By David Wolman
PLANO — Although it was a Week 5 regular-season game with no serious playoff implications, Plano East treated last Friday as a must-win game.
Knowing that a loss would drop the Panthers to 0-2 in a highly competitive district, they made sure they didn’t head into their bye week having dropped further in the District 7-6A standings.
Senior quarterback Josh Gordon connected with senior wide receiver Cody Warner on a 19-yard touchdown pass, senior Logan Watkins made a 25-yard field goal and senior Jordan Stafford had a blocked field goal return for a touchdown with 1:48 remaining to seal a 24-6 win for Plano East over Plano West at John Clark Stadium on Friday.
All three scoring plays helped the Panthers (3-2 overall, 1-1 district) turn a 7-6 lead at the end of the third quarter into an eventual 18-point win.
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By David Wolman
Jeff Savage was always destined to be a Plano East Panther.
He grew up down the street from the school, and the band hall can be seen from his parents’ current house.
Also, his sister was part of Plano East’s first graduating class in 1982.
But what Savage always valued most about playing for the Panthers was the “Do your job, and I’ll do mine” mentality. There was never jealousy. Savage described the team camaraderie as a “brotherhood,” and there was always a “Not me, but us” mentality.
That’s why Savage, a 1990 Plano East graduate, made sure he paid tribute to each of his teammates prior to his induction into Plano East’s Hall of Honor last Friday evening at Tom Kimbrough Stadium.
Savage called each of his teammates in the weeks leading up to the ceremony.
Although he took a knee in the end zone to give thanks to God, waved to the crowd and was presented with a plaque, the former Plano East standout running back acknowledged the teammates who helped him earn recognition as an Associated Press Preseason All-American, Honorable Mention Parade All-American, a member of the National Top 100 Team and the Associated Press Super Prep Team, as well as a No. 7 ranking on the Dallas Times Herald’s Blue Chippers list.
Savage said Plano East’s offensive line of PJ Brooks, Alan Saviano, Joey Allen, Randall Harjo, Jason Wood and John LuBow was the reason he had as much individual success as he did.
“I had a great line,” Savage said. “They weren’t the biggest players, but they never gave up.”
Savage praised Allen, the Panthers’ starting center, for his blocking.
“He was little in stature but big in heart,” Savage said. “He was a 5-foot-8, 180-pound center, but he never missed a block. Even when we went up against larger schools, he didn’t give up. It was his grit and will to win.”
SMU had the “Pony Express,” the legendary 1980s backfield tandem of running backs Craig James and Eric Dickerson. Plano East had its own version of the “Pony Express,” with Savage, Mike Kennedy and Shane Haynes in the backfield and Chad Dousharm at quarterback.
“Those guys made it so much easier for me,” Savage said. “They took all the punishment. They ran for the short yards, let me run for the long yards.
“Chad was one of the most underrated quarterbacks in our area. I’ll never forget those guys. I’ll never forget those times. I never had as much fun playing football than I did at Plano East.”
Winning was something Savage did plenty of growing up. From the second grade until his senior year, he lost a total of five games. During his junior season in 1988, Plano East lost two games, against Newman Smith during the regular season and eventual state champion Dallas Carter in the bi-district round of the playoffs.
His claim to fame is that he helped lead Plano East to two wins over rival Plano, by scores of 26-0 and 31-8.
Savage grew up watching Tony Dorsett and O.J. Simpson, but it was Dickerson who really sparked his interest in playing running back.
“I patterned myself after Eric because he was taller like me,” Savage said.
Savage got to watch Dorsett play and practice live with regularity. Before the Savage family moved to Plano, they lived across the street from the Dallas Cowboys’ practice facility. His father, Jeff II, held his son on top of a fence to allow him to watch the Cowboys practice.
“I owe everything to my daddy,” Savage said. “I have the greatest mom, but my dad is my best friend. He was running me in the hot sun and pushing me to do better.
“I saw how hard we worked and how tired he was, but he didn’t make excuses. He made sure that I went to the Cowboys football games, to a Texas A&M camp and University of Houston camp.”
After graduating from Plano East, Savage played college football at the University of Arkansas and then professionally with the Milwaukee Mustangs’ arena football team.
Savage currently works as a maintenance department manager at an oil refinery in southern Arkansas, and he traces his leadership skills to his days of playing football for Plano East.
“It taught me about safety, teamwork and being a brother’s keeper,” he said. “I have 140 guys that look up to me. Those are things that I picked up at Plano East.”
