Highland Park quarterback Jake Howeth lead the Scots to a 27-21 victory Saturday over annual playoff rival Everman, passing for two touchdowns and running for two.

The speedy Everman defense could not stop Howeth, who ran on the Bulldogs the entire game. He was effective running the read option and taking the ball himself on the fake.

"Their defensive ends are state championship relay guys and they're fast," Howeth said. "They were wanting to take the first option they saw. So I tried to sit back and read them and make the right decision every time."

Everman scored on the first drive of the game, with running back Cory Franklin scoring from two yards. James Bailey converted on a fourth-and-long run to keep the drive going.

Howeth sparked Highland Park with a touchdown pass in the first quarter to a well-covered Jack Mercer on a pump fake.

Everman answered on the next drive with an 87-yard touchdown catch-and-run from Bailey, who had his defender burned down field. The Bulldogs were not able to convert on the two-point try.

The Scots would score last in the half. Howeth hit Colin Stringer for a 6-yard touchdown pass and then succeeded on the two-point conversion with a run.

Everman was the only team to score in the third, nailing a 20-yard field goal to tie the score. It would take the lead in the fourth, with Bailey running for a 10-yard touchdown on a simple trap rush up the middle.

That would be the last score for the Bulldogs. Howeth would even the score up on a short-yardage touchdown run, with a missed PAT. He would tally his second rushing touchdown with little time left on the clock after Everman fumbled on the 2-yard line.

"That's a state championship-caliber team right there and they have all the talent in the world," Howeth said about Everman.