National Signing Day Another Record for Plant – TBT
- TAMPA 2/1/2012 — Left to right, state champion Plant football players who signed National Letters of Intent on Wednesday include Keenan Stalls (Kent State), Austin Aikens (Western Kentucky), Tate Rogers (Vanderbilt), James Few (Cornell), Antonio Crawford (Miami), Narthan Shienle (Tulane), Patrick Wright (Washingto & Lee), Drew Madhu (Princeton) and Mike Tate (Cornell). Panthers coach Robert Weiner is in the middle, back row. Photo Courtesy of Tampa Bay Times
By: Laura Keely
Tampa Bay Times
February 2, 2012
TAMPA—The seniors at Plant have had a rather successful four-year tenure— three state titles and one state runner-up finish—and, as their final farewell, nine of them added another accomplishment to that lengthy list as they composed the biggest national signing day class in Panthers history.
Not bad for the class that some projected as the leaders of a rebuilding year.
WR Austin Aikens (Western Kentucky), DB Antonio Crawford (Miami), S Drew Madhu (Stanford), OL Nathan Shienle (Tulane), DB Keenan Stalls (Kent State) and DL Patrick Wright (Washington and Lee) had previously stated their destinations. Head coach Robert Weiner introduced each one individually before the boys stood up to say a few words.
“I’d like to thank my family for being there and, particularly, for feeding me,” said the 6-foot-5, 295-pound Shienle to a chorus of laughter. “All my teammates and past players who would just beat me all day and made me the bigger guy who can beat up the underclassmen.”
That group of six Plant players was joined by three more who announced their decisions in the after-school ceremony.
FB Tate Rogers chose to follow his father, Al, and play football for Vanderbilt. He chose the Commodores over Furman, Samford, The Citadel and Elon.
“I grew up a Vandy fan,” said Rogers, who was sporting a Commodores-printed Vineyard Vines tie that his dad gave him for the occasion. “And I’ll be a Vandy fan for life.”
LB Mike Tate, a Sports Illustrated All-American and, according to Weiner, “the only player I’ve met in my career who is more sarcastic than I am,” and QB James Few, who finalized his decision that morning, said that they will head to Cornell. Few, who won the quarterback battle before the season, received his offer from the Big Red on his birthday, Nov. 4.
“(Cornell head coach Kent) Austin is also the quarterbacks coach, and he’s very similar to coach Weiner,” Few said. “They’re doing big things, and their team is on the rise. That’s something I want to be a part of.”
If Austin thinks like Weiner, too, then chances are Few will soon become one of his favorites.
“The only way that quarterbacks are judged is if they take their team to win a state championship,” Wiener said of Few. “And this is a gold, medal, state championship young man.”
Plant Claims 8A State Title 31-20 -TBO
Plant Panthers Celebrate Their 8A State Championship Victory. Photo Credit BILL WARD Tampa Tribune
Click Here For More Great Game Pictures From BILL WARD
By:Joey Johnston
Tampa Tribune
December 18. 2011
ORLANDO – A state football championship was on the line. The momentum had swung away from the Plant High Panthers. Now here was an opportunity.
Plant junior defensive lineman Mitchell Wright said he might remember the sight forever. There he was, crashing into the opposing end zone, trying to create third-down pressure. There was Miramar quarterback Camren Hudge, running for cover. And there in front of Wright, fully extended and largely unprotected, was the football.
“My eyes got big,” Wright said. “I swatted at it.”
The ball popped loose, into the waiting arms of linebacker Tate Rogers for a put-away touchdown with 6 minutes, 7 seconds remaining, and the Panthers had clinched their Class 8A state title.
Outside of some bad patches, the Panthers took it to the Miramar Patriots, winning 31-20 Saturday night before 4,802 fans at the Citrus Bowl. Miramar (13-1) was the nation’s No.3-ranked team, according to USA Today, but Plant was by far the better team on this night.
It was Plant’s fourth state football championship (along with 2006, 2008 and 2009), setting a Hillsborough County record and providing a nice local bookend for Armwood’s Class 6A title achieved earlier in the day.
“I think we played great, really great,” said Panthers coach Robert Weiner, whose team finished 14-1.
“At times, outside of a mistake here and there, we might have played a perfect game,” Panthers defensive coordinator John Few said. “The kids followed the game plan almost to perfection.”
The Panthers, who never trailed, limited Miramar to 145 yards. Two of the Patriots’ touchdowns were set up by Plant mistakes.
