ALLEN, Texas — The way Hebron High School and star quarterback Clayton Tune started the game — a nine-play, 65-yard drive capped by Tune’s 9-yard scamper — it seemed Allen’s undefeated and four-time state champion Eagles might have been in danger of a titan fall.
The upset special, though, was short-lived and powered by the type of one-drive lifespan that offers eventual exist from the playoffs as its reward.
A 20-point surge fueled by quarterback Grant Tisdale, running back Grant Tisdale and wide receiver Theo Wease, Jr., though, helped Allen topple Hebron’s upstart Hawks 48-17 Friday night at Eagle Stadium and claim a Class 6A Division I, Region I Bi-District Championship.
“Nothing was going through our minds. We knew we had time left and we just trusted our offense and our coaches,” Wease, Jr. said matter-of-factly. “We have Grant under center, too, and he’s a great player. He works hard on the weekends and it shows on Fridays.”
Allen (11-0, 7-0 in District 6-6A) and its junior gunslinger were near perfect on Friday, completing 10 of their 13 attempts for 161 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 142 yards and two touchdowns. Both of his scoring passes fell into the hands of Wease, Jr., who finished with six receptions, 101 yards, and a pair of first-half touchdowns.
Jack Fee caps an Eagle drive with a 7-yard rush into the end zone. Lauren Landes/TexasHSFootball
Despite all the bluster and hype surrounding Allen’s high-powered weaponry, when smoke from the first 24 minutes cleared, Hebron’s deficit was a mere and manageable 10 points — time enough for an offense as equally supercharged ad the Hawks to whittle away.
The speed in which Allen turned a 10-point advantage to a 24-point advantage was less than two minutes after Tisdale broke through Hebron’s defense with a 55-yard scamper and he found Carson Schlecker wide open for a 33-yard touchdown 40 seconds later.
In the final two quarters, Tisdale, Carson Schlecker, and Jack Fee found the end zone for Allen, countering the one scored by Hebron’s Jaren Mitchell, via a 52-yard reception.
“Hebron’s a well-coached football team and people have been trying to shorten the game on us all year, so our kids are used to it,” said Terry Gambill, the head coach at Allen High School, about his words to his team during halftime. “When you play that way, you better not make very many mistakes. When you do, it will catch up to you.”
Head Coach Terry Gambill welcomes his offense to the sideline after another successful drive. Lauren Landes/TexasHSFootball
The Eagle defense — a balanced and accurate knockout jab to the offensive onslaught — was harrowing to Tune (20-28, 200 yards, TD) and his offense despite his pinpoint accuracy. Allen flushed him out of the pocket and into uncomfortable situations, sacking him twice via takedowns from Jace Waters and Jaden Healy and forcing two total Hawk fumbles — including a near fumble-6 by Taj Bickham.
“Our kids were totally locked in,” Gambill continued. “All week, they weren’t focused on who they were playing, they were focused on how they practiced. It’s the process: If you practice well, you play well. You do the little things right, you’ll be successful.”
Allen will look to keep their undefeated 2017 momentum rolling when they face South Grand Prairie High School at 4 p.m. Friday at AT&T Stadium. The (7-4, 5-2) Warriors, winners of three of their last five games, edged Belton High School 37-34 to reach the area round.
Marcus Matthews-Marion is the managing editor of TexasHSFootball, covering prep football throughout the Lone Star State. Follow him on Twitter, @TheMJMatthews, and read more of his content here.
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