DALLAS -- The Plano Senior 7-on-7 football team fielded two different teams Friday at the Red Bull Game Breakers Dallas Qualifier.

Although the Wildcats' game-to-game personnel remained the same, the results were a bit more scattered as Plano finished the afternoon at Jesuit on even ground after breaking even at 2-2 during tournament play.

"I feel real good about how we played today," said Tim Stallings, Plano 7-on-7 head coach. "We played in this same Red Bull event last year and we had a really, really tough time but having a lot of those same guys out here this year really showed the improvements we've made."

There was also the added level of familiarity with the unique 7-on-7 fray, with points awarded for first downs, touchdowns, PAT's, interceptions, defensive stops and Red Bull Red Zone stops. The tournament also implements a Red Bull Chaser, a situational eighth defender who operates as a pass rusher and is available for third and fourth down.

"That makes it really interesting," Stallings said. "You have games that come down to the wire where all you need is a first down to win. It keeps things highly competitive and keeps everybody in the game."

In the Wildcats' case, a scintillating start steadily went awry as Friday's action progressed. To Plano's credit, it meant advancing further and further into the double-elimination bracket, with West Mesquite ultimately spelling the end of the Wildcats' Red Bull run with a 27-23 setback.

"I think the heat burned us up a bit and we gassed out a bit down the stretch," Stallings said. "I think we just finally ran out of gas but that'll make us a better team come the fall."

It was a case of too little, too late for the Wildcats, who spotted West an 18-0 lead that carried into the final minute of the first half. Saving face in opening stanza's waning second, senior Richard Lagow covered all 45 yards of field with a downfield heave to Devon Richardson for an 18-6 deficit at halftime.

"[West Mesquite] wasn't showing us much different that we hadn't already seen," Lagow said. "They were just really fast and were quick to the ball. Most teams have a linebacker you can go after but everybody on that team is quick and fast."

That speed persisted into the second half with the Wranglers keeping their perfect offensive outing afloat, scoring on two second-half drives to come away with touchdowns on all four series against the Wildcats.

Plano did what it could to cut into the deficit with Lagow finding Corbin Whitehair (2 yards) and Anthony Antwine (26 yards) for scores.

The Wildcats found themselves facing elimination against the Wranglers after suffering a 25-18 loss against Cedar Hill in quarterfinal action. What was Plano's first tournament loss manifested in similar fashion to its second, with the Longhorns sprinting out to a 17-1 advantage.

Kept off-balance by Cedar Hill's quick-strike offense, Plano didn't muster a counter until late in the first half when Lagow found Braylan Campbell for a 5-yard touchdown. The Wildcats' defense stood firm long enough for Lagow and Bert McJunkin to connect on a 1-yard strike to tie the contest at 18-18 with minutes to spare.

The Longhorns managed the last laugh though, pulling out a 26-yard touchdown in the game's closing moments for the victory.

The loss curtailed a bit of the momentum mustered during the tournament's early stages, during which Plano went 2-0 to start.

"We came out really hot," Lagow said. "We played really well for those first couple games and then we had a long break. Afterwards, when we came back out we just didn't have the same energy and just didn't look like we did earlier."

That opening surge consisted of victories of Jesuit (28-12) and Waco (36-19), the former of which was particularly gratifying for the Wildcats after having previously suffered a 40-39 loss to the Rangers at the Wylie State Qualifying Tournament on June 15.

"That was great," Lagow said. "We felt like we should have won that first game against [Jesuit] and especially to beat them like this made it good to know that we should have had them the first time."

The Wildcats overcame a 10-0 deficit against Jesuit and outscored the Rangers, 28-2, the rest of the way. Plano enjoyed a bit more breathing room against Waco, racing out to a 19-3 advantage aided by an early interception by Tim Yoder that set the table for four straight Wildcat scoring drives.

On the afternoon, Lagow threw 12 total touchdown passes, with Antwine leading pack with four scores followed by Campbell (3), Whitehair (2), Richardson (2) and McJunkin (1).

"Me and Corbin have been throwing passes since fifth grade, so our chemistry is coming along great," Lagow said, "and Anthony's just a stud out there for us. We've been throwing together for a while as well."

Two spots in the Red Bull Game Breakers Final, set for July 11-13 at Jesuit, were awarded with Cedar Hill and Hebron advancing to the tournament's national finale.

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