PLANO – Carson Meger found out days before the regular season started that he had won a hotly contested competition to be Plano's starting quarterback.

On Saturday, the junior will start his 15th game with Plano a win away from its first state championship game appearance since 1994.

Meger has already become Plano's first 3,000-yard passer. He holds pretty much every Plano quarterback record and has thrown for 3,160 yards and 21 touchdowns.

Meger is the son of Lynn Meger, Plano's girls basketball coach, and Dave Meger, the former golf coach. Carson has eased into a leadership role while letting seniors such as linemen Blake McJunkin and Wes Perryman and receivers Nate Christian and Grant Davis share the responsibilities.

Meger has been just what Plano needed with so many talented players around him. He has shown he can manage a game, and in coach Gerald Brence's words, "Carson has played 14 good football games."

MIKE STONE / Special to DMN

Plano junior quarterback Carson Meger (left) has broken all of the school's passing records this season.

"I've just tried to work hard," Meger said. "We knew we were good before the season and that we could go to state. But I don't know how much we really believed that. After the Rockwall game [in the playoffs], it really hit us."

Since Plano rallied for a 42-35 victory in its bi-district game against Rockwall, Meger and Co. have dominated three playoff opponents, leading by at least 21 points in all three games.

Meger has only one 200-yard passing game in the playoffs after doing it in eight of 10 regular-season games. The fact that Plano has had big leads has allowed it to rely on running back Rex Burkhead, who's averaging 27 carries a game in the postseason.

Meger has thrown seven interceptions in the playoffs, including three last week in a 41-20 victory over Skyline. But he has shown resiliency, rebounding from two early interceptions to pass for 322 yards and two touchdowns against Skyline.

"It helps that my teammates don't get down on me," Meger said. "We're really a tight team, and that helps me keep my composure."

Meger has shown an ability to learn from his mistakes as the games get bigger. He took some sacks in the early playoff games but threw the ball away in a few situations last week against Skyline.

He is still getting used to running the option because Plano didn't use its old staple much in the regular season.

Meger said he has paid close attention to how Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo has handled himself this season.

"I like how he comes through in the clutch," Meger said.

Meger brings a loose personality to the offense and is known as a chatterbox. He gained teammates' respect when he completed 24 of 27 passes in a loss to Allen.

"Carson has been a great leader for us," McJunkin said. "He knows what it takes to win and he's a competitor. We believe in him."

PLANO'S TOP GUN

Class 5A Division I state semifinal: Plano (13-1) vs. Euless Trinity (13-1), 7 p.m. Saturday, Texas Stadium, (Ch 21 tape-delayed at approximately 11 p.m.; KDKR-FM 91.3, KVCE-AM 1160)