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East feasts on adversity, spoiler role in Hebron Homecoming tilt
BY Matt Welch, mwelch@acnpapers.com
One week ago, Plano East came within a hairline of upsetting the nation's No. 1 football team on national television.
The Panthers captivated onlookers by pushing the Eagles to a brink few deemed possible. The impression made by the Panthers caught the eyes of many, with "Plano East" going so far as to trending on Twitter that night.
But in defeat, East is now tasked with an 0-3 start to District 8-5A with its third gut-wrenching loss in six games. Things get no easier Friday at 7:30 p.m. when a trip to Hebron is in order.
"That's the big key for me, is whether or not we can do that."
The Panthers' face a surging Hebron squad riding all kinds of highs at 3-0 in 8-5A.
Not only does that mark the Hawks' strongest start in district since 2008, Hebron will be enjoying its Homecoming opposite the Panthers.
"We've got a tough task ahead of us going into that hostile environment," Ringo said. "But if we can play like we did [last] Thursday and put together a full, consistent four quarters, then I like our chances."
The key will be not letting the side effects of the Allen game, coupled with a four-overtime defeat to Plano West the week before, weigh on the players' shoulders.
"As coaches, the way we approach our program is to make each day a great one," Ringo said. "We talk about how Panther fight never dies, so the lesson we hope we can learn here is that no matter what happens, you've got to wake up that next day and go to work."
Moving on, Ringo emphasized the pluses and potential shown one week ago against one of three remaining 8-5A unbeatens. The Panthers have already dealt with the other two in Allen and Flower Mound Marcus, while the Hawks look to be just as improved after missing the postseason last year.
"They have great speed just like us," Ringo said. "They're playing very well and building on that confidence each week."
The Hawks have made their bed with a balanced attack on offense, not just between the pass and run, but in ball distribution with six players logging eight or more receptions. Quarterback Joseph Farley is a threat to spread the ball to noted targets Brandon Grant, Brandon Lanz, Connor Richmond and Kiante Griffin, keep it himself or put it in the hands of leading rusher Dezmond Wortham. Options like Griffin also ply their craft on defense, forcing East to pay mind when that two-way threat comes into play.
"You've got to be sound defensively with your alignments and responsibilities," Ringo said. "They get a lot of guys in there skill-wise and we need to determine when those defensive players come in that they're in for a reason."
In addition to Griffin, a Baylor commit, the Hawks' defense is headlined by Arkansas recruit Deatrich Wise, who anchors the line. Joined by Steven Lanz and Cameron Briscoe, Hebron's defense has surrendered just 89 rushing yards per game; nearly one-third of the 224 yards the Panthers average on the ground.
"Their defense is playing really well right now," Ringo said. "They're not real big; they're tall and lean, but they can run. When you're 3-0, you can argue they're playing some of the best defense in the district."
East presents the stiffest challenge yet for Hebron's run defense in a matchup of two teams heading in divergent paths. The Hawks are looking to inch one step closer to a playoff spot while the Panthers are just trying to find the win column.
Distancing themselves any further could put East out of the playoff race altogether.
"We need to give the same effort we gave against Allen," Ringo said. "You're going to see a team coming ready to play and nothing else over these next four weeks, no matter what occurs."
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