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Johnston column: Armwood's Defense Delivers

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 1, 2007

Updated: 12/06/2007 10:30 am

SEFFNER - If Friday night's Class 4A state quarterfinal was indeed a statement game, it was clear and concise.

This message couldn't be confused.

Armwood 36, Plant 7.

With two more victories - which would mean Armwood's third state title in five seasons - you can make a legitimate case for the Hawks' defense being the best ever in Hillsborough County.

It is fast.

It is relentless.

It has a mean streak.

Hawks defensive end Ryne Giddins had predicted a shutout, perhaps a brash outlook, considering the quality of Plant's offense, not to mention the state-record 51 touchdown passes by Panthers junior quarterback Aaron Murray.

Giddins wasn't far off the mark.

"It's all good in the 'Wood, baby!" said Giddins with a wink and a smile.

Plant needed Murray's late 5-yard completion to reach 100 total yards. On the next play, he was intercepted for the third time, capping a nightmarish 10-for-34, 115-yard, zero-touchdown night that was largely created by Armwood's pressure.

"Armwood is very, very good," Panthers wide receiver Derek Winter said. "If they keep playing like that, they're going to bring it state championship home, no doubt about that. I've got to give them credit. They beat us."

Revenge - One Year Later

For one year, Armwood had waited for this moment. Last season, the Hawks suffered six turnovers and could only watch as Plant celebrated a 38-20 playoff victory en route to its state championship.

Armwood missed the state-title game for the first time since 2002.

Given a few more breaks, the Hawks believed they would've been state champions, not Plant.

When Armwood defeated Plant 26-7 in the season opener, it didn't feel like revenge.

"Nobody remembers a game in August," Armwood coach Sean Callahan said. "We had to do it in the playoffs. That was what we needed.

"We needed to do it our way, by dictating the style of the game, by controlling the clock, by intimidating the right way."

Still, Plant never backed down, refusing to view Armwood with any sort of aura.

"We beat Armwood last year in the playoffs, so we weren't playing a dynasty, we were just playing the Armwood Hawks," Panthers coach Robert Weiner said. "We knew we could play with them. But when you have opportunities, you've got to cash in against those guys."

Plant did not.

This time, the Panthers had six turnovers, including a late-game deflation, when Giddins slammed into Murray, the ball popped loose and middle linebacker Petey Smith rumbled in for a 35-yard touchdown.

Exclamation point.

Suffocating Defense

Weiner once touted the largely unknown Robert Marve as a great one, and people thought he was crazy. Marve became Florida's Mr. Football, one of the best players in county history. Now Weiner believes Murray will be viewed as one of the nation's best prep quarterbacks next season.

If that's the case, what does it say about Armwood's defense?

"They don't give you room to throw or breathe," Murray said. "They're flying around everywhere. They present problems, put it that way."

Armwood's defense kept Murray on the move. It turned Plant's running game into a rumor. It caused Winter to drop a half-dozen passes, sometimes after jarring collisions and long-time Plant observers said they couldn't remember the sure-handed Winter ever dropping any.

"We had something to prove here," Petey Smith said. "We've played our share of big-time quarterbacks and we were determined to shut down Aaron Murray.

"We've heard a lot of talk about Plant for a year now. We figured it was our time. But we had to prove it. We had to win. We had to make it decisive."

Consider it done.

Armwood, full of swagger, able to back it up, now moves to Miami for another date with Booker T. Washington High, knowing that two more victories will bring another state title.

With that defense, it's difficult to imagine any other outcome.

It's all good in the 'Wood.

Again.

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