Tag Archives | Plano Wildcats

Wildcats remain winningest 5-A team in Texas

By on January 20, 2013 in '12 Fall Season

The long proud record of the tradition rich Plano Wildcats was recognized once again as the winningest 5-A football program in the state of  Texas with 727 wins.Among the wins include the 7 state titles the Wildcats have won.

The following list is of the top 5-A  teams listed in order of wins:

1-Plano Wildcats-727

2-Temple Wildats-699

3-Garland Owls-653

4-Longview Lobos-653

5-Lufkin Panthers-652

6-Abilene Eagles-644

7-Harlingen-Cardinals-621

8-Austin Maroons-588

9-San Angelo Central Bobcats 550

10-BeltonTigers-543

11 Lewisville Fighting Farmers-531

All these totals are through the 2012 season.

Plano remains #3 in all divisions behind Highland Park and Amarillo who are both 4-A schools

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Wildcats Alumni Go To 2010 Bowl Games

By on December 28, 2010 in '10 Fall Season, Alumni

While the regular season ended in November for the Wildcats, a few former starters will be with their college teams in December BCS bowl games. Here’s a rundown.

December 18 – NEW MEXICO BOWL – BYU & UTEP (Carson Meger, Plano ’09)

Meger, leading Plano to a 41-20 playoff win over Dallas Skyline on Dec. 8, 2007./Photo courtesy of Thadfenton.com

Suiting up as #13 for the UTEP Miners, redshirt freshman Carson Meger was back-up quarterback but saw no playing time in the Miner’s 52-24 loss to BYU in Albuquerque.

With the graduation of starting QB Trevor Vittatoe this year, look for Meger to pull out all the stops in spring practice to earn the top seed as QB for the next season.

December 30 – BELL HELICOPTER ARMED FORCES BOWL – Army & SMU (Blake McJunkin, Plano ’08)

McJunkin exits Texas Stadium after Plano's playoff win over Mesquite on Nov. 24, 2007./Photo courtesy of Thadfenton.com

As starting center this year for the Mustangs, #63 Blake McJunkin will enjoy his second BCS bowl game before a largely home audience as the Armed Forces Bowl will be played at SMU’s Ford Stadium in University Park.

The Mustangs have been practicing this week in Bedford for a change of scenery and routine to focus on its opponent, Army, a team known for its running game.   Before practices moved across the DFW Metroplex, Blake was interviewed by PonyFans.com to provide his perspective on the Army defensive line.

The game will be broadcast at 11:00 a.m. on ESPN.

December 30 – BRIDGEPOINT EDUCATION HOLIDAY BOWL – Washington & Nebraska (Rex Burkhead, Plano ’09)

#22 for the Huskers, Rex Burkhead returns to San Diego for his second Holiday Bowl appearance in as many years.  Last year, Rex helped the

Burkhead makes his move on a Dallas Skyline defender in the Dec. 8, 2007 playoff win./Photo courtesy of Thadfenton.com

Huskers earn their first-ever shutout of an opponent in a bowl game, and no doubt he’ll be in the thick of things once again this year.

This season Husker fans have witnessed Rex take on the role of “shadow QB” in the Wildcat formation as Nebraska struggled through starting QB injuries.   Rex’s ability to throw the ball or scramble from a direct snap is not news to Plano fans, who witnessed him take over as starting QB for the Wildcats into the 2006 season.

The game will be broadcast at 9:00 p.m. on ESPN, and we hope the announcers correctly identify Rex’s alma mater as just Plano Senior High.  Our Editor has received no small number of comments from Wildcats fans this season that ABC/ESPN on-air sportscasters can’t get this fact straight.


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Game notes: Plano vs. Hebron

By on October 1, 2010 in '10 Fall Season

Plano 33, Hebron 6: Final score.

  • Plano seems to have iced its 715th all-time victory, making it the second winningest program in state history and tied with Amarillo as the winningest Class 5A program. Although, many would point out all those victories didn’t take place in Class 5A. Plano has won state titles in five classifications.
  • Plano 33, Hebron 6: Kevin Merrill 1-yard touchdown run set up by Murat Kuzu’s 22-yard run to the Hebron 6. 7:28 left.
  • Plano 26, Hebron 6: Punt snapped out of end zone for safety. 10:06 left to play.
  • Plano 24, Hebron 6: Murat Kuzu 56-yard touchdown run. 11:19 left.

