The McLean Highlanders (3-1, 2-1) lost to the visiting South Lakes Seahawks (3-1, 3-0), 42-32, in a back-and-forth high-school football game March 19 in a showdown for first in the Liberty District. South Lakes gained a bit more than 400 total yards and scored in multiple big plays.
“South Lakes is very talented and we didn’t make enough plays on defense and we left some plays out there,” McLean coach John Scholla said.
McLean was hurt by a couple of interceptions.
The Highlanders led 12-7 after the first quarter, but trailed 28-18 at halftime and never led again.
McLean quarterback Bijan Soltani passed for 144 yards and threw touchdown passes of 54 and 36 yards to Billy Ludwick and 32 to Ryan Jessar, who ran for 45 yards and caught two passes for 28. Ludwick caught four passes for 106. Nick Halteh had two catches and amassed 121 yards in kick returns.
McLean’s Ivan Marick kicked three extra points and made a 33-yard field goal.
On defense for McLean, Philippe Kabasele made 15 tackles with a sack, Alec Butler had 12 tackles, Ludwick and Jessar six each, Conner Greer had five tackles and a sack and Anton Lingeman had a sack.
