The difference in Plano's 42-7 win over Carter on Friday night was the passing game. Plano had one and Carter didn't.
Plano, ranked No. 7 in the 5A area poll, improved to 3-0 by hitting big pass plays to set up its running game. Quarterback Carson Meger completed seven passes for 172 yards. Four of his completions were for 23 yards or more.
Carter, tied for 12th in the area, was without its playmaking quarterback, Jarvis Phillips, who was sidelined with a broken left arm suffered in last week's loss to Tyler John Tyler.
Sophomore Russell Polk started in Phillips' place and did not complete a pass in five attempts. That is, when he was able to get a pass off against Plano's swarming defense.
Carter was held to 141 total yards and did not score until 4:55 remained in the game, with Plano ahead, 42-0.
Plano started off with a bang. On its first offensive play, Meger hit Kris Lott for a 31-yard completion.
Lott finished with three catches for 82 yards. He also caught a two-point conversion. Grant Davis caught a 51-yard bomb and Nate Christian had a 13-yard reception, all in the first quarter.
"They're a man-to-man, press-coverage team," Plano coach Gerald Brence said. "We were going to throw vertical tonight. We felt like we had to. When you've got receivers like Kris Lott, Grant Davis and Nate Christian, you've got to get the ball in their hands."
The 31-yard completion to Lott got Plano's offense in high gear immediately. Rex Burkhead capped a six-play drive by scoring from 12 yards out on an option pitch. The extra point was botched, holding Plano to a 6-0 lead.
After a Carter drive stalled in Plano territory, Meger hit Davis for the 51-yard score. The two-point conversion made it 14-0.
Lott caught passes of 23 and 28 yards to set up the next score, a 3-yard run by Burkhead. Then Plano's defense got in on the act. Linebacker Landon Kershaw forced a fumble deep in Carter territory and defensive end Beau Brence fell on the ball in the end zone.
That gave Plano a 28-0 halftime lead. Meger did not play in the second half, although backup tailback Michael Daniel added two more scores, including a 75-yard burst in the fourth quarter. Daniel wound up with 140 of Plano's 205 rushing yards.
