Trinity v Plano: We Want State!!!

» DMN: Trinity gets its kicks, tops Plano in 2OT (Todd Wills)
» DMN: Defense wins it for Trinity (Keith Whitmire)

Just plain ... WOW!!!

Euless Trinity kicker Pery Negreiros says he makes his field goals "most of the time" in practice, with the pressure of either his team's huge offensive or defensive linemen having to run if he misses.

It was Negreiros who did all the running Saturday night.

The senior kicker made two field goals in overtime, the second a 23-yarder in the second overtime that sent him sprinting into the arms of his teammates, setting off a wild celebration after Trinity's dramatic 30-27 victory over Plano in a 5A Division I state semifinal game before 30,000 drained fans at Texas Stadium.

Trinity will face Converse Judson (11-4) in Saturday's state championship game.

"It was just like we do in practice, pressure kicks," said Negreiros, who had made one of two field goals in regulation. "Coach [Steve Lineweaver] said even though I missed the first one, you'll make the next one, and I did."

After both teams had settled for field goals in the first overtime, Trinity (14-1) finally got control of a game it pretty much had won before running back Samir Walker fumbled at his own 29-yard line with a 24-21 lead and 42 seconds left in regulation.

I picked up the game early in the 4th quarter, watching the animated Prepcast display as if it were the real deal. I kept trying to brace myself in moments of impending doom that it was at least the type of fun, close, exciting game that you normally kill to see ... or acted out by avatars. And yet, there I was crestfallen to read of Samir Baker's late fumble that opened the door for Plano to win it in the closing minutes of regulation. The OT version didn't really make me feel much better as I was a temporary victim of ulcers just thinking about how cruel overtime had been to us against LD Bell back in the early 80s, where we lost a playoff game on penetrations - easily the foulest concept ever dreamed up at UIL HQ.

But this time around, we win a huge game. I was a bit reluctant to chalk this up as anything quite as big as last season's "Game of the Century" against Southlake Carroll. True, Plano has a great team this season and the Trojans have put together another incredible season. But last season, you genuinely had a sense that the two best team in the state were Trinity and Southlake. Trinity and Plano are great teams, but I think it's tougher to rank the Top 5, if not the entire Top 10 this season. Just as the kids at North Shore who lost a shocker to Converse Judson. Gotta admit, Judson snuck up on me. I wasn't really impressed with who they had to beat to get to North Shore, but there can't be any doubting a team that knocks them off. Besides, we should be familiar with Judson since it's the third time we'll meet in the finals. We'll see what destiny provides for next week. 2pm Texas Time. Alamodome.