Meanwhile, Plant opened the game with a six-play, 63-yard touchdown drive as Wesley Bullock scored on a 21-yard run (part of his 124-yard night). It also got offensive scores from quarterback James Few on an 8-yard run and linebacker Mike Tate, who made a guest appearance in the backfield for a 1-yard score, along with a 37-yard field goal from Grant Van Aman.
After Miramar cut Plant’s seemingly comfortable 17-point lead to 24-20 with two third-quarter touchdown passes, the Panthers regained possession at their 24-yard line with 11:47 remaining in the game. Then Plant mounted its best drive of the night, grinding away, methodically moving the chains, converting on two long third-down plays, reaching the Miramar 6.
But on the drive’s 13th play, as Antonio Crawford swept left toward the end zone, he fumbled at the 2. Patriots free safety Marrell Jackson recovered.
The moment was crushing.
“My brothers (teammates) told me to forget it, but I was feeling bad,” Crawford said. “We were determined to make something good happen.”
Something did.
With Miramar looking to convert a third-and-11 from its 1, Wright made the biggest play of his life. Rogers was there to score. Plant had taken back the game.
The Panthers’ defense, which had seven sacks and 13 tackles for a loss, was the most important factor.
“We played a very sound game,” Wright said. “I know Miramar was highly ranked. We heard they didn’t even know who we were and they were already being fitted for their championship rings. It just goes to show you that if you have hard work and heart, you can come out on top.”
Few, the senior quarterback who joined Robert Marve, Aaron Murray and Phillip Ely as a state-champion Plant signal-caller, displayed plenty of his own heart. He rushed for 57 yards and generally had Plant in the right play all night.
“This is like a dream,” he said. “It’s something I’ve wanted my whole life. We came out and showed them we can play with physicality. Then when things started to go against us, our defense stepped up. You talk about a team effort! It doesn’t get any better than this.”
Plant won a state title in its third different classification.
“I guess we’re the Floyd Mayweather of high school football,” Weiner said. “I can’t say enough about how we progressed this season. We were up to all challenges. And when it was getting away from us, we found a way to get it done.”
Plant Claims Florida 8A State Chamipionship: Defeats Miramar 31-20 SPT
Plant quarterback James Few, right, Daniel Casselli (6) left and Wesley Bullock (3) center, embrace at the conclusion of the second half of a Florida high school class 8A state final football game against Miramar on Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011, at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando. Plant won the game 31-20. Photo Credit TYLER TJOMSLAND St. Pete Times
By: Eduardo Encina
St. Pete Times
December 18, 2011
ORLANDO — This year’s Plant football team didn’t possess the five-star recruits or the record-breaking passing game of years past.
These Panthers made their fourth straight state title game appearance devoid of the star power of their predecessors.
And because of that, this squad might go down as the best title team of the bunch.
A Plant team that played the role of underdog perfectly all season — losing a pair of All-Americans from last year’s 6A state final team, looking overwhelmed in the preseason loss to Miami Columbus and overmatched against local rival Armwood — slayed its greatest giant in Saturday’s Class 8A state title game.
Facing the nation’s No. 3-ranked team, the Panthers pounced early on Broward County power Miramar, then held off a furious second-half rally to claim their fourth state title in six years with a 31-20 victory at the Citrus Bowl.
“We won the state championship when no one thought we could and we did it together; that’s the best part,” senior quarterback James Few said. “We’re so happy that we got to spend this much time with each other, that our season didn’t end short. To even get to this game was enough for us, but to win it is the icing on the cake.”
The Panthers saw a 17-point halftime lead all but vanish. Miramar scored two touchdowns on deep pass plays 24 seconds apart in the third quarter. Plant turned the ball over twice on fumbles, including one 2 yards from the end zone, in the second half.
Another December failure was close, but the Panthers defense rose to the occasion in the end. Senior linebacker Tate Rogers recovered a Miramar fumble in the end zone for a touchdown with 6:07 to play.
Junior defensive end Mitchell Wright (seven tackles, 1 ½ sacks, one QB hurry) lunged at Miramar quarterback Camren Hudge as he rolled out in the back of the end zone, forcing the fumble.
“We knew we had to make a big play because they were smelling it,” Rogers said. “And we had to make it right away.”
That play — which came two plays after Antonio Crawford’s fumble as he turned the corner toward the end zone at the 2-yard line with Plant clinging to a three-point lead — provided a much-needed swing for the Panthers (14-1).
