I was hoping that the 2014 Battle for the Redman Cup would be an all-time classic — maybe an impromptu “gift” for my one-year work anniversary — and it might have been one.
But, that depends entirely on how you feel about rain games. That night, the weather was such a factor in the on-field product that I was sure everyone at Durant would have to board Noah’s Ark immediately following the game.
If you ask me, the final minute of play made up for all of the rumblin’, stumblin’ and fumblin’ that marked the rest of the game. That was intense.
There’s more to talk about here than just that one minute, though, so let’s get down to business as usual.
Durant rolled out a set of brand new navy blue jerseys for this game and, judging by the home crowd’s reaction, they were a hit. This was the second time that I’ve gone to a game and learned that a team got new unis (the other being Strawberry Crest in the opener), and I think these new blues are the best-looking jerseys in the district. For full disclosure, I like anything that looks like Notre Dame football.
Before the game, Durant’s announcer read a prepared statement from the West Coast Umpires Association and the West Coast Officials Association, regarding the current hot-button issue of football players that commit acts of domestic violence.
“Let’s pledge to keep our hits on the field and stand up against domestic violence and dating violence,” it read.
I disagreed only with the part that mentioned standing “in solidarity with the National Football League” to help fix this problem. I’m not convinced the NFL is doing anything but playing dumb to cover its own backside. Still, this was a good message for the players and fans to hear.
Two of the first plays were fumbles that led to turnovers. The first was also the only time Plant City crossed midfield in the first half, but Durant’s defense — specifically, Tanner Jurnigan — stole it right back on the next play. If the weather was dry, and the Cougar D still played that well, then Durant might have had a two- or three-score lead going into the second half. That unit is nasty.
I can confirm that Durant kicker Derek Wells, arguably one of the most consistent legs in the county, has a cannon just above his foot. On his first attempt, a successful 30-yarder, he nearly kicked it to the baseball field. It brought back memories of watching Maikon Bonani kick balls at insane lengths