By Joseph Gipson | Lone Star Sports Report
November 14, 2026

BEDFORD, Texas – When you think of Euless Trinity football, you think of a few things. Big offensive lines, good running backs, and a solid defensive line. You also think of the traditions, generations of families that played there and continue to come to games to watch the next generation. Tonight, that generation was carried forward.

This game did not disappoint those who came to see two good teams battle for the right to play the Allen Eagles in the Area Round of the 6A playoffs. First, before we get into the game, I need to paint a picture. As with all high school games, each team runs out of its blow-up tunnel and through a human tunnel surrounded by cheerleaders and drill team members. They run all the way down their own sidelines. You have seen it a thousand times. However, on this night, Plano East set the tone early. A few of the Plano East players ran down their sideline, through the back of the end zone, and then through the tunnel of Trojan cheerleaders and drill team members on the Trojan side of the field. They were finally stopped by the officials around the 50-yard line on the Trinity side of the field.

There are no written rules against this, but in football, as in most of life, there are unwritten rules, and this was a violation of those rules. If you are a Trinity player, coach, or fan, I would imagine you see this as a sign of disrespect. If you are on the Plano East side, I am sure this fired you up.

No matter which side you were on, it definitely set the tone for a physical game. It was clear that Plano East showed up ready to play. The only question was whether they would be able to hold up against the slow, grinding style of running game of the Trojans…

First Half: Plano East Strikes First

Plano East took the opening kickoff and wasted little time proving they were up for the fight. They put together a seven-play drive that started at their own 35-yard line.

Quarterback Josh Gordan and running back Treyce Seldon helped move the Panthers into Trojan territory before the drive finally stalled at the 13-yard line. Facing a 4th-and-2, Plano East made the smart decision to take the points and not risk coming away empty-handed. They settled for a Logan Watkins field goal with 8:53 left in the first quarter.

Trinity started its first possession at its own 25-yard line, down 3-0. The Trojans were able to pick up a first down on an 11-yard run by No. 32 Trent Turner but ultimately faced a 4th-and-16 after Trojan quarterback Mack Lineweaver was sacked for a ten-yard loss. Trinity ended its first drive with a punt, and Plano East had the ball back, up 3-0, with 6:24 left in the first quarter.

The Panthers capitalized on this opportunity. Plano East quarterback Josh Gordan (No. 3) connected with wide receiver Braeden Quach (No. 5) on a 43-yard touchdown pass with 4:20 remaining in the first quarter. The extra point was good, and just like that, Plano East was up 10-0.

Even in the press box, you could feel a kind of quiet worry on the Trinity side. A 10-0 deficit is not a huge deficit to overcome early in a game, but it was easy to see that being down 10-0 was absolutely not part of the plan. Well, whoever plans to be down 10-0 anyways!

But things were about to change on the Trojans’ second drive of the night. Trinity began its drive at its own 25-yard line and put together an 11-play drive that featured running backs No. 24 Percy Barber, No. 21 Prince Ngandu, and No. 32 Trent Turner. The drive was capped off when Turner scored on a 32-yard touchdown run with 11:05 left to play in the second quarter. The extra point was good, and Trinity was back in the game.

The Panthers answered the Trojan touchdown with a 13-play drive of their own. The highlight of the drive was a 36-yard run from Plano East running back Treyce Seldon (No. 28) that moved the ball down to the Trinity 14-yard line. The drive was capped off when Seldon scored on a two-yard touchdown run with 5:58 remaining in the second quarter.

Plano East had answered the Trojans’ long touchdown drive with an equally impressive drive of its own. It was clear that Plano East was up for the fight!

But things would change on the ensuing kickoff. Like so many high school games, special teams can make or break a game. Trinity’s No. 13 Chayce Davis took the kickoff, moved down the Trinity sideline, and scored on a 100-yard kickoff return. The extra point was good, and just like that, Trinity was back within three with 5:42 left in the first half.

Plano East and Trinity exchanged punts on their next possessions. But the Panthers took over for their fifth possession of the first half with 1:31 left and moved quickly into Trojan territory thanks to a big run by Gordan and a few quick passes. With 40 seconds left in the half, Plano East faced a 4th-and-5 at Trinity’s 28-yard line. This drive ended when a 46-yard field goal attempt was blocked by the Trojans, and the Panthers came away with no points.