“It just shows how much of a bond we have,” Crawford said. “Everyone came up to me and picked me up. They’re all my brothers. They told me, ‘We didn’t get this far for nothing.’ ”
The Panthers ran for 254 yards against a Miramar’s vaunted “Dark Side” defense that allowed just 7.7 points a game this season, had three shutouts and had never allowed more than 20 points in one game. Five-foot-six junior tailback Wesley Bullock led the Panthers with 124 yards and one touchdown on 26 rushes
“I told our seniors (Friday), ‘I’m going to work my butt off to help y’all get (your) rings,’ ” Bullock said. “We got them and now we’re already thinking about next year.”
Plant’s defense was equally effective, holding the Patriots to 145 yards of total offense and minus-4 yards rushing.
The game wasn’t pretty — the teams combined for 15 first-half penalties and 28 overall — and almost became very ugly late in the second half. Hudge threw for long touchdowns on back-to-back drives, hitting Malcolm Lewis with a perfectly-placed 31-yard touchdown pass.
The Patriots then capitalized on a Bullock fumble, with Hudge hitting Tanares Robinson from 27 yards out — with Plant linebacker Mike Tate’s hands also on the ball as the two fell into the end zone. The touchdown made the score 24-20.
It was a huge difference from the first half, when Plant found holes in Miramar’s defense, piercing the Patriots with a ground game that tallied 141 yards going into the half.
Bullock who lifted the Panthers early, ran for 56 yards on four carries on the game’s opening drive and put Plant up 7-0 on a 21-yard touchdown run just 2:15 into the game.
And the likely Ivy League-bound Few, known more as a pocket passer, completed just five passes but ran for a career-high 57 yards and one score. Four of his 11 carries were for first downs.
“That kid is just an unbelievable leader; all of our players responded to him immediately without him even trying, that’s who he is,” coach Robert Weiner said. “People thought, ‘Okay, what happened to the great Plant quarterback line?’ Well, you saw what happened tonight.”
Plant’s Ground Game Works to Perfection – SPT
By:Laura Keeley
St. Pete Times
December 18, 2011
ORLANDO — The “Dark Side” Miramar defense had a weakness coming into Saturday’s Class 8A state title game.
Plant coach Robert Weiner knew it. Starting quarterback James Few knew it. And running back Wesley Bullock knew it, too. And together the duo, along with Antonio Crawford and Aaron Banks, exploited the Patriots’ man-to-man coverage for 254 rushing yards on 53 attempts, a season high.
The game-plan tweak worked, as Plant won the first 8A title in Florida history 31-20.
“We knew that they were going to be in man, and we were going to try to spread them out and see if they were going to account for me,” said Few, with tears of joy in his eyes. “We didn’t think they would, and it turned out they weren’t.”
Few rushed for 57 yards on 11 carries, both season highs. His 8-yard scramble through the middle of the defense in the first quarter put Plant ahead 14-7. The Panthers never trailed again.
Typically, Plant (14-1) has used Banks, a junior, in running situations. While he did carry the ball three times for 20 yards, Few took off on the majority of the quarterback-designed runs.
“We wanted to give them a little different look,” Weiner said. “Everybody always thinks that James is just a pocket passer and that Aaron is a runner; both of them can do both. We loved having James in those situations, and he just gutted it out on every one. He took shots each time and got back up and answered the call.”
Bullock, who came into the game averaging about 128 rushing yards in the playoffs, gained 124 yards on 26 carries. About half of those yards (56) came on the opening drive, and he finished in the end zone after bouncing out to the right sideline.
In the third quarter, Bullock fumbled after defensive lineman Trevon Conley jarred the ball free. Miramar (13-1) recovered at the Plant 17 and scored its first touchdown of the quarter. The second came 24 seconds later.
“My 11 teammates and 11 coaches, they picked my spirits back up,” Bullock said. “ ‘Pick your head up, pick your head up, we’ve got plenty of time.’ I said all right, and I made a promise to my team that I would get them this ring.”
Bullock made good on that vow, with a little help from his teammates.
“I just never got the chance to run (before),” Few said. “We took it on the ground. I don’t even know if I completed three passes. But whatever, dude. We won the state championship."
No Matter What, Panthers Find a Way – TBO
Dereck Mann and Plant are once again moving on to the state finals after disposing of Neptune Beach Fletcher. Photo Credit FRED BELLET - TBO
By: Martin Fennelly
Tampa Tribune
December 10 , 2011
It doesn’t matter what year.
It doesn’t matter what the names are.
Plant’s pathfinders always find a way.
They’re state football’s answer to a GPS system.
Robert Weiner and his Panthers are headed to another state championship game, their fifth in six amazing seasons and fourth straight. They know their way to Orlando blindfolded. This time it was a Class 8A 26-7 semifinal shutout over Neptune Beach Fletcher on Friday night at Dad’s Stadium.
