By Matt Mauney | Associate Editor Chris Wilson does his talking on the football field and in the classroom. The 12-year-old doesn’t say much, but his play speaks loudly. Wilson has seven offensive touchdowns in his last two games with the Turkey Creek Trojans Midgets. He also had 18 tackles in those games and returned […]
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Teams preparing for district tournaments
By Matt Mauney | Associate Editor Area golf teams will tee off early next week in Class 2A District 10 tournaments, and while only a few teams have a realistic shot at advancing to regionals, several individuals have the chance to qualify. On the girls side, both Plant City and Durant will be looking to […]
Continue ReadingGAME OF THE WEEK 10.11.12: Football Familiarity
By Matt Mauney | Associate Editor When John Kelly’s team takes the field Friday, emotions will certainly be running high. That’s because on the opposite sideline will be Armwood High, Kelly’s alma mater. It’s also the school where he served as an assistant for the past two seasons — while maintaining his teaching position at […]
Continue ReadingPODCAST: Gridiron Report ‘ Week 7
The Plant City Observer brings you the seventh installment of our new weekly podcast, the Plant City Observer Gridiron Report, breaking down high school football match-ups in the Plant City area for the entire 2012 season. Associate Editor Matt Mauney is the host of the podcast, which features a weekly “Game of the Week,” with an in-depth preview […]
Continue ReadingPHOTO GALLERY: Durant vs. Plant City Fans
By Michael Eng | Managing Editor Scattered thunderstorms didn’t squelch school spirit during the Durant vs. Plant City rivalry game Oct. 5, at Durant.
Continue ReadingPHOTO GALLERY: Plant City at Durant football
Durant improved to 5-0 Friday night with a 22-7 win over city and district rival Plant City. The Cougars rushed for more than 200 yards in the win and the Durant defense made key stops and forced turnovers to swing momentum. The win puts Durant (5-0, 2-0) in a two-way tie with Newsome for the […]
Continue ReadingDurant defeats rival Plant City, 22-7
By Matt Mauney | Associate Editor For the first time in four years, the James L. Redman Memorial Cup is going back to Durant. The Cougars beat rival Plant City 22-7 Friday for the first time since 2008 in the sixth installment since the rivalry trophy was introduced in 2007.
Continue ReadingATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Lexi Thompson
By Matt Mauney | Associate Editor Durant’s Lexi Thompson had a huge night Oct. 2, in the Lady Cougars 3-0 win over rival Strawberry Crest. The junior outside hitter had 27 kills on the night, bringing her season total to 148. She leads Durant in that category, as well as aces, and is in the […]
Continue ReadingTomlin archers take aim at tourney
By Matt Mauney | Associate Editor Every afternoon, in the Arthur Boring Civic Center on the Strawberry Festival grounds, 30-plus Tomlin Middle School students gather to test their archery skills.
Continue ReadingSHOW ME THE MAUNEY: Rivalries provide extra excitement for athletes
By Matt Mauney | Associate Editor Rivalries are special. No matter the sport or the level of competition, rivalries bring out the passion and excitement that make sports great. When I took this job and began researching our Plant City schools, the first result I came to was a photo gallery of last year’s football […]
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