Stats through third quarter:

H P
12 First downs 8
27-80 Rushes-yards 16-64
104 Passing yards 137
184 Total yards 201
8-22-1 Passing 11-20-0
5-188 Total punting 5-174
3-10 Penalties-yds. 7-82
0-0 Fumbles-lost 1-1
  • Plano 17, Hebron 6: End of third quarter.
  • Murat Kuzu now has 112 yards on 12 offensive touches with 3:26 left in third quarter. He went over 100 yards on a 36-yard reception.
  • Plano 17, Hebron 6: Defense gets key stop with 4:58 left in third quarter.
  • Plano 17, Hebron 6: Blair Burns 96-yard kickoff return for touchdown. 11:45 left in third quarter. In three games against Hebron, Plano has got a kickoff return for touchdown in all three games. They were by Rex Burkhead in 2008, Kevin Merrill in 2009 and Blair Burns tonight.
  • First half recap: Plano’s offense was slow to get started, but Murat Kuzu gave it a spark with a 44-yard run for its initial first down with 4:30 left. Connor Michelsen scored on the next play to put Plano up, 7-3. Chris Moore added to the lead with a 22-yard field goal with 29 seconds left. Hebron closed the halftime margin to 10-6 with Kurt Walker’s second field goal with 1 second left. Plano had just 17 yards on its first four series and 130 on its last two. At halftime, the district’s second-leading offense has been limited to 136 yards. Plano gets the ball to open the second half.
  • Unofficial halftime defensive leaders: Collin Brence 4 tackles, Zach Laures 4 tackles, Matt Johnson 3 tackles and interception.
  • Plano East 29, Plano West 0 (halftime)
  • Flower Mound 30, FM Marcus 14 (halftime)
  • Allen 35, Lewisville 0 (halftime)

Halftime Statistics:

H P
8 First downs 6
18-64 Rushes-yards 12-54
72 Passing yards 93
136 Total yards 147
5-13-1 Passing 8-17-0
4-146 Total punting 4-135
1-0 Penalties-yds. 4-40
0-0 Fumbles-lost 0-0

Rushing — Murat Kuzu 4-48, Connor Michelsen 7-6, Clayton Parlin 1-0.

Passing — Connor Michelsen 8-17-0, 93 yards.

Receiving — P: Murat Kuzu 3-18, Steele Hoetger 2-18, Kevin Merrill 2-46, Clayton Parlin 1-11.

  • Plano 10, Hebron 6: End of half. Halftime stats coming up.
  • Plano 10, Hebron 6: Kurt Walker 40-yard field goal. 0:01 left in first half.
  • Plano 10, Hebron 3: Chris Moore 22-yard field goal good with 29 seconds left in first half to cap 12-play, 80-yard drive highlighted by a 34-yard pass from Connor Michelsen to Kevin Merrill.
  • Murat Kuzu has 66 of Plano’s 103 yards.
  • Plano 7, Hebron 3: Murat Kuzu 44-yard run sets up 1-yard Connor Michelsen 1-yard touchdown run to give Plano lead with 4:10 left in first half. Kuzu’s carry gave Plano its initial first down with 4:30 left. The drive was set up by a Matt Johnson interception.
  • Plano still doesn’t have a first down and only 17 yards with less than 7 minutes left in the first half.
  • With 8:04 left in first half, Hebron still leads, 3-0. The Hawks offense has been limited to 75 total yards.

First quarter statistics:

H P
5 First downs 0
12-62 Rushes-yards 3-2
17 Passing yards 12
79 Total yards 14
2-7-0 Passing 2-3-0
1-25 Total punting 2-73
0-0 Penalties-yds. 2-20
0-0 Fumbles-lost 0-0
  • Hebron 3, Plano 0: Kurt Walker 21-yard field goal. 3:37 left in first quarter. Zach Laures has four tackles so far to lead Plano’s defense.
  • Plano goes 3-and-out. Hebron will take over after punt.
  • Plano gets defensive stop. Will receive punt to open first offensive series with 9:07 left in first quarter.
  • Hebron will receive to open the first half. Kickoff will take place shortly. Of note, tonight is “pinkout” for the Planoettes, benefitting the Susan G. Komen For The Cure.
  • Kickoff is a little more than an hour away here in a rare Plano Wildcats appearance at Tom Kimbrough Stadium. Tonight’s game features one of the district’s best offenses against a top defense. Hebron (3-1, 1-0) is ranked second in offense in District 8-5A with an average of 43.5 points scored and 508.5 yards per game. Plano (3-1, 0-1) is ranked second defensively by allowing an average of 15.7 points scored and 273.2 yards per game. Plano is ranked last in district offense, but could have a chance to break out against the sixth-ranked defense. Of note, Plano can move into a tie for the most all-time wins in Class 5A with its 715th victory tonight. Amarillo (715) currently leads Plano by one win, but is on a bye this week.
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Game notes: Plano vs Mans. Legacy

By on September 9, 2010 in '10 Fall Season

Plano 23, Legacy 7: Final score.

Plano 23, Legacy 7: 4:12 left. A Plano punt upcoming when play resumes.

Plano now 10 minutes from holding consecutive opponents to a single score.

Plano 23, Legacy 7: Chris Moore 20-yard field goal set up by Zach Laures punt block (his second). 10:10 left in fourth quarter.

Plano 20, Legacy 7: End of third quarter. Legacy will face 2nd-and-19 from own 37 when play resumes.

Plano 20, Legacy 7: Steele Hoetger 11-yard touchdown pass from Connor Michelsen on a fade route. Kick failed. 3:27 left in the third quarter. Drive was 80 yards in 7 plays and never included a third down.

Defense gets a stop. Plano will open a drive at its own 20.

