Down by 21 on two separate occasions, the Panthers did all they could to mount the comeback. 

Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough. Coming back to tie the game at 28, Plano East (1-3, 2-5) fell in the fourth quarter to Flower Mound (2-2, 3-4), 42-35 Friday night. 

The Jaguars scored three touchdowns in the first eight minutes of the game. After a quick score on its first drive, Flower Mound intercepted Plano East quarterback Drew DeVillier. That led to the second touchdown on the next play. 

With all the momentum, Flower Mound then elected to onside kick. They recovered and later scored to go up 21-0. Plano East never quit, cutting the lead to 28-14 with just four seconds left in the first half. 

The Panthers then found momentum. Getting a couple of stops on defense, Ismail Mahdi and the offense scored 14 unanswered in the third quarter to tie things up heading into the final frame. Mahdi finished the game with 233 total yards and three touchdowns. 

Despite the late comeback, the Jaguars scored two straight touchdowns to start the fourth quarter and kept the lead for good. After a late touchdown from Trevor Smith cut the Flower Mound lead to 42-35, Plano East’s last chance ended when a fourth-and-17 pass fell incomplete. 

Plano East will now look to get back into the win column next Friday at home against Plano.

For the complete story, see next Thursday’s edition of the Murphy Monitor. Support your community newspaper for less than $40 a year.

By Kyle Grondin • [email protected]