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Allen easily rolls past Richardson: Eagles advance to face undefeated Mesquite
BY Bill Conrad, bconrad@starlocalnews.com
Richardson scored the first and last touchdowns in its game against Allen, but it was the Eagles' 63 unanswered points that were the real story of the game.
Allen (10-1) seemingly did whatever it wanted on offense and defense in a 63-14 victory over Richardson (4-7) Friday night at Eagle Stadium. The District 10-5A champ rolled up 621 yards of offense, while allowing only 298.
"I thought we played real well and clicked in the running game and the passing game," said Tom Westerberg, Allen head coach. "We had a good night tonight. The defense gave up two big plays early, so we will have to watch the film to see what happened."
The lead, however, would be short-lived.
As he would do time and time again, Allen quarterback Kyler Murray had an answer. The sophomore used his arms and legs to torch the Richardson defense, connecting on three big passes on Allen's first drive to set up a 2-yard scoring run by senior Marcus Ward to tie the game.
From that point on, it was all Allen.
Murray threw three first-half touchdown passes, one each to senior Oliver Pierce, junior Grant Finney and senior Troy Knudsen, the latter coming on a one-handed catch in the end zone. Murray also beat Richardson on the ground, scoring on a 50-yard touchdown run that saw him weave his way from sideline to sideline, leaving hapless Richardson defenders in his wake.
After the game, Murray said he was happy with the way the offense played, but gave the credit to his teammates.
"My job is simply to put the ball in our playmakers' hands," he said. "I think we have the best offensive line in (Class) 5A. They give me days to throw the ball."
With Allen leading 49-7 at the half, Murray and many of the offensive starters took the second half off. Still, the Allen second- and third-teamers picked up where the starters left off and marched up-and-down the field with apparent ease.
Senior backup quarterback Connor Greenberg connected with sophomore wide out Kendall Clinton on a 35-yard score, while sophomore tailback Keon Williams carried the ball seven times for 78 yards. Allen's final touchdown came early in the fourth quarter on an 8-yard run from senior Jacob O'Connor.
Richardson completed the scoring with a 1-yard run from running back Devante Branch with just more than four minutes left in the game, but it was too little too late.
Allen ended the game with the ball deep inside Richardson territory, its only possession of the night that didn't end with a touchdown.
Playing what may be his final home game, Pierce said he was proud of the effort displayed by his teammates, noting they didn't panic after quickly falling down 7-0.
"Obviously the first two plays on defense weren't good, but we knew Richardson was going to come out and play like they had nothing to lose," he said. "Luckily, we came back and showed that when we are on, we're very tough to beat. I think this game will give us a lot of confidence going into the second round."
While he only finished with four catches for 61 yards, Pierce had two long returns that helped Allen begin drives near midfield.
"A big part of football is field position and I was lucky enough to get some decent kick and punt returns," Pierce said. "Football is about blocking, tackling and field position, and with good field position it is easy for us to drive down the field and score."
The game was a rematch from Week Two when Allen defeated Richardson, 52-17. Both Murray and Pierce said playing a team for the second time makes it easier to prepare, even though Richardson had changed some things since their September meeting.
"Since we had already played them we knew what they could do," Murray said. "They got better as the season went on but we studied film and were well prepared for them."
Murray finished the game by completing 11-of-14 passes for 203 yards and three scores, while also running eight times for 102 yards and a touchdown. Ward rushed five times for 51 yards, while junior Jaelen Barlow finished with seven carries for 71 yards and a score.
Allen returns to action Friday night against undefeated Mesquite at Clark Stadium in Plano. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
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