It’s tough to talk about a struggling team without feeling like you’re just unnecessarily piling on an already down team. Plano West went 1-9 in 2016, and for all intents and purposes, it seems like that was the best possible outcome. In their losses, they mostly weren’t close. Their 38-21 win over McKinney was good, but ultimately it was just a drop in a well.
It’s tough to gauge Plano West. On the surface, they’re a talented team, a team that’s certainly capable of winning games. They exist in one of the toughest areas of the the state, though, and in one of the toughest districts as well. It’s not easy to contend with Wylie, Allen, and Denton Guyer year in and year out in football.
The Wolves will graduate some talent, but they’ll still have some left on the roster. They’ll head into 2017 with high hopes, and the knowledge that they only have to win two games to double 2016’s win total.
Key Losses
MLB Mohamed Sanogo, OLB Titus Wall, T Anthony Kantzabedian, QB Tanner Gillean
The biggest losses on the defensive side of the ball are easily Sanogo and Wall, the only Plano West Players to be named to all district offensive and defensive teams. Kantzabedian was a rock at tackle, and Gillean provided most of the passing.
Key Returners
QB Jake Sweeny, RB Da’Vonte Carline, FS Kyle Hinds, DE Shemar Pearl, CB Tapatrick Martin
The good news for the Wolves is that they have Jake Sweeny coming back, and man, this kid can move with the ball in his hands. He and Carline will be an excellent combo out of the backfield.
On the defensive side of the ball, Kyle Hinds and Tapatrick Martin will be counted upon to cover the pass. We’ve seen a lot of great talents come through Plano West over the years. Shemar Pearl might be the next one.
The Verdict
I want to like Plano West this season, I really do. In the limited amount that we’ve seen Sweeny, he’s been great. Despite losing two great linebackers, a good chunk of the defense remains intact. There’s just that matter of the 1-9 season, and most of the players that had huge parts in it will have huge parts in the 2017 campaign.
It’s not a dig at Plano West in general, if last year’s team went 5-5 I think a lot of analysts would be hyping them up as the next thing. They’re big, they’re fast, but unfortunately, they’ve lost a good chunk of their games.
That being said, if Plano West enters the end of the season at 4-2 or 5-1, don’t be surprised. This is a talented team, and if it can do something with that talent, they can actually be very good.
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