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7-on-7th Heaven: Wildcats claim PISD's first-ever 7-on-7 state championship
BY Matt Welch, mwelch@starlocalnews.com
Plano Senior was not to be denied Saturday afternoon at the Division I FOX Sports Southwest 7-on-7 State Tournament.
Any hurdle dropped in the Wildcats' path -- be it opposition or an on-field complication -- was cleared. And when the dust settled, an unblemished 8-0 run amassed over two days in College Station, capped by a 45-28 win over Manvel, equated Plano's first-ever 7-on-7 State Championship.
"There really aren't any words to express how happy I am for the guys," said Tank Stallings, Plano 7-on-7 head coach. "To think of where we started this summer and how we were then on the middle of Kyle Field winning a state championship, it was just awesome.
The championship was the first to be captured by Plano ISD in 7-on-7 and the deepest run the Wildcats have enjoyed since 2008 when they advanced to the tourney quarterfinals.
Plano proved two rounds better for its 2012 edition, camped out on Kyle Field for the championship game against Manvel and a chance at earning a slice of program history.
And earn it the Wildcats did.
"In that final game, we didn't have three of our top receivers," Stallings said. "They were cramped up on the sidelines and couldn't play, and we ended up having guys step in who hadn't played much during the day."
Plano's top two outside threats, Anthony Antwine and Devon Richardson, were limited by cramps -- the former to the extent that Stallings said they "could barely get out of the locker room."
Corbin Whitehair, the Wildcats' slot weapon and trigger man for jumpstarting the offense, played through the first couple of series before cramps set in and he proceeded to miss the entire second half. Enter Christian Hutzler, Mitchell Hansen, Dalton Reeves and Braylan Campbell, who helped assure the Plano offense didn't miss a beat against Manvel.
"Our offense was just incredible," Stallings said. "They were clicking on all cylinders and every time they got the ball, it seemed like they scored. When we told the defense to keep us in the game and get a stop here or there, they did it."
Paced by a pair of early Whitehair touchdowns, Plano's Grant Lyness bagged an interception to scuttle Manvel's first possession. The Wildcats resumed control from there, opening up a 26-14 lead by halftime that only expanded over the second half.
While Antwine, Whitehair and Richardson had combined for roughly three-quarters of Plano's touchdowns prior to the championship game, those voids were filled by a pair of touchdown grabs by Hutzler and Hansen.
At the helm of it all was Richard Lagow, who launched seven touchdowns in the championship en route to a 45-28 victory.
"It was incredible how many guys stepped up for us in that game," Lagow said. "I was so proud of those guys. They may not be in the spotlight as much as some others, but they stepped up and helped us out when they needed to."
In victory, Lagow was named the tournament MVP and joined Hutzler in donning spots on the all-tournament team.
"To be named tournament MVP is such a great honor," Lagow said. "I'm so blessed to receive that, but I never would have gotten it without my receiving core. They were the best receivers in that whole tournament."
In building toward the title game, Plano assumed something of an underdog role as the tournament progressed.
The Wildcats shed that label by dispatching of Rosenberg Terry, 34-20, in the quarterfinals and Arlington Bowie, 32-28, in the semis. Bowie was fresh off an upset quarterfinal win over reigning champ DeSoto, but that momentum proved short-lived with Lagow and Whitehair pacing Plano to a 25-14 lead at the break. The Wildcats would score just one more time -- on a Hansen touchdown -- and while Bowie closed the gap as the contest progressed, Lyness was there to seal the victory with a late interception.
Plano opened Saturday's action by turning away Katy, 33-26, and Cinco Ranch, 39-19, after completing pool play on a perfect note Friday afternoon. There, the Wildcats recorded wins over Harlingen (39-18), Georgetown (52-26) and Cypress Creek (45-41) to earn a spot in the Championship Bracket for the sixth consecutive year.
Only this time, the Wildcats accomplished something no other PISD squad has.
"From Wylie all the way to state, this team continued to grow and grow," Stallings said, "and we hope that's the kind of thing that carries over into the fall."
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