]]>By David Wolman
One trait that Plano East’s volleyball team has gotten better at over the course of the season is finishing matches.
The Lady Panthers showed that same type of resolve during Tuesday’s 25-22, 25-22, 23-25, 25-15 home win over Plano.
After losing the third set to Plano by two points, Plano East responded by putting together its most dominant stretch of play on the night. A strong finish helped the Lady Panthers win the fourth set by 10 points and clinch a crucial win over the Lady Wildcats.
“We stopped playing in the third set,” head coach Sarah Perez said. “We played not to lose instead of playing to win, and we can’t do that in this district. Plano is so good this year. They’re an incredible team. They never gave up. I just told our kids, ‘We’ve got to play to win.’ They really did that in the fourth set.”
Tuesday’s result marked the 12th consecutive triumph for the Lady Panthers (22-8 overall, 4-1 District 7-6A) against the Lady Wildcats (25-7, 4-1). Plano East hasn’t lost to Plano since 2021. More importantly, Plano East moved into a three-way tie with Plano and Plano West (20-4, 4-1) for first place in the district.
But nothing came easy for Plano East on Tuesday evening. In a match that featured 26 ties, the Lady Panthers struggled at times to hit against the Lady Wildcats’ block. However, Plano East continued to fire away, and the biggest difference was the Lady Panthers’ ability to finish sets better.
Late in the first set, Plano East appeared to have started to create separation. A service ace by senior Dakota Huynh gave the Lady Panthers an 18-13 lead. But the Lady Wildcats showed plenty of resolve, rallying to tie the score at 21-21 on a Bella Howard block and forcing the Lady Panthers to call a timeout.
Plano East responded well out of the timeout. A kill by sophomore Luz Luna, followed by back-to-back finishes by sophomore Anna Lukas, forced set point. Two points later, a net violation by Plano clinched the set win for Plano East.
The Lady Panthers held the lead for most of the second set, although the Lady Wildcats rallied to take a 13-11 lead on a Bella Osborn service ace. A kill by senior Leyna Anderson on the ensuing point restored momentum for Plano East, and the Lady Panthers rode that momentum to a 2-0 lead in the match.
Looking to complete the sweep of their crosstown rival, Plano East instead couldn’t overcome several self-inflicted mistakes. The Lady Panthers nearly climbed out of a 21-17 deficit, getting to within 23-22 after a Lady Wildcats hitting error. However, Plano responded with consecutive kills to extend the match to a fourth set.
Lukas delivered a pair of booming kills over the first six points to get the Lady Panthers off to a good start. Plano rallied to tie the score at 9-9 after a block, but the remainder of the set was all Plano East.
Lukas continued her strong play, posting two kills over the next three points to keep the momentum going for the Lady Panthers.
Defensively, Plano East’s defense made it tough for Plano to score points, recording several diving digs to complement the team’s all-around efforts.
That selfless play was just the formula Plano East needed to finish the match on a 16-6 run.
And because of it, Plano East is now tied for first place in a wide-open district.
“It’s way open,” Perez said. “It’s a tough district. We have no games off and have to come out here and compete. It’s still anyone’s district to win. We’re just fighting tooth and nail for a spot in the top four. I’m really proud of them for where we are now.”
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By Seth Dowdle
Plano East came up just short Friday night, falling 21-14 to Lake Highlands at Tom Kimbrough Stadium after a late touchdown broke a tie in the final two minutes.
The Panthers struck first with a touchdown on their opening possession before Lake Highlands answered. Both teams scored again in the second quarter, sending the game into halftime tied at 14.
From there, Plano East’s defense kept the Panthers in it as neither offense managed to score for most of the second half. Lake Highlands finally broke through with 1:55 remaining when John Cothern connected with Christopher Thibodeaux Jr. for a 10-yard touchdown.
Plano East quarterback Josh Gordon completed 26 of 44 passes for 156 yards and a touchdown. Treyce Seldon led the Panthers on the ground with 57 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries.
Plano East finished with 241 total yards and committed two turnovers in the loss.
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By David Wolman
(Click on the link to view the photo gallery from the McKinney Boyd Bronco Stampede: https://www.dotphoto.com/viewalbum.asp?AID=6888889)
Plano East traveled to Myers Park on Saturday for the McKinney Boyd Bronco Stampede, and the meet proved to be a big success for the Panthers, who earned sixth place in the boys’ elite varsity race with 197 points, while the Lady Panthers had several strong individual performances.
