Plano East’s Logan Potter, right, scores a goal during a District 6-6A boys’ soccer game on Tuesday, Jan. 14. Photo by Maddie Smith / C&S Media
By David Wolman
The decision for Dennis Willich to leave Seagoville after seven years – five seasons as the head boys’ soccer coach and the other two as the head girls’ soccer coach – wasn’t easy, but the thought of coaching a tradition-rich boys’ soccer program like Plano East was an opportunity that he knew that he couldn’t pass up when the job came open last year.
“That what was enticing,” he said. “Plano East has a history of success in building programs. Growing up, when you were playing Plano East, you were going to have a tough night because they had a lot of talent around here. Coach (Rick) Woodard was here forever. Coach (Taylor) Baca then came in and did a great job. When the job opened up, I would be mad at myself if I didn’t go for it.”
Willich is Plano East’s third year head coach in as many years. Willich takes over for Baca, who stepped down after one season at the helm to accept the same position at McKinney Boyd. Prior to Baca, the Panthers had known one man to be in charge of the program for nearly three decades, Woodard. Woodard was Plano East’s head coach for 27 years before he announced his retirement from coaching in 2023.
Willich inherits a team that has 17 seniors, who will look to help Plano East improve on a 7-7-5 record from last season.
“I inherited a great group of players with lots of talent,” he said. “We’re senior heavy. We’ve got a lot of depth in our positions, which is going to help carry us in our long season because we have some guys that we can rotate in from our bench. There is not a huge drop-off when we go to our bench.”
Team captain and defenseman Ben Alexander is an important piece of that large senior class.
“Amazing player. Great leader,” Willich said. “He’s so fast that he can progress the ball rather quickly and he can move his teammates at a much better ability than some other kids who can play defense.”
Junior wing back Jordy Rocha is another leader for Plano East’s back line that can get up and down the field in a hurry.
Alexander and Rocha have shown maturity as the Panthers adjust to a three-back defensive system.
“We want to utilize the width of the field to where we are using the boys to be more creative,” Willich said. “Whenever we want to switch and be faster at the point of attack, we can do that. My big thing for the preseason is that we have to be better defensively in transition and get more organized. We gave up a lot of goals last year when we were going in transition when I watched the film. That’s been a huge point to hone in.”
Plano East has two reliable goalkeeper with seniors Anderson Gramajo, who is the team’s starter, and Gage Gomez, who will serve as the back-up.
Seniors Bevan Flanagan and Roberto Solis and junior Myles Dennis anchor an athletic Plano East midfield that can unlock opposing defenses and create scoring opportunities for the Panthers.
They will look to set up scoring chances for Plano East forwards Logan Potter, a senior, Hayden Thies, also a senior, and freshman Lark Ma-Hain.
Potter scored the lone goal for Plano East in a 2-1 loss to Princeton in the Panthers’ District 6-6A opener on Tuesday, Jan. 14.
Plano East rebounded last Friday with a 3-0 win in a penalty-kick shootout against Plano West.
Ma-Hain didn’t play in the loss to Princeton, but he is a threat to score whenever he is in the lineup. He has a team-high four goals on the season, three of which came in a 6-0 win for the Panthers over Mansfield Legacy on Jan. 2.
“Larkin is an amazing talent,” Willich said. “We knew when he came to tryouts, Coach (Austin) White and I saw that he was different. He was levels above his peer group. Larkin has a great understanding of the job. He knows how to lay off passes. When he’s taking someone one on one, he can finish with his left and right foot. He keeps defenders on their toes. He’s going to be a phenomenal player for us.”
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