Showdown in Seffner: Plant-Armwood Live Updates

The much-anticipated Plant-Armwood matchup has all the storylines and drama of a classic rivalry matchup. The debut of hyped Plant quarterback Aaron Murray, leading the defending 4A champs against the old county "top dog," two-time state champ Armwood. There's the embattled Hawks, whom as RB Eric Smith said wants to "win Tampa back," dealing with pre-game adversity and the suspension of eight players - including starting QB Mywan Jackson.

Two of the top three teams in the state are going head-to-head. And the Times will bring you live updates, color and commentary from the game. Click on the comments section below to follow on.

Find out where Mywan Jackson is watching the game, the mood in the halls - and the stands -- and on-site interviews...

The rain has stopped, the sky is clear and the lines - believe it or not -- is relatively short (probably not enough pre-game press coverage).

The Times No. 1 and No. 2 teams are an hour from kickoff. Stay tuned.

-- JOE SMITH

joesmith@sptimes.com

(Pictured: Plant quarterback Aaron Murray, above left. Times photo - Brian Cassella. Armwood quarterback Rob Jones, above right. Times photo - Brian Cassella. Click to enlarge.)

Comments

[Joe Smith]

So where do you think Arwmood junior quarterback Mywan Jackson is a half hour before kickoff in one of the biggest games of the year?

At home. Not watching the game, at least, according to his mother.

"He's hurting right now," Terrie Green said, in black Armwood garb, from the stands. "He's probably not going to watch it.
"He really wanted to be here."

Jackson was one of eight Hawks players suspended for tonight's game for skipping first period Thursday (they went to McDonald's for breakfast).

That's sure a costly 99 cent Egg McMuffin....

So with Jackson gone, many eyes will be on backup qb Rob Jones, who makes his unexpected first start against the defending state champs.

"He's really pumped up," a Hawks assistant said. "Like you wouldn't believe.

Jones likely won't be relied on too much, not with the Hawks huge offensive line and power back with Eric Smith...

-- JOE SMITH

[Joe Smith]

Both teams are on the field. The sky is clear. The stands are starting to fill up...

The line isn't that long - not like it was at 5 p.m. accoriding to Hawks superfan, senior Nick Briggs (aka "Spanky")

Spanky is sitting front row center, with over a dozen other Hawks fans, making the most noise of anyone in the stadium.

"OUR HOUSE! OUR HOUSE!"

"I was so pumped, I got here at 5 and there were like 200 people in line," Spanky said, blue paint dripping from his sweat-soaked face. "It's our home opener. It's huge."

Spanky said that the mood of the school was pumped, but nervous - especially with the suspension of eight players.

But as gametime approaches, the Hawks' "Blue Crew" are banging their cow bell, getting hyped for the much-anticipated matchup...

-- JOE SMITH

[Joe Smith]

Just a few things to watch for as kickoff is 18, 17 minutes away....

The Hawks secondary -- This was the wrong night for Armwood to lose a couple starting players in the secondary.....It's one position where the Hawks aren't very deep. Now with suspended strong safety Aaron Duncan and CB Justin Williams, I'm sure the Plant's loaded crop of WR's are licking their chops.

The Panthers boast one of the state's top receivers- Derek Winter (90 catches, 20 TDs last year), along with Cornelius Gallon.

Plant QB Aaron Murray threw for 5 TDs in his preseason debut, picking apart Wharton for 268 yards. I'm sure they'll spread Armwood out 4 to 5 wide, with no huddle to keep the Hawks tired, and try to win in a shootout..

*KEEP AWAY -- On the other side, Armwood will probably be a little more one dimensional. Expect a heavy dose of RB Eric Smith and Sherman Jessie, wearing Plant down with their powerful O-line (and five star recruit Matt Patchan)..

Wharton was able to break off a few big runs- especially outside - on Plant last Friday.....I'm sure Armwood was watching..

-- JOE SMITH

Derek Bell, played in

[Joe Smith]

You think these guys are pumped up to play?

The teams, lining up for the kickoff, nearly skipped the national anthem..

Just a lil first game jitters....

Plant starts off with a great return from Lovell Jackson....taking advantage of short kick by second string kicker

[Joe Smith]

Joyner didn't take long to show his quick first step, sacking Murray on the second play from scrimmage..

Wharton put a lot of pressure on Plant off the edges in last week's game, so expect Armwood to do a lot of attacking from their standout ends - Joyner and Ryne Giddins

-- JOE SMITH

[Joe Smith]

This one will be a real test for Murray. The Hawks are getting pressure from the outside on him.

