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Football: Plant 42, Freedom 3

 
Published Oct. 19, 2018

TAMPA — Plant bested Class 7A, District 8 opponent Freedom 42-3 behind six turnovers from its defense and three touchdown passes from junior quarterback Tucker Gleason.

The Patriots (3-6, 1-4) ate up six minutes on their opening drive that lasted 10 plays, but Plant's defense hung tough.

What ensued was a fine display of football from the Panthers (7-1, 5-0).

Gleason took his side down the field in six plays, finding senior wide receiver Britt Barksdale for a 7-yard touchdown strike. Plant converted the two-point conversion on a Leonard Parker run.

Three plays later, sophomore defensive lineman Ty Love recovered a fumble for the Panthers. Gleason got the Freedom defense to bite on a fake handoff that left Parker open for a 19-yard touchdown pass just a minute after the recovery. The two-point conversion failed and Plant went ahead 14-0.

"We've played such good defense the past two weeks. It was good for the offense to carry the mantle for the first couple of drives," Plant coach Robert Weiner said. "Then our defense kicked back in. I thought we had a bad middle of the game. We had a pretty good start and a pretty good finish, so there will be a lot for us to work on."

To open up the second quarter, senior athlete Smoke Mungin finessed in for a 5-yard touchdown run to put Plant in front 21-0 at the 9:40 mark.

A minute later, junior safety Dylan Barry hauled in an interception, taking it back for six on a 28-yard return. The two-point conversion succeeded, making the score 29-0.

His defensive counterpart, Barksdale, recorded a fumble recovery and a late interception along with his receiving score.

Weiner has taken notice in the duo.

"Dylan (Barry) got us started. It is interesting to talk about them together," he said. "They never bring attention to themselves. It is great for those guys. Both have played super football for us. I couldn't be happier for their big plays."

Freedom junior kicker Jose Batista connected on a 35-yard field goal with five minutes left in the first half to put the Patriots on the board.

No scoring came in the third quarter, but Plant was quick to add a touchdown to start the fourth.

Senior running back Walter Wilbon hurdled a few defenders on a 10-yard touchdown grab. That marked Gleason's third and final touchdown pass of the night.

"(Tucker) got hit way more times then we'd like him to get hit," Weiner said. "So we have to clean that up a little bit. It is part of his competitive nature. He's a feisty guy. On that final drive, he scored with the team, I could have taken him out, but I wanted to see his competitive response there. He is probably the nicest human being off the field, but he turns a switch when he steps across the line."

Plant backup senior quarterback and versatile pass catcher Jude May punched in for a 7-yard touchdown run with 7:07 left for the final margin.

For Freedom, senior linebacker Kale Gargan and junior defensive back Dontae Johnson each produced an interception. Senior defensive back Zachoiry Carnegie had a fumble recovery.

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The other two Plant turnovers came on an interception each from senior defensive back Cameron Shaw and senior linebacker Isaac Sames.

Next week, the Panthers host Wiregrass Ranch (6-2, 4-1) for the district title. The Bulls fought hard against Plant a season ago, losing 56-36.

Weiner wants his group to live by the motto "rise to the challenge" this week in preparation of Wiregrass Ranch.

"Coach (Mark) Kantor is a great coach and they are very physical. They have a great scheme on both sides of the ball," Weiner said. "They play physical and they play fast. They are absolutely a team to be reckoned and we have to play our best football next week."