The Highland Huskies got the new football season started on the right note by defeating North Cedar 26-0 Friday night on the road. After a scoreless first quarter, Highland found the end zone three times to build a 20-0 halftime lead and leaned on their defense from there.

While they did score one more time in the third period, it was the shutout that got the Huskies a win, forcing three takeaways and allowing only 135 total yards gained by North Cedar.

Senior Colton Sypherd forced two of those turnovers, recovering a fumble and intercepting a pass on a night where he had six-and-a-half total tackles and two tackles for loss. Logan McFarland led Highland with nine total stops, while fellow senior Jared Diaz also had a pick.

Senior defensive lineman Isaac Kleese also caused havoc for the Huskies up front, coming up with three tackles for loss and two sacks. Freshman Caleb Wheeler had two tackles for loss and one quarterback takedown, while sophomore Jose Ramirez split a sack and finished with two-and-a-half tackles for loss.

On offense, Highland was led by senior quarterback Sage Hartley-Norman, who ran the ball 15 times for 91 yards and two touchdowns. Hartley-Norman also completed a five-yard TD pass to Sypherd, while Ramirez added 82 yards and a score on the ground on 11 carries.

The victory is the Huskies’ first in a season opener since 2019. Highland has their first home game of 2024 this coming Friday when they next play Danville in Week Two.