The most anticipated showdown in Plant City-area sports is back.
Durant and Plant City’s annual football rivalry game, the Battle for the Redman Cup, will be played tonight on the Raiders’ home turf. What sweetens the deal is that both schools have more to play for than just a trophy and bragging rights in 2017 — this outcome will have legitimate playoff implications no matter who comes out ahead when the clock runs out.
DURANT
For the Cougars, this one’s about defense.
On one hand, “defense” refers to an actual defense of the trophy the team won last year by outscoring Plant City, 16-6. A win for Durant would be the first time either school has successfully defended the Redman Cup since Plant City did it back in the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons.
On the other hand, “defense” refers to Durant’s ability to contain Plant City’s new-look, pass-heavy offense. Head coach Mike Gottman said the Cougars have been working diligently to be ready for everything from bubble screens to deep vertical attacks to be thrown at them.
“They run doubles and trips, so what are they trying to do with the football — that’s the biggest thing is recognizing what they’re trying to do … they do a great job mixing it up,” Gottman said.
Though Durant’s defense is young, the unit has played well all season. But after the Cougars were stunned in an 18-15 overtime loss to East Bay, Gottman and his team have been careful not to let their guard down — as Lennard found out in Durant’s 40-3 blowout win last week.
Linebacker Tanner Jurnigan, who has played in the last three games of the series, said keeping everybody focused on the task at hand is top priority.
“They’re a good group of guys,” Jurnigan said. “They’re athletic and they want to learn, so that helps out a lot.”
But even he will admit the hype that comes with playing the Raiders, the hype for the biggest rivalry game of the year, can be contagious.
“It’s always the best game,” he said. “When you play a rival team you can throw out the records. It’s all just a blood battle. I’m just looking forward to the energy, all the fans. There’s gonna be a lot of people there. It’s gonna be a good time.”
PLANT CITY
Meanwhile, Plant City head coach James Booth is hoping the Raiders can make history repeat itself. Since a different team has won the trophy in each of the last five games, Plant City would be next up for a win in that pattern.
Booth isn’t superstitious enough to bank on a win because of that, though — especially not after the team snapped a three-game win streak with a 48-7 loss to Armwood. But he and the Raiders are treating that one as a “learning experience” to prepare for another tough customer in Durant.
“I heard a lot about it coming in, especially on the interview,” Booth said. “It’s a tradition-rich rivalry that everybody here that’s familiar with this territory wants to win … that competitive spirit’s pretty high up in here. I’m excited for it.”
Booth hopes Plant City will be able to establish the run against the Cougars in addition to getting the Braxton Plunk-led passing game back on its feet after the Armwood outing.
But if anyone involved with this series can be described as a “man on a mission,” it’s the guy whom the Plant City announcer team has started calling “Abdullah the Butcher.”
Senior linebacker Amir Abdullah, who believes he is probably not related to the legendary hardcore wrestler, has never been on the winning side of the Redman Cup game. Unlike most of his teammates, he’s been on both sides and knows the stakes as well as anyone who’s ever played in the series.
“Everywhere you go it’s people asking you if you play football,” Abdullah said. “You say yes and they’ve either got a ‘Beat Durant’ shirt or a ‘Beat Plant City’ one on. You’re either with us or against us.”
Abdullah attended Durant for his first two years of high school and moved up to the varsity football team in his sophomore year. He transferred to Plant City in his junior season and, following last season’s 16-6 loss, hopes the fourth time’s the charm.
“This is my last chance to redeem myself,” Abdullah said.