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Uncharted Territory: West wins first 4OT game

BY Kevin Hageland, khageland@acnpapers.com

Published: Saturday, October 1, 2011 1:20 AM CDT

Plano West and Plano East had played 11 times before, but none were likely as exciting as Friday's contest at Clark Stadium.

The Panthers (0-2 in 8-5A) lost their second overtime game of the season, West improved to 2-0 in district for the first time in seven years and the Wolves won the first quadruple overtime game in school history by besting East, 44-36.

"To beat a team like East is just huge," said Mike Hughes, West head coach.

West got the ball first in the fourth overtime and scored on a 20-yard touchdown run by sophomore Auston Anderson. Senior Carlos Wiggins reached the end zone on the 2-point conversion to make it 44-36.

"They've really got something there with Wiggins," said Johnny Ringo, East head coach. "He and [Anderson] make a great dual combination."

That those two would be involved in the winning drive is no surprise.

Wiggins and Anderson were the catalyst for the West offense all night. Without senior starting quarterback Carson Smith, who was replaced by junior Travis Korry, the Wolves threw just one pass in the second half and overtime combined. Wiggins had four receptions for 45 yards while also running for 167 yards and four touchdowns on 32 carries while Anderson had 107 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries.

Both runners complimented their offensive line.

"They were great tonight," Anderson said.

"They are together and we are together," Wiggins quickly added.

Hughes was bestowed praise on the offensive line and his pair of running backs.

"When something is working, you keep riding it ... Tommy Kimbrough taught me that," he said. "We believe in our offensive line, we believe in Carlos and we believe in Auston."

When it came down to it, West could also believe in its defense.

East had already scored two touchdowns and a field goal in the prior three overtimes. On the strength of senior quarterback Corey Wesley, who completed 26-of-41 passes for 281 yards and four touchdowns, the Panthers were knocking at the door again with a third-and-goal from the 5-yard line.

But East got no further.

West stuffed the ensuing run for by senior Nathan Meadors, who had 53 yards on 19 carries, for no gain and Wolves senior Grant Cooper broke up the fourth-down pass to secure the 44-36 West win.

"I didn't really know where the receiver was," Cooper said, "but I saw the ball and I knew I just had to knock it down.

"Man ... I've never been in a game like that before."

That sentiment was shared by many players, but a few from West were ready to keep going.

"I could run a lap right now," Wiggins said followed by a deep exhale and laugh.

His excitement was understandable considering East was on the verge of winning the game twice in regulation.

The Panthers led 17-13 to start the fourth quarter and went on a 19-play, nine-minute drive that featured a 4th-and-6 conversion between Wesley and junior receiver Collin Shaw. The Panthers couldn't put the game away though and had to settle for a 22-yard kick from senior Casey Collins, one of his three field goals on the night, to go up 20-13 with 3:43 remaining.

"We tried to find a groove and eat some clock on that drive," Ringo said. "We felt like if we could score a touchdown, that would do it for us, but only getting the field goal obviously hurt us in the long run."

West responded with a 6-play, 70-yard drive capped off by a 20-yard touchdown run from Anderson.

"We told our defense that if they could get a stop there, we would score," Wiggins said.

But even then, East still had an opportunity to win the game.

After a 43-yard catch by Shaw, who had seven receptions for 127 yards and three touchdowns, to start the drive, the Panthers moved to the 26-yard line of West. East would have had the opportunity for a 43-yard field goal, but committed a personal foul that pushed the team out of range and the game into overtime.

"We've done some great things this season," Ringo said. "But we've also made some dumb mistakes late in the game and I think that's why we are 2-3 right now."

It appeared as though East may be headed back to a winning record early as the Panthers took a 7-0 lead following a 26-touchdown senior Dante' Taylor pulled down via flea flicker. Taylor was a big part of East's offense, pulling in six receptions for 42 yards and a score while running for another 52 yards.

East maintained that lead for the bulk of the night, save for 67 seconds in the third quarter and the final 2:21 of regulation.

But West held the lead when it mattered most, at the end of the fourth overtime.

"Give credit to West," Ringo said. "They have really got going since that first game against Arlington Martin and they made the plays they needed to win tonight."

After a winless 8-5A campaign last season, Friday's victory put West at 2-0 in district, the first time the Wolves have held such a mark since 2004, the only time the team has ever won district.

"I was on JV last season and I saw what that was like for those guys, so this is a really big win," Anderson said. "But we can't be complacent now; we've got to keep working."

East returns to the field at 7 p.m. Thursday from Kimbrough Stadium for a nationally-televised clash against Allen on ESPN2. West is back in action at 7:30 p.m. Friday as it hits the road to face Flower Mound Marcus.

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