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Plant City looks ahead after comeback win over Durant

Staff photo by FRED BELLET

Plant City's Cortez Hargrett makes tracks down the sideline en route to a touchdown as Durant's Sean Kolanowski pursues to no avail.

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DAREK SHARP

dsharp@tampatrib.com

Published: November 2, 2009

PLANT CITY - The Raiders football squad has been in playoff mode for a while now, even though the postseason is still a couple of weeks away. Friday's trip to Durant High sure had a playoff feel to it.

And the Raiders survived. After Durant rallied after being down 19-0 at halftime, Plant City answered with a season-saving march to win the game 27-24.

A loss would have dropped Plant City out of playoff contention; but for Durant there is still plenty of hope. If Durant wins at Newsome High this Friday, there will be a three-way tie for first place in District 5A-6. Should Durant lose, Newsome is the district champ and Plant City makes the playoffs as runner-up.

"The way it's been going for us, I'm pretty sure it's gonna come down to a three-way tiebreaker. Nothing comes easy," said Raider head coach Jason Strunk.

Plant City is finished with district play, in with a 3-1 record, 6-3 overall. Newsome, which beat Plant City on Oct. 2, is 3-0 in league play, while Durant is 2-1.

The Raiders have an interesting viewpoint on the Durant-Newsome game. A Newsome win this week means Plant City is in the playoffs. But as runner-up, the Raiders would have to open at defending state champion Plant High. If Durant wins, the Raiders will have to earn their way in via the tiebreaker shootout, but a home playoff game then would be possible.

"We'll take it," Strunk said. "We knew we had to win [against Durant] to even have a shot at moving on."

Sophomore Daz Patterson had a lot to do with Plant City still having a shot at the postseason. Needing 37 yards on the night to surpass the 1,000-yard rushing mark, he had 195 yards in the first half alone. He scored on a 15-yard touchdown, and his 84-yard run set up quarterback Bennie Coney's 11-yard score.

Plant City ran a double-reverse late in the first half for a Cortez Hargrett 48-yard touchdown and the 19-0 lead.

Durant broke through for a touchdown on all three of its third-quarter possessions to take the lead before a packed Senior Night crowd.

Quarterback Je'Twan Smith and running back John Hicks had the first two scores, and after the Raiders failed on a fourth down at their own 32, Durant got in the end zone on a Hicks run to take the lead.

Durant's Connor Bass made it 24-19 with 6:50 remaining on his 31-yard field goal.

Patterson, who ended the night with a career best 219-yard performance, scooted in from the 1-yard line with 49 seconds left finished up an 80-yard drive.

Bennie Coney, another of the 15 Raider sophomore starters, led the drive with screen passes.
The Durant scoring outburst came against a Raider defense that had not surrendered a point in its last 3 1/2 games.

"It's a sign of how these kids have grown," Strunk said. "We told them at halftime, this deal isn't done yet, and the next thing you know we're down 21-19. I think in the beginning of the year, with so many sophomores, we would not have come back."

Capping off a great night, Raider linebacker Joe Benton, also a sophomore, sacked Smith to secure the victory.

If Durant, 6-2, beats Newsome this week it would be in line to host the 5A-6 tiebreaker on Monday.

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