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Plant To Take On Elite Nike Field

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By KATHERINE SMITH

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 17, 2008

Plant High's football team plans to bring some sunshine to the state of Oregon. And a little bit of some Sunshine State attitude.

As the lone representative from Florida and one of eight teams invited to participate in the inaugural Nike "7 On" Football Tournament in Beaverton, Ore., Plant feels prepared to take on some of the best teams in the nation.

"No disrespect to the teams we're going to play because they are some of the best passing teams in the nation, but if you play a tournament in the state of Florida, you're not going to face better teams than that," Plant coach Robert Weiner said. "You're not going to face faster people than in Florida. So we felt if we could win a tournament like USF it would get us ready for Nike."

Fresh off a victory at the USF Sling & Shoot 7-on-7 tournament that featured 46 teams from across the state, Plant is taking its air attack on the road.

The team, consisting of 24 players and six coaches, left Tampa early Wednesday morning and arrived in Oregon in time for a tour of the Nike headquarters and opening ceremonies. The Panthers open the tournament today at 1 p.m. EDT with a game against California's Long Beach Poly High. Following today's pool play, teams will be seeded for Friday's double-elimination championship bracket.

"Being a Florida team definitely gives us an advantage because I don't think any other state in the country has the athletes we face in 7-on-7 events," Plant quarterback Aaron Murray said. "We'll see teams from up north and from California and we're not saying the rest of the teams there aren't going to be good. But we feel confident that we've beaten some very good teams and some very athletic teams."

That confidence increased with Sunday's victory in the USF tournament. It wasn't just the fact that Plant, which finished tied for third at a recent UCF 7-on-7 event, topped the 46-team field, but it was the manner in which they won the championship. The Panthers defeated Delray Beach Atlantic High in overtime when they converted a 2-point play to win the game.

"Our main goal going into the USF tournament was to get some momentum and become more of a team going into Oregon," Murray said. "Throughout the whole tournament, our enthusiasm was tremendous. It was a great way for our team to bond and I think we're a better team heading into Oregon."

NIKE "7 ON" FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT

WHEN: Today and Friday; pool play begins today and then teams will be seeded for Friday's double-elimination championship bracket.

WHERE: Nike Headquarters, Beaverton, Ore.

WHO: Eight teams from across the country - Plant High, Illinois' East St. Louis, Texas' Eisenhower, California's Long Beach Poly and Mater Dei, South Carolina's Byrnes, Georgia's Henry County and Pennsylvania's Gateway. In today's pool play, Plant plays LB Poly at 1 p.m. (EDT), East St. Louis at 2:20 and Eisenhower at 3:40.

FORMAT: Games are 50 minutes, made up of two 25-minute halves, featuring seven offensive players facing seven defensive players.

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