Plant City High School just put the “4” in “4A – District 9.”
A perfectly executed corner kick with 2:59 to play helped the Lady Raiders win a thriller against East Bay, 3-2, that got increasingly physical as both teams grew desperate for a game-winner. The win secured Plant City its fourth consecutive district title.
Plant City took an early lead at 33:25 with a goal from Ariel Navarrete, which was answered 25 minutes later by East Bay’s Zoe Haeck. The Lady Raiders were able to come up with a 2-1 lead just before halftime, when Samantha Gutierrez drilled in a goal from the right side in stoppage time.
Things got rough in the second half, as players began both cramping and playing rough. Defensive stop after defensive stop kept the score at 2-1 until 6:42, when East Bay corralled a rebound off of the post and slipped the equalizer past Plant City keeper Taylor Michael.
Fortunately, Plant City got the last laugh when Kylee Burroughs played a corner kick perfectly, dropping in the dagger for the Lady Raiders at 2:59.