SocraticGadfly: Cedar Hill-Plano West football playoff liveblogging

November 13, 2008

Cedar Hill-Plano West football playoff liveblogging

OVERTIME III - Game over, Longhorns! Eduardo Camara hits a 21-yd FG

Welcome, all you readers. To you Plano West fans, let me say that, if you had a smarter head coach, you would have won this game.

Two particular instances stand out.

First, in the first half, using your backup halfback on third and goal was dumb enough; trying a fake FG from the 4, rather than just running a fourth-down offensive set, if you're not going to kick it, was dumber yet.

But, that pales in response to the end of regulation.

Why, when you're on the 14 and on the left hash with a right-footed kicker, you run LEFT again instead of to the middle of the field to set up the potential game-winning field goal is beyond my comprehension.

That said, Longhorn coach Joey McGuire won't look that gift horse in the mouth.

And, with that said, here's how the game played out in regulation ...

Well, in the first half, here Plano West is. Halfback Darrius Cohen has more than 175 yards rushing in the first half, almost all of it in the box between the tackles.

That includes three touchdowns to stake the Wolves to a 21-0 halftime lead over the Cedar Hill Longhorns. Were it not for a failed fake field goal attempt either being sucessful or else replaced by a 21-yard chip shot field goal, the score could be even worse.

Emblematic of the first half was the Longhorns ending the first half at the PW 2-yard line, out of time outs and the Longhorn offense acting with less than full urgency.

In the second half, the Longhorns have their work cut out for them in trying to come back from their biggest deficit of the year.

10:34 3Q - Well, Cedar Hill's defense failed to answer the bell for the second half. Cohen had a 65-yard run on the second play from scrimmage and scored two plays later. He's over 250 yards rushing and we're at 28-0.

8:33 3Q - Aided by two personal-foul facemasks against PW (there is no five-yarder in high school), the Longhorn offense HAS answered the bell. Driphus Jackson hits Ben Malena for a 20-yard TD and it's 28-7.

6:08 3Q - After a bad PW punt snap put the ball at the PW 8, Malena runs in, and we've got a ballgame at 28-14.

4:17 3Q - Malena on a 62-yard run, CH fans getting noisy first time tonight. 28-21.

Time for me to gameplan for PW a bit. CH is playing 8 in the box. Time to pass on first down. And they don't.

1:38 3Q - Option pass by CH backup QB Le'derian Cockrane to John Coleman. 28-all.

10:37 4Q - After a short punt, the Horns go 38 yards in four plays. Malena scores from 3 yards out.
Wacky play. PW called for face-guarding on a fade to the end zone, then PW's cornerback and somebody else, apparently, BOTH get unsportsmanlike conduct flags on the dead ball on the same play.

1:13 4Q - Set up by Chance Hutcheson's blocking a punt, the Wolves moved 39 yards in 10 plays, with Travis Wilson scoring on a QB draw to tie the game.

Next came PW's missed field goal, Cedar Hill scoring on 4th/24 in the first OT, when Laquan Harper got behind PW double coverage, PW bouncing back in the second OT, but then finding itself out of either emotional or physical gas in the third OT.

And, I know PW's kicker has the leg for a 44-yarder to be at least worth an attempt, rather than going for it on 4th/12 in the third OT.

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