Many people in Plant City expected district runner-up Bloomingdale to meet up with the Raiders in the first round of the FHSAA playoffs, but that wasn’t meant to be on Selection Sunday.
What the Raiders did get is a more interesting game with a familiar foe.
Friday will mark the first time since 2015 that Plant City and the Braden River Pirates have met up for a showdown at 1 Raider Place. Their last matchup was also in the regional round, but the stakes were much higher: Greg Meyer’s Raiders squad, then riding an 11-game win streak, were playing Curt Bradley’s Pirates for the regional championship and a state Final Four berth. Plant City lost, 17-7.
It’s definitely on the minds of several PCHS seniors who were around for that game as freshmen: Tyreke Harrison, D.J. Gordon, Ashton Mincey, Austin Kaczmarek, Demije Hollins and Kobe Panier. Things were going so well for the Raiders until the Pirates figured out how to shut down PCHS running back Markese Hargrove and the offense, holding the team to just one score for the first time since the team’s 49-7 loss at Armwood in the Aug. 28 season opener.
Bradley is still in charge of the BRHS program and is once again bringing a strong team into town. The Pirates have scored 31 or more points in eight of their 10 games and their two losses — to Trinity Christian Academy and Venice — came by a combined eight points. This was also the first season ever where the Pirates were able to beat Plant City head coach James Booth’s former school, Manatee, in a 41-31 shootout.
The Pirates have a capable quarterback in senior Bryan Gagg, who’s thrown for 1,792 yards and 19 touchdowns against just four interceptions, but the offense tends to go as junior running back Brian Battie goes. Battie has put together an impressive junior campaign with 1,692 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns on the ground, and the Pirates will have to rely on him as much as ever now that three-star senior wideout Knowledge McDaniel (436 receiving yards, team-high 11 touchdowns) is ineligible for postseason play. The FHSAA punished McDaniel in August after learning he stayed with a BRHS booster following his grandmother’s eviction from her home, which enabled him to stay at Braden River for his senior year instead of having to transfer to Southeast High.
Braden River’s defense isn’t the team’s strong suit by any means. The team allowed fewer than 20 points in just three games this year and its two shutout wins — back-to-back games against Lakewood Ranch and North Port last month — came against teams with a combined three wins on the season. Lakewood Ranch went 0-10 and North Port finished at 3-7. But there are some players the Raiders need to be aware of at all times: linebacker Taylor Pawelkoski, who leads the team with five sacks, three forced fumbles and 14 tackles for loss, and defensive back Jean Lugo-DeJesus, who has a team-high 14 passes defended, two picks, two fumble recoveries and one blocked punt.
On paper, the Raiders have a clear edge on defense and special teams. Offense is where things get tricky. Can the Raiders slow down arguably the best running back they’ll have faced in 2018? Would the Pirates’ shorthanded offense be able to respond if Braxton Plunk and Plant City’s high-powered offense get in rhythm?
All eyes are on the Raiders this Friday night. But if any team is ready to make a statement and prove any doubters wrong, it’s the 2018 7A-District 9 champions.