The Jesuit Dallas football team once again came storming back from a halftime deficit, but an electric Plano East offense proved too much for the Rangers in a 58-44, season-ending loss on Friday at Kimbrough Stadium.
 
Junior quarterback Rance Holman shined behind center, completing 26-of-47 passes for 330 yards and three touchdowns in his first varsity start. Fellow junior EJ Smith completed the contest with 211 all-purpose yards, rushing for 82 yards and two touchdowns while catching eight passes for 129 yards and a touchdown. Senior Jack Hajdu snagged a pair of touchdowns in his final varsity game, catching eight passes for 96 yards.
 
Senior Collin Lark, junior Jack Barton and Ford Buckner tied for the team lead in tackles as the trio recorded five tackles apiece. Buckner added an eight-yard sack and a forced fumble. Junior Jhalen Spicer tacked on four tackles and two pass breakups. Senior James Koshakji went 3-for-3 in field goal attempts to close his varsity career, converting attempts from 28, 25 and 24 yards.
 
Jesuit opened the game with an onside kick from senior Bernardo Gonzalez, which was recovered by senior Jacob Jowdy to give the Rangers the ball inside Plano East territory. A seven-play drive culminated in a 28-yard Koshakji field goal, giving Jesuit a 3-0 lead just over two minutes into the contest.
 
Plano East responded with an eight-play touchdown drive, but Jesuit came roaring back to retake the lead. A 26-yard pass from Holman to Smith and a 12-yard completion to senior Travis Whisler brought the Rangers to the Plano East 35-yard line. Smith raced into the end zone from 16 yards out, putting the Rangers ahead by a touchdown with 1:13 left in the first.
 
The Rangers expanded their lead with another 11-play, 72-yard drive which was capped with a 25-yard field goal from Koshakji to start the second quarter. Buckner posted a critical, eight-yard sack on third-and-15 to force a Panther punt which led to the score.
 
The Panthers took the lead back quickly with a four-play drive over 55 seconds, scoring on a 44-yard touchdown reception. Plano East turned a three-and-out by Jesuit into another touchdown, taking a 23-13 lead with 29 seconds remaining in the half.
 
A 43-yard kickoff return by junior Jhalen Spicer set the stage for Jesuit's final drive of the half, which saw Holman complete two 12-yard passes to Whisler before finding Hajdu in the end zone for an 18-yard touchdown reception. Jesuit went into the halftime break with momentum despite trailing, 23-20.
 
Jesuit started the third quarter with the ball, taking the lead back with a nine-play, 64-yard drive capped by a 10-yard touchdown run by Smith to spot the Rangers a 27-23 advantage with 9:11 left in the third. However, Plano East scored three unanswered touchdowns to take a commanding, 44-27 lead with 5:48 remaining in the quarter.
 
Holman completed a nine-yard pass to Smith with 1:21 left in the quarter to snap the scoring skid, but Plano East took an 11-point lead into the fourth quarter. The Rangers forced a Plano East three-and-out and drew to within three points after a 20-yard touchdown pass to Hajdu. Jesuit looked poised to retake the lead after forcing a three-and-out, but Plano East forced a turnover and scored on the ensuing drive to increase the lead back to 10 points.
 
Koshakji's third field goal of the game from 24 yards drew the Rangers to within striking distance once again, but a Plano East touchdown put the game out of reach. A last-ditch drive by the Rangers was turned aside after an interception with 1:34 remaining in the contest and Plano East was able to clinch the win.