Highland Park only led once in the Class 5A-2 UIL Texas State Championship game on Friday night at AT&T Stadium in Arlington — but once was enough.

Senior quarterback John Stephen Jones rallied the Scots from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit and found — who else? — senior receiver Cade Saustad for a 16-yard, game-winning touchdown pass with 34 seconds left to put Highland Park on top, 53-49, over Manvel.

The touchdown that won the game for Highland Park #UILState #TXHSFB pic.twitter.com/tYxzxm6aDI

— Texas HS Football (@texashsfootball) December 23, 2017

That would have been a cool ending, but the Mavericks had more in store for a game that will go down as one of the greatest state championships ever played. Kason Martin drove Manvel to the 30-yard line with time for one more play. And, on that play, Martin found Jalen Preston at the 1-yard line.

Final play of what has to be the best high school football state championship game ever. Manvel loses to Highland Park 53-49. #txhsfb pic.twitter.com/YRsdIus4vv

— Matt Young (@Chron_MattYoung) December 23, 2017

That close.

Jones goes out as a back-to-back state champion at Highland Park after setting a state championship game record with 574 yards and four touchdowns. Saustad's 200 receiving yards was also a championship game record.

Jones threw for 2,274 yards during the Scots' remarkable playoff run to a championship repeat — and it all started with this 457-yard, seven total touchdown performance in a 56-49 shootout victory over Texarkana Texas in the opening round:

The 2017 Landry Award winner is, as far as we're concerned, one of the most underrated prospects in high school football. He holds offers from Arkansas, Texas Tech, and SMU — and the thought of him running new Razorbacks coach Chad Morris' power spread no doubt has visions of sugar plums dancing in the heads of Arkansas fans.