Wake-Up Call: Plant City Raiders ready for big stage

The Wake-Up Call greets you each weekday with news, views and a few Tampa Bay area sports offerings to anticipate for the day and night. We encourage suggestions and contributions.

Good morning!

For the Plant City Raiders, it's easy to dream about the future.

The Raiders (7-3) will start 13 sophomores in Friday night's Class 5A first-round playoff game against the well-established Plant Panthers (8-1) at Dads Stadium. Plant City's defense - which had three straight shutouts and registered 14 consecutive scoreless quarters - is comprised entirely of underclassmen.

"Man, I wish I could be here another two years," Raiders senior wide receiver Cortez Hargrett said. "This program is going to take off. It's going to be the next Lakeland or Armwood. Great things are ahead."

But what about now?

"Everybody says how they can't wait for next year or two years from now, how wonderful and exciting it's going to be," said second-year Plant City coach Jason Strunk, 33. "I just say, 'Hey, let's think about Friday night. What do we really have here, guys?'

"I've never seen a group come together like this one has. We need to ride this wave, enjoy the moment. Maybe we're too young to know any better. But who says we can't keep it going?"

Panthers coach Robert Weiner won't question that possibility.

He's wary.

"This is a scary first-round game," Weiner said. "It reminds me of filling out the NCAA basketball pool sheets back in the day, when I went with Michigan, the old Fab Five. I figured those guys were talented, but they didn't know about the magnitude of the event, nor did they care. They just went out and played. That's what I see in this Plant City team.

"I see a bit of our story, too. The program wasn't very good. They struggled a little bit, then showed some signs. Now they're knocking on the door and there's every indication they're here to stay."

Because of sophomore quarterback Bennie Coney, a cool customer who has completed 67 percent of his passes - for 10 touchdowns - during Plant City's six-game winning streak.

Because of sophomore running back Dazmond Patterson, who has nine consecutive 100-yard rushing games.

Because of a gritty defense, typified by hard-hitting junior middle linebacker Art Knight.

"To tell you the truth, with the way this season started, I didn't know what to expect," Knight said. "We were doing terrible. Then it was like the pressure was lifted. We just started playing, started attacking. We're still doing that."

On Sept. 25, Plant City was trailing Newsome 28-7. Only four minutes remained. The Raiders were about to go 1-3. In four games, they already had 16 fumbles.

Strunk gathered the offensive players.

"I said, 'Listen, we need to get better right now, we need something positive,' " Strunk said. "We marched right down the field, like it was a game-winning drive for the Super Bowl. We still lost, but we had something to build on. Then I told them, 'OK, we've got to win out. We've got to run the table.'

"And ever since, things have been different. We got on a roll. They're always screaming, 'Run the table! Run the table!' They made T-shirts with it. These kids are fantastic. Nobody wants this year to end. This run has been everything I hoped this program could be, maybe a year ahead of time."

Strunk, a Pennsylvania native, coached at his alma mater, Northampton High, and spent one season at Division III Muhlenberg College, which had its first undefeated regular season in 106 years. In 2008, he interviewed at a Texas high school, but didn't get a good feeling. Then, out of curiosity, he Googled "high school football head-coaching jobs."

"The first one to pop in was Plant City, Florida," Strunk said. "Like it was destiny."

Strunk, who was chosen from a field of 18 applicants, got a late start, not arriving in town until July 1. His first season was 3-7. But the plan was to go young, if those young players could handle the pressure, and build toward a brighter future.

It has arrived.

Hello, playoffs.

"Plant is a different level, a different caliber," Strunk said. "But we've been playing under pressure for several games. One loss, and we were out. It doesn't matter what color helmet we're going against. We want to build a program like Plant has. It's going to be interesting to see them up close and personal."

The Raiders don't seem in awe of Plant, which won two Class 4A state titles in the past three seasons.

"I'm not worried about playing Plant," Coney said. "If we go out there with our heads screwed on straight, we'll win the game."

For the Plant City Raiders, youthful and confident, the future is now.

UT hosting South Regional volleyball

The No. 6-ranked University of Tampa Spartans will host this weekend's NCAA Division II Volleyball South Regional Tournament at the Martinez Sports Center.

UT (28-2) meets Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champion Albany State (20-7) tonight at 7:30. Other matches are West Florida-Lynn at noon, Saint Leo-North Alabama at 2:30 p.m., and Eckerd-Nova Southeastern at 5 p.m.

The Friday semifinals are at 5 and 7:30 p.m.

Saturday night, the regional championship match, with a berth in the Elite Eight at stake, begins at 7.

Tickets are $10 (adults) and $6 (students with ID/senior citizens). Children under the age of 5 are admitted free when accompanied by a paying adult.

Writing from the heart

Former University of South Florida volleyball player Galina Fouks, who played from 1989-92, has written a children's book - "Maurice's Daughter" - that is designed for readers of all ages to help with the grieving process. Fouks, who also did the book's artwork, said following the death of her father, she discovered a need for books about grieving and bereavement.

Fouks will do a book signing on Saturday from 5-7 p.m. at the Michael Murphy Gallery, 2701 S. MacDill Ave., in Tampa.