That's two quick penalties on the first time - after only a handful all of last week...

So far, it looks like the Hawks D is prepared for the Panthers four-wide sets...

[Joe Smith]

Le'ts keep an eye on Rob Jones, Armwood starting qb.

He's built in the same mold as Mywan Jackson.

But I'd expect a lot of what you're seeing here. Handoff right. Handoff middle....

Sherman Jessie and Eric Smith look strong so far

[Joe Smith]

Hawks coach Sean Callahan had planned on experimenting with shotgun this year for the first time in years....mostly due to the versatility of Mywan Jackson...

But the Hawks are exclusively running out of the eye formation, power formations. No shogtun.

[Joe Smith]

You can tell the Hawks are just a bit out of sync with their handoffs. A nearly botched handoff to Smith there (big play by Plant DE Tyler Evans)

Now a delay of game.

I just heard an Armwoood assistant coach in the press box slam his hand on the table... Look out

[Joe Smith]

So far, 7 plays, 7 runs for the Hawks. They've already eaten up half the first quarter.

Don't expect them to pass it anytime soon, as they're getting solid push from their O-line...

And Plant committed a killer penalty - personal foul late hit that turned a 4tn and short (possible punt) to a 1st and 10 on Plant's 32....

And from what it looks like, it wasn't the first time this game the Panthers have hit a guy late

[Joe Smith]

First celebrity siting: longtime MLB slugger Derek Bell.....roaming the Armwood sideline

[Joe Smith]

Matt Eastman, a 6-2 216 fullback, rumbles in for a 1-yard TD run

The PAT attempt was no good so it's

6-0 Hawks

14 plays, 83 yard drive.

[Joe Smith]

That catch by Plant's Antonio Johnson may be the weirdest play of the game.....

Murray zipped a pass to the left side to Derek Winter, but the ball bounced in the air off his typically sure hands 8 yards up to Antonio Johnson

That sparked this drive, which is now close to a TD thanks to a few nice throws by Murray, including a 37 yarder to Derek Winter on the right side...

He seems a little more comfortable out there

[Joe Smith]

Plant seems like they're going to stick with their four to five wide for most of this one.

Armwood put plenty of pressure on early on, but now Plant coach Bob Weiner is moving Murray out of the pocket - a few rollouts, etc to keep him out of harms way

[Joe Smith]

The first tough call of the game here....

Weiner must decide on fourth and goal from the 4.

The Plant coach rarely backs down, and he isn't here. Murray shows off his mobility, dodging two to three Hawks defenders before tossing a pass that nearly turned into a TD..

Good call to go for it? What do you think?

[Joe Smith]

As the first quarter rolls to a close, there's one obvious trend showing up.

The Hawks, nearly every time, are running behind the left side of their line

No surprise there -with five-star left tackle Matt Patchan and left guard Juan Gorostiaga...

Gorostiaga, from what I heard from one team mom, cleaned up at the pre-game meal (yellow rice, green beans and peach cobbler).

Doesn't look like its slowing him down at all

[Joe Smith]

Everyone expecting a heavy dose of Eric Smith tonight may be a bit surprised with how this game is going

Sophomore RB Sherman Jessie and RB Matt Eastman are carrying a hefty load, with Eastman performing extremely well on short yardage situations...

[Joe Smith]

Stat of the game so far:

Plant qb Aaron Murray (4-9, 74 yards)

More important stat: 0 points

By this time last week, Murray had like - what -- four TDs?

Now that Plant's getting the ball back, can he cash in?

[Joe Smith]

Gotta love the acting job by the Armwood punter a few moments ago..

In a typical try to draw a roughing the kicker penalty, he made the unusual move of falling forward....

No academy award. No penalty.

[Joe Smith]

Don't forget about speedy Lovell Jackson. Apparently Weiner hasn't.

The RB has 49 yards on two straight carries, taking advantage of some misdirection..

The Hawks have a ton of team speed, and it appears Plant is trying to counter that with some Lovell mis-direction runs. He nearly broke that one off for a TD.

[Joe Smith]

Plant went for it on fourth and goal before.

Now they're considering doing it again.

In such a low-scoring affair, maybe grabbing some points would be the right decision...

What do you guys in blogosphere think?

[Joe Smith]

A little gamesmanship here for Plant.

For the second straight possession, the Panthers went for it on fourth and goal.

They drew Armwood offsides. Strange decision to do that considering they're still facing fourth and 3...

Maybe now since they're closer, they can squeak Lovell Jackson for an inside run. Because their short passing game has struggled so far

[Joe Smith]

This Plant TD is a play Aaron Murray loves..

