Allen opened the 2012 season in their new (and infamous)
$60mm stadium against Southlake Carroll and dominated 24-0. They were coming off of 3 straight seasons of
losing in the 2nd round of the playoffs after having won their first
state championship in 2008. They were
becoming a brand, but the trophy case was sparse. What was coming could hardly be
anticipated. 57 games without a loss,
the 2nd longest streak in the history of Texas HS football. I saw many of them, including most of the
important ones and it was the most sustained fun I’ve ever had pulling for a
sports team. We were lucky in that the
streak coincided with Shelby’s time in high school, so we could become invested
in the team, having known many of the players, parents, coaches, and
cheerleaders. Here are the most
memorable games from my perspective:
Prelude: the last loss before the streak came on 9/28/12 on
the road, in the rain against the Coppell Cowboys. Leading late, Allen surrendered the tying
score and lost it 27-24 in OT. Coach Westerberg would make a QB change to an unproven sophomore named Kyler Murray. It would
be the last loss for over 3 years.
Number 5 – rival Plano Sr. High came to play on the last
night of the regular season, scoring late and going for 2 points to win. Allen batted down the throw to hold on 35-34
and head into the playoffs on shaky ground.
Number 9 – it was time to take Allen seriously when they
dominated undefeated and loaded Skyline 37-17 in the regional finals.
Number 10 – state semi-finals against 14-0 and #1-ranked
DeSoto, a team they had never faced.
Allen clicked on all cylinders from the opening bell, racing to a 42-14
3rd quarter lead and cruised home to a 15-point win.
Number 11 – the 2nd state title came against a
big, physical, and game Houston Lamar.
Unable to sustain drives, Allen used 5 big plays to win it 35-21, the
biggest being an 80-yard kickoff return with the score tied at 21 late in the 3rd.
Number 12 – the coaching staff unleashed the new and
improved Kyler Murray, bombing Southlake Carroll into submission 49-27. Doing it on the road in front of the hated
Southlake fans made it all too sweet.
Number 13 – a workmanlike 39-20 win over eventual state
champ Cedar Hill. It was a ho-hum comfortable win against one of the top 5 teams in the state.
Number 16 – revenge against Coppell 31-10 in front of the
homecoming Allen crowd. The defense
wasn’t playing around, they were a serious bunch holding Coppell to 3 until the subs came in in the 4th.
Number 23 – 35 degrees and sleeting in the Cotton Bowl,
Allen routed talented Mesquite Horn 42-14. Shelby said it was the coldest she's ever been.
Number 25 – my appreciation of this group multiplied when
they traveled south in an ice storm to take on undefeated Spring Westfield in
the regional finals. Allen took no band,
no cheerleaders, no fans except a few loyal parents and facing a good team with
no friendly support, they were never threatened 48-13.
Number 26 – the most memorable of them all; the 2nd
straight semi-final match with DeSoto, who was now ready for the stage. On a brutally cold, cloudy, and blustery day
in Mesquite, DeSoto dominated the middle of the game and took a 35-20 lead
early in the 4th. Playing
into the wind, Murray hit on a 70-yard post pattern to give Allen life. The defense rose up and Murray quickly drove
for the tying touchdown and 2-point conversion.
Then fate stepped in, a terrible Allen punt hit an innocent DeSoto
player, giving the red-hot Murray the chance to win it. With only 30 seconds remaining, he sprinted
in from 24 yards out to add to the legend.
Allen 42-35.
Number 27 – the anti-climactic 3rd state title
against an overmatched Pearland 63-28. For
the season, Allen played 16 teams, routed 15 of them and raised the bar to a
whole new level.
Number 28 – Allen unveiled a new young defense and it wasn’t
pretty, beating Denton Guyer 55-41 behind Murray.
Number 29 – Allen’s first out of state matchup, against
South Carolina champ Dutch Fork, was more than they bargained for. In a wild shootout, the Eagles prevailed
58-53. I remarked to everyone “this team
has no chance to win state with that defense”.
It would have to be all Murray, all the time.
Number 36 – Murray and Plano West tailback 5-star Soso
Jamabo were invited to the Under Armor All-American game before the start of
another shootout, 70-41.
Number 39 – yet another playoff matchup with DeSoto and
another classic. A weird defensive
battle sprung up and found Allen trailing 22-14 in the 4th. Once again Murray to the rescue, as Allen
scored the final 11, including a field goal with 0:00 remaining. The worst passing game I ever saw Murray
play, but he ran for 200 to compensate.
Number 40 – these playoffs would be different. Arlington Martin was ready but Murray ran for
200 for the 2nd straight game and Allen scored an impossible 50 2nd-half
points to win it 69-54.
Number 41 – the first matchup with Euless Trinity since 2011
and as always a brutal contest of wills.
Murray’s only game against the Trojans and he was incredible. But the small, leaky defense trailed 27-20 at
the half and appeared to be done. In
what I can call the gutsiest win in the streak, that beleaguered group pitched
a 2nd half shutout and the Eagles won another one with a last minute
field goal 30-27.
Number 42 – state semi-finals and another loaded Skyline
team; the pattern continued as Allen fell behind 28-10 in the 3rd. This would be Murray’s finest hour in my
mind. Against what many called the
state’s best 6A defense, he just absolutely took over. In the next 20 minutes of clock time, Murray
produced an eye-popping 42 points to lead Allen back to the finals, 52-34. For the night, he totaled 406 passing and 115 rushing.
Number 43 – the score was worse than the game, but Cypress
Ranch wasn’t quite in the same league as Allen, falling 47-16. Murray walked into the sunset 42-0 as a
starter with 3 titles.
Number 44 – last year’s leaky defense turned into a strength
as Allen opened with Guyer and cruised 48-16.
The first post-Murray team would be defensive-minded.
Number 48 – Flower Mound Marcus came to play and forged a
28-28 tie before falling 38-28.
Number 55 – the annual ritual continued vs. DeSoto. Despite an off-season, 6-5 DeSoto played out
of their minds trying to break the Allen jinx.
A late touchdown should have tied it, but the extra point found the goal
post. Driving to win it in the last
minutes, they reached the Allen 38 but were stymied on 4 straight downs, the
last on a sack at mid-field as Allen hung on 41-40.
The end – the streak made it to 57 as Allen faced nemesis
Todd Dodge and his Austin Westlake Chaparrals in the semi-finals 12/11/15. I didn’t make the game, but Allen met their
match in a Texas-bound QB and a defense that blitzed often and didn’t allow a
TD until the 4th. Soundly
beaten and no miracles left to pull out, it was over, 23-17.
Postscript – it was hard to digest after over 3 years’ worth
of wins. But streaks come and they
go. Eventually a bad night, a coach with
a plan, all the breaks go the other way.
It’s amazing that it could go so well for 57 games in a row. Our family had so much fun as the vast Eagle
Nation traveled all over the state and watched routs and high drama. I saw the best high school player I ever
expect to see. I saw precision and
dominance, and luck and comebacks. The
average margin of victory for 57 games was right at 30 points per game. A 19-0 record against these programs: DeSoto, Cedar Hill, Arlington Martin, Denton Guyer, Flower Mound Marcus, Pearland, Skyline, Southlake Carroll, Euless Trinity. 22 straight
playoff wins. Allen will have to rebuild
next year, graduating I believe 15 starters and I’ll never be as connected or
invested again as Shelby and her class move on.
But I will re-live many of those nights and afternoons when we saw the
best of high school football and all things that go with it and I’ll remember
the Eagle fans with every kick off cry “Allen Eagles – Fight – Fight – Fight!”
S
