Plano overcomes Lisle

Vance Schmidt helped carry the load for the Plano Reapers on Friday night.

The senior running back scored a pair of touchdowns, including a 1-yard scamper with 2:15 left in the third quarter, giving his team a 24-0 lead en route to a 30-13 victory over visiting Lisle.

"The run was just a quick dive, no fakes," Schmidt said. "Any time I'm inside the 3, I just put my head down and break as many tackles as I can."

Schmidt scored the game's first touchdown on the opening drive, taking it in from two yards out. A 37-yard field goal by Ivan Corral at the start of the second quarter made the score 10-0.

Leading 10-0 going into the half, Plano scored on its first two possessions of the third quarter to go up 24-0.

Junior Devin Ambrose started the second half scoring, capping off a 7-play, 16-yard drive with a 5-yard end-around touchdown run to put his team up 16-0. The extra-point attempt was blocked by Lisle's Nick Leonard. Ambrose's score was followed by Schmidt's aforementioned touchdown, followed by Ambrose's 2-point conversion.

The Plano defense got in on the action in the third quarter as well. Will Brown and Schmidt shared a sack on Leonard, helping to stall a third-quarter drive. Kyle Kabala scooped up a Lisle fumble on the Lions' next possession to stall another drive.

"Overall we're proud that we were able to get the first game under our belts and pick up the win," Plano coach Jim Green said. "Now we've got to get focused and ready for Week 2."

Lisle eventually got on the board with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns, including a 23-yard scoring strike from Nick Saul to Anthony Ventrella. Saul connected on his second touchdown pass of the game to Leonard from 9 yards out, cutting the Reapers' lead to 24-13.

"Their kids didn't quit no matter what the score was, and that's a credit to the Lisle coaching staff," Green said.

Lisle coach Dan Sanko did not coach in Friday night's game after he returned from Colorado this week where his fiancée suffered a stroke while on vacation.

"It was tough watching the game from the sideline, but I'm glad our players didn't quit," Sanko said. "Hopefully, we can build on that."

Ambrose put the game away with his second touchdown of the night, a 3-yard run late in the fourth quarter, for the game's final score.