High School: Kevin Merrill
Plano's persistence knocks out Irving MacArthur
September, 1, 2011
9/01/11
10:38
PM CT
By
Travis L. Brown | ESPNDallas.com
IRVING, Texas -- Plano’s 35-14 win over Irving MacArthur didn’t come easy for the Wildcats or their running back, Kevin Merrill.
It was all about the second effort.
Merrill had a career game with a combined 271 yards, most of which came after an initial hit. The key to his physical play is a simple lesson taught to him by his father and coaches: Keep your feet moving.
“It’s just a rush of adrenaline,” Merrill said. “You get past that tackle and you hear the crowd –- then all of the sudden you just want to go all the way down the field.”
His persistent running was epitomized in the fourth quarter when he took a fourth-quarter pass in the flat on the Plano 45-yard line and ran it 48 yards to the MacArthur 7, breaking three tackles in the process. The play set up a touchdown run on the next play.
Merrill wasn’t the only one who needed to demonstrate a second-effort performance. Plano jumped to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter but let MacArthur slip back into the game in the second. MacArthur tied the score at 14 on a 12-yard pass and a 20-yard run.
The third was a back-and-forth struggle that kept both teams within the 20s with neither scoring.
Plano spent the majority of the first half in a spread formation that resulted in its first two scores.
Head coach Jaydon McCullough switched his formation to a double-tight end, pro-style set that opened more holes for Merrill and the rest of the Plano backfield.
“We want to give the defense a lot of different formations,” McCullough said. “We don’t really have a fullback so we’re like a pro-style offense. We like to create run slots. That doesn’t mean we won’t pass out of it either.”
The adjustment worked perfectly in getting a few more blockers to clear space, leading to a 2-yard touchdown run by Merrill after a 69-yard drive consisting of mostly rushes that gave Plano the lead, 21-14.
Plano scored again on a 65-yard pass play into the end zone by Merrill, then again with five minutes left on Merrill's 7-yard pitch around the end.
McCullough said he was proud of the way his team labored through the game, which is something they can celebrate for a short while. But it’s back to the practice field bright and early Labor Day morning.
“We had to come out there and fight and scratch to get the upper hand,” Merrill said. “It showed the character and the resilience of our team.”
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Travis L. Brown/ESPNDallas.comKevin Merrill collected 271 yards and helped motor Plano to a win over Irving MacArthur.
Travis L. Brown/ESPNDallas.comKevin Merrill collected 271 yards and helped motor Plano to a win over Irving MacArthur.Merrill had a career game with a combined 271 yards, most of which came after an initial hit. The key to his physical play is a simple lesson taught to him by his father and coaches: Keep your feet moving.
“It’s just a rush of adrenaline,” Merrill said. “You get past that tackle and you hear the crowd –- then all of the sudden you just want to go all the way down the field.”
His persistent running was epitomized in the fourth quarter when he took a fourth-quarter pass in the flat on the Plano 45-yard line and ran it 48 yards to the MacArthur 7, breaking three tackles in the process. The play set up a touchdown run on the next play.
Merrill wasn’t the only one who needed to demonstrate a second-effort performance. Plano jumped to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter but let MacArthur slip back into the game in the second. MacArthur tied the score at 14 on a 12-yard pass and a 20-yard run.
The third was a back-and-forth struggle that kept both teams within the 20s with neither scoring.
Plano spent the majority of the first half in a spread formation that resulted in its first two scores.
Head coach Jaydon McCullough switched his formation to a double-tight end, pro-style set that opened more holes for Merrill and the rest of the Plano backfield.
“We want to give the defense a lot of different formations,” McCullough said. “We don’t really have a fullback so we’re like a pro-style offense. We like to create run slots. That doesn’t mean we won’t pass out of it either.”
The adjustment worked perfectly in getting a few more blockers to clear space, leading to a 2-yard touchdown run by Merrill after a 69-yard drive consisting of mostly rushes that gave Plano the lead, 21-14.
Plano scored again on a 65-yard pass play into the end zone by Merrill, then again with five minutes left on Merrill's 7-yard pitch around the end.
McCullough said he was proud of the way his team labored through the game, which is something they can celebrate for a short while. But it’s back to the practice field bright and early Labor Day morning.
“We had to come out there and fight and scratch to get the upper hand,” Merrill said. “It showed the character and the resilience of our team.”
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Travis L. Brown
Travis L. Brown covers high schools for ESPNDallas.com. He is a graduate of TCU, where he was sports editor of the student paper, The Daily Skiff.
Randy Jennings
Randy Jennings covers south Metroplex high schools for ESPNDallas.com. His 34-year career as a sports writer includes eight years at the Dallas Morning News. Jennings is a graduate of UT-Arlington.
Jeff Andrews
Jeff Andrews covers north Metroplex high schools for ESPNDallas.com. He covered high school sports for four years at the Denton Record-Chronicle. Andrews is a graduate of UNT.