GEORGETOWN — Just hours after Highland Park defeated Liberty Hill 2-0 to claim the Class 5A Division II boys soccer state championship, the team was forced to forfeit its title.

The UIL ruled that Highland Park used an ineligible player in the game, nullifying what would have been the program’s first boys soccer state championship.

Highland Park’s staff identified the violation after the game and reported it to the UIL. Under UIL rules, the minimum penalty for playing an ineligible athlete is forfeiture of the contest. As a result, Liberty Hill will now be awarded the state title.

Highland Park head coach Scott Turner, in his second season, had led the team to back-to-back 20-win seasons.

The Dallas Morning News has reached out to the UIL and Turner for comment but has not yet received a response.

Several hours earlier, two jumps from two seniors on two set pieces decided Highland Park’s first state tournament appearance since 1987.

First, Jack O’Grady reacted quickest to a long-throw that bounced over Liberty Hill’s goalkeeper and, despite not making solid contact on his header, did enough to steer the ball in.

Then, Hafeey Shah rose above everyone to meet Sebastian Benitez’s in-swinging corner and did find solid contact, powering his header in for a 2-0 first-half lead.

“It was like a rocket,” Shah said. “I didn’t even see it going in, I was like, ‘I put so much power on that shot,’ I just started celebrating.”

Nearly four decades after Alamo Heights shut them out of their only previous state championship game appearance, the Scots completed a shut out of their own in Friday afternoon’s 5A-DII boy’s soccer state title game. Highland Park (21-1-2) dominated Liberty Hill (15-8-7) and capitalized on set pieces for a 2-0 win at Georgetown’s Birkelbach Field.

“It took a whole team effort … and it’s really special,” O’Grady said. “Maybe we didn’t have the talent some other teams had, but just being able to persevere and players playing different positions and doing different things.”

Highland Park took the lead inside of the first five minutes through O’Grady’s header from a high-bouncing long throw into the box. It was the first of many set-piece chances created by the Scots, a part of the game they spend at least the last 15 minutes of every practice working on according to Shah.

“Honestly, that’s why we won,” Shah said. “Hard work paid off for that.”

Mounting pressure built on Liberty Hill’s defense as the half progressed. Midway through the period, Jack Madsen’s half-volley from a corner to the back-post forced an awkward goal-line clearance. Later, a give-and-go at the left edge of the penalty box left Brock Nemeth open. His elevated shot exacted a diving save by Panthers goalie Angel Cardenas.

Then, Jack Rhine nearly snuck behind the defense before a sliding tackle redirected his shot behind the goal. On the ensuing corner, the Scots struck again through Shah’s header.

The Scots finished with six more shots (16-10) than the Panthers and drew out seven saves from Cardenas. At the newly implemented water break halfway through the second 40-minute period, Rhine and O’Grady, alone, had combined for more shots than the entirety of Liberty Hill.

“The unity we played with and the synchronicity and our passing and the flow, it was fantastic,” Turner said. “We really put it together.”

Justin Ratner rewarded his Scots outfield players’ control of the game with five saves on the other end, none of which troubled him. He earned Highland Park’s third-straight clean sheet and 15th of the year to close out the state title.

Especially after taking the lead, Shah said the Scots knew Liberty Hill would try to play more direct long balls. Playing the defensive midfielder role just in front of the defensive line, Shah coordinated with his two central defenders, Davis Hooks and Rene Benitez, to rotate and ensure interceptions and clearances.

“Great goalkeeping play, but the understanding of transition and playing defense with great technique … we did a fantastic job,” Turner said. “It’s an expression of what this team could do, and then they materialized that. We knew we had a good chance, we just had to make it happen, and they did.”

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