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Sports
SCOTS WR LILLY CONTINUES FAMILY TRADITION, ONLY ON OFFENSE
Fleet-footed slot receiver overcomes injuries to earn starting spot
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By Todd Jorgenson
People Newspapers
Like many teenage athletes, Beau Lilly finds himself regaled by tales from his grandfather about glory days on the gridiron.
But when your grandfather is Dallas Cowboys legend and Hall of Fame defensive lineman Bob Lilly, those historical anecdotes are more interesting – and relevant – than most.
The Highland Park receiver might play a different position, but he still embraces the connection to a name that will forever be at the
I feel pride in having the Lilly name. Beau Lilly
forefront of Texas football lore.
“He tells me a lot of stories and gives me tips about stuff that helped him when he was playing,” said Beau Lilly, a senior who has become a key contributor as a slot receiver for the Scots. Highland Park senior Beau Lilly has emerged as a dependable option at inside receiver. (PHOTO: MELISSA MACATEE)
That role has come with injury-related challenges. Lilly was sidelined for his entire freshman season, and then a pulled hamstring suffered during the spring after his sophomore campaign set him back again.
Lilly is happy to be fully healthy for his senior year — especially given his close bond with quarterback Brennan Storer — and has gained a valuable perspective now that he’s finally able to showcase his skills.
“Sometimes things are out of your control,” Lilly said. “I’m just focused on making every catch and block I can to help the team win. I’m grateful for every down I play.”
Lilly had just five receptions for 30 yards last season. However, he made his mark as a sprinter during track and field season last spring for the Scots. He finished second in the 100 meters at the District 13-5A meet and helped the Scots reach regionals in the 4x100 and 4x200 relays alongside football teammates Jay Cox and Grayson Schrank.
“Beau is a talented receiver who has track speed and great hands,” said HP head coach Randy Allen. “He works very hard at running precise routes. He can make the tough catches.”
Lilly hopes to play college football after graduation but doesn’t feel pressure from his pedigree. He cites his father, Bob Lilly Jr., who played football at TCU — just like Bob Sr. — but has since carved a successful legacy as an entrepreneur and philanthropist.
“I feel pride in having the Lilly name,” he said. “I’ll do my best to carry it on through football, but if not, then I’ll try to live up to it through something else.”
Digging Defense: Finally Given Her Chance, Winford Lifts Lady Scots
Despite commuting from Nevada, Texas, senior libero feels right at home at HP
By Todd Jorgenson
People Newspapers
Zoe Winford played her first varsity volleyball match for Highland Park in August, but she’s been contributing to the team’s success for more than a year.
Despite being relegated to the junior varsity squad in 2021 because of transfer eligibility rules, the libero became a leader in practice and off the court.
“She raised the level of intensity in that gym. She played against our starters all season, which helped us tremendously,” said HP head coach Michael Dearman. “She established so much respect with her teammates.”
Winford lives in Nevada, a Collin County town about 35 miles northeast of the Park Cities. When she transferred to HP, where her father works as a school counselor, she was ruled ineligible for one year by the District Executive Committee. The UIL upheld that decision on appeal.
That was tough for Winford. The offenPCP_Oct2022_Banner-Final-revised3.pdf 1 9/2/2022 1:48:02 PMsive MVP in District 13-4A as a sophomore at Community High School stood out on the Dallas-area club circuit and had elite college programs recruiting her. Yet, she wasn’t permitted to play varsity volleyball at HP. But she insisted on not allowing her disappointment to affect her attitude, instead focusing on individual and team
Highland Park libero Zoe Winford didn’t play last season after transferring from Nevada
Community. (PHOTO: CHRIS MCGATHEY) development while preparing for her senior year. Specifically, she focused on her preferred libero spot after playing multiple positions at Community. “I’m a very competitive person,” Winford said. “As a libero, I feel like you have to have a voice.”
Winford’s emergence has hardly been a surprise. She verbally committed to Georgia Tech in May and received multiple preseason accolades even before her Lady Scots debut.
“She gets balls up and reads so well, but she brings a defensive mindset to the team that hasn’t been there,” Dearman said. “She’s taken over that back row and made everyone around her better.”
Her contributions have been worth the wait for the Lady Scots. With nine seniors playing key roles and following a stellar nondistrict campaign, they aspire to earn a District 7-6A title and make a deep postseason run.
“I’m surrounded by so many more athletes. The culture is different. Our goals here are so much higher,” Winford said. “I was really excited during the summer. I knew we were going to be good.”
Siblings Help Scots Make a Splash in Inaugural Season Club experience helps HP find immediate success in water polo
By Todd Jorgenson
People Newspapers
For seniors such as Roman Duong, Turner Melley, and Luka Zivaljevic, the addition of a Highland Park water polo team provides a timely opportunity to compete for their school.
The inaugural season also offers the trio a chance to play alongside their younger brothers on a team that features three sets of siblings comprising almost half of its varsity roster.
“It was a big game-changer,” Zivaljevic said. “I’ve always wanted to represent Highland Park in water polo.”
With the UIL sanctioning water polo for the first time this fall, HP is taking advantage thanks to a wealth of players with extensive experience on the local club circuit.
They hope that pedigree translates into a successful debut for the Scots and a foundation for future prosperity as more students, not just swimmers, become involved.
“We have high expectations,” Zivaljevic said. “We’re setting the bar pretty high.”
Starting a new program yields plenty of firsts. The players even got to help design the program’s logo and pick out equipment.
Sibling pairs on Highland Park’s inaugural boys water polo team include, from left, Roman Duong and Jacob Duong, Ivan Zivaljevic and
Luka Zivaljevic, and Jake Melley and Turner Melley. (PHOTO: CHRIS MCGATHEY)
The siblings agree that having their brothers as teammates is beneficial, even if the intensity of their bonds through the sport varies.
“At the dinner table, we always talk about it,” said Ivan Zivaljevic, Luka’s younger brother. “When we’re in the water next to each other, we always try to swim faster or push each other.”
Luka Zivaljevic and Roman Duong are the leading scorers for HP. Duong and his younger brother, Jacob, don’t communicate as frequently about water polo outside the pool.
“We choose not to because when we go from a game to home, we just want to relax,” Duong said. “Me and Jacob, we know where our levels are at. I can trust him.”
The HP program might technically be in its infancy, but multiple athletes have already garnered attention from the National Team Selection Camp sponsored by USA Water Polo.
Last year, Can Caglar became the first player from HP to receive a college scholarship in the sport. Caglar, who was a swimmer for the school, is now a goaltender at Loyola Marymount University in California.
After wrapping up the regular-season schedule, the Scots will begin postseason play in mid-October with the goal of qualifying for the first-ever UIL state tournament.
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