Does it matter how they got there? They got there.
“This is a family here,” Plant senior linebacker Mike Tate said. This isn’t one of those big-name Plant powerhouses. But they’re a bunch of dream weavers just the same, and they will play for the school’s fourth state championship next Saturday night. “There’s nothing shallow or service level about what they accomplish,” Plant coach Weiner said. “They feel the depth of it, all of it. There’s so much team here.”
It took the family Friday, all of it.
It took the tungsten right foot of senior place kicker Grant Van Aman, who paved the way with field goals of 47, 30, 45 and 46 yards for a 12-0 lead.
Go Van crazy, folks! “I’ve never been interviewed after a game,” Van Aman said. It took a Plant defense that was always there when it counted.
That included a 59-yard interception return by senior Antonio Crawford to finally set up a touchdown to seal it at 19-0 _ and even then it was run in by a defender, “Iron” Mike Tate one yard up the gut for his first high school TD.
Plant found a way, again.
So what if Van Aman led the way? There isn’t Robert Van Marve or Aaron Van Murray or Phillip Van Ely at quarterback. There is no James Van Wilder in the backfield. There isn’t anyone resembling Orson Van Charles.
But this Plant edition might be as much a team as any team in Plant history. “We’re not a team of stars, we’re a team of every guy,” Plant senior quarterback James Few said. “It’s not about headlines. It’s not about names in the paper. It’s grinding every day, day in and day out, with your brothers.” Now these brothers will try to win it all. Now this defense gets to try to walk with kings.
And Few tries to walk with legends. Talk about stepping into a tough situation. There are very few, if any, high-school programs with such a Division I quarterback legacy. There was Marve in 2006. It happened again with Murray, who returned from a broken leg in 2008 to win state. There was Ely in 2009. Now Few, who started out at Plant on defense, gets his shot.
The defense and special teams, which threw in a blocked Fletcher field-goal attempt in the first half, ruled this night early and often. There was the fumble Plant forced to stop one Fletcher drive, hit by Eliel Shines, recovery by Tate Rogers. There was the touchdown ball that Plant senior defensive back Keenan Stalls ripped from the receiver’s hands in the end zone. Then came the field-goal block, right after that, by senior defensive lineman Michael Dvornik. No, this isn’t one of those Panthers juggernauts. But here comes another group of Panthers just the same, 13-1, with a lot of them still smarting from last season’s loss in the state ttile game against St. Thomas Aquinas.
Few doesn’t even know what he did with his silver medal from that game. But there is a silver medal hanging in the doorway to the coaches office. Weiner put it there. His kids hit their heads on it when they walk in to see him. “It’s a reminder,” Few said.
There’s one last game to win, every season. That’s how they think at Plant.
Here come the Panthers.
They found their way back, again.
That’s what they do.
Plant 26, Neptune Beach Fletcher 7 – SPT
Plant kicker Grant Van Aman (19) kicks off against the Fletcher offense in the fourth quarter. Plant defeated Fletcher 26 to 7 on Friday, November 9, 2011. Photo Credit OCTAVIO JONES, St. Pete Times
By Eduardo Encina
St. Pete Times
December 10, 2011
A week after needing overtime to save its season, the Plant football team was determined to not need a prayer in Friday night’s Class 8A state semifinal against Neptune Beach Fletcher.
The Panthers needed a furious fourth-quarter comeback to beat East Lake last week, but seven days later, Plant was meticulous at piecing apart the Senators at Dad’s Stadium.
And Plant’s 26-7 win over Fletcher sealed its fourth straight trip to the state finals in Orlando. The Panthers still remember last year’s state championship loss to Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas at the Citrus Bowl.
“I will probably wear my silver medal every day next week just to remind me what happened last year and make sure it doesn’t happen again,” said senior two-way player Antonio Crawford.
Crawford made the biggest play of the night, a third-quarter interception that he returned 57 yards inside the Fletcher 1-yard line to set up Plant’s first touchdown of the night — a Mike Tate power plunge to make the score 19-0.
Before then, the Panthers couldn’t crack the end zone against a game Senators defense and were forced to settle for four Grant Van Aman field goals.
A week ago, Van Aman missed a 49-yard kick that would have beaten East Lake in regulation. But on Friday he was perfect, converting kicks of 42, 30, 45 and 47 yards.
“To come back and kick them from the long distances that he did, it says a lot about what that young man has inside of him,” Plant coach Robert Weiner said. “I couldn’t be more proud of what he’s done and couldn’t be happier going into state with him.”
