ALLEN – As Allen's big-time college football recruit, Dan Buckner has name recognition.

But, according to the way opponents have defended Allen this season, you'd never know. Buckner has rarely been double-teamed, and he has taken advantage of that. He leads Allen with 205 yards and three touchdowns on nine catches.Why can't opponents double-team an athletic, 6-4 receiver with incredible reach?

Buckner can thank seniors Tariekus Ellis and Coby Jones and junior Uzoma Nwachukwu (pronounced watch-OO-koo) for that.

They are Allen's fearsome foursome receiving corps, which combined for 215 catches for 3,033 yards and 23 touchdowns last season.

"I can't be double-covered," said Buckner, a Texas recruit who is No. 17 on Rivals.com's state recruiting list. "They can't really stack any side, because we are all deadly and really dangerous."

Message received. Allen offensive coordinator Jeff Fleneer said opponents have recognized that Buckner isn't the Eagles' only go-to guy.

"This year, we've been surprised," said Fleneer, who also coaches inside receivers. "We thought we'd have to game-plan around people trying to take Dan away, but we've seen they've not had a specified plan for Dan.

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Inside receiver Uzoma Nwachukwu is averaging 17 yards a catch and has two touchdowns.

"That's the thing. You can't game-plan around just trying to stop Dan, because we have others who can hurt you."

Buckner and Jones, No. 80 on SportsDay's area recruiting list, play on the outside. Ellis and Nwachukwu play inside. Jones has only three receptions but two have gone for scores. Ellis leads the team with 12 receptions. Each receiver averages at least 10 yards a catch.

Allen has a sophomore in his first year as starting quarterback, but it hasn't affected the receivers' play. And Matt Brown wasn't named Allen's starter before the season. He was thrust into action when Stephen Payne suffered an apparent season-ending ankle injury in the opener against Garland.

The unexpected change hasn't slowed Allen, which is 3-0 heading into Friday's District 9-5A opener against Plano. Allen averages 432.4 yards of total offense, fourth among the area's Class 5A schools. Brown has completed 36 of 55 passes for 633 yards and nine touchdowns. He has no interceptions.

The receivers' experience has helped Brown's rapid development.

"He's been working really hard," Nwachukwu said. "When he has a question about routes, we help him as much as we can."

Buckner said: "We know the system. He just has to get it in the vicinity, and we're going to use our playmaking skills to go get the ball. We tell him, 'Just get it somewhere close, and we'll do the rest for you.' "

Junior running back Jeremiah Williams figures into the receivers' success, too. He is enough of a running threat (35 carries, 281 yards, two touchdowns) that opponents must pay attention to him. Brown can run, too, with 26 rushes for 207 yards and one touchdown.

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Dan Buckner is the most acclaimed receiver in the group and leads in receiving yardage and touchdowns.

It all fits perfectly into Allen's grand offensive scheme.

"We have playmakers at every position," Fleneer said. "We feel good about getting it to any of their hands."

The receivers' experience is irreplaceable. All have been on varsity since they were sophomores. Allen has made deep playoff runs the last two years. That experience has come up big this season.

"They are so smart," Fleneer said. "They've seen so much. It's a blessing to have those guys. They make my job a lot easier. When you talk to them about different coverage, they know it before you finish talking about it.

"It's amazing to watch them work. Sometimes, the best coaching is just to sit back and let them take care of it."

GRAB FEST

Year-by-year statistics for Allen's current receiving corps: