Archives > Sports Update
Print
E-mail
Comment
Rate
RSS
Share
C&C Football Factory: Connor and Collin lead Plano to state
BY Kevin Hageland, khageland@acnpapers.com
Though no longer eligible to compete for the team, Plano Senior graduates Connor Michelsen and Collin Brence have been back on the varsity football field this summer.
Only this time, Brence and Michelsen weren't attempting to get Plano to the State 7-on-7 Tournament, rather they were prepping the next class of Wildcats, who qualified for the event that begins Friday in College Station.
"I've been coaching the offense and Collin has been running the defense," said Michelsen as he prepared for film study at Princeton. "We wanted to work with the guys, but also instill in them what we do at Plano. We have been telling the guys what it means to be a Plano Wildcat; how to carry yourself and how to have respect for the program and everyone that came before you."
"Anytime you do well and experience success it's a good thing, so we are excited for the guys going to College Station," he said. "And we'd like to win it all, but we have to keep everything in perspective. We want to see the players act right out there; this is a big bonding weekend, so we want to see great team chemistry, but we also want to see discipline and the ability for guys to keep their cool in adverse situations."
Having Michelsen and Brence in the mix has provided a different kind of cool this summer.
"We've been having a blast, especially since we knew a lot of the guys from JV last season," Michelsen said. "We been to some league games and tournaments and whenever someone scores we'll run up and give them a chest bump. I'm sure they haven't seen that from too many coaches."
Plano will begin play at the 2011 Division I State 7-on-7 Tournament Friday at Penberthy Intramural Fields.
The Wildcats are slotted in Pool E alongside Abilene, Klein Oak and La Marque. Abilene has been the best of the bunch in the past, having lost in the 2002 finals, losing in the 2005 third-place game and winning the Consolation bracket in 2008. Plano opens pool play at 1 p.m. Friday against La Marque, faces Klein Oak at 3 p.m. and closes against Abilene at 5 p.m.
The top two teams from the pool will advance to Saturday's Championship bracket.
"We've tried to coach 'em up this summer," Michelsen said tongue-in-cheekly before adding a serious note. "But I think this team will do very well. They have great leaders and great coaches."
With Michelsen at college, he'll depend on 7-on-7 coach Tank Stallings for updates.
"I'm very interested in how the team does," Michelsen said. "And I already told Tank I need texts from him after every game."
Michelsen could also get updates from McCullough, who will get to watch his team from a different perspective.
"It's going to fun because I don't have to coach, I get to just watch and evaluate," McCullough said. "And us coaches are football junkies, so we love competition ... and I'm excited anytime I get to watch the Plano Wildcats."
But while McCullough will be rooting for Plano to win at state, he also realizes the larger importance 7-on-7 has for the Wildcats.
"Hopefully this will catapult us into the 2011 season," he said.
The following are comments from the readers.
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
You must register with a valid email to post comments.
Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Registered users sign in here:
Become a Registered User
- Return to: Sports Update «
- Home «
- Top of Page ^