Said Van Aman: “I knew that this game could come down to me. When I hit that 47-yarder, it was just a sigh of relief.”
Special teams play was a theme for the Panthers, who gave the Senators an average starting field position at their 19-yard line in their first nine possessions, including one drive at the 7 and another at the 1.
“Our special teams were spectacular tonight,” Weiner said. “We give them a goal sheet. And we want to win every special teams play and we feel the game breaker will come out of it eventually. We might have not had a game breaker, but we made every play.”
Plant running back Wesley Bullock (12 carries, 147 yards), who had his sixth straight 100-yard rushing game, scored Plant’s other touchdown in the fourth quarter on a 26-yard run.
The Plant defense held Fletcher scoreless for most of the night, allowing the Senators’ only touchdown with 4:41 to play. The Panthers also held 2,100-yard rusher Jamari Smith to 77 yards on 21 carries.
Plant Defeats East Lake 28-21 in Overtime – SPT
By: Bob Putnam
St. Pete Times
December 3, 2011
EAST LAKE — This was a game few thought Plant High School could lose. The Panthers, a program steeped in playoff tradition with two state football titles the past three years, was playing East Lake in the Class 8A region final. The Eagles were playing in the postseason’s third round for the first time. Plant was too experienced, the experts said. Too explosive. Too much. The Panthers were favored by 28 points in one computer projection, the largest margin of any playoff game regardless of classification. The prognostications were correct, but Friday’s game turned out to be anything but a blowout. Plant trailed most of the game and needed a touchdown to tie with 28 seconds remaining in regulation before winning in overtime 28-21.
The Panthers (12-1) will host Neptune Beach Fletcher in the state semifinals. “We had been humming along in the playoffs, but I had to put in the kids’ heads that this wasn’t going to be easy,” Plant coach Robert Weiner said. “East Lake was physical and brought it on every play. There was so much character on both sides tonight. And really, to be honest, East Lake deserved to win as we did.” For 45 minutes, the Eagles (9-4) ignored the predictions and kept the Panthers in check. From Tyler Lane getting the tough yards on the ground, to gutsy quarterback Pete DiNovo completing passes at pivotal moments, to the defense playing without fear, East Lake acted as if this was a pressureless contest.
The Panthers, who had scored more than 50 points in each of their first two playoff games, resorted to trickery to take their first lead as Aaron Banks took a handoff on a reverse and lofted a 56-yard TD pass to Austin Roberts. The extra point was blocked as Plant led 6-0 in the first. In the second quarter, the Eagles found their rhythm on offense and scored on a 2-yard touchdown run by Tyler Lane. Sebastian Gonzalez’s extra point gave East Lake a 7-0 lead. East Lake scored again on a 45-yard pass from DiNovo to Artavis Scott, who eluded a defender to race down the sideline for a touchdown. That made it 14-6 Eagles at the half. Plant responded, capitalizing on a fumble and converting it into points as Wesley Bullock scored on a 2-yard touchdown run. Banks threw to quarterback James Few on a 2-point tie 14-all.
The Panthers appeared as if they would break the game open in the fourth quarter with a drive that reached East Lake 2. But the Eagles recovered a fumble and went on a methodical drive that was capped by Lane’s second touchdown on a 2-yard run. East Lake led 21-14. Plant countered with a drive past midfield. But on fourth down, Few was picked off by Devin Abraham with 3:31 remaining in regulation. The Eagles appeared to have run for a first down that helped kill the clock, but a holding penalty eventually forced them to punt. With less than a minute left, Few completed three key passes, the last an 8-yard touchdown pass to Dereck Mann with 28 seconds left to force overtime. “East Lake was ready to play and we weren’t,” Few said. “This was a great atmosphere to play in. We had a huge fight on our hands and had to regroup in the second half. We felt like we were getting killed, but were only down by one score.”
Plant took the lead in overtime on a 10-yard run by Bullock. The Panthers sealed the win by stopping the Eagles on downs. Afterward, East Lake coach Bob Hudson stood in a corridor of the locker room, and, after a long pause, walked out to talk to the media. Hudson thought about it for a moment, but no matter how much he replayed the ending in his head, it was not going to change the outcome. “We were supposed to have the biggest loss in the state,” Hudson said. “But we had them and gave everyone their money’s worth. I’m so proud of these players, seniors and coaches.”
Plant Outlasts East Lake in Overtime – TBO
Plant's Antonio Crawford gets a handle on East Lake's Artavis Scott early in Friday's game. Photo Credit KEVIN HOWE Tampa Tribune
By Eddie Daniels
December 3, 2011
Tampa Tribune
Sometimes experience can be the 12th man on the field. Just ask Plant. Having trudged through the playoffs and played in a state title game in four of the past five seasons, the Panthers know a thing or two about resolve. And it took every ounce of that know-how to escape East Lake with a 28-21 victory in the Class 8A-Region 2 final.
