PlanoFootball.com

Cats drop Boyd, have edge for playoff berth

Posted on 24. Oct, 2009 by Brian Porter in '09 Season, Varsity

MURPHY – On the leg of Grant Pierce and behind a combination of seniors in their final home game Friday, the Cardiac ’Cats moved into position to take the final playoff berth from District 8-5A.

Pierce perfectly converted his most meaningful career kick with 3:19 remaining and it was enough to help lift Plano past McKinney Boyd, 24-16, at Tom Kimbrough Stadium.

Grant Pierce displayed his complete resume Friday. He converted a key field goal with 3:19 left, placed punts at the 10-, 9-, and 4-yard lines, and added two kickoffs for touchbacks and two more to start Boyd drives at the 16- and 7-yard lines. / Photo courtesy www.jdinucci.com

Plano (3-6, 2-3 in District 8-5A) now controls its own playoff destiny, needing a win in two weeks against Jesuit Prep to clinch a playoff berth in three straight seasons. McKinney Boyd (4-4, 1-3) could at best tie Plano, but could not reach the postseason without a Plano loss.

Clinging to a 21-16 lead following touchdowns on consecutive Boyd drives, Plano was in dire need of an equalizer.

“They had just scored and were driving pretty well,” Pierce said.

With completions from Connor Michelsen to Steele Hoetger and Robert Robinson for 27 yards to start a late fourth-quarter drive, Plano moved within field goal range. Jared Kirchmeier and Holt Hoetger then moved Plano inside the 20 on key plays.

Then Plano turned to Pierce, who had more than proven his worth in the punting game. But Pierce had a chance for early-season redemption. He was given a 32-yard field goal opportunity from the left hashmark that he perfectly stroked through the uprights to spot Plano a 24-16 lead it rode to victory.

“I just try not to think about it,” Pierce said. “I make kicks like that every day in practice.”

Plano coach Jaydon McCullough said it became apparent Plano was going to have to pass to win Friday, and so it turned to Connor Michelsen who turned in a stellar performance. / Photo courtesy www.jdinucci.com

But this one was much more meaningful. Boyd was going to have three minutes to drive the field with one of the most potent offenses in the area. Pierce’s kick meant not only would they have to reach the end zone, but they’d also need a two-point conversion.

“I knew if I made it, they were going to have to score a touchdown and get a conversion,” Pierce said. “It was big.”

The defense got a stop on the ensuing drive and by doing so Plano took control of the chase for the final playoff spot from District 8-5A as Allen handled Jesuit (3-5, 1-3) in another key district game.

“To me, everything is working out,” Plano coach Jaydon McCullough said. “The good news is we are still breathing.”

If Plano can win its final regular season game it will have a head-to-head tiebreaker advantage against both teams – Boyd and Jesuit — who are also vying for the fourth playoff spot, only one of which could force a tie.

Boyd quickly turned what, for a moment, appeared to be a game Plano would take going away into a contest.

It drove 84 yards in 18 plays to close the margin to 21-10 with 15 seconds left in the third quarter on a Stanton Schmidt 1-yard touchdown run. Two plays earlier, Josh Benson appeared to have an interception to prevent the score before a penalty.

Then a bad snap on a punt gave Boyd a short field and four plays later Anthony Moss tightened the margin to one score on a 28-yard touchdown reception from Jonovan Griffin. But Boyd failed on the conversion pass and it, mixed with Pierce’s field goal on the ensuing drive, meant Plano’s defense would only have to prevent Boyd from reaching the end zone in the final three minutes.

Pierce made big plays in field position in the first half. He was called upon three times to punt and dropped the ball in at the Boyd 10, 9 and 4 on those opportunities. He also had a kickoff for a touchback and another kickoff that was fielded at the 7 and Boyd started from there.

“I was just trying to pin them deep,” Pierce said. “I knew if I did our defense could stop them.”

Kevin Merrill gave Plano a lead it would never surrender on an 8-yard touchdown run with 7:36 remaining in the first half. Boyd immediately countered with a field goal to trim the lead.

Then Kirchmeier, who dressed for the first time since the Wylie game, broke off a 23-yard run and finished a four-play drive with a 3-yard touchdown run to put Plano up, 14-3, with 1:32 left in the first half.

Among the biggest plays en route to breaking the game open came from Clayton Parlin, who was celebrating his birthday on the occasion of homecoming. Parlin hauled in a 10-yard catch on fourth down to extend Plano’s first drive of the second half and four plays later Holt Hoetger scored on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Michelsen.

Michelsen didn’t get the start, but it quickly became apparent he was going to be needed for Plano to have a chance to defeat Boyd.

“We felt like we had to throw to win the game,” McCullough said. “It was do or die and we couldn’t waste too many opportunities.”

So Murat Kuzu was lifted at quarterback for Michelsen, who turned in one of his most brilliant performances to date on a 17-of-28 passing performance for 174 yards.

Holt Hoetger pulled down seven catches for 67 yards and a touchdown, while Robert Robinson had five and Kirchmeier added four. Kirchmeier finished with 112 total yards, including 83 yards rushing.

But penalties made it anything but an easy win. The teams combined for 29 penalties, with Plano drawing 14 for 125 yards.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing — B: Stanton Schmidt 12-47, Jonovan Griffin 20-34, Derek Branson 1-2. P: Jared Kirchmeier 15-83, Murat Kuzu 6-13, Kevin Merrill 2-10, Brandon Hamilton 1-8, Clayton Parlin 1-4, Connor Michelsen 5-2, Holt Hoetger 1-1, Grant Pierce 1-(-7).

Passing – B: Jonovan Griffin 10-32-2, 244 yards. P: Connor Michelsen 17-28-0, 174 yards; Murat Kuzu 4-9-0, 41 yards.

Receiving — B: Cody Seaber 3-129, Anthony Moss 2-53, James Driskell 2-44, Derek Branson 2-18, Stanton Schmidt 1-0. P: Robert Robinson 5-71, Holt Hoetger 7-67, Jared Kirchmeier 4-29, Steele Hoetger 2-21, Brandon Hamilton 1-13, Clayton Parlin 1-10, Kevin Merrill 1-4.