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Reaching State Final Becoming A Tradition

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By KATHERINE SMITH

ksmith@tampatrib.com

Published: December 16, 2008

TAMPA - David Gamble brought a prop to Saturday's film session.

The Plant High defensive lineman showed off the silver medal he received at last year's Class 2A state championship game as a member of the runner-up Tampa Catholic team.

"I brought it to show the guys and told them they don't want silver. If you play hard, you get the gold," said Gamble, who transferred to Plant this past summer. "I'm itching to get a gold. I need the gold. The silver sucks. It sucks really bad to come up short."

Gamble's silver medal serves as a symbol of Hillsborough County's status as perennial state champion contenders this decade. Plant's ascension to Saturday's Class 4A state title game marks the eighth consecutive year a Hillsborough County team has reached that far.

"There's no question that Hillsborough County football's found its place in the prominence of the state, if not right at the top of that prominence," Plant coach Robert Weiner said.

Plant won it all in 2006. Armwood won back-to-back titles in 2003 and '04. Chamberlain kicked off the streak with an appearance in the 2001 5A title game. The Chiefs lost to Naples, 21-17. Wharton and Jefferson kept it going in 2002. The Wildcats lost to Pompano Beach Ely 22-10 in the 5A game and the Dragons lost to Palm Bay 19-10 in the 4A final.

Armwood began its string of three consecutive championship games with its 2003 29-21 victory against Lake Gibson. The Hawks defeated Lake Gibson again in 2004 for the 4A title, while Jefferson made its second title game this decade in 3A, where they lost to Bolles. In 2005, Armwood lost to Nease, the team Plant beat for the 4A title in 2006.

Plant can join the elite of the county, Armwood, with a win on Saturday for its second state title.

And there's no telling how many more teams could represent Hillsborough County if they didn't have to go through each other to reach the pinnacle.

"If the system wasn't set up the way it is, there would be more Hillsborough County teams going to the state championship games, instead of beating each other up on the way," Weiner said.

Weiner credits Hillsborough High coach Earl Garcia, who led the Terriers to the state final in 1996, for raising the bar for the rest of the teams in the county.

Garcia recalled the lull county teams experienced from 1971 to '96, when no one from the county made it to a final. Ultimately, Garcia and his staff decided they weren't going to be the state's whipping boys anymore.

"We said we weren't going to use centralized funding as an excuse," Garcia said. "We decided to roll up our sleeves and work hard. Now we're the bullies. Now this county can play with anybody in the state.

"Our county is taking a backseat to no one."

Reporter Katherine Smith can be reached at (813) 259-7860.

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