On Nov. 26, 1994, John Tyler High School held a 24-point lead over Plano East late in the fourth quarter of Texas’ 5A state semifinals. What happened next remains improbable to this day.
In less than four minutes, Plano East staged a comeback for the ages. After cutting the lead to 18 points on a touchdown, the Panthers recovered three consecutive onside kicks and converted each possession into a touchdown to miraculously tie the score with 24 seconds remaining.
But on the ensuing kickoff, John Tyler returner Roderick Dunn took the ball 97 yards for a touchdown to hand Plano East a devastating 48-44 loss.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHkABO0VwCg&w=640&h=360]
There are a lot of great high school football traditions during Thanksgiving week, but it’s hard to top this game. The stage (Cowboy Stadium in Dallas), the stakes (a trip to the Texas state championship) and of course the highly entertaining commentary (“Oh my gosh, no!”) all combine to make this game a timeless — and heartbreaking — classic.
So if your hometown team suffers a crushing loss on Thanksgiving Day, just remember — at least they didn’t pull a Plano East.
