Penick, Highland Park surge past Lakes

And how, exactly, does one explain that first half Friday night in Highland Park?

"Kind of boring, if you like offense,'' said first-year Highland Park coach Joe Horeni.

Lakes coach Luke Mertens was a little more specific.

"It was poor offense,'' Mertens said. "It was simple execution and simple stuff that we didn't do."

Yes, there were zeros on the board for both teams after two quarters.

The second half told a different and more adventurous tale. It was an old-fashioned shootout. And the last team to score took home the win.

Lakes (0-2) had leads of 7-0 and 14-7. But they didn't hold up, thanks to a special back from Highland Park named Dondi Penick. A week ago, he had 368 yards on the ground in a loss against Hersey. On this night, Penick scored 3 touchdowns in the second half as the Giants (1-1) presented coach Horeni his first varsity win with a 21-14 victory.

Penick scored his final TD with 38 ticks left in the fourth quarter.

A season ago, Highland Park won all 9 games during the regular season.

"That was last year,'' Penick said. "That's all in the past. We just wanted to get into field goal range on our final drive. But our line stepped up and they pushed hard."

Both teams moved the ball in the first half. Lakes QB Jordan Mercure completed 11 first-half passes but had nothing to show for it. Penick collected just 55 yards on his way to 27 carries for 196 yards.

And then, as if someone flipped a switch, both offenses broke out of their first-half slump. The Eagles marched 80 yards on just 7 plays for the game's first score. On a fourth-down pass play, Louis Rodriguez III snared a 30-yard scoring pass play from Mercure and the Eagles were on the board.

Highland Park drove 79 yards on its next possession. A 36-yard pass play from quarterback Toby Tigges got the Giants going, and Penick brought it the final 15 yards to tie the game.

Penick was quick to give credit to his teammates, but it was clear the Giants needed their star to have a big night.

"He's a great kid and an excellent back,'' Horeni said.

Again, the Eagles answered back following the first Penick score. Sophomore running back Ryan Selig had 3 runs to get the ball into HP territory. He carried the final 7 yards for the touchdown, giving the Eagles a 14-7 lead heading to the final quarter. But Lakes did not get the ball past the 50-yard line in the fourth quarter.