“I really think that helped,” Plant coach Robert Weiner said of his team’s playoff experience. “I don’t think it was a detriment to (East Lake). But I think it was an advantage to us because I think, our kids, regardless of what situation we ever get in, our kids still believe and not only believe, but just expect that we’re still going to win the game … and I felt that on the sidelines the entire time.”
Trailing 21-14, Plant (12-1) had just given up its fourth turnover on an interception and the Eagles (9-4) took over with the ball at their own 16 with 3:28 left in the game. The Plant defense stepped up, forcing East Lake to punt with 1:55 left. Panthers senior quarterback James Few (14 of 23, 238 yards, 2 TDs, 3 INTs) competed three of his four passes on that drive, capped by a 9-yard pass to receiver Dereck Mann.
Mann bobbled the ball practically his entire fall to the turf, but finally cradled it as he laid on his back in the end zone. The successful William Few extra point knotted the game at 21 with 28 seconds remaining in regulation. On East Lake’s ensuing possession, Plant linebacker Eliel Shines tipped a pass from Pete DiNovo (16 of 23, 198 yards, TD, 2 INTs) and Quinn Metoyer intercepted it, giving Plant a final shot at a win.
“It was unbelievable,” Metoyer said of the pick. “My boy Eliel Shines tipped it up and I saw it twirling, but I don’t remember catching it. … Just crazy.” East Lake turned the ball over three times, once on a fumble and twice on interceptions. Plant attempted a 49-yard field goal two plays later, but the kick sailed left to send it to OT.
Plant had the first possession and all it needed was one play — a Wesley Bullock carry to the right side of the offensive line. Bullock (20 carries for 74 yards, two TDs) sliced through the Eagles defense, scoring from 10 yards out. The Panthers defense then stopped East Lake on four plays on their lone overtime possession.
“This feels good because in 7-on-7s, we’ve been in plenty of overtimes, but this wasn’t the same,” Bullock said. “This was a statement. We don’t stop fighting until that clock says zero zero. Obviously we wanted it more and we came out victorious. It was a great win.”
| 1 QTR | 2 QTR | 3 QTR | 4 QTR | OT |
FINAL | |
| Plant | 6 | 0 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| East Lake | 0 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
P — Roberts 56 pass from J. Few (kick blocked)
E — Lane 1 run (Gonzalez kick)
E — Scott 56 pass from DiNovo (Gonzalez kick)
P — Bullock 1 run (Banks pass to Rogers)
E — Lane 4 run (Gonzalez kick)
P — Mann 9 pass from J. Few (W. Few kick)
P — Bullock 10 run (W. Few kick)
For Grohs, a Touchdown Pass To Remember – TBO
For as long as Kyle Groh can remember, his dad, Conrad, has thrown the football with him. Photo Credit BILL WARD Tampa Tribune
By: Katherine Smith
Tampa Tribune
December 2, 2012
Conrad’s journey back from near death has been about perseverance, resiliency, not giving up, but mostly about love. For as long as Kyle can remember, his dad, Conrad, has thrown the football with him. On July 31, that father-son bonding nearly ended. As she had done so many times before, Catherine drove to Tampa International Airport to pick up her husband, a US Airways pilot. While she waited in the car, Conrad texted his wife that he didn’t feel well.
When he arrived at curbside, he was pale and sweaty. Catherine rushed to his side. She grabbed his bag to put in the car when suddenly Conrad fell to the ground, his head striking the asphalt with a sickening thud. “It’s a sound I will never forget,” Catherine said. Catherine, a nurse who has tended to babies since 1979, sprang into action and immediately began CPR. There was no pulse. Conrad was not breathing. As she began compressions, Catherine heard a crack — yet another sound she won’t be able to forget. She broke three of Conrad’s ribs while trying to jump-start his heart, but it worked. Just before paramedics arrived, Conrad began breathing again and was actually sitting up before he was loaded into an ambulance. At St. Joseph’s Hospital, doctors assessed him and the news wasn’t good. Conrad had a pulmonary embolism and a heart attack; which came first is uncertain. And for added measure, he had bleeding on the brain from the fall, which would prevent doctors from treating the heart attack.
