Princeton seniors Jordan Mosley (23) and Collin Fannin-White (11) celebrate a touchdown catch during a double-overtime win against Plano East on Sept. 12. Photo by Jerry Winfrey / C&S Media
By David Wolman
The 2025 season for the Princeton Panthers has come and passed.
Although the Panthers didn’t qualify for the playoffs, there were a lot of positives.
Princeton showed in its second season in Class 6A that it can be competitive against the largest schools in the state despite having one of the smallest enrollments in District 6-6A. That belief came from the coaching staff as well as from a talented and experienced senior class that wanted to change the culture and direction of the program.
Thirty-three seniors made this season one that Princeton fans won’t soon forget and helped lay the foundation for future success. Even when they were juniors, they were the cornerstones for a competitive squad that took leads in seven of 10 games during the 2024 season, although Princeton finished with a 2-8 record.
The message coming into this season was “finish.”
After struggling in close games last season, Princeton shut the door on opponents this season. The Panthers started 5-1, with four of those five wins coming by 10 points or fewer.
A game that highlighted Princeton’s determination was a 41-34 win over Prosper Rock Hill on Sept. 19. Senior quarterback Marcus Flowers threw for 211 yards and two touchdowns, and the Princeton defense had a bend-but-don’t-break mentality, forcing three turnovers, including a late interception by senior Jordan Mosley.
That promising start had Princeton on the cusp of its first playoff berth since 2017. Unfortunately for the Panthers, injuries to key players hurt their chances. Senior wide receivers Collin Fannin-White and Mosley were injured in a 62-14 loss to eventual District 6-6A champion Allen on Oct. 10, and senior running back Nick Rodriguez suffered an injury in the win over Rock Hill.
Princeton lost its next three games and was eliminated from playoff contention after a 59-21 loss to Prosper on Oct. 30, but there were some bright spots — especially from some of its underclassmen.
Junior running back Dakota Lee was forced to step into the No. 1 role following Rodriguez’s injury, and he got better as the season moved along. Lee finished with a team-high 574 rushing yards and four touchdowns to go along with 217 receiving yards and one catch that went for a score.
Flowers had great chemistry with Mosley (937 yards, 12 touchdowns) and Fannin-White (587 yards, three touchdowns) prior to their injuries, but he gained trust with seniors Gabe Pattin and Jaks Craig and junior wideouts Jayden Rogers and Daniel Luster.
Despite having to adjust to new targets in the passing game, Flowers continued to put up big numbers. As a senior, he threw for 2,593 yards and 21 touchdown passes. In his two-plus seasons as the team’s starting quarterback, Flowers amassed 6,497 passing yards, 61 touchdown passes, 445 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns — a big reason Princeton scored at least 20 points in all but one game this season.
Flowers was aided by great protection from the Princeton offensive line, including seniors Javian Smith and Lane Martin.
Defensively, the Panthers received solid play from their linebackers. Sophomore middle linebacker Brae Chandler, the son of head coach Ervin Chandler, finished with 54 tackles in his first varsity season, while senior Giovanni Ayala posted a team-high 69 tackles. Senior defensive end Zaahir Brown improved from 33 tackles as a junior to 53 as a senior. Senior Kaidon Williams shed blockers from his defensive end position and posted 51 tackles and two sacks.
The Princeton secondary came into the season with just one returning starter — Mosley — but juniors Aiden Rutledge and Bishop Carroll helped solidify the back end of the defense.
On special teams, junior place-kicker Sergio Ramirez went 48 of 52 on PAT kicks over the past two seasons.
Despite those setbacks and a lack of experience at certain positions, Princeton finished the season on a positive note, earning a thrilling 28-24 come-from-behind win over McKinney Boyd.
The Panthers’ resiliency showed in the second half. McKinney Boyd led 24-13 with 8:01 to go in the third quarter, but Princeton rallied behind big defensive plays, including a forced fumble that set up the go-ahead score in the final frame – a 10-yard touchdown pass from Flowers to Pattin.
More importantly, the win gave Princeton (6-4) its first winning season since 2015.
The Panthers will have key losses to graduation, but it’s safe to say they laid the groundwork for future success.