Photos: Allen's $60 million high school football stadium reopens, Eagles win over Guyer

Video: (10) Allen vs. Denton - high school football preview
MaxPreps breaks down the big matchup in Allen.

ALLEN, Texas — Allen (Texas) junior quarterback Mitchell Jonke had never played in front of more than 500 fans before, so this seemed a little unfair.

On top of the 20,000 fans who jammed into $60 million Eagle Stadium, there was Allen's famous 800-member Escadrille, dubbed the nation's largest and "grandest marching band in the land."

There were also more than 100 song leaders, dance leaders and cheerleaders, and four skydivers who landed on the pristine field before the game, giving it a feel and offering the pageantry of a top college game.



Considering Jonke had never even suited up for a varsity game, and that he was replacing two-time MaxPreps National Player of the Year Kyler Murray, the moment could have overwhelmed him.

Instead, the poised 6-foot, 170-pounder seized the moment, leading the nation's No. 10 team to its 44th-straight win with a convincing 48-16 triumph over a tough Guyer (Denton, Texas) squad on Friday night.

Jonke, who beat out Oregon commit and Minnesota transfer Seth Green for the starting spot, threw for 285 yards and five touchdowns and ran for another as the three-time defending Texas 6A champions overcame an early 10-7 deficit to win going away.

"He's a very calm kid," Allen coach Tom Westerberg said. "He doesn't let a whole lot of stuff bother him. He prepared well all week and he had a good scrimmage last week. Overall, his first start in front of a crowd like this, I thought he played pretty well."

If that's pretty well, opponents don't want to see Jonke's "A" game.

He fired a 49-yard touchdown pass to Camden Harrison on Allen's first possession and the post-Murray era started with a roar.



"I've been waiting for this moment for a long time," Jonke said. "It felt amazing. I'm glad to be out there with my teammates and get the big win for our city."

The Allen community was chomping at the bit to play back in Eagle's magnificent structure, which opened in 2012, but closed for repairs in February of 2014. Allen, a school of more than 5,900 students, played all road games last season. The Eagles will get eight home games this season.

Jonke, who led the Allen JV team to a 10-0 season in 2014, said he'll never forget Friday.

"I've never played in front of more than 500 people," he said. "To play in front of 20,000 is a lot different. But once you get on the field, its just football."

Before Jonke took the field, he got a text message from Murray. That meant a lot.

"He's a great mentor," Jonke said. "He was a great player to watch and a great guy to learn from."



It's not clear if Murray advised Jonke to mention his offensive line, but the new quarterback rattled off all five names quickly. "Those guys are amazing," he said. "They gave me so much time."

It took little time for Jonke to get acclimated. He didn't quite put up Murray numbers — the Texas A&M freshman accounted for 11,210 yards and 142 touchdowns the last two years at Allen — but it was close.

"It was a special time out there," Jonke said. "When I walked out there for the first play I knew it was the real deal. I was ready. When we got that first touchdown I thought to myself, ‘this is it.'"