Panthers continue down Ringo's prior coaching path

The Plano East and Coppell football programs have been around since 1982 and 1963, respectively, but Saturday’s 11 a.m. area round postseason contest at Cowboys Stadium marks the first gridiron scrap between the two schools.

But in East and Coppell not having ever collided, there is one person with experience in both camps: Panthers head coach Johnny Ringo.

One week removed from a bi-district matchup against former coaching destination Irving MacArthur, Ringo rekindles another blast from his past, having patrolled the Coppell sidelines from 1997-99.

“[Coppell] is a great community,” Ringo said, “although it was probably more of a basketball, baseball community when I first got there. The coaches that have followed me have done a great job and now they’re having a 10-1 season.”

With the Cowboys enjoying their best record since 1999, top of mind for the Panther faithful is the status of senior quarterback Ryan Foster, whose late-game ankle injury left him unable to partake in the postgame celebrations of East’s 27-26 win over the Cardinals.

“[Foster] had an ankle sprain on this right leg going into the (MacArthur) game,” Ringo said. “We got him covered enough to play through that, but then he hurt his left [ankle] in this game. It was towards the end of the game when he did that and then he re-aggravated it on the two-point conversion.”

Ringo wouldn’t rule Foster out for Saturday’s contest, but closer to game time would have a better feel on whether his starting signal caller would be good to go. In case Foster is unable to play, the reins will be turned over to former starter, senior Brandon Wesley.

“[Wesley] was our starter last year,” Ringo said, “so he’s had ample opportunities to play and is a tremendous leader as well. We’ve got great confidence in him. A lot of times when a quarterback goes down, you’ve got a backup stepping who hasn’t had the playing time or isn’t game-ready. That isn’t the case with us.”

Ringo said the game plan wouldn’t change with Wesley at quarterback, an indicator the Panthers will still balance the run and pass. Atop the East rushing attack is senior Brandon Lewis, who will have his work cut out for him against one of the state’s top run-stuffing units.

“Their front is just great,” Ringo said. “We faced what we thought was a really good defense in MacArthur last week, but Coppell is one of the top defenses in the area. The one thing that really sticks out is how physical they are.

“I think that’s where the key will be for both teams; who can be the more physical football team.”

The East defense will oppose a Coppell offense that has been held under 30 points just once this season. Led by quarterback Hayden Hawk and running back Cam McDaniel, the Cowboys aren’t so much flashy as they are persistent in their attack.

“[Coppell] is very consistent with what they’re going to do,” Ringo said. “There are a few things here and there that they’ll change, but they’ve got about 5-10 combination things they like to do throwing the ball.

“When you’re a one-back offense, there’s only so much you can do running the football. But they still average 40 points per game.”

Ringo said he like the matchups better for East than he did against the run-savvy Cardinals last weekend. But despite being the on-paper underdog heading into Saturday, Ringo said before the first snap is taken, the players will need to get over the glitz and glamour that comes with playing in such a high-profile venue. East-Coppell opens a playoff quadrupleheader Saturday.

“We tell them it’s the same football field,” Ringo said. “It’s the same width and the same length as the one we’ve been playing on. It’s just a bit of a different atmosphere and surroundings as far as the stands are concerned.

“It’s a great opportunity for our kids to get to play at a stadium of that caliber though.”

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