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Panthers eye 2010 narrative in latest Naaman matchup
BY Matt Welch, mwelch@acnpapers.com
Week 1 appears to be an all too familiar script for the Plano East football team.
Wage a high-scoring, offensive shootout with Arlington in Week 0? Check.
Possess a lead late into the fourth quarter of said matchup? Check.
The next item on the Panthers' to-do list in 2010 was to right the ship opposite Garland Naaman Forest and procure their first notch in the win column for the season -- a task East came through on with a 44-26 victory.
One year later, the Panthers find themselves in the same spot and with the same objective entering today's matchup against the Rangers, a 7 p.m. clash from Williams Stadium.
"Last year, Naaman was tough on us," said Johnny Ringo, East head coach. "They moved the ball very well on us and they're much improved from last year ... We're approaching this game like it's the best opponent we'll see all year."
The Panthers' approach won't stop there, as Naaman poses an entirely different skill set than Arlington.
While East received a healthy dose of Arlington quarterback Josh Greer and the Colts' passing attack, Naaman will present a formidable test for the Panthers' run defense. It's a different brand of offense, one the Panthers hope to have better luck taming after surrendering 630 yards and three scores of at least 65 yards against Arlington.
"That's a lot of yardage," Ringo said, "but in today's world with the explosive offenses you face where they spread everything out, if we don't have those busted coverages, it's a different result.
"We have some things we need to fix defensively coverage-wise, but we feel more confident about our front seven and our run fits than we did at this time last year."
How East's front seven fares opposite the stingy Rangers rushing attack could very well dictate which way the pendulum sways this evening.
Fresh off a 21-13 win over Rockwall Friday, Naaman set the tone with its tried-and-true ground attack on 39 rushes for 269 yards. Quarterback Justin Walker and rusher Juaquin Davis will do the heavy lifting offensively, despite both being newcomers to the starting lineup. Through the air, the Panthers won't have to contend with the assault unloaded on them by the Colts, as Naaman opts for a more conservative passing attack with Walker lobbing just 90 yards on 11-of-14 passing.
With the Rangers in their comfort zone on the ground, the play of seniors Toby Obumseli, Brandon Lee, Doug Hawkins, Nick Self and junior Juan Barajas will go a long way in righting East's ship.
"I think [our run defense] will be fine," Ringo said. "That was one of the areas we thought for the most part, played well against Arlington. This quarterback is more of a runner, but he can still throw and be effective so you still have to do a great job in coverage, but I like our matchups defensively."
Naaman may well be thinking the same of its defense, with seven starters back from last season and the bulk occupying the front seven.
Manned by linebackers Andrew Schobelock and Oscar Iheme, plus defensive linemen Lionell Phillips and Chance Rogins, Naaman will deal East a 3-4 front. But just how that formation comes to fruition will be where the shifty Rangers may try and confuse senior quarterback Corey Wesley and his offensive line.
"They do a lot of movement with their defensive line to try and confuse blocking schemes," Ringo said.
But as was the case against Arlington, the Panthers would be well-suited to establish a threat on the ground with the quartet of seniors Nathan Meadors, Dante Taylor, Tre Jones and Wesley combining for 272 yards last week. Opposite Rockwall, Naaman surrendered all but 50 yards on the ground.
More crucially though, Ringo believes East needs to finish.
Despite all the yardage and big plays surrendered, the Panthers found themselves in the same spot as last year: ahead and with a chance to procure a win.
The loss to the Colts marked another setback in close contests for East, alongside narrow defeats in its last two run-ins with Flower Mound. Ringo thinks exercising those late-game demons, should they start to creep up again, is the first step toward getting back in the win column.
"Five or six plays will determine the outcome of any game," he said. "We've got to find a way to be disciplined, consistent and eliminate those mistakes so we can be the ones who come out on top.
"I want us to play a complete game."
East will try to accomplish that once more at 7 p.m. today from Williams.
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