A mixture of draws and zone reads is allowing Legacy to have some success. They just crossed midfield.

Start of second half nearing. We’ll be back with more game notes as it happens here in the second half. Legacy will receive the second half kickoff.

Did you know? This is the third time this season Plano has led after the first quarter and at halftime. Plano is 2-0 this season when that happens.

Connor Michelsen is 10-of-15 for 101 yards at halftime with a rushing touchdown and one passing to Clayton Parlin. Parlin leads Plano with 3 receptions for 48 yards.

Here’s the halftime statistics:

P L
7 First downs 7
12-28 Rushes-yards 13-26
101 Passing yards 74
129 Total yards 100
10-14-0 Passing 9-15-1
1-34 Total punting 1-2
3-25 Penalties-yds. 2-1
1-0 Fumbles-lost 0-0

Plano 14, Legacy 7: End of first half.

Sam Morell interception gives Plano chance with short field. 1:00 left in half. Plano has no timeouts.

This will be key defensive series for Plano. A stop could lead to a one-score or more lead at halftime.

Plano 14, Legacy 7: Clayton Parlin 10-yard touchdown pass from Connor Michelsen. After penalty, Parlin went uncovered in trips package and the rest was easy on a short pass. 3:32 left in first half.

Key down coming up for Plano following timeout. Wildcats 3rd-and-goal from Legacy 5.

Plano 7, Legacy 7: Kendal Washington 25-yard interception return for touchdown. 9:12 left in the first half.

Plano 7, Legacy 0: Zach Laures broke through the line and got a piece of 29-yard field goal that missed wide left.

Plano’s defense appeared to have the stop on fourth down, but Collin Brence got tagged for a pass interference. First down.

Plano 7, Legacy 0: End of first quarter. Legacy ball 1st-and-10 at Plano 15 when play resumes.

Plano 7, Legacy 0: Connor Michelsen converts on a 2-yard keeper. 4:03 left in first quarter. Zach Laures punt block set up short field for the scoring drive.

Plano will receive the opening kickoff.

A few notes before we get started. Plano is 2-0. With a win it can go unbeaten in non-district play for the third time in the past four seasons. Since 2005, Plano is 13-4 in non-district football games. Plano has had a running back go over 100 all-purpose yards in each game this season. It enters off a game in which the defense had five takeaways. Plano is averaging 377 yards on offense and is allowing an average of 237 yards.

About 10 minutes before kickoff and clear skies. Yesterday’s inclement weather has cleared.

FYI…We spoke via text with JV coach Tanner Craven today. He says resuming the JV game later this week won’t be likely. We believe it would make the game a 7-0 forfeit victory for Plano, but we’re checking on that.

About one hour before kickoff here at Mansfield’s Vernon Newsom Stadium. Plano (2-0) meets Mansfield Legacy (0-2) at 7 p.m. If you’re still on the road, take Hwy. 360 south into Mansfield. The stadium is located off 360 on Broad Street. We’ll have coverage tonight here at PlanoFootball.com. We’re having troubles with Twitter.com, so this is the best place to get updates.

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McCullough pleased with first practice

By on August 9, 2010 in '10 Fall Season

The first preseason look at the 2010 version of the Plano Wildcats football team was offered Monday.

Players hit the field at about 8 a.m. and coach Jaydon McCullough was pleased with what he saw, especially considering it was the first organized practice since the spring.

“We had a really good practice,” McCullough said.

Plano will not work out in pads until next week. The first week of practice takes place each day this week from 8 a.m.-noon on the football practice field outside the team’s locker room. Preseason practices are open to the public.

The team faces a short timetable to get ready for the season. Nine practices remain before scrimmaging Mesquite at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 20 at E.H. Hanby Stadium. The junior varsity will scrimmage at 5 p.m. The varsity will have four practices before opening the season at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 27 against Garland Lakeview in front of the home crowd at John Clark Stadium. The junior varsity season opens at 7 p.m. Aug. 26 at Lakeview.

“I want us to practice better than anyone in the nation,” McCullough said. “If we can practice hard, that is going to translate into the game. I want to create the mentality of playing fast, playing hard and finishing.”

McCullough enters his third season at the helm of the program. He led Plano to a 10-2 record and an area playoff appearance in 2008. The team went 5-7 in 2009, but closed the season on a roll, finishing in an area playoff appearance. It has fallen to Euless Trinity in playoff meetings in each of the past three seasons.

The summer seemed to set the table for a good fall season. After a competitive spring marked by many returning lettermen and the move-up of components from the junior varsity district championship team, the 7-on-7 squad was one of the state’s first qualifiers and advanced to the round of 16 at the state tournament.

Preseason drills will offer a glance at all 11 players on each side of the football. Drills take place from 8 a.m.-noon this week and will shift to split early morning and late afternoon practice times next week as players strap on pads for the first time.

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State 7-on-7 varsity slideshow

By on July 15, 2010 in '10 7-on-7, Video

Check out scenes from the state tournament through this slideshow produced by PlanoFootball.com’s Thad Fenton.

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