The QB keeper, a draw, took a lot of effort, as he dove forward, reached for a game-tying TD.

Plant hits the extra point to take a 7-6 lead.

Anyone else surprised on the low-scoring affair so far?

[jd]

not really, to much hype

You seem to be following it though

[jd]

Robert marve's dad is a friend so i'm curious to see eif the team has the talent to continue. good match-up would have been interesting if hawks had full team

[jd]

what else is happening around town. CS, PHUHS, Dunedin?

[Joe Smith]

Plant gets the ball back with 4:45 left in the half, having figured out Armwood's rushing attack....

But Armwood is picking up their defensive pass rush. Beasley picked up a sack, the Hawks first sack since the Panthers second play from scrimmage

[Joe Smith]

For those interested in other scores

Countryside is up 21-7 over Pinellas Park

Hillsborough is up 14-6 over Jefferson

Middleton is up 7-3 over branadon
East bay 17, Riverview 7
Wharton 7, Freedom 0

[Joe Smith]

Osceola 7, Dixie Hollins 0
Newsome 10, Spoto 0
Durant 3, Plant City 0
Northeast 19, St Pete 0

[Lawren]

I wish i was there. Seeing Plant's running game isn't something i've seen much of during the Marve era. I'd like to see how Lovell is doing with it up close.

[Joe Smith]

It's halftime and Plant's up 7-6 over Armwood

Armwood hasn't thrown a pass yet - no suprise there...

I'll be doing a Catch 47 interview here now, but will be back with some halftime thoughts...

Jesuit-Blake score?

[Sean Stevens]

Go Vikings!!!

[Joe Smith]

Back here at halftime

Some intial thoughts on the first half:

*Armwood is trying to take it easy with qb Rob Jones, making his first start. The Hawks have been exclusively on the ground, with no passes and lots of runs behind their big left side of the line (Patchan)

*Lovell Jackson looks OK despite battling hamstring injury this week. He has 47 yards, including 49 on back to back runs in the second quarter.

[Joe Smith]

Northeast 19-0 over St Pete
Cside 21-7 over PPark
Newsome up 10-0 over Spoto
Middleton over brandon 7-3
East Bay over Riverview 17-7
Wharton up on Freedom 7-0
Alonso 12-0 over Robinson
Sickles beating Leto 14-0
King over Lennard 21-0

[Joe Smith]

Boca ciega over dunedin 17-6 so far...in big game in Pinellas County.....

Keswick up 23-7 over Indian Rocks

[Joe Smith]

INJURY UPDATE:

Lovell Jackson appears to have injured his ankle and it'll be interesting whether how much he'll play in the second half

Jackson had 47 yards in the first half, and had battled hamstring injuries this week

[Joe Smith]

Chamberlain 13, Gaither 0 at the half

Gaither appeared to be a surprise team coming in, but we'll see if Jarvis Giles and company can bring them back

Another surprising score:

Hillsborough is now up 30-7 over Jefferson at halftime, pulling away in the second quarter

[jd]

all games posted on high school soreboard

[Joe Smith]

Matt Eastman is coming up huge for the Hawks..

With Armwood facing 3rd and a country mile, Eastman rumbled 33 yards, breaking two tackles for a first down...

So far, he's got a handful first down runs and a TD run

On Eric Smith's 14 yd TD run, which gave the Hawks the lead back (12-7), it appears Matt Patchan went down with a cramp

He walked off the field slowly and gingerly....looks like he's OK...

On the other end of things, there hasn't been a lot of movement for Lovell Jackson, who hurt his ankle in the first half

[Joe Smith]

Stop the press!

Rob Jones threw his first pass - a rollout to the right, and completed it for an apparent two point conversion

But it was negated by a penalty

Now they'll be trying an extra point.....

Not a good day for extra points

Armwood 12, Plant 7 with 5:55 left

[Joe Smith]

According to Times staff writer Joey Knight, it appears Matt Patchan, who was injured on Eric Smith's touchdown run, has a right leg cramp

[Randy Crone]

East Bay 17; Rierview 7 at the end of three

[Joe Smith]

Chamberlain is now up 20-0 over Gaither....

Maybe Gaither caught the "Joe Smith jinx." I've been saying for a bit they could be a surprise team this year..

You never know though - it's early, and Chamberlain is a good team.

Another test for Gaither will come next week, when they face Plant

[Joe Smith]

You've gotta give some props to Armwood's depleted secondary.

They lost two starters with the suspension today, but they're holding their own against arguably the county's top receiving group.

