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Plant Keeps Rolling

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By KATHERINE SMITH

ksmith@tampatrib.com

Published: October 25, 2008

TAMPA - Five touchdown passes, check. Nearly 350 yards of offense, check. Running clock, check.

Football life after Aaron Murray looked an awful lot like No. 11 was still on the field instead of resting at home. Plant opened a new era with a 50-14 Class 4A-District 10 victory against Leto on Friday night, securing a spot in the playoffs.

On the day Murray had surgery to repair a broken leg, his successor Phillip Ely threw for 232 yards and five touchdowns.

"That's a Plant night," Panthers coach Robert Weiner said. "I just think his preparation all week was tremendous. Phillip was just tremendously excited at the opportunity that he had in front of him."

Ely completed his first 10 passes before throwing his first incompletion. He opened the game with a 13-play, 73-yard scoring drive.

"We wanted him to stay within himself and do the things that he felt comfortable doing, and that's exactly what he did on the first drive," Weiner said. "He didn't try to bite off more than he can chew. He read everything perfectly and hit the open guys."

He found senior tight end Orson Charles, who was wearing Murray's No. 11, for two of the touchdowns. Ely also hit Allen Sampson for two touchdowns.

"The whole team being behind me just motivates me and gives me confidence," Ely said. "I couldn't do it without them."

Plant fumbled on back-to-back possessions in the first half, but the Falcons were unable to capitalize on the turnovers. Leto was able to produce some offense in the first half when quarterback Jeremy Deering hit Antwoun Howard for an 81-yard touchdown. The two hooked up again late in the fourth quarter for a 2-yard touchdown play.

Murray Resting After Surgery

Murray underwent nearly three hours of surgery Friday morning to repair a broken left fibula and ligament damage to his left ankle. Murray will now begin the nearly six-month rehabilitation process.

Tampa Bay Rays team doctor Koco Eaton performed the surgery at St. Anthony's Hospital in St. Petersburg.

The good news, his mother Lauren reported, is that the ligament damage is less severe than originally feared.

Murray received calls of support from Weiner and Georgia coach Mark Richt while he was being prepped for surgery. He returned home later in the day and kept up with his team's progress through text messages to assistant coaches.

Murray's senior season prematurely ended when he was injured near the end of the second quarter of the Panthers' homecoming victory against Hillsborough on Oct. 16.

The University of Georgia recruit is scheduled to graduate early from Plant so he can enroll at Georgia in January in time for spring workouts.

P-Baldwin fumble recovery (Rhodes kick)

L-Howard 81 pass from Deering (Rodriguez kick)

P-Charles 5 pass from Ely (Queen reception from Ely)

P-Sampson 6 pass from Ely (Rhodes kick)

P-Sampson 45 punt return (Rhodes kick)

P-Charles 6 pass from Ely (Rhodes kick)

P-Gruetzmacher 5 pass from Ely (Rhodes kick)

L-Howard 2 pass from Deering (Rodriguez kick)

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