Nearly 300 miles away, Kyle couldn’t sleep. He stirred in his bunk at Muscular Dystrophy Camp in Tallahassee, a Plant summer tradition where players serve as counselors. He had an overwhelming feeling something was wrong. When coach Robert Weiner walked into the cabin and asked him to step outside, his fears were confirmed. “It was hard,” Weiner said. “I was very direct with him. I told him his father had taken a fall and there was potentially a heart attack and it didn’t look good.” The two began the five-hour drive back to Tampa. They talked about football and music. The last two songs Kyle heard as they approached St. Joseph’s Hospital were “Lady” by Styx, his mom and dad’s song, and Phil Collins’ “You’ll Be in My Heart,” Kyle and his mom’s song.
Doctors told Catherine to gather the family, and Kyle knew what that meant. “The first thing that went through my mind was who is going to throw the ball with me,” he said. “What was going to happen the first time I throw the ball and he’s not there. And that’s when I finally started crying.” Catherine has delivered similar news to many parents throughout her 32-year career as nurse, but she wasn’t ready to accept it when it came to her own husband.
Conrad and Catherine met at a South Tampa McDonald’s on Dale Mabry Highway. Conrad was 19 and stationed at MacDill Air Force Base. Catherine was 15 and worked the counter. Conrad, in his red and white car that earned him the nickname “Captain America,” just meshed with Catherine, a feisty Italian. They’ve been married 30 years. “The biggest hero in all of this is my wife,” Conrad said. “She saved my life.”
The Grohs believe things happen for a reason. There’s a reason Catherine — and not a friend — picked up Conrad from the airport that day. There’s a reason Conrad didn’t have a layover in Charlotte, N.C., which would have left him alone in a hotel room. And there was a reason Conrad survived. He became “that guy” at St. Joseph’s, the medical miracle doctors stopped by to marvel at during his 10-day day. The family believes prayers and love brought Conrad back. The ultimate show of support is evident on the Plant players’ helmets in the form of a Captain America-inspired red and blue sticker with the initials “CG” in the middle. “There’s a lot of power in that sticker,” Conrad said. “If those guys are going to go out there and get pounded, then I’m going to do what I need to do to get better.”
The long road to recovery has hit some bumps. There was a minor setback when Conrad had to get a pacemaker, something he’s still adjusting to, as well as his new unemployed life. After 23,000 hours in the sky, Conrad’s days as a pilot are over. His next venture has “yet to be determined,” he said. What he does know is where he’ll be tonight — sitting in the stands to cheer for Plant in the Class 8A-Region 2 final at East Lake, with the hopes of seeing his son provide another magical moment.
“That touchdown was Thanksgiving, it was Christmas, it was the best birthday ever,” Conrad said. “I will always remember that feeling and I’m so grateful I was able to see it.”
Plant 48 Dr. Phillips 13. Message Sent -BCP
Antonio Crawford's 98 yard KO Return in the 2nd Quarter. Photo Courtesy of Big County Preps
By: Doug Pugh
Big County Preps
November 26, 2011
Another year, another classification, another Regional Final. Top-flight teams that come to Dad’s Stadium in November literally seem to never find their way out. It’s just like the old saying, “The more things change….the more they stay the same.” No truer words spoken in the case of the Plant Panthers (11-1) as they flat-out embarrassed a Dr. Phillips (10-2) team that didn’t need much help embarrassing themselves (more on that shortly) by a 49-13 margin. The win sets up Plant making the trek across the Courtney Campbell Causeway and up McMullen Booth to East Lake (9-3), who won a thrilling game over Palm Harbor University 33-26 in the other Region 2 Semifinal.
On defense, the Panthers forced 8 fumbles (3 lost) and picked Nick Patti off twice, as well as keeping the speedy QB on the run the entire night. What Mike Tate didn’t destroy in his path, there were equal opportunity destroyers in the form Tate Rogers, Drew Madhu, Paris Bostick, this list could go on for a while. As shaky as Plant’s Special Teams might have been last week, it was Antonio Crawford’s 98-yard return at the beginning of the 2Q that started to turn the knife slowly into the hearts of Phillips. The score came literally seconds after Kerry Bernard scored from 2 yards out to inch the Panthers closer at 14-7. Even the Dr. Phillips coaching staff was starting to feel like things were changing, but Crawford was not in the mood for discussion. The Georgia Tech Commit was also able to neutralize WR Trey Griffey eventually causing him to throw his helmet in disgust towards the end of the game.