Winter has 100 yards on two catches - two big plays. And with that weird tip pass to Antonio Johnson, that's about it....

When you consider Plant racked up 53 points and nearly 300 yards passing last week vs Wharton, the Hawks have to be pleased

[Joe Smith]

The first big turnover for Armwood, a fumble near midfield with 1:47 left in the third..

Remember that it was turnovers that killed the Hawks last year vs Plant (6 of them, including two INT returned for TD)...

We'll see if Plant can cash in...

[Joe Smith]

That was the Hawks third sack of the quarter and fifth of the game...

The Panthers have brought a RB in the backfield, likely to help protect Murray...although it seems as though the Hawks are gaining some momentum....

[Randy Crone]

Durant 13 Plant City 7 at the end of 3

[Joe Smith]

After 3 quarters, its Armwood 12, Plant 7...

Any predictions? Can Plant pull it out? Or has Armwood wore them out?

[Joe Smith]

Matt Patchan, injured in the third quarter TD run by Smith, is back in the game at left tackle

Good sign for the Hawks..

QB Rob Jones is holding the ball pretty loose - a fumble waiting to happen

[Joe Smith]

Eric Smith's run was impressive - 83 yards (putting him over 100).

But he just ran through two arm tackles by Plant, literally carrying them for a lil bit before pulling away...

[Joe Smith]

This just in:

Lovell Jackson has a sprained right ankle, and is out of his pads. He won't be returning, it looks like

Tought loss for Plant, desperately needing some balance offensively

Armwood is up 18-7 with 11:08 left in the game

[Joe Smith]

Jesuit just squeaked past Blake, 9-8.....sounded like it was a barn-burner...

[Joe Smith]

Wharton has spoiled the coaching debut for Marquel Blackwell, beating Freedom 20-0

SP Catholic lost 37-21

[Joe Smith]

Congrats to Tampa Bay Tech, which just broke its 21-game regular season losing streak

They beat Bloomingdale 50-7

[Randy Crone]

Final- TBT 50 Bloomingdale 7!

[Joe Smith]

What a turnaround for Plant

Murray had used his improvisational ways to buy time and connect for a 65 yard TD pass

The sideline went crazy.

But then it was called back for an illegal block

Murray is running for his life, and just got knocked down again

[Randy Crone]

Joe-
Do you have a Durant/Plant City update?

[Joe Smith]

This could be it.

Plant QB Aaron Murray, scrambling for his life, trying to make a play on 4th and long, was chased down by the ferocious Hawks linemen

Hawks take over first and 10 at plant 35....look for Hawks to run out the clock...

[Joe Smith]

Plant City took 14-13 lead with under 20 sec to go

[Tom Whelan]

How much time left in Plant Armwood game?

[Joe Smith]

East Bay won 24-7

Hillsborough up 36-13

[Randy Crone]

East Bay 24 Riverview 7 -Final

[Joe Smith]

Armwood is up 18-7 with 7:14 left

Armwood driving on Plant 30 yard line....just short of a first down

3rd and 1

[Joe Smith]

The difference in this second half is Armwood's defensive front. They've been rushing four, with ends Sergio Joyner and Ryne Giddins putting constant pressure on Murray

Murray has had to pull a Houdini act most of the time, trying to run around, buy time. But no dice...

Derek Winter has been awfully quiet in second half. I don't think he has a catch...

[Joe Smith]

This one's over, folks.

Eric Smith ran for an 18 yard TD, his second of the game. Relatively untouched on the left sideline

The Armwood offensive line - Patchan, Eric August, Gorostiaga & Co are taking over...

Sherman Jessie finishes off with two points conversion

26-7 ARMWOOD with 5:57 left

[Joe Smith]

We've got some finals

Middleton wins

TC beat Ocala Trinity Catholic 10-0...big win for the Crusaders

[Joe Smith]

Armwood star lineman Matt Patchan just picked up his second personal foul penalty.

That means Patchan is ejected from the game..

He's getting an earful from his coaches now..

A third and he'd be forced to sit out the next game.

[Joe Smith]

Ridgewood beat Hudson 26-7

[Joe Smith]

Key number for the night - 7

The number of times Armwood sacked Murray, including four in the second half....

There's 2:15 left, Armwood is on Plant's goalline, trying to punch it in

[Times Editor]

Okay, that's it. Final score; Armwood 26, Plant 7.

Does this now END the whining, crying and complete temper tantrums we have had to endure. Bye Plant, Enjoy the memories. Come back when you've earned the honors and aren't resting on your laurels.