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Behind two first quarter touchdowns and three more to open the fourth quarter, Plano rallied from an early 6-0 deficit in a 35-18 victory over Garland Lakeview Centennial last week in the season opener.

Plano (1-0) will attempt to open the season with consecutive wins for the fifth time since 2005 today when it meets Irving MacArthur (1-0) at 7:30 p.m. at John Clark Stadium.

MacArthur won the meeting last season, 14-13, and Plano defeated MacArthur, 33-7, in 2008.

The start to this season had some similarities to last, Lakeview scored on the first play from scrimmage. It was a sight reminiscent of the first play from scrimmage in the season opener a year earlier at MacArthur. In that game, MacArthur vaulted to a 14-0 advantage and despite numerous fourth quarter opportunities Plano couldn’t rally.

Both squads enter the game off victories last week led by their quarterbacks.

Shahzeb Khan passed for 173 yards and three touchdowns as MacArthur defeated Mansfield Timberview, 26-10. Johnny Haynes and Jason Frimpong combined for 188 yards rushing on 29 attempts. Haynes also caught six passes for 86 yards.

Connor Michelsen also passed for three touchdowns, but he also found the end zone on the ground, last week as Plano defeated Lakeview, 35-18. Michelsen completed 10 of 18 passes for 209 yards. He found Brandon Hamilton for a game-high 157 yards and two touchdowns on five receptions. Kevin Merrill had a game-high 118 yards rushing on 12 carries. Lakeview wasn’t allowed to go over 200 yards of offense until the final series of the game, a performance ranking Plano among the top defenses in the area.

Today’s game will be the last for a while at Plano’s traditional home field for the Wildcats. The team will travel to Mansfield Legacy on Sept. 9 and will be idle before opening the district season at Allen Sept. 24. It will play a home game at Kimbrough Stadium Oct. 1 and won’t return to Clark until Oct. 22.

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IRVING — Strategy, gambles, luck and reward are all part of football. It played a big role here Thursday in the junior varsity’s 22-13 victory over Irving MacArthur at their home field.

Greg Peterson (6) scored on a 19-yard run and the successive two-point conversion Thursday and MacArthur's gamble failed in a 23-13 loss to Plano. / Thad Fenton

A failed conversion kick would eventually put the MacArthur coaches into a late 14-13 jam. If they wanted to have a chance to play for the win they needed to make something happen quickly.

A time-consuming drive in the fourth quarter resulted in a Jordan Baird interception that had the makings of putting the game away. Then the MacArthur defense got the stop it needed and forced a punt. As luck had it, officials ruled the ball was legally touched and not grounded before Plano recovered.

The only bullet left in MacArthur’s belt was a gamble that backfired. Still trailing, 14-13, and with Plano knocking on the door deep in their territory with less than two minutes to play, they decided on a risky maneuver. After a 10-yard Greg Peterson keeper to move to the MacArthur 19, he was allowed to score virtually untouched on the next play. The logic was it would give MacArthur an opportunity at one possession to tie.

That’s where JV head coach Tanner Craven made the call to put MacArthur away. He gave Peterson the nod again on a keeper and with 47 seconds left Plano had changed a tight 14-13 advantage into a two-score lead, 22-13. MacArthur never recovered.

The defense needed quite a few key plays in the second half as MacArthur virtually shut down Plano’s offense. MacArthur scored on the opening drive of the second half and with 6:53 left in the third quarter it had rallied almost all the way back from a 14-0 first quarter deficit. But, the conversion kick missed its mark. And behind defense and special teams play in key situations Plano was able to hold MacArthur out of the end zone from there.

Cole Eckeberger (32) and Jake Dinucci (5) participate in the coin toss Thursday prior to the start of the junior varsity game. / Thad Fenton

Corbin Whitehair got Plano on the board early when he hauled in a 46-yard touchdown pass from Andrew Alexander with 2:43 left in the first quarter.

And 1:28 later Tyler Grant followed a number of critical blocks on a 46-yard interception return for a touchdown ­– his third defensive score in two games, all coming on interceptions. Cole Eckeberger’s conversion kick following the touchdown proved to be the game-winner.

MacArthur was limited to one big play the entire first half, a 42-yard touchdown run that cut into the deficit. But the defense opened the game with a Brandon Laures sack and a tackle for loss by Francis Mtuke. The Grant interception ended the next drive. Mtuke opened the third drive with a sack followed by Baird’s tackle for loss on a punt attempt prevented by a poor snap.

Grant, who is showing a knack for being in the right place to make big plays, had two chances at interceptions in the second half. Jordan Stiff also had a chance at an interception.

Ultimately, successive holding penalties on a late fourth quarter drive and the ruling on the punt inside the final two minutes changed the game, forcing MacArthur to the only option it had left – the gamble against Peterson that it lost.

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The season opener held a little of everything for the junior varsity.

Plano had moments where it couldn’t seem to move the ball, then others where it showed ease during sustained offensive drives or by successfully converting the big play. It gave up the big play — on one occassion — but then settled in and was stifling.

That type of game is not uncommon for a junior varsity season opener where many players may be in a game situation for the first time together. Plano opened the 2010 campaign last week at John Clark Field with a 43-10 victory over Lakeview that by score alone would have appeared easy.

The season continues at 7 p.m. today at Irving MacArthur, weather permitting. Then, it will play on six days rest next week in a rare Wednesday outing against Mansfield Legacy at 5:30 p.m. at John Clark Field prior to a bye week.

Plano (1-0) will be out to fix a few of its issues and record consecutive wins to open the season.

It took four offensive drives to get its initial first down and get on the scoreboard in the season opener. It was down, 10-0, and with the clock ticking inside the final five minutes of the first half Davion Harris came up with a 47-yard touchdown reception. A fumble recovery three plays later by Dearion Johnson was followed by a 42-yard pass completion from Andrew Alexander to Corbin Whitehair and the next play Drew Grant completed the comeback with a 1-yard touchdown run.

Drew Grant had two rushing touchdowns and Tyler Grant had two interception returns for touchdowns along a stretch of 43 unanswered points to rally from the 10-0 deficit.

Plano won the junior varsity district title last season and the early moments of this season point to the potential to contend for it again. Plano demonstrated a defense that can flat shut down opponents. Some offensive struggles will have to be fixed today and next week, but the personnel seems to be capable of growing into a good unit. Its worth noting the offensive skill position players are all new to the JV, so they may still be gelling.

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