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Stormin' Morman: Plano RB commandeers late-game rally over MacArthur
BY Matt Welch, mwelch@starlocalnews.com
IRVING -- In Week 0, the Plano Senior football team's defense made the plays necessary to stave off a fiery effort from visiting Lewisville in an eventual 14-7 victory.
One week later, the Wildcats' offense returned the favor, steering a late drive to upend Irving MacArthur (1-1), 27-20.
"It's everything we've been talking about," said Jaydon McCullough, Plano head coach. "We talked to the kids about finishing and sticking together. The kids are happy and we're going to enjoy this, but we know we're young and we have to get better."
The plays that eluded Plano throughout the night were made, notably a third-and-11 conversion by senior Richard Lagow to senior Anthony Antwine that covered 13 yards for the quarterback's second and final completion on a 2-of-9, 35-yard passing night.
As was common all evening, senior Andre Morman made his presence felt, careening off runs of 25 and 11 yards during the drive -- the latter nudging the Wildcats to first-and-goal from the MacArthur 1 inside the final two minutes.
On the evening, Morman broke free to the tune of 166 yards and one touchdown on 16 carries.
"Coach always says that a great line makes a great back," Morman said. "Our o-line was on top tonight and we had everything working perfect, and the quarterback and coaches were doing everything they could to make it work."
A 1-yard sneak by Lagow -- the quarterback's second rushing score of the evening -- followed, turning a 20-20 tie into a 27-20 Plano advantage with 1:49 left.
With winds picking up, the ensuing Plano kickoff buried the Cardinals back at their own 8-yard line. A tandem sack on quarterback Sebastian Taylor by seniors Troy Propes and Kevin Holland highlighted a four-down stand by the Wildcats to seal the victory.
The late Plano touchdown was the team's only one of the second half, with both teams trading field goals to force a 20-20 stalemate entering the closing minutes. The Cardinals initially broke ahead, 20-17, after Jacob Rivas belted through a 32-yard field goal with 5:57 left in the third to cap a 10-play drive. Plano countered the following quarter behind a fearless punt return by senior Steven Cypert that led to an eventual 26-yard field goal by senior Jourdan Escobar with 8:49 left in the fourth.
That was a trend much of the evening with both teams trading blows and swapping the lead three times in the first half en route to a 17-17 tie at the break.
MacArthur struck with an onslaught of screens and zone-read runs to cover 80 yards in nine plays, capped by Jourdan McNeill cleanly hurdling Plano junior Austin Connell to seal a 15-yard touchdown.
Taylor combined 45 rushing yards with 198 yards through the air on 17-of-29 passing, while McNeill posted 142 rushing yards on 25 carries.
"[MacArthur] has some great athletes," McCullough said. "With what they do, you have to give them credit too for putting our guys in space. But this defense never quit."
Countering with a 37-yard field goal by Escobar, the Wildcats took the lead after Morman rushes of 21, 18 and 18 yards highlighted a nine-play drive that was punctuated by a 1-yard Lagow sneak aided with overwhelming blocking up front. The Cardinals stuck to a heavy dose of zone-reads that fluctuated carries between McNeill and Taylor, with the latter cleverly disguising a carry that paved a 3-yard touchdown scamper with 7:30 left in the second quarter for a 14-10 MacArthur lead.
Regaining possession after the Cardinals' Taion Sells scuttled a 24-yard run from Braylan Campbell by forcing and recovering a fumble, MacArthur gave the ball right back after a Taylor pass sailed high and into the arms of Plano senior Grant Lyness.
One play later, Morman sprinted 28 yards on a toss to reclaim the Wildcats' lead at 17-14 before the Cardinals bled the final six minutes of the first half down to a 26-yard field goal by Rivas as time expired.
"It felt great," Morman said. "My team helped out a ton with that run, though. My teammates made some great blocks and did what they needed to do, which really helped."
Perfect through two games, the Wildcats enjoy a bye week before returning to action Sept. 20 for a 7 p.m. road matchup at Garland Naaman Forest.
"[This win] just shows us that we need to work on getting better and making sure that we're a balanced team," Morman said. "We need to have both a good offense and defense."
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