Haven Pierce Haven Pierce is a junior at Plant City High School where he plays wide receiver for the Raiders. He is coming off a solid game vs the Durant Cougars, with three receptions, 38 receiving yards, and a touchdown! How long have you been playing football? I have been playing football for about 8 […]
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Durant Cougars Win Season Opener Against Lake Gibson
The Sunshine State didn’t bless local high schools with good weather for their season openers. The start of the Durant game was delayed due to weather and it rained the entire first quarter, but following that, it was good football weather. The Cougars won the coin toss and deferred to Lake Gibson. The Braves started […]
Continue ReadingPOLE VAULTER SOARS
Measure the distance to your point of take off Set markers along the runway to make sure your steps fall on just the right spots Grab a 14-foot pole in both hands Sprint down a runway carrying the pole at a 35-degree angle Plant the end of the pole in a steel box set into […]
Continue ReadingPLANT CITY KARATE KIDS
If you’ve never seen the movie “The Karate Kid,” you can experience it in real life at Chris Welbon Karate Clubs, located at 204 N Mobley Street in Plant City. Here, you will find people training for martial arts through Kumite fighting, weapons Kata, bo staff, nun chucks, and more. Chris Welbon is the owner […]
Continue ReadingAthlete of the Week 08.29.24
Emma Jones Emma is a senior at Plant City High School where she is on the Varsity Cheer Team. How long have you been cheerleading? I’ve been cheerleading for 10 years. What’s your favorite thing about Cheerleading on game days for football? My favorite thing is dancing with the band or doing ‘hey burrito’ with […]
Continue ReadingDurant Rolls Over East Bay
Friday night lights are back! August 16 was the first of many high school football games set to be featured for the next few months, so stay tuned to the Plant City Observer. It started with a preseason game, the Kickoff Classic, where the Durant Cougars hosted the East Bay Indians. The preseason allows both […]
Continue ReadingAthlete of the Week 08.22.24
Kristien Cook Kristien is a senior at Durant High School where he plays running back for the Cougars Varsity football team. How long have you been playing football? This will be my fifth season playing football, four years in high school and one year in Little League. Have you always played running back or have […]
Continue ReadingFormer Local Athlete Makes NFL Debut
Millions of American youngsters strap on shoulder pads and other protective gear to play America’s favorite sport: football. Of those, a little more than a million play high school ball. That figure whittles down to approximately 77,000 college football players at NCAA-member schools. When talking about the number of active players in the National Football […]
Continue ReadingAthlete of the Week 08.15.24
Hunter Johnson Photo courtesy of Mindi Johnson Hunter Johnson, a 13-year-old 8th grader at Turkey Creek Middle School, plays baseball for the Florida Burn-Lions. What position do you play in baseball? My primary position is catcher, but I’m a utility player and play wherever the coaches need me. Do you have a favorite all-time sports memory? […]
Continue ReadingDurant Cougars 2024 Football
Following success in a historic postseason run last year, the Durant Cougars, under the leadership of head coach Claybo Varnum, will begin their season ranked No. 15 in division 6A. Varnum, a Durant football alum, has been at the helm of the program since the 2021 season. Before that, he was an assistant coach for […]
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