Plano East seniors, from left, Jayden Dawson, Chance Ables and Payten Cooper each signed a National Letter of Intent during a Signing Day Ceremony that was held on Wednesday, Dec. 4. Photo by David Wolman / C&S Media
By David Wolman
Last week, Plano East senior wide receiver Chance Ables, girls soccer standout Payten Cooper and Plano East senior softball pitcher Jayden Dawson became NCAA Division I signees.
Ables, Cooper and Dawson put pen to paper last Wednesday during a college signing ceremony that was held in Archie McAfee Gymnasium on Wednesday, Dec. 4. Ables signed with Arizona State. Cooper will play women’s soccer for UCLA. Dawson signed on the dotted line with the Abilene Christian softball team.
Ables, listed at 6-foot-3, gives Arizona State another a big-bodied wide receiver that can make explosive plays in the passing game. He was making big plays even before he arrived at Plano East earlier this year. As a junior, he was a bright spot for a Naaman Forest team that struggled to a 1-9 record, finishing with 783 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.
Ables then transferred to Plano East for his senior season, and his arrival gave the Panthers a much-needed weapon after they lost a talented cast of wide-outs in Caden Warner, Ezra O’Neal III, Jaylon Hatcher and Joshua Palma to graduation from their 2023 team that went 6-5 and made the playoffs for the first time since 2018.
Although an injury that Ables suffered in the third game of this season against Princeton that limited his playing time, the production that he put up prior to the injury showed why he was on the receiving end of offers from 10 NCAA Division I colleges. In the first three games of the season, Ables tallied 245 receiving yards with four touchdowns, and the Panthers put up 134 points over that span of play – all wins.
“Chance is quick,” said Tony Benedetto, Plano East football coach. “Chance has long arms. Chance can jump high. He has an incredible catch radius. He can block. Chance is an incredible football player.”
Cooper, meanwhile, has been a playmaker in Plano East’s midfield with a goal scorer’s touch, and she will look to bring that same finishing ability to UCLA.
She didn’t play for the Lady Panthers her sophomore season while playing for her club team, but she has won a district superlative in the two seasons that she has played for Plano East.
Cooper won District 6-6A newcomer of the year her freshman season and last year as a junior, she was bestowed with midfielder of the year.
“She can step on any field and be a game-changer,” said Cristy Cooley, Plano East head girls soccer coach. “She’s just done such an amazing job. She’s a great person. Her junior year, leadership that she has shown has just been amazing. She’s always positive. She’s just ready to play. She has what it takes to be a DI athlete.”
Cooper’s speed has also helped her on the track, where she helped to lead Plano East girls track and field team break the school record in the 4×200 during her sophomore season and win district titles in the 4×100 and 4×200 last year.
Lauren Peterson has been Plano East head softball coach for only two years, but in the short time that she’s been at the helm, she has been nothing but short of impressed by the leadership and two-way ability of Dawson.
Voted as the Big Stick award winner both her sophomore and junior seasons, Dawson has brought a big bat to the Lady Panthers’ batting lineup. She has hit .415 over the last two seasons with a .786 slugging percentage, 66 hits, 14 home runs, 51 RBIs and walked 34 times.
On the mound, Dawson has kept Plano East in ballgames with her arm. Over the last two years, she has faced 1,300 batters and given up just 290 hits. As a junior, she was named the District 6-6A utility player of the year and also earned a spot on the all-6-6A academic team.
Although she doesn’t plan on pitching for Abilene Christian, she will, at the very least, provide the Lady Wildcats with a powerful swing in their lineup.
“She’s the kid that you want on your team, out on the field, leading your players,” Peterson said.
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