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Defense, second-half rally pushes Plano into area playoffs

Posted on 14. Nov, 2009 by Brian Porter in '09 Season, Varsity

IRVING – Defense got Plano to the playoffs and Friday night it kept the Wildcats there.

Behind three defensive takeaways in the second half, Plano (5-6) rallied from a 17-0 halftime deficit to defeat Duncanville, 28-17, at Irving Schools Stadium in a Division I-Region I bi-district playoff game.

Austin Birdsall hauls in his first of two interceptions. Plano had three takeaways in the second half Friday which led to 14 points in a 28-17 bi-district playoff victory over Duncanville. / ThadFenton.com

“The front seven played outstanding,” said cornerback Austin Birdsall, who hauled in a pair of interceptions. “They just made plays.”

Plano will meet the winner of today’s pairing of Euless Trinity and Flower Mound at 5 p.m. Saturday at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. Plano advances to the area round of the playoffs for the third straight season.

Duncanville (4-5) collected an interception and recovered four fumbles on the first five Plano drives of the game. Those miscues produced just 17 points and left the opportunity for the second-half comeback.

“I told the kids at halftime it was amazing,” Plano coach Jaydon McCullough said. “We had five turnovers and were only down, 17-0. I was trying to turn a negative into a positive.”

The defense held Duncanville to fewer than 75 yards in each half and momentum swung with the takeaway ratio turning in Plano’s favor in the second half.

Robert Robinson had a career-best 10 receptions for 102 yards, scoring three touchdowns. His 65-yard touchdown reception on a pass from Connor Michelsen broke the shutout and he scored on two of the next three drives.

Robert Robinson had 10 receptions for 102 yards Friday. He has 17 receptions in the past two games and 22 along a three-game win streak. / ThadFenton.com

“That was a big momentum play,” Robinson said, “but I think we got most of our momentum from the defense.”

Birdsall intercepted his second pass of the night on the third Duncanville play from scrimmage in the second half and it led to Robinson’s first touchdown.

Blair Burns collected his first of two interceptions to set up Jared Kirchmeier for an insurance touchdown with 1:57 left and came back 14 seconds later to collect an interception that sealed the victory. Kirchmeier finished with 178 yards rushing on 20 attempts and had more than 200 all-purpose yards.

While Duncanville was building a 17-0 lead in the first half, the Plano defense also made plays. Both touchdowns were made on interception returns for scores and the defense made a stop on a short field to force a field goal.

The third Plano play from scrimmage resulted in an interception Trent Green returned 43 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead. The next drive ended with a fumble, but Birdsall countered with his first interception. A Plano fumble on its third series resulted in a field goal and it fumbled again before the first quarter was complete. The fifth turnover on as many possessions resulted in a Demarcus Tarpley 31-yard interception return. Tarpley also recovered a fumble.

“As coaches, you expect the kids to be a direct reflection of what we are,” McCullough said. “That’s too many turnovers.”

Jared Kirchmeier goes vertical late in the fourth quarter. The effort led to the touchdown that helped put the game out of reach. / ThadFenton.com

Duncanville had succeeded in stifling the screen pass, so Plano went deep early in the third quarter. A perfectly-timed deep ball fell from the sky and into Robinson’s hands and the senior did the rest on a 65-yard touchdown reception.

It took Plano just five more plays to score again, this time on a 9-yard reverse to Robinson, and with 4:10 left in the third quarter Plano had narrowed the deficit to 17-14.

Kirchmeier rolled off a 27-yard run two drives later and three plays later Michelsen hit Robinson on a 6-yard corner route in the back of the end zone for the game-winning score.

“They were taking away a lot,” Robinson said. “They jumped on everything and we just had to go to the next play. We had to handle the adversity. We were beating ourselves.”

Robinson’s 10^th catch of the game was followed by a 27-yard Kirchmeier run and his 2-yard dive for the insurance score with 1:57 left.

Each of Plano’s starting cornerbacks hauled in a pair of interceptions. Birdsall, who was a starter at Class 4A Lake Dallas last season and whose father was a standout at Plano, got the start for the injured Kelton Reed.

INDIVIDUALS

Rushing — P: Jared Kirchmeier 20-178, Robert Robinson 2-15, Connor Michelsen 8-(-12). D: Chris Simpson 15-61, Jeff Lofton 5-12, Darrin Brown 3-10, Victor Winzer 10-5.

Passing — P: Connor Michelsen 16-27-1, 138 yards. D: Jeff Lofton 4-18-4, 32 yards.

Receiving — P: Robert Robinson 10-102, Holt Hoetger 4-24, Jared Kirchmeier 2-12. D: Darrin Brown 1-10, Jalen Parker 1-6, Chris Simpson 1-6.

Tags: Austin Birdsall, Blair Burns, Connor Michelsen, Duncanville, Jared Kirchmeier, Jaydon McCullough, Robert Robinson