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Gutsy call gives Frisco one-point victory
BY CHRIS O'DELL, codell@acnpapers.com
PLANO -- Trailing by one point and only 1:33 remaining in the game, the Raccoons opted to go for the win and attempt a 2-point conversion againt Wylie East.
The play proved to be the difference in Saturday's first-round playoff matchup at Clark Stadium in Plano, as the Raccoons converted with a pass from senior quarterback Eric Allen to senior running back Carlos Harris.
"We felt like our defense was a little fatigued at that point in the game," said Vance Gibson, Frisco head coach. "We thought we had a better chance at converting the two than going for the extra point."
Frisco broke several long runs on the drive, including a 21-yard sprint from senior Austin Zoda, who also drew a defensive pass interference shortly after.
However, Zoda suffered an injured ankle on the play and was helped off the field, forced to sit out the remainder of the game.
"Zoda is our holder," Gibson said. "So that kind of affected our decision to go for two down here."
Frisco looked to be in control of the game early on after Harris ran the ball into the end zone from five yards out, putting the Raccoons on the scoreboard first with 4:06 left in the opening frame.
The Frisco defense held serve for a majority of the half to keep the advantage in its favor.
However, East finally crossed the end zone on a 41-yard run from junior running back Jabari Anderson with only 54 seconds left in the half. The Anderson touchdown tied the game at seven apiece and shifted the game's momentum drastically.
On Frisco's first offensive play following the East score, the Raiders recovered a fumble and took over with a shortened field. Sophomore quarterback Garrett Mccain and his team would make the most of the field position, scoring on a 5-yard pass to junior receiver Marcell Ateman with 18 seconds to go in the second quarter.
The play gave East a 14-7 lead and allowed the Raiders to take the one-touchdown advantage into the locker room.
Frisco didn't let the turnaround change its gameplan though. The Raccoons owned the third quarter, shutting down the East offense and putting 10 more points on the board to recapture the lead.
The first Frisco score of the frame came on a 34-yard field goal from senior kicker Kyle Fischer. The kick came only minutes after Fischer had missed his first attempt of the afternoon.
It didn't take long for the Raccoons to strike again.
Allen hooked up with Zoda on a 43-yard pass over the middle to put their team ahead, 17-14, heading into the final 12 minutes.
Anderson then proceeded to add his second touchdown of the game, this one coming from 12 yards out to put East ahead once again in the back-and-forth contest.
Anderson led all rushers in the game with 191 yards on 33 carries. The junior also chipped in two receptions for 36 yards.
With the Raiders threatening to make it a two-possession game late in the fourth, the Raccoons were able to come through with a stop on third down and force East into its first field goal attempt of the game.
Junior kicker Dylan Cook booted in the attempt from 31 yards away and gave his team a seven-point lead with 6:37 remaining in the game.
That's when the Raccoons buckled down and battled their way down the field to eventually score the game's final touchdown.
"The kids just did a great job on that drive," Gibson said. "They made plays when they had to and showed a lot of poise out there."
Perhaps no player showed more poise than Allen, who was playing through an ankle injury that kept him sidelined for portions of the game.
The senior quarterback still managed to pick up several key first downs late in the game and ultimately ended up punching the ball in from a yard away to set up Harris' game-winning catch in the end zone.
"We needed to give him an opportunity to make some plays," Gibson said. "And he did that today. He's one of our leaders on offense and he showed why."
Allen finished the game with 95 yards and one touchdown through the air after completing 5-of-10 pass attempts.
On the ground the Raccoons were led by Harris who tallied 74 yards on 23 carries in the game.
With the win, Frisco moves to 9-2 on the season. The Raccoons will now await a second-round matchup with Dallas Lincoln. Specifics of the contest were not determined as of press time.
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