A very entertaining first half ended with Plano East leading Trinity 17-14.

Second Half: Running Backs Take Control

Trinity took the opening possession of the second half and, in three plays, scored on an 87-yard touchdown run by No. 9 Kevin Kromah. The extra point was good, and for the first time all game, Plano East trailed.

Plano East attempted to respond on its next drive. On first down from its own 25-yard line, Gordan broke loose for a 29-yard run, and Seldon appeared to score on the following play. However, an illegal block in the back negated the touchdown, and the Panthers were eventually forced to punt.

Beginning at its own 18-yard line with 8:26 remaining in the third quarter, Trinity put together a classic Euless Trinity drive. This is the kind of drive Trojan fans are accustomed to seeing.

The Trojans relied heavily on their running backs, including Marcus Turner, Prince Ngandu, and Percy Barber, to slowly and methodically march down the field.

Barber finished the drive with a one-yard touchdown run with 1:15 remaining in the third quarter. The extra point extended Trinity’s advantage to 28-17.

Plano East, however, is a good football team. They are talented and are well-coached. With what felt like their season on the line, the Panthers answered. Plano East turned to Seldon for another big play. This time, Seldon took a pitch from Gordan, broke multiple tackles, and scored on a 52-yard touchdown run that was by far the most impressive run of the night. The extra point was good, and at the end of the third quarter, the Trojans led Plano East 28-24.

Fourth Quarter: The Trojans Finish the Job

With a four-point lead entering the fourth quarter, Trinity returned to the strategy that has worked for so many years. When you need it, you go to your strength. The Trojans’ strength is their offensive line and their backs.

Trinity began the fourth quarter at its own 25-yard line. The Trojans did not do anything fancy on this drive. They didn’t ask Lineweaver to throw it into tight windows or their wide receivers to win one-on-one battles with the Plano East defensive backs.

Instead, the Trojans leaned on their offensive line to get it done. As I watched this drive, I thought, this is where all those weight room hours, all those drills, the thousands of times offensive linemen repeat the same steps over and over. Now all that could pay off.

They put together a ten-play, 75-yard drive that featured Barber and Ngandu. The drive was capped off when Ngandu scored on a nine-yard touchdown run. The extra point was good, and with just over six minutes left, Plano East was down 35-24.

The Panthers started their next drive in great field position at their own 38-yard line. But the Trojan defense delivered a critical stop. With just over five minutes left and facing a 4th-and-1, Gordan was stopped short, and the Panthers turned it over on downs.

With 5:04 left to play, the score was not the only problem the Panthers faced. Time was also a huge obstacle.

The Trojans took possession with 5:04 remaining. Trinity, like most successful teams, has a great coaching staff that knows when to take risks and knows when to just run the ball and, more importantly in this situation, keep the clock running. On this possession, they played smart and conservative, handing the ball to Ngandu and Barber before turning it over on downs themselves at the Panthers’ 30-yard line.

Plano East took over at its own 30-yard line with one more chance to extend its season. However, on first down, a Gordan pass was intercepted by Trojan defensive back No. 19 Natorian Wright.

Trinity took over at the Panthers’ 38-yard line and closed out an impressive 35-24 win.

Final Thoughts

Plano East gave Trinity a fight and held the lead throughout the first half. They proved they were up to the fight for most of the game.

Seldon was the best offensive player on the field for Plano East, and it showed. He was a problem for the Trojans, and there were multiple times they had him stopped, and he broke tackles to pick up yards.

But Trinity’s response after halftime showed who they are. They are grinders. They know who they are and what they need to do to win.

The Trojans scored touchdowns on their first three offensive possessions of the second half, including two long drives that limited Plano East’s opportunities to respond.

The result of all the hard work was a 35-24 victory and another week of playoff football.

Next up for the Trojans is a Class 6A Division I Area Round matchup against the Allen Eagles.

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Lone Star Sports Report covered Friday night’s playoff matchup at Pennington Field in Bedford, Texas