By Greg Ford
Sports Editor
[email protected]

PLANO — Both the Pirates and Panthers have had their week off. For the former, it was a chance to rest up after a three-game, non-district season during which Wylie finished 1-2, but easily could have been 3-0.
In East’s case, the Panthers (also 1-2) enter this Friday’s 6-6A opener still licking some wounds from a 47-29 loss to Arlington, but also focused on what’s ahead.
“I respect Wylie unbelievably,” East head coach Joey McCullough said. “I think Bill Howard is a heck of a coach. They’re kids are tough … Bill Howard and the Wylie kids are tough … They don’t do a lot, they just execute.”
The coach said the Panthers have concentrated on making themselves better, and are dedicated to playing their best football from here on out.
“We had several words (spoken) this week, and the word were fundamentals, fundamentals and fundamentals, and we were going to simplify everything we did,” McCullough said. “That’s the best way to speak of this week … It was us getting better; blocking, tackling, getting off blocks, playing team football. That is what Plano East has worked on all week long.”
He added, “We didn’t mess around. We brought them in on Monday (after the game) … We watched (video) together from the first clip to the very last clip, and it was everybody in that room together.”
The coach added he’s confident his players “got the message,” but said the true results will show on the field Friday at Kimbrough Stadium.
“We’ve got to play better, or we’ll be 0-3,” McCullough said. “Right now, (our record) is 0-0. I don’t care about the non-district record right now. I do care about our record going forward.”