UNIVERSITY PARK – Given how important receiver Seth Gardner is to Highland Park's offense, you just know his teammates have a nickname for him.

They do. It's "Oaf."

They're just teasing Gardner because, at 6-4, 185 pounds, he's the second-tallest Scots player. But ask, and they'll tell you how they really feel.

"He is one of the best receivers in the state," said wide receiver Luke Powell, one of Gardner's friends. "It's just that no one knows about him because he is so humble."

Gardner has 69 catches for 1,431 yards and 21 touchdowns as Highland Park prepares to meet Lake Travis for the Class 4A Division II state championship on Saturday in Waco.

Gardner has scored in 14 games, and 10 times he has scored Highland Park's first touchdown.

He deflects credit to the passers.

"I guess I've been getting some lucky plays," Gardner said. "I mean, quarterbacks do most of the work; you just have to get open and catch it."

Quarterback Winston Gamso, at 6-5 the only Scot taller than Gardner, said it's not by design that Gardner opens the scoring so often.

"He just gets open early," Gamso said. "Maybe they underestimate him and don't understand how good he is."

JOHN F. RHODES / DMN

Highland Park receiver Seth Gardner averages 20.7 yards per catch, most of which are not from deep passes.

When Gardner gets the ball, he makes the most of it. He averages 20.7 yards per catch, and most of that doesn't come on deep passes.

"If you throw him a little screen pass, he'll turn it into a 50-yard run," Gamso said. "He can do that in a second."

Last week against Everman, Gardner turned a pass that was intended to get a first down into a 66-yard touchdown after he broke free from tacklers.

Gardner, an outfielder, has signed to play baseball at Arkansas. Highland Park coach Randy Allen said he wonders why schools haven't shown interest in him for football.

"I don't know why somebody doesn't really get excited about him," Allen said. "He has all the tools to be a great receiver."

Gardner said he'll miss football, but he thinks he has a better future in college baseball.

"College football," he said, "would put a big bang on your body."

Gardner was on the sideline in 2005 when Highland Park won the state title. On Saturday against Lake Travis, he wants to contribute on the field.

But it won't be about what he can do. He said his team has succeeded because of its attitude.

"We're not a bunch of superstars put on a team," he said. "We're a team that knows how to play together."

Class 4A Division II state championship: Highland Park (15-0) vs. Lake Travis (14-1), 2 p.m. Saturday, Waco's Floyd Casey Stadium (Ch. 21 [delayed at 11 p.m.]; KVCE-AM 1160)

SETH GARDNER

School, class: Highland Park, Sr.

Position: Wide receiver

Ht./wt.: 6-4, 185

Favorite NFL player: Chad Johnson

Family: He is the youngest of three children. His brother, Reed, played baseball at HP, and his sister, Sarah, was the captain of the HP girls soccer team.

Did you know? Seth grew up a Texas A&M football fan. ... Three months before the season started, Gardner suffered a minor injury in his right knee playing baseball. He said it hasn't really bothered him this year. ... He played running back until eighth grade, when a coach told him he should play wide receiver because of his height.