Analysis – Football dominates Plano East in shutout 42-0
When the Prosper student section started chanting “It’s comeback season,” they were not wrong. Last year, Prosper fell to district foe, Plano East, 26-14. On Friday night, the Eagles crushed the Panthers (now 1-4) with an expected, final score of 42-0. Their victory brought their overall record to 5-0 and elevated them to first place in the 9-6A rankings.
When the Prosper student section started chanting ‘It’s comeback season,’ they were not wrong.
— Ana Arredondo
The shutout marked the first for the Panthers since October 2012, making them fall to fourth place in Max Preps’ 9-6A standings. Many predicted what the outcome of the game would end up to be, yet the Eagles did not disappoint. The team’s offense picked up 378 yards compared to Plano East’s 110 overall.
Defense does it again
The Eagles’ defense has shown out so far this season, but they were on fire against the Panthers’ offense. They allowed only 99 yards in the first quarter and restricted them to 11 more for the rest of the game. Yes, only 11. Senior Logan Kern’s 13-yard interception set up Jackson Berry for a pass-touchdown to Tyler Bailey.
Going into the week with injuries to the Prosper defense, junior Herman Lee stepped up with three sacks. Linebackers Tate Nichols and Aidan Siano also contributed sacks, which pushed the Panthers back within to their own 10-yard line forcing a punt.
Shutting down Plano East
Much like week 2 against Timber Creek, the Eagles got the upper hand in the first half. Berry opened up the first quarter with a 32-yard pass-touchdown to receiver Hayden Metcalf. Senior J.T. Lane closed the half with their second scoring drive of the night. Berry threw his first interception of the season late in the first quarter. Yet the Panthers still came up empty. Prosper offense continued to gain yardage, but failed to see more than two touchdowns in the first half. The Eagles headed into the locker room with a 14-point lead over the Panthers.
The real action came in the third quarter as the Eagles amassed 28 points. Bailey was responsible for two touchdowns with a 1-yard carry and 22-yard pass from Berry. Short after, Lane contributed his second score of the night with a 4-yard run. With less than a minute left in the quarter, Joshua Graham gained 37 yards on a punt return. The play set up Berry for a 2-yard rushing touchdown. As the clock ticked down, the scoreboard reflected what would be the final score of the night. Kicker Brad Larson strengthened the Eagles’ lead with all 6 extra points from kicking attempts.
After a bye-week, Prosper will travel to Dallas Jesuit (3-2) Oct. 11. The Rangers are coming off a 40-21 win over McKinney Boyd. Both teams are heading into the game undefeated in district play. They will fight for the first spot in 9-6A standings as Prosper is currently ranked first after recently surpassing Jesuit after week 2 of district play.
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