Frisco Lone Star football 'speechless' after miracle rivalry win
FRISCO, TEXAS - It was a game-ending play that left both main beneficial participants practically speechless.
Several minutes after pulling off an improbable win, Frisco Lone Star players Collin Blackstock and Winston Pollard were still trying to process how they did it.
Blackstock, the Rangers’ senior quarterback, found a wide-open Pollard for a 42-yard touchdown, capping a sequence in which three TDs were scored in the final 3:25, as Lone Star stunned crosstown rival Frisco Reedy, 35-32, Thursday night at Toyota Stadium.
“Honestly, I’m pretty speechless about it,” Blackstock said. “I looked up, had 52 seconds left (when the Lions took a 32-29 lead).
“I know that probably not a lot of people believed but I believed; I knew we were going to find a way to get us down there, and try to put some points on the board.”
Lone Star’s miraculous win avenged last season’s loss to Reedy in a game which essentially determined the district championship. It was also the Lions’ first-ever win against the Rangers.
After the Lions went ahead just inside the game’s final minute, the Rangers moved 60 yards in nine plays. There were five pass plays called before the final play, with four going incomplete, including Blackstock spiking the ball to stop the clock.
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With seven seconds left, Blackstock knew what had to be done.
“My mind, honestly, was just operation focus,” he said. “I knew we had a certain amount of time, had to get out of bounds, had to make some throws. … And then there’s seven seconds left and I’m just thinking, we probably have one more play left.
“So I’m thinking, we need to find a way to get the ball in the end zone.”
From the Reedy 42, Blackstock launched a deep pass over the middle. Pollard, a junior receiver, got past a defender and hauled the pass in stride near the 15 and raced in untouched for the walk-off winner.
“I was star-struck, man,” Pollard said. “When (Blackstock) called the play, I was like, I know what I’ve got to do, we’ve been working on this in practice.
“It was actually a new play that we installed, so I was like, I’ve got to do what I have to do, so I saw the ball in the air, I made the play and won the game.”
HANDS OF CONFIDENCE
Like Blackstock, Pollard believed the Rangers were capable of getting the win after giving up the lead with 52 seconds left.
“I felt so confident because since summer, we’ve been working that, working on mindsets,” Pollard said. “No matter how much time’s on the clock or how much we’re down by, we’re going to push to the very end of the game.”
He also had plenty of confidence in hanging on to the deep ball Blackstock threw with time running out.
“We didn’t want to drop it, but I’m confident in my hands, I’m confident in myself,” Pollard said. “I work catching every day, so just got to be confident in yourself.”
SWEET REVENGE
Lone Star’s miracle win avenged last season’s loss to Reedy in a game which essentially determined the district championship. It was also the Lions’ first-ever win against the Rangers.
Blackstock didn’t play that game, as the week before, he suffered a broken ankle, which resulted in eventual season-ending surgery.
But back for his senior season, Blackstock helped give his team a huge win in the District 6-5A Division I opener for both squads. He passed for 218 yards and two TDs in the win.
“I trusted my guys throughout, and they played great throughout that series,” Blackstock said. “Thankfully, we were able to block on that last play just enough for Winston to get up in the middle.
“And then I saw that ball cross the defenders’ hands, and it was just pure excitement. He caught the ball, walks into the end zone, we win the game and man, that’s a pretty un-describable feeling; it was awesome.”
ON THE MEND
Blackstock is also hoping Thursday’s game-winning TD can get him back on the recruiting radar.
He does have two offers, from Grambling State (Louisiana) and Valparaiso University (Indiana).
“I don’t have any game film; this season is the real first time that I’ve been able to play some games,” said Blackstock, who also primarily plays third base for Lone Star’s baseball team. “So it’s been kind of slow, but I do have two offers and hopefully, that will kind of kick up for me once I get some games under my belt.”
SPARK PLUG
Lone Star also got a big boost from sophomore tailback Davian Groce, who rushed for 186 yards on 23 carries and two TDs, including a 70-yard run to get the Rangers on the board after they fell behind early, 14-0.
But perhaps Groce’s biggest run came on the Rangers’ game-winning drive. He converted on a fourth-and-short play, going 10 yards to the Reedy 42, setting up Blackstock’s pass to Pollard three plays later.
“We were down 14-0, but the team’s counting on me and not to sound like cocky, but I want the team to like be on my back; I want to carry the team’s burdens, I want to make sure the team is OK with me,” Groce said.
“We have an amazing team, but I feel like I can be that spark guy that gets that touchdown or gets that good play to start everything.”
24-HOUR RULE
While the Rangers were basking in the glow of the win, they didn’t have much time to enjoy it. They go right back to work on Friday.
“Coach (Jeff) Rayburn has our 24-hour rule, so whether it’s a loss or a win, we have 24 hours to celebrate or be mad about it, whichever way it is,” Blackstock said. “So (Thursday), I’m going to go and I’m going to celebrate.
“(Friday) morning, I’m going to celebrate, but then when (Friday) afternoon comes and we’re sitting in that film room, it’s all about learning from the good things that I did and the bad things that I did and ultimately preparing for (Frisco) Wakeland because we’ve got another big one here in two weeks.”
Lone Star (2-1, 1-0) will face Wakeland on Sept. 22. Next Thursday, Reedy (2-1, 0-1) will face Wakeland.
Photo of Frisco Lone Star's Winston Pollard by Jeff Dahlia, Star Local Media
-- Buck Ringgold | buck@scorebooklive.com | @SBLiveTX
