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Plant Wins Second State Title In Three Years

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Tribune staff

Published: December 20, 2008

Updated: 12/20/2008 04:07 pm

The Plant High School football team's offense receives a lot of recognition, and deservedly so. However, in Saturday's Class 4A championship game in the Citrus Bowl, it was hard not to notice the accomplishments of the Panthers defense.

By stuffing Tallahassee Lincoln's running game and blitzing on obvious passing situations, Plant's defense shut down the Trojans, 34-14, en route to winning its second state title in three years.

Plant held Lincoln to a minus-12 yards rushing in the first half, when the game was all but decided. In fact, by halftime when Plant led, 28-0, the Panthers had outgained the Trojans in total yards, 257-45. Plant's defense even contributed to the score when Beau Hume intercepted Lincoln quarterback Ryan White's pass and returned it 24 yards for a touchdown.

Lincoln actually had a chance to take an early lead in the game when a botched snap on a punt gave the Trojans the ball on the Plant 8-yard line midway through the first quarter. After a loss of 2 yards, an incomplete pass and a sack, Lincoln attempted a 34-yard field goal. But Plant blocked the attempt, and the momentum swung to the Panthers.

Plant went on an 11-play, 80-yard drive capped by DeAndre Queen's 1-yard touchdown run to make it 7-0 late in the first quarter.

After stopping Lincoln on the ensuing possession, it took the Panthers just one play to make it 14-0. Aaron Murray hit Orson Charles on an out pattern, and when the defensive back went for the interception and did not make the play, Charles turned it into a 72-yard scoring play.

After Hume's interception made it 21-0 with 10 minutes left in the second quarter, it appeared as if that was how the half was going to end. With 15 seconds remaining and the ball at its 28, Murray hit Nathan Marvel over the middle. It looked as if Marvel was going to be brought down, but he was able to work free and turn it into a 72-yard touchdown reception to make it 28-0.

"The whole defense played tremendous,'' Plant coach Robert Weiner said. The Panthers defense finished with six quarterback sacks, three by Hume.

The third quarter belonged to Lincoln, as the Trojans put together a pair of four-play scoring drives to cut the deficit to 28-14.

Plant put the game away with a 13-play, 63-yard drive capped by a Murray 14-yard pass to Charles for a touchdown. The drive took 7:07 off the clock and killed the Trojans' momentum.

"That was a perfect ending to both of their high school careers,'' Weiner said.

For the game, Murray finished 18 of 30 for 344 yards and three touchdowns. With the three scoring passes, Murray went past Stephen Garcia as the all-time Hillsborough County leader in touchdown passes with 84. Garcia had 83 at Jefferson.

Charles had six catches for 132 yards and two TDs.

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