Plano East senior quarterback Josh Gordon releases the ball on a passing attempt during the second half of last Friday’s annual black-gold scrimmage at Tom Kimbrough Stadium. Photo by Andy Redmond / C&S Media
By David Wolman
When a brief rain shower rolled through Tom Kimbrough Stadium during the fourth quarter of Plano East’s annual gold-black scrimmage Friday night, senior quarterback Josh Gordon welcomed the challenge.
The wet conditions did little to slow Gordon down.
Throughout the varsity portion of the scrimmage, Gordon displayed poise and maturity in the pocket. He escaped pressure multiple times, avoided negative plays by throwing the ball away when necessary and showcased his arm strength with several explosive completions, including a 23-yard touchdown pass to Tyson Seldon on a fade route.
“He’s stepped up and is a really good leader,” Plano East head coach Tony Benedetto said. “He’s played well and is not worried about making mistakes and having fun. He’s one of the best athletes in our school. He’s the only kid that does football and basketball at a varsity level. You’ll get to see the athleticism.”
Friday’s scrimmage marked the culmination of spring football for Plano East. The scrimmage featured two halves, with the junior varsity playing in the first half and varsity playing in the second half. A tug-of-war, 7-on-7 football game and other activities highlighted the festivities.
Plano East also received solid quarterback play from junior Kade Slaughter. Moments after the gold team took a 10-0 lead, Slaughter directed the black team on an impressive scoring drive. Sophomore Noah Pittman hauled in a pass from Slaughter and sprinted down the sideline for a touchdown that trimmed the deficit to 10-7.
Depth at wide receiver should be a strength for the Panthers.
“I think this will be the best receiving groups that we’ve had in a while,” Benedetto said. “We have some height now. Tyson Seldon and Colt Shannon are taller receivers. Cody Warner, Kariem Pittman and Braeden Quach are good slot receivers. We have some good weapons this year.”
Special teams also stood out during the scrimmage.
Sophomore Dez Nguyen booted punts of 50 and 51 yards during the junior varsity session, with the latter rolling out of bounds at the 5-yard line. Sophomore Nahuel Moreno drilled a 44-yard field goal and consistently produced deep kickoffs.
The varsity kickers continued the momentum. Junior Arad Teflanab connected on a booming 56-yard field goal, while senior Logan Watkins added a 36-yarder on the final play of the scrimmage.
“There’s six of them competing,” Benedetto said. “We’re charting it down in practice and trying to decide based on numbers. They’re all good. We may see a rotation, so they have some sort of opportunity.”
The gold team ultimately claimed a 20-7 victory.
Plano East also generated several explosive plays in the return game. Sophomore Treyce Seldon had a lengthy kickoff return that helped set up a touchdown, while junior Caleb Harris produced a 38-yard punt return during the junior varsity scrimmage.
Defensively, the Panthers showed flashes of dominance throughout the evening.
Sophomore Saul Duelos recorded a tackle for loss on the opening drive after strong penetration by the defensive line. Sophomore Deon Davis later broke up a pass over the middle, and sophomore Oscar Cigorroa intercepted a pass at the goal line on the final play of the JV scrimmage.
Three-star recruit Javon Rogers made an immediate impact during the varsity session, blowing up a play on the opening snap before coaches limited his reps.
“Defense was good,” Benedetto said. “They’ve been hard to go against all spring. We had to hold Javon (Rogers) out after a play or two because we couldn’t block him.”
The Panthers are hopeful to bounce back from a 2-8 season.
Benedetto has been pleased with what he’s seen from his team.
“This group loves football,” Benedetto said. “Whether they’re more talented than last year or not, they want to learn and get better, which is good.”
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