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Plant Cruises To Victory

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By SCOTT PURKS

Tribune correspondent

Published: October 11, 2008

Updated: 10/11/2008 02:38 am

TAMPA - Before Friday night's game against Blake, a lot of folks around Tampa said Plant quarterback Aaron Murray had a chance to break the state record Friday for touchdown passes in a half.

The number was nine.

Which means Murray would have to average a touchdown pass every 2 minutes, 40 seconds, a notion that may sound preposterous, unless you're talking about Murray.

Two weeks ago in a 63-6 victory against Riverview, Murray set a state record for one half by throwing for 396 yards and tied the state record by throwing eight touchdowns passes. Last year, Murray also set the state touchdown record for a season by throwing 51.

Plus, this week's opponent, Blake, came in 0-5 and had given up an average of almost 30 points a game.

So add it up and ... it didn't add up.

In the first half, what added up was two lost Plant fumbles and an interception, a determined Blake squad and an inordinate amount of penalties by both sides. In the first half alone, 25 flags were thrown, which averaged to one penalty for every 11/2 plays.

By the time the game ended, 33 flags were thrown, which all but sucked the life out of the contest, three hours after it started (despite a running clock for the final quarter), with Plant finally winning 42-0.

For Murray, who came in leading the state with 1,225 passing yards, the night ended with 272 more yards and six touchdown passes, putting him at 25 for the season while playing a little more than eight quarters for the season.

Friday, however, Murray played almost the entire game, despite his team leading 35-0 after three quarters.

"I just thought we hadn't played well and, because Aaron has played only 51/2 quarters before this game, I thought it would be good to keep working on some things," Plant coach Bob Weiner said.

As for trying to break records, Weiner said it's not something he and Murray ever think about, let alone talk about.

"The reason all the touchdown passes were thrown in previous games was because everything went perfectly," Weiner said. "I mean it would be hard to throw that many touchdowns if an opponent's defense wasn't even on the field. And I think because we did score like that before we thought it's just going to happen. You know, we're just going to show up and score like that.

"Well, tonight proved that it doesn't work like that."

Blake coach Sean Washington said he had no hard feelings whatsoever for how long Murray stayed in the game or how many touchdown passes he tried to throw.

"That's football," Washington said. "Both teams play hard, and we played hard all the way through. I'm proud of our effort tonight. We never gave up. We never do."

P-Charles 30 pass from Murray (pass failed)

P-Marvel 7 pass from Murray (Rhodes kick)

P-Cobb 3 pass from Murray (Rhodes kick)

P-Marvel 30 pass from Murray (Hesson run)

P-Marvel 6 pass from Murray (Finn kick)

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