Jay Feely is taking his best man in an upset

So, on my way to the Tampa Catholic game tonight, I ran into Dolphins kicker Jay Feely. I figured he'd have a rooting interest in tonight's Crusaders game, given the fact that he starred at arch-rival Jesuit in high school.

But Feely was more interested in the Plant-Armwood game. Turns out, he and Panthers coach Bob Weiner are close friends. In fact, Weiner was the best man in Feely's wedding. Their relationship goes back to Weiner's days as an assistant coach at Jesuit, where he helped with the offense and special teams.

Feely, of course, went on to kick at Michigan, then broke into the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons. Weiner, meanwhile, made a stop at Crystal River, then landed at Plant, where he led the Panthers to the state title last season.

I told Feely I expected Armwood to win.

"Don't count (Plant) out," he said.

For the record, Feely is predicting a 24-20 Panthers win. The Dolphins, by the way, look to snap their 0-11 start against the Jets Sunday. A Panthers upset and a Dolphins win? It's a little far-fetched, but it sure would make a good weekend for Jesuit alums.

--DAVID MURPHY, Times Staff Writer

dmurphy@sptimes.com

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