Following USF, Fouks received a degree in art education at Georgia State University. She later earned a Master's Degree in School Leadership: Administration and Supervision. She has taught special education art for the last decade. Recently, she took an administrative position with Acacia Academy, a private school for children with learning disabilities K-12, outside of Chicago.

For more information, log on to www.galinafouks.com.

Hooping it up

The sixth annual Jan Bennett Preseason Hoop It Up Tournament, a boys basketball event, will be held today and Friday at Seffner Christian Academy.

Bennett, who coached at the high school and collegiate level for more than three decades, originally launched the tournament with teams coached by his former players. So far, it has raised $5,840 for the Tampa Bay Basketball Coaches Association and the Doug Walker Scholarship Fund, which remain the beneficiaries of all gate receipts.

Bennett said the tournament is made possible by the West Coast Officials Association, which pays for the officials, Valrico State Bank, The Brew Crew and former Plant basketball coach Richard Dyer.

The schedule:

• Today: Tampa Bay Tech vs. Newsome, 5 p.m.; Bloomingdale vs. Armwood, 6:30 p.m.; Durant vs. Seffner Christian, 8 p.m.

• Friday: Bloomingdale vs. Tampa Bay Tech, 5 p.m.; Newsome vs. Durant, 6:30 p.m.; Armwood vs. Seffner Christian, 8 p.m.

Saints go for Perfect 10

The New Orleans Saints (9-0), who face the Bucs (1-8) on Sunday afternoon at Raymond James Stadium, can become the 11th NFL team since the 1970 merger to win the first 10 games of a season. Here are the other 10-0 teams and where the first loss occurred:

• 1972 Miami Dolphins - Went 17-0, finished unbeaten, beating Washington Redskins 14-7 to win Super Bowl VII.

• 1975 Minnesota Vikings - Began 10-0, lost 31-30 to Washington Redskins, finished 12-3, losing to Dallas Cowboys 17-14 in NFC divisional playoffs.

• 1984 Miami Dolphins - Began 11-0, lost 34-28 to San Diego Chargers, finished 16-3, losing to San Francisco 49ers 38-16 in Super Bowl XIX.

• 1985 Chicago Bears - Began 12-0, lost 38-24 to Miami Dolphins, finished 18-1, beating New England Patriots 46-10 to win Super Bowl XX.

• 1990 San Francisco 49ers - Began 10-0, lost 28-17 to Los Angeles Rams, finished 15-3, losing 15-3 to New York Giants in NFC Championship Game.

• 1990 New York Giants - Began 10-0, lost 31-13 to Philadelphia Eagles, finished 16-3, beating Buffalo Bills 20-19 in Super Bowl XXV.

• 1991 Washington Redskins - Began 11-0, lost 24-21 to Dallas Cowboys, finished 17-2, beating Buffalo Bills 37-24 in Super Bowl XXVI.

• 1998 Denver Broncos - Began 13-0, lost 20-16 to New York Giants, finished 17-2, beating Atlanta Falcons 34-19 in Super Bowl XXXIII.

• 2005 Indianapolis Colts - Began 13-0, lost 26-17 to San Diego Chargers, finished 14-2, losing 21-18 to Pittsburgh Steelers in AFC divisional playoffs.

• 2007 New England Patriots - Began 18-0, finished 18-1, losing 17-14 to New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII.

Ex-Mutiny player comes up roses

When Ohio State University place-kicker Devin Barclay booted the game-winning field goal in overtime to defeat Iowa on Saturday and send his Buckeyes to the Rose Bowl, the name seemed vaguely familiar.

Then reality hit.

Devin Barclay ... the soccer player?

That's the one.

Barclay, a 26-year-old junior, once played for the old Tampa Bay Mutiny of Major League Soccer. Barclay played 23 games for the Mutiny in 2001, just before the league disbanded Tampa Bay's team. He was 18 then.

He played soccer for four teams in four years, but quit the sport in 2005.

Now he has a football moment to remember forever.

Harmon receives national honor

Florida Atlantic University tight end Jason Harmon (Riverview) was named the John Mackey Tight End of the Week by the Nassau County Sports Commission, which presents the John Mackey Award to the nation's top tight end.

Harmon had four receptions for 85 yards and one touchdown in a 35-18 victory against Arkansas State.

Birthday wishes

Happy birthday to former Bucs linebacker Dewey Selmon, part of the University of Oklahoma's famous trio of Selmon brothers, who has his own construction firm in Oklahoma. Some of the company's work includes development projects in third-world countries. Today, Selmon turns 56.

The Answer Man

Here's the answer to Wednesday's trivia question:

Sunday, Saints quarterback Drew Brees will try for his third career 300-yard passing game against the Bucs. Only two other opposing quarterbacks have three or more 300-yard passing games against the Bucs.

Wade Wilson had four (three with the Minnesota Vikings, one with the Atlanta Falcons) and Tommy Kramer had three (all with the Vikings).

Thursday trivia

Here's our daily sports trivia question, featuring a Tampa Bay/Florida spin. Try your luck by commenting below.

Plant City is making its sixth career appearance in the state football playoffs. The Raiders have two playoff victories - both in the first round. Which schools did they defeat?

Check for the answer in Friday's Wake-Up Call.