Returning as the no. 1 re­ceiver for the Plano East foot­ball team, Rushil Patel has made the strides this offseason.

Gone are his teammates Jay­don Nava and Kaden Gardner, leaving inexperienced players at the depth positions for the Panthers offense. The change has led to head coach Joey Mc­Cullough game planning with a new offensive formation, putting more tight ends on the field to help block for running back Ismail Mahdi and give more opportunities for Patel.

For the full story, see the July 15 issue or subscribe online.

By Kyle Grondin • [email protected]