Arlington Lamar Edges Plano East 20-19 to Advance to State

A failed two-point conversion with the game on the line sent Arlington Lamar to the state tournament and ended Plano East's season in one of the more dramatic finishes of the SQT round.

Lamar quarterback BJ Williams was the engine of the Vikings' offense throughout, spreading the ball to multiple receivers and finishing with touchdown passes to Terry Baker, Tyshawn Rollins, and Zy Ward. Plano East's Josh Gordon kept the Panthers competitive, connecting twice with Cody Warner — including a back-of-the-end-zone grab just before halftime that cut the deficit to 14-13.

The turning point came in the second half when Marcus Lee made a leaping interception in the end zone, erasing a Plano East scoring opportunity and swinging momentum firmly toward Lamar. Williams capitalized immediately, rolling left and firing back across the field to Rollins to push the lead to 14-6 before halftime, then extending it to 20-13 on a deep strike to Ward down the sideline.

Plano East refused to fold. Gordon hit Treyce Sheldon on a fourth-down fade route late in the game to pull the Panthers within 20-19, and they went for two and the win. Warner, who had been a reliable target all game, couldn't hold on in the end zone, and Lamar ran out the clock.

The 20-19 final sends Arlington Lamar to state alongside Keller Central, who also qualified out of the same SQT.