The Panthers Defense (Plant’s Version) allowed only 63 yards on 40 carries to the 6A Runners-up. They also managed to hold Patti to a 16-for-39, 168 yards, TD, INT on the night. The thing that stood out to me was the hitting. Serious cracking of helmets. That may have been one of the most intense defensive efforts I’ve ever seen from them. It was a swarming, and actually quite angry-looking bunch of boys out there. As mentioned, Mike Tate was simply everywhere including in the luggage rack on the Dr. Phillips’ Charter headed back. It’s hard to count the number of times Antonio Crawford was beaten by the Under Armour All-American Trey Griffey because I don’t recall there being but maybe one? Plant also did a textbook job of stringing plays out wide and flushing Patti to the sidelines frequently. Plant was hardly ever exposed in the middle.
Antonio Crawford during his 98yd KO Return in the 2nd Quarter.
There were moments were it looked as though Plant knew exactly what DP was going to run. They confused Patti at the line of scrimmage for the vast majority of the night. Every time DPHS moved the ball in the 1st Half though, there was a shotgun standing by to blast holes in feet in case of success. That was also an immense help to say the least. The one bright spot for Dr. Phillips is that they won the 1st Down battle 21-13.
On offense it was none other than James Few that made the wheels on the bus go round and round. The Senior finished 9-for-13 with 118 yards and 4TD’s. Wesley Bullock was also in the mix with 2 TD’s. (1rush, 1 pass). The Junior RB finished the night with 15 carries for 106 yards as well. His catch from Few was credited as being a 5-yard TD. not to be outdone Austin Aikens and Dereck Mann each added their own TD’s both of them recipients of beautiful passes from Few.
The game was stopped briefly while the Paramedics tended to Dr. Phillips’ Ian O’Grady who laid motionless for nearly 10 minutes on the ground. There was a slight delay in his removal to start due to the fact the on-site ambulance had just left with another DPHS player with a broken arm. At last check, the young man was moving his extremities, but had some pretty bad swelling in his neck. In a beautiful display of brotherhood, the Panthers lined up where O’Grady was carted off giving him what support they could under the circumstances. That seemed to inspire Dr. Phillips from that point on. And for all the wrong reasons I may add.
The game was marred by some downright horrific attempts by Dr. Phillips players to bait Plant into Personal Foul/Ejection Penalties that would surely end in suspension. There was even a moment that nearly the entire starting 11 on defense was cheering after the sandwich hit they laid on Aaron Banks. Ordinarily cheering wouldn’t be a bad thing. Except they were applauding the fact that Banks wasn’t getting up right away and laying on the ground trying to catch his breath or count the number of broken ribs. Even Mr. Suh from Detroit thinks they should have chilled. Even worse, they started to taunt they Plant stands and some even decided to give the old “one-fingered salute”. Mind you, the score was 42-13 at this point. There were also members of the Dr. Phillips section that were escorted out of the stadium as well.
In the end, all folks wearing their Black & Gold needed to do was point at the scoreboard as the Orange County version of the Panthers headed back down I-4 with tails firmly tucked between legs. Don’t worry though guys. You’re not the only “good” team that’s looked like a nightmare in that stadium and under those lights, and you won’t be the last. heck, you may even experience again next year of you’re not careful. They have memories like elephants those panthers do.
Plant 49, Orlando Dr. Phillips 13 – SPT
By: Don Jensen
St. Pete Times
November 26, 2011
Orlando Dr. Phillips brought offensive power to Dads Stadium on Friday night with Boise State commitment Nick Patti at quarterback and former major-league home run hitter Ken Griffey Jr. in the stands to watch his son Trey.
Plant senior linebacker Mike Tate reminded everyone that defense counts even more. He had two of his team’s five turnovers — all leading to 28 points — as Plant continued its quest for a fourth state championship with a 49-13 victory in a Class 8A region semifinal.
Senior quarterback James Few remained hot, throwing four touchdowns after a career-high six-TD effort in last week’s win over Orlando Boone. But it was the Plant defense that set the tone. It forced eight fumbles (recovered three) and intercepted Patti twice.
“We knew (Patti) was a running quarterback and that we had to contain him,” said Tate, who had an interception, fumble recovery and deflected two passes. “We were told that we just need to be physical with him. All quarterbacks are going to give up if you’re physical with them. (After halftime) we ran a lot more blitzes to the right because he was rolling that way. That really helped.”
Plant, which was never threatened after Antonio Crawford’s 98-yard kickoff return early in the second quarter increased his team’s lead to 21-7, gave Patti (16-of-38, 169 yards, one TD) fits in the second half. He completed only 6 of 18 passes for 29 yards after intermission, as Dr. Phillips was held to 9 yards on 32 plays.
“Our coaches talked the game up all week and said that we were equally matched,” Tate said. “All we had to do was execute and be physical with them.