Giants shine on both sides of the ball for second playoff win in 12 years

A stout defensive performance paired with a second-half offensive barrage and contributions across the board pushed the Highland Park Giants back into the playoff win column for the first time since 2023 and just second time since 2014.

The Giants continued their late-season run Friday night at Wolters Field by rolling past the Streamwood Sabers with a commanding 35-14 victory in the opening round of the IHSA Class 6A postseason.

After an 0-2 start to the season, Highland Park has now reeled off four-straight victories, and the Giants are winners of seven of their last eight contests. 

“You always want to be playing your best football toward the end of the year,” Highland Park head coach Anthony Kopp said of the Giants’ late-season streak. “Our games against Evanston and (Glenbrook South) put us against great, challenging opponents, and so I think we were able to learn and grow from those games, and really start to apply what we learned.”

The story of Highland Park’s success against the Sabers can largely be told through the Giants’ superb play on both sides of the ball on fourth down.

In the first half alone, Highland Park’s defense stopped the Sabers four times on fourth down, each time forcing a turnover on downs. 

“I’m so proud of our defense,” said junior John Boman, who’s a two-way standout for the Giants. “We’ve come a long way. It all starts in practice. … Every single player on our defense has really gotten so much better.” 

Not to be outdone, the Giants’ offense showed a little fourth-down magic of its own late in the second quarter when quarterback Gustav Crane connected with Owen Loftus on a critical fourth-and-11 attempt inside Streamwood territory.

From there, HP found the end zone three plays later on a 17-yard touchdown run by senior Zion Wood. 

Giants Pull Away

A lion’s share of possession from Streamwood alongside a slow opening drive led to a scoreless opening first quarter for Highland Park’s attack. 

But the Giants resolved that quickly, striking on their first play of the second quarter when Crane dumped a short pass to Boman, who raced by the Sabers’ defense for a 80-yard touchdown run to put HP on the board.  

After the Giants increased their lead to 14-0 following Wood’s touchdown, Highland Park’s defense delivered one of the game’s signature moments.

The Giants stopped Streamwood on four straight plays from inside the 10-yard line to force another turnover on downs as the opening half expired. 

HP opened the third quarter with an 8-play, 74-yard drive that was finished off on a 32-yard touchdown run from Wood, his second of the contest. 

Streamwood got back into the game with a lengthy scoring drive — which took up nearly eight minutes of game time — that was capped on a 6-yard touchdown pass. 

The Giants wasted no time in answering as Crane connected with senior wide receiver Peter Dimitriou for a 39-yard touchdown pass on the third play of their ensuing series, which was also the first play of the fourth quarter.  

An interception from junior defensive back Mason Auslander gave the Giants the ball back quickly.

Highland Park then buried the Sabers with another scoring drive. Crane had one more big touchdown pass in his pocket, finishing the series with a 33-yard strike to Max Stevens. 

Several Giants contributed offensively to the team’s big night.

Crane finished with 217 passing yards and three touchdown passes. He also rushed for 41 yards. Boman had 89 all-purpose yards. Wood carried the ball 11 times for 121 rushing yards and two scores. Loftus had 65 receiving yards while Dimitriou had 39 and Stevens had 33. 

“It’s been different guys stepping up for us all year,” Kopp said of the Giants’ diversity on offense. “That’s kind of what our offense is; the identity is that it’s spread out and that different guys can do different things. We’re able to have different guys step up and they just know that when it’s their time they have to make plays.” 

Contributing to earning a playoff win for the program felt “amazing,” Wood said. 

“We’ve been building this all year, and building a great group,” he added. “We’ve had such a tight-knit bond … and we’ve dreamt of this. This is what we live for. We live for playoff football.” 

A Champion Awaits

There will be a challenging test waiting for the Giants next week as Highland Park will travel to River Grove to take on the Fenwick Friars, the defending 6A state champions. 

The Giants know it’s a matchup that will push them to the limit — but they’re eager to prove their mettle against one of the state’s best teams. 

“It’s such a fun challenge,” Kopp said. “It’s going to be awesome. It’s going to be fun. You’re here to play against the best. We’re excited to get after it and start preparing for them.” 

Boman noted that the team’s mindset in the locker room after the win over Streamwood already shifted to preparing for the Friars. 

“It’s going to take everything that we have,” Boman said. “We’re focused on that game and we’re all in. It’s going to take every single one of us putting 100% effort in.”

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