Highland couldn’t hold on to an early lead in its season opener Friday night, falling 28-19 to visiting Beacon in non-league football.

Both teams entered the fall looking to regroup after sectional semifinal exits in 2024, but now in different brackets: Beacon moved up to Section 9 Class A while Highland dropped to Class C.

Junior running back Elijah Epps powered the Bulldogs’ offense, rushing for 71 yards and two touchdowns on just nine carries. He opened the scoring with a 2-yard run in the first quarter, and later broke loose for a 41-yard score early in the fourth to put Beacon ahead 21-13.

Highland responded in the opening quarter with a 28-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Krusen to even the score at 7-7.

The Huskies forced a turnover in the second quarter and grabbed their only lead when quarterback Logan Ellison scored from a yard out, making it 13-7 at halftime.

Momentum shifted before the break, though, when senior running back AJ Nugent was carted off the field with an injury. Without their physical ground threat, the Huskies struggled to sustain drives after halftime.

Beacon sophomore quarterback Delano Rigby Jr. added balance with 71 passing yards on 8-of-13 completions, while senior Jaden Jones caught five passes for 28 yards and contributed on defense with two tackles and a conversion run.

Highland’s final touchdown came in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter after Beacon had already sealed the win.
Highland (0-1) opens its Class C schedule Friday at 7 p.m. when it travels to Dover. Beacon (1-0) will face New Paltz on Thursday at 6 p.m.