Eddie Hernandez, Plano ‘D’ show plenty of pep in near-shutout of Ottawa

PLANO – Eddie Hernandez and Plano followed a carefully scripted schedule to prepare for an unusual Saturday afternoon opening game.

The Reapers were each in bed by 11 p.m. Friday, monitoring each other through a Hudl chat. Then they huddled for a team breakfast Saturday.

“Our coach told us to go to sleep early at a certain time and we kind of policed each other. I don’t think anybody was up past 11,” said Hernandez, a senior defensive end. “I was probably the last one up, 11:01 I was in bed.”

Plano’s defense indeed played like one with an extra pep in its step.

The Reapers took a shutout into the last minute of Saturday’s Interstate Eight Conference opener with visiting Ottawa, forcing two turnovers to top the visiting Pirates 20-7.

Plano held Ottawa to 124 yards of total offense, minus-9 rushing, and narrowly missed shutting out the Pirates for the second consecutive year. Only Braiden Miller’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Jacob Serby with 27.9 seconds left prevented that.

“We came out ready to play,” Plano coach Rick Ponx said. “We’re a lot faster, and [assistant] coach [John] Clarke has done an amazing job. He’s done a great job of teaching the defense and the kids have bought into it. They understand it and that’s the result. Our run defense was pretty good.”

Hernandez, who played inside linebacker last season, has been moved down to defensive line this season, which Ponx said allows him to utilize his quickness against bigger linemen.

He showed a little shake in the second half Saturday, recovering the second of Ottawa’s two fumbles. Sophomore Aydan Olson had the other fumble recovery, his long return to the Ottawa 20 setting up Plano’s last score.

“I was really tired, I was supposed to go out the next play, but I saw the ball there,” Hernandez said. “As much as I wanted to fall on it, I ran as far as I could. I could have fun a lot faster but I was exhausted.”

Both of Ottawa’s fumbles came after the Pirates had crossed midfield. Ottawa also had a fourth-and-three stopped a yard short in the first half, and Miller had a deep pass near the goal line thwarted by one of five Ottawa personal foul penalties.

“We did move the ball, we had success at times, but we had self-inflicted wounds and turnovers,” Ottawa coach Chad Gross said. “We knew coming into the game, short season, you can’t give teams extra possessions and unfortunately we did that today.”

Plano, with just nine seniors, rotated three quarterbacks, all of them underclassmen with unique skill sets.

The Reapers came out in a Wildcat set, junior Ray Jones keeping the ball on Plano’s first nine plays from scrimmage and finishing with 51 rushing yards. Sophomore Samuel Sifuentes attempted Plano’s only three passes, completing two.

The third, junior Carson Gill, took a keeper up the gut for a 15-yard TD, the game’s first score, for a 7-0 lead with 2:34 left in the first half. Gill later added a 2-yard TD for Plano’s final score.

“We got three guys that can manage a game, they all have different qualities, and we want to be able to use them,” Ponx said. “It causes problems for other teams.”

Tony Licea, Plano’s leading rusher last season, had just five carries in the first half, but the Reapers leaned on him in the second half.

Licea, who finished with 78 yards on 16 carries, gave Plano a 14-0 lead with a 2-yard run with 2:05 left in the third quarter.

“We kept Tony fresh to the second half and then let him go,” Ponx said. “He can’t take a pounding. If we can keep him fresh, he’s dynamic.”

[ Photos: Ottawa vs. Plano ]

Miller, in his first varsity start for Ottawa, took a pounding at times with Plano sacks, but also showcased potential and a strong left-handed arm. The 6-foot-3, 177-pound junior was 12-for-15 for 133 yards. Bryant Schomas ran for 33 yards for Ottawa.

“Very happy with how Braiden played,” Gross said. “He made some nice throws, receivers made some nice catches. We had some miscues but overall a lot of good things to build on.”