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Football: Plant City 23, Jefferson 14

 
Published Sept. 5, 2015

PLANT CITY — Chase Lott hit a 30-yard field goal to break a 14-all tie in the fourth quarter as Plant City defeated Jefferson 23-14 . Senior running back Markese Hargrove had a huge game on the ground while Jefferson struggled to find an identity on offense with starting quarterback Cade Weldon sidelined for the season.

Key drives: Hargrove scored his first touchdown at the end of the first quarter to tie the score at 7-all. On Jefferson's next drive, sophomore quarterback Matthew Gaffney was intercepted by Peyton Collins. The Raiders started on their own 20 and drove downfield with a 46-yard pass from Corey King to Hargrove the key play on the drive. Hargrove scampered in from 2 yards to give Plant City a 14-7 lead.

Stars of the game: Hargrove carried 31 times for 223 yards along with his two touchdowns. The speedy senior is the centerpiece for the Raiders (1-1). Hargrove chipped in 46 receiving yards as the Dragon defense had no answer for him. Collins ended with two interceptions for Plant City, while Tammarion Faison returned an interception for a touchdown on the game's final play. For Jefferson (0-2) Markeem Bell notched two sacks while Tyrese Spain gained 77 yards on 18 carries as a wildcat quarterback. Spain and Mondreas Lofton scored rushing touchdowns for the Dragons.

Stat of the game: Jefferson quarterbacks Spain and Gaffney were a combined 3-for-9 with three interceptions, while Raider signal caller Corey King also finished 3-of-9 with a interception.

Final word: "Cant say enough about Markese Hargrove. He is what some would call an undersized back, but watch the way he runs. He is anything but that when it comes to heart" — Plant City coach Greg Meyer