PlanoFootball.com

Trinity turns away Plano, 41-38

Posted on 21. Nov, 2009 by Brian Porter in '09 Season, Varsity

ARLINGTON – Euless Trinity did Saturday what no other opponent ever has to Plano.

Connor Michelsen scored on a 1-yard keeper with 45 seconds left, but Plano was unable to field the ensuing onside kick and Trinity defeated Plano, 41-38, at Cowboys Stadium in a Class 5A-Division I area playoff.

Jared Kirchmeier said each of the past four games were playoff-like games for Plano, turning a 2-6 season into a second-round playoff qualifier. / ThadFenton.com

It marked the first time Plano has lost to the same team in playoff meetings in three straight seasons. Irving is the only other team to defeat Plano in consecutive playoff meetings in 1946 and 1947.

“We didn’t finish the deal,” Plano coach Jaydon McCullough said. “These have been epic battles between us and Trinity. It was a great high school football game, I just wish we could get on the other side of it.”

Trinity began the streak with a win over Plano in a state semifinal in 2007 and an area playoff victory last season.

Trinity (10-2) advances to meet Arlington Martin (8-4) in a regional semifinal to take place at a date, time and place to be determined.

Plano (5-7) stumbled to a 2-6 start to the season and responded to win three straight games before falling to Trinity.

Connor Michelsen had his best career start at quarterback, but his touchdown dive inside the final minute gave Plano one last opportunity to rally Saturday. / ThadFenton.com

“We knew we had to win every one of those games,” Plano halfback Jared Kirchmeier said. “We were 1-3 in district. To get to the playoffs we had to win two games.”

Plano got up, 14-0, on Trinity with 5:27 elapsed in the game. Trinity struck right back behind a pair of defensive takeaways and by the end of the first quarter Plano had lost its lead.

A late two-score lead means more than an early one, especially in the playoffs, and with 3:02 left Trinity went up, 41-31.

“It was disappointing that we let them crawl out of a hole,” McCullough said. “I never felt we were out of it, even at the end on the onside kick.”

Trinity extended a key drive late in the third quarter that McCullough said was a major difference in the outcome. Collin Brence recorded a tackle for loss and the defense swarmed to Terrance Tusan on the next play to force Trinity into a fourth-and-3. A well-disguised fake punt worked perfectly and six plays later Brandon Carter caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from Willie Hubbard to go up for good, 34-31.

Here's an answer to a Plano trivia question of the future. Who scored the first Plano Wildcats' touchdown at Cowboys Stadium? Robert Robinson. / ThadFenton.com

A field goal to tie the game on the ensuing drive failed and Tusan scored 4:35 later to give Trinity a two-score lead and Plano just 3:02 to work with.

“It came down to two third down conversions and that fake punt,” McCullough said.

The first conversion on third down gave Trinity a new set of downs on which it converted the fake punt. Trinity converted the other third down on the final play of the drive.

Plano needed a majority of the clock to score on a 15-play, 62-yard drive on what ended up being its final series of the season. Kirchmeier caught a 20-yard pass from Connor Michelsen and two plays later the junior quarterback dove over a pile on the goal line to trim the deficit to 41-38.

Grant Pierce’s onside kick got a nice pop-up off the turf and gave Plano a chance, but Trinity recovered and Plano’s bid for what would have been considered its greatest upset victory of the decade fell short.

“We all just believed in each other and never quit,” Kirchmeier said. “We just continued to fight for each other.”

Collin Brence made key defensive plays Saturday to help Plano get up early. / ThadFenton.com

Pierce converted a 32-yard kick on the opening drive of the third quarter and had the defense gotten a stop on the ensuing drive Plano may have been able to add to the lead.

“I’m proud of the kids,” McCullough said. “They never quit and stuck together.”

Michelsen turned in his best career game behind an offensive line which also appeared to have its best showing of the season. Michelsen was 27-for-42 for 354 yards and three touchdown passes, in addition to his touchdown dive inside the final minute that gave Plano a chance at a tie or win.

He came out and connected on his first two passes of the game, the second a 35-yard strike to Robert Robinson who, on the play, became the first Plano Wildcat to score a touchdown at Cowboys Stadium.

Brence recorded consecutive tackles and Michelsen completed two more attempts on the following series to set up Kirchmeier on a 3-yard run to put Plano up, 14-0.

But, Trinity quickly turned the table. It scored on a 30-yard Brandon Carter run and then on a 42-yard Bobby Brown interception return and just 4:24 after Plano had mounted a 14-0 lead the team found itself in a 14-14 game.

Trinity needed just 53 seconds in the second quarter to score again off a Plano fumble. After Ashton Williams countered with a 5-yard touchdown pass, Trinity took the lead back on a 6-yard keeper by quarterback Willie Hubbard.

Holt Hoetger, who had a career-high 10 receptions for 111 yards, got the game tied entering halftime on a 15-yard touchdown reception with 46 seconds left. Pierce’s field goal on the opening series of the second half put Plano up, 31-28, but after Carter’s second touchdown of the game on the ensuing drive, Plano never led again.

A look at upsets this decade

Following is a glance at some of the biggest upsets by Plano teams this decade, the greatest of which would have been Saturday’s game:

2002: Plano defeated Allen, 12-0, at Eagle Stadium in a driving rainstorm. Allen was en route to a district title and Plano picked up one of three wins at the beginning of a stretch that saw Plano go 7-23 in three seasons.

2007: Plano defeated Dallas Skyline, 41-20, in a state quarterfinal at Mesquite Memorial Stadium. Skyline had about 7 Division 1 athletes on defense.

A look at close playoff calls

Following is a look at some of the close calls for Plano this decade in the playoffs:

2001: Lufkin beat Plano, 24-19, in a second-round playoff game. Lufkin was led by all-everything Reggie McNeal, who carried Lufkin to a state title and later said Plano gave the team its best game of the season.

2005: Southlake Carroll defeated Plano, 37-27, at Texas Stadium. Carroll finished as the national champion and Plano rose as high as No. 4 in one national poll. Plano led late in the game, but Carroll rallied for the win.

2007: Euless Trinity defeated Plano, 30-27, in overtime. Trinity won the state championship the following week. The was the last game Gerald Brence coached.

2008: Euless Trinity defeated Plano, 42-35. The second “instant classic” in the playoff series with Plano, Trinity went to the air late and held on to defeat Plano.

INDIVIDUALS

Rushing — P: Jared Kirchmeier 15-51, Murat Kuzu 6-34, Connor Michelsen 7-13, Robert Robinson 6-11. T: Willie Hubbard 11-171, Damien Hart 11-90, Brandon Carter 2-37, Terrance Tusan 8-20, Antonio Gonzalez 2-11, Shaquille Edwards 1-(-3).

Passing — P: Connor Michelsen 27-42-1, 354 yards; Robert Robinson 0-1-0, 0 yards. T: Willie Hubbard 2-7-0, 25 yards.

Receiving — P: Holt Hoetger 10-111, Robert Robinson 2-71, Kevin Merrill 4-64, Jared Kirchmeier 5-55, Ashton Williams 2-22, L.J. Ausama 3-23, Murat Kuzu 1-8. T: Nila Kasitati 1-18, Brandon Carter 1-7.