Meena Mulford placed 15th with a time of 19:23 to pace the Lady Panthers. Brooke Tierney was 31st in 20:20, Sophia Nguyen captured 49th in 20:59 and Reagan Diggs took 116th with a time of 22:26.
On the boys’ side, Deyan Bhakta ran to 21st in 16:30 to lead the charge for the Panthers. Michael Sharp captured 34th overall in 16:50, Levi Rowe was 41st in 17:00, Grant Updike finished 46th in 17:06 and Trinabh Madadi took 66th in 17:27.
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By David Wolman
A close friendship between George Dousharm and Jody Morse started to form during the summer between their sophomore and junior seasons at Plano East.
They first met in summer workouts in 1986, and it was then when they got their first experience of proving themselves as offensive linemen for the Panthers. Not only did they play up front for Plano East but next to each other on the right side of the line during their junior and senior years, with Morse playing right tackle and Dousharm right guard.
Their chemistry was instant and it helped to pave the way for a potent Plano East rushing attack. Their physicality, hard work and selflessness helped guide the Panthers to an 8-3 record in 1987 and a playoff appearance before graduating from Plano East in 1988.
Their unique ability to excel in run blocking and leadership is a big reason why Dousharm and Mores were enshrined in the Plano East Hall of Honor on Sept. 4 at the end of the first quarter during a game at Tom Kimbrough Stadium between Plano East and Prosper Rock Hill.
“It’s an honor,” Morse said. “I never thought I would get something like this in football, but being in there with George is an honor. We worked hard and are still to this day together every weekend. We’ve been great friends for a long time.”
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By Devin Hasson
RICHARDSON — The Plano East volleyball team has been a perennial playoff contender, and the expectation level is high.
But in a tough 7-6A, the Panthers understand they need to bring their best every game.
Plano East was reminded of that last Friday against Coppell. After pulling out a close win in the opening set, the Cowboys rebounded to take the next three games and claim the victory.
For the Panthers, they did not want that feeling to linger. They went out Tuesday and took care of business with a 25-15, 25-16, 25-19 sweep of Richardson at Richardson High School.
Plano East improved to 20-8 overall and 2-1 in district play, putting it in the upper tier of the 7-6A standings in the early going.
“We had some good moments. Obviously, we still have to clean some things up, but it is nice to go from a hard loss to come back and rally and get a district win,” Plano East head coach Sarah Perez said.
Much of the night followed a similar script, as the Panthers trailed just once in the match.
A pair of early blocks from Kyla Slaughter and a kill and a block from Jaiden Boutte’ set the tone, staking them to a 6-1 lead in the opening game.
Slaughter kept things going through the middle stages with two more kills, and an ace from Emily Iwanow gave them a 17-9 lead.
Plano East continued to be strong at the net, with freshman Ava Nzegwu and Leyna Anderson combining for three kills and a block to open a double-digit advantage. Sophomore Luz Luna, who controlled the match with her setting and hitting, closed out the 25-15 win with a pair of kills.
The Panthers got off to a strong start in the second game, as well, getting points from Anna Lukas, Boutte’ and Nzegwu to jump to a 4-1 lead.
Richardson turned to star senior MacKenzie Ratcliff, and one of her 12 kills gave the Eagles their first lead of the night at 5-4.
That would be the last, however, of the night.
Luna had a kill, Lukas caught Richardson off guard with a quick set, and Slaughter added a kill and a block to give Plano East a 12-7 lead.
Jenasis Howell then had a four-point service run, and kills from Luna, Lukas and Nzegwu stretched the lead to 20-11.
Plano East was in a position to trade points from there, and that is what it did, getting two kills from Nzegwu and another from Luna to finish off the 25-16 win.
On the road, the Panthers did not want to give Richardson any reason to believe a comeback was in the works, and they quickly jumped to a 9-3 lead in Game 3.
The Eagles tried to rally behind Ratcliff, Aubrey Tennell and Marlo Bunch, but Luna answered with a pair of kills to maintain a 12-6 lead.
Plano East kept Richardson at arm’s length the rest of the way, eventually closing out a 25-19 set win and the sweep.
The Panthers are a little over a month into the season and have put together an impressive 20-8 record.
But Perez believes consistency will be the key going forward.
“When we want to be, we are (where I want them to be),” she said. “We have had some really strong moments. When we played Wylie, we really showed up, we were strong, we were aggressive, but we’ve also played down to a level sometimes that I don’t love. But when every single member of our team shows up physically and mentally, that is where I want us to be. When we are a team that is not there mentally, we are a team that moves slow and struggles in certain areas.”
It is still very early in the 7-6A season, but it is already looking like it will be a battle to the end.
After Tuesday’s round of matches, Plano is the only team that boasts a 3-0 record, giving it a one-game lead over a group of four squads at 2-1.
“There is some really good competition in our district,” Perez said. “Plano Senior, West, Coppell, Lake Highlands, Pearce, Richardson, so there are no games off; we have to go out and compete every single game and be mentally-present every single game.”
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]]>By David Wolman
Plano East (19-8) is 1-1 to commence District 7-6A play.
The Lady Panthers persevered against a tough J.J. Pearce team by a 25-18, 25-21, 25-17 final in their Sept. 8 district opener.
A pair of sophomores powered Plano East’s offense, led by 10 kills each from Kyla Slaughter and Luz Luna. Freshman Ava Nzegwu contributed seven kills in the victory. Luna also was a force in the Lady Panthers’ back row, finishing the evening with 12 digs, in addition to dishing out 16 assists. Senior libero Dakota Huynh logged a team-high 18 digs. Sophomore Anna Lukas recorded 19 assists.
Plano East played well to begin Friday’s road match at Coppell, but the Lady Panthers couldn’t build on that momentum in a 25-27, 25-16, 25-14, 25-19 loss to the Cowgirls.
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By David Wolman
(View the photo gallery from the game by clicking on this link: https://www.dotphoto.com/viewalbum.asp?AID=6888890)
GRAND PRAIRIE — Plano East started strong but was unable to build on a 13-point halftime lead in a 14-13 loss to South Grand Prairie at the Gopher-Warrior Bowl on Friday.
The Panthers gained a 13-0 lead on the power of a 76-yard rushing touchdown by senior quarterback Josh Gordon and a 16-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Cody Warner.
Gordon threw for 221 yards on 18 of 35 throw the air and added a team-high 115 rushing yards on eight carries. Sophomore Treyce Seldon finished with 162 total yards (101 receiving, 61 rushing). Warner had four pass receptions for 49 yards, while senior Aidan Forthman tallied 44 receiving yards on two catches.
However, mistakes caught up to Plano East (2-1). The Panthers committed three turnovers, two in the red zone, missed two field goals and had one extra point kick blocked.
South Grand Prairie scored two rushing touchdowns in the third quarter, including a 3-yard run by Joshua Armendariz on the final play of the quarter, giving the Warriors a 14-13 lead. He finished with 132 rushing yards on 19 carries. The Warriors’ rushing attack overwhelmed the Panthers, with South Grand Prairie’s run game accounting for 360 of the team’s 434 total yards.
Plano East had a chance to win it at the end after a blocked kick gave the Panthers first and goal late in the fourth quarter. However, Plano East missed a 25-yard field goal and South Grand Prairie proceeded to run out the remaining time on the game clock, handing the Panthers their first loss of the 2026 season.
The Panthers will look to bounce back next Friday against Lake Highlands (1-2). Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Tom Kimbrough Stadium.
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By David Wolman
Plano East ran against some of the state’s top teams Saturday at the Coach T Marcus Invitational at North Lakes Park in Denton.
Senior Meena Mulford turned in another solid performance for Plano East, placing 37th in a time of 19:02. Senior Kate Salyer finished 137th in 20:49, senior Brooke Tierney took 144th in 20:53, junior Louisa Christensen was 160th with a 21:05, junior Sophia Nguyen placed 182nd in a time of 21:24 and junior Reagan Diggs crossed the finish line in 194th place with a 21:36.
The Lady Panthers finished 25th with 588 points.
Plano East had nine runners compete in the elite boys varsity race, led by a 67th-place finish by senior Issac Updike, who clocked a time of 16:18.
Senior Deyan Bhakta was 80th with a time of 16:21, sophomore Alex Castillo placed 129th in 16:49, sophomore Grant Updike was 139th with a 16:53, senior Michael Sharp was 144th in 16:54, junior Trinabh Madadi placed 174th in 17:09, sophomore Aiden Allen took 223rd in 17:30, sophomore Joshua Cruz placed 225th in 17:33 and sophomore Levi Rowe took 239th with a 17:40.
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