Princeton alum running back Nick Rodriguez (0) finished with 110 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns in a 57-55 double overtime win over Plano East. Photo by Jerry Winfrey / C&S Media

By David Wolman

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Princeton held its own against the rugged competition in District 6-6A, earning several memorable victories along the way. 

The Princeton Herald is proud to introduce the first installment of a three-part series celebrating the best teams, athletes, moments and performances from this past school year. The categories and winners for the second annual C&S Media High School Sports Awards were chosen by sports editor David Wolman, with winners being published over three weeks.Part 1 (July 16) included the Biggest Story, Breakthrough Moment, Newcomer of the Year and Best TeamPart 2 (July 23) highlights the Best Game, Best Finish, Biggest Upset and Multi-Sport Athlete of the Year. Part 3 (July 30) will wrap up the series with Coach of the Year, Most Improved Athlete, Best Male Athlete and Best Female Athlete.These are the winners of the second installment of the series. 

Best Game: Lady Panthers’ soccer plays to tie with McKinney

Senior Night had not been so kind to Princeton. Neither had been the results for the Lady Panthers during their two years playing in District 6-6A.After being outscored 51-4 in its first 11 district games, Princeton’s defense fired on all cylinders during a 0-0 tie against McKinney on Feb. 24. The game marked the first time the Lady Panthers had earned a point in district competition since joining Class 6A and claimed their first positive district result since earning a 4-2 win over Greenville on March 19, 2024. Ryan Gerfers, who retired from coaching following the conclusion of this past season, said both teams had opportunities to score in both halves. He said that Princeton’s two goalkeepers, rising junior Hillary Macias and incoming sophomore Knox Phelps, stepped up and “played great.”

Best Finish: Princeton football outlasts Plano East in 2-OT thriller

Two years ago, Princeton struggled to win close games.The Panthers fared much better in such situations last fall, which included Princeton persevering 57-55 in double-overtime against Plano East to improve to 3-0 on the 2025 season.Jordan Mosley played the hero role at Jackie Hendricks Stadium, hauling in an 18-yard touchdown pass from Marcus Flowers in double overtime before securing the decisive two-point conversion to lift Princeton past Plano East, 57-55.Plano East scored first in the second overtime on Treyce Seldon’s 1-yard run but failed on the two-point try. That set the stage for Mosley’s heroics on Princeton’s ensuing possession.Princeton was up 28-0 at halftime, only to see that lead evaporate in the second half once Plano East mounted a furious comeback to tie the game at 28 with nine minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. From there, it was a back-and-forth affair, with Princeton eventually emerging with the victory.

Biggest upset: boys’ basketball stuns Allen

Princeton was competitive in its second season in District 6-6A, but the Panthers had been in search of a signature win that would validate their improvement. That signature win came Jan. 31 against the state’s largest school: Allen.After being unable to build on a four-point lead in a loss to Allen in the teams’ first meeting of the 2025-26 season, Princeton made sure that it didn’t let a late lead slip away in the rematch. Incoming junior Bryan Omwenga stole an Allen inbounds pass with 12 seconds remaining, and the Panthers secured a 61-59 road win after the No. 19-ranked Eagles missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer.For most of the game, Princeton appeared to be in control. The Panthers led 47-36 at the end of the third quarter and increased their advantage to 15 points with 3:30 to go in the fourth quarter.Princeton built its big lead thanks to standout performances by Julius Johnson (18 points) and Jordan Mosley (14). Allen, which entered the game on an eight-game win streak, rallied to take a 59-57 lead with 1:07 remaining in the fourth quarter behind a late surge by alum guard Nehemiah Lawrence. Princeton answered in the closing seconds to complete the upset.

Multi-Sport Athlete of the Year: Jordan Mosley, baseball/basketball/football

Whether it was on the baseball or football field or the hardwood, Mosley used his athleticism and high IQ to make big plays at crucial junctures of a game.Although an injury that he suffered during a week-eight ballgame against Allen cut short his high school football career and forced him to miss a significant portion of this past basketball season, Mosley made a big impact when healthy.Named the District 6-6A Offensive Player of the Year, Mosley finished with 12 receiving touchdowns and 937 receiving yards. He had the game-winning touchdown reception and two-point conversion against Plano East. The following week, he hauled in the game-clinching interception in the final minute in a 41-34 win over Rock Hill. On the baseball field, Mosley had good range in center field. On the basketball court, Mosley provided toughness in the paint and reliable scoring. As a junior, he was named to the district’s All-Defensive Team. As a senior, he helped lead Princeton to an 8-8 district record. 

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