Eagles Rule (Allen that is)

A week after the fact, I’m finding time to crow about my adopted Allen Eagles.  One of the most memorable nights of my sports-watching life, being in that live environment with 48,000 fans and knowing many of the players, parents, and cheerleaders.  Being in the stadium all day I was able to score great seats for the final game and sweated it out with the Allen crowd.  And, wow, was Lamar better than we were led to believe!  Big and athletic, well-coached, and with a dynamic QB, they were a load.  No sustained drives on this night by the Eagles.  Big plays won the day: 3 long TD runs, an interception return, and a kick-off return.  For the 2^nd straight game, the defense and special teams made plays that were the difference.  No points allowed in the final 15 minutes.

As you know, I’m a fan who appreciates championships as much or more than anyone.  I know how hard they are to come by.  How many good teams stand in the way and how many small things can go wrong in a single elimination scenario.  This was not Allen’s most talented team, but the soundest, and the most committed I think.  The front 5 on offense and the front 7 on defense controlled the games and won the trenches.  It was enough to make up for a lack of talented skill players.  Here is the capsule from ESPN:

Meanwhile, Allen (Texas) had arguably the toughest road of any team in the nation in capturing its Class 5A, Division I state title. Its 35-21 win over then-No. 15 Lamar (Houston) marked its second straight win over a top-15 opponent. The previous week, the Eagles downed DeSoto (Texas), a squad some considered the most talented in Texas in years, by 15 points. Prior to that, they upended a Skyline (Dallas) squad that started the year No. 4 in the nation. So even though Allen has one loss, a performance against that schedule earns it a top-three nod.

As with the title in 2008, Allen went through 3 undefeated teams in the playoffs, plus a talented 1-loss team.  It’s a gauntlet and so that makes it sweeter.  2012 was amazing:

·         Completion of nationally recognized $60mm stadium

·         Open the stadium by exorcising the Southlake demons, 24-0

·         Capture 7^th straight district title

·         Defeat nation’s #1 ranked team in state semi-finals

·         Win state title at Cowboy Stadium

I told a friend, we never had much of a chance to win state at my own high school, never even a thought.  It was the Neville’s, Ruston’s, West Monroe’s that won state, not Airline.  So I get to experience life on the other side now, and I have to say its pretty fun.  Allen should be a power right through Shelby’s time at the school.

Meanwhile, I see a great coach in action.  I think I can call Tom Westerberg great now.  Nine seasons, 103-16 record.  Since 2006, working on 7 straight district titles, 84-10 record, 3 appearances in state semis, 19-5 in the playoffs, 2 state titles.  This year, he made the tough call to switch QB’s in mid-season, going to a sophomore, who had 55 and 68-yard TD runs in the championship.  That 2^nd title just brings so much more clout.

And so for future reference:

ESPN 25 Power Rankings: Week 18
RANK	SCHOOL/REC (CITY, STATE)	TRENDING	COMMENT
1	De La Salle (15-0) Concord, CA	-- Last Week: 1	Last Game: Defeated then-No. 17 Centennial 48-28 in the CIF Open Division State Championship Bowl Game Next Game: Season Complete
2	Katy (16-0) Katy, TX	2 Last Week: 4	Last Week: Defeated Cedar Hill (Texas) 35-24 in the Class 5A, Division II state championship Next Game: Season complete
3	Allen (15-1) Allen, TX	3 Last Week: 6	Last Week: Defeated then-No. 15 Lamar (Houston) 35-21 in the Class 5A, Division I state championship Next Game: Season complete
4	Bellevue (14-0) Bellevue, WA	2 Last Week: 2	Last Game: Defeated Eastside Catholic (Sammamish, Wash.) 35-3 in the Class 3A state championship Next Game: Season complete
5	John Curtis Christian (14-0) River Ridge, LA	2 Last Week: 3	Last Game: Defeated Evangel Christian (Shreveport, La.) 35-13 in the Class 2A state championship Next Game: Season complete

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