late in the game to set up the go-ahead drive, which running back James Flowers finished with a 2-yard score — one of three short touchdown runs on the night for Flowers.

The Scots' defense also made an early statement, with Charles Flint stripping the ball right out of Brett Kates' hands and returning it for a touchdown to give Highland Park a 7-0 lead before Gibson got rolling.

When the final whistle blew, the scoreboard read 45-42 in favor of Highland Park — a district win that came down to the last possession despite one of the more remarkable individual rushing performances the area has seen this season.