CARROLLTON – Plano East football coach Johnny Ringo has built a healthy reputation for gambling on fourth down or wanting to go for the win when ties would be sufficient. One thing he's always had in his players is confidence.

So when Plano East decided to go for a two-point conversion and the win in overtime against Irving MacArthur rather than tying to force a second overtime, no one was surprised.

And Plano East fans weren't surprised when their team was celebrating in the end zone after Brandon Lewis made a game-winning catch at Standridge Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Lewis caught a two-point conversion pass from Ryan Foster that gave Plano East a 27-26 victory in a Class 5A Division I bi-district playoff game. The catch capped a big comeback after Plano East trailed, 16-3, entering the fourth quarter.

"Sometimes, they don't pay off," Ringo said referring to the gutsy call. "Today, we were really fortunate that it paid off."

Plano East (7-3) will face Coppell or Keller in an area-round game at Cowboys Stadium next Saturday. MacArthur finished 6-5.

Lewis opened the game with a fumbled kickoff return, and MacArthur scored off the turnover. But Lewis' last play proved to be the biggest of the season for Plano East.

"I was just focused on the ball. I had to make sure I caught it," said Lewis, who also recorded his first 100-yard rushing game of the season, carrying 16 times for 115 yards and two touchdowns.

Plano East set up overtime by marching 97 yards in the final 2:26 of the fourth quarter. Plano East trailed, 19-16, and got all the way to MacArthur's 1-yard line before James Saulnier made a 19-yard field goal at the buzzer.

MacArthur struck first in overtime, as James Sims found the end zone on an 11-yard run. Plano East answered on the ensuing drive, as Lewis raced 16 yards for a score. Plano East originally set up to kick the extra-point attempt, but Ringo called a timeout, and his regular offense re-entered the game.

"[Ringo] told us that he had confidence in all of us and asked if we wanted to go for it," Lewis said, "and we all wanted to go for it."

Foster, who injured his ankle on the play, finished with 319 total yards and a touchdown. Sims led MacArthur with 183 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns and a touchdown catch.