For the second year in a row Highland High moved on to the 6A football quarterfinals with a home victory. This one took about a quarter to seize control, but once the Hawks did it was no contest

No. 5 Highland scored 14 points in about 90 seconds late in the opening period and never looked back in toppling No. 12 Cesar Chavez, 45-7.

Highland (10-1) takes to the road next week in a test against once-beaten No. 4 Liberty, an easy winner oer No. 13 Westview, 56-21. The 10-win season is only the second in school history with the 1994 team going 12-1. Chavez finished the season 7-4 with a Metro Region banner, but no playoff win for the third year in a row.

Highland's M.O. doesn't change. The Hawks made big plays on offense, forced three turnovers blocked two punts and were steady in every phase.

"It's like I've been saying," Highland coach Brock Farrel said. "This is a complete team. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts." 

Highland's offense revolved around three touchdowns from two-way standout Kohner Cullimore and a pair of touchdown passes by quarterback Kaleb Herbert. It was the first score of the game that came out of the blue as the teams sparred with field position and punts.

A 57-yard punt by Highland's Austin McNamara got the Hawks out of trouble inside their 10. The defense held and Chavez's second punt traveled just 20 yards. The Hawks ultimately faced a 3rd and 13 at its 43 when Herbert threw a strike in stride down the middle of the field to wide open tight end Kyle Hester for a 57-yard score. McNamara kickoffs save one sailed through the end zone and the one that didn't ended with Chavez taking possession at its 6.

Highland linebacker Robert Kingsford stepped up for an interception a minute after the first score setting up Cullimore' first TD on a 9-yard run that made it 14-0 with 2:15 left in the quarter.

A glaring mismatch continued in the kicking game as the second period opened. Linebacker Daniel Wood blocked Chavez's third punt giving Highland possession at Chavez's 30. Four plays later Herbert hooked up with Tanner Crandall for a lunging, 16-yard TD grab for a 21-0 advantage.

The lead improved to 24-0 thanks to McNamara's 41-yard field goal with 4:26 left in the half. Special teams emerged again for Highland less than a minute later with pressure on Chavez 's punter forcing another short boot. This one was taken 33 yards to the house by Cullimore to complete the first half scoring (31-0).

Another blocked punt on Chavez's first possession of the second half set up Cullimore's final TD -  a 20-yard run. Reserve running back Max Davis did the heavy lifting on the drive for the Hawks final points with runs of 14 and 29 yards, The 29-yard run was for six points and initiated a running clock with 6:01 left in the third period at 45-0. Chavez scored with under a minute left on a 1-yard run by Andrew Blitzke.