There was lots of talk about who was the best team in 13-5A heading into the clash between Frisco Lone Star and Frisco High. On Friday night, the two played a slugfest at Toyota Stadium with Lone Star coming out on top 23-21 in a game that could ultimately decide the district title.
For Lone Star, it was the first time the Rangers have beaten the original high school in Frisco in four attempts.
“We don’t really look at that, we don’t keep track of that because it’s a new team of them each year and a new team for us each year and its just about getting a victory in district play.” head coach Jeff Rayburn said about his Rangers.
The game featured a clash of styles offensively, Lone Star likes to spread it out and use tempo, while Frisco (4-1, 1-1) runs the triple option offense. For most of the night, Frisco was able to play at their tempo.
Senior quarterback Jason Shelley – who was named homecoming king – was responsible for the first two Ranger scores, a one yard run and a nine yard run in the first half with game his team a 17-7 lead going into the intermission.
With Frisco’s grind-it-out style of offense, it seemed like it would be a tough task for the Raccoons to comeback from a 10-point deficit. They scored on their first drive out of the half, a 44-yard run by Jamal Stanfield, and then two possessions later scored on a 55-yard pass to Stanfield from quarterback Caden Wright to take a 21-17 lead.
“I’m really proud of the way or guys fought back tonight,” Frisco head coach Vance Gibson said. “We didn’t play really well offensively in the first half at all so I was happy with the second half and we gave ourselves a position to score at the end we just couldn’t execute on the final drive.”
On the ensuing drive, the Rangers took the lead on a beautiful 11-play drive that ended in a Derrick Albercht five-yard touchdown pass, taking a 23-21 lead as the fake field goal on the PAT was no good.
With Lone Star (4-1, 2-0) holding a two point advantage, they began putting together a nice four-minute drive to seal the game. That changed when running back Darren Smith fumbled at the Frisco nine-yard line and the Raccoons recovered it. Frisco only got one first down and Lone Star was able to come up with a fourth down stop to seal the game with 50 seconds left.
“We had to play a grind it out type of game tonight with their style of offense,” Shelley said. “We found a way to win tonight and that’s all that matters and we just have to improve next week.”
