The Newsome Wolves headed to Plant City on Friday, coming away with a 44-20 win and their first district title since 2011.
Plant City took the opening kickoff but were quickly forced to punt after just three plays. After taking over, Newsome wasted no time getting on the board. Near midfield, facing a third down, quarterback Christian Bishop found receiver Tanner Easley over the middle. Easley broke a tackle and made it down inside the Plant City five-yard line.
Running back Jason Albritton found the end zone to give Newsome a 6-0 lead.
On Plant City’s ensuing drive they were once again facing third down from deep inside their own territory when a strip sack gave Newsome a short field, setting them up at the 12-yard line. Albritton scored again quickly and Newsome was up 13-0.
Plant City answered back. After driving down to the Newsome 23-yard line, the drive stalled out and the Raiders were left staring down a fourth-and-three. Quarterback Clint Danzey took the snap, left the pocket and found a hole up the middle where he took off for the 23-yard touchdown run and closed the gap to 13-6.
Following Plant City’s touchdown, Newsome took over. With another Albritton touchdown and a field goal as time expired in the second quarter, Newsome took a 23-6 lead into halftime.
In the second half, Newsome scored 14 more unanswered points to lead 37-6 before the Raiders broke through again with a 30-yard touchdown scored on a screen pass to Romello Jones, leaving it 37-13.
With under five minutes remaining, each team tacked on one final touchdown to seal the 44-20 final, with Albritton punching in his fifth touchdown of the night and Danzey tossing a 32-yard score to Zykee Joyce.
With the win, Newsome moved to 7-2 and remained undefeated in district play at 2-0, claiming the 8A District 10 title with one game left to play. And now at 5-4 on the season, Plant City sits at 2-2 in the district, right alongside 2-2 Plant and 2-2 Durant who all hold matching records after Plant upset Durant by a score of 24-21 on Friday.
Plant City currently sits at 2-2 in the district, putting them in third behind 2-2 Durant in the 8A District 10 Standings. A win in their season finale on Friday against Lennard, in addition to a Durant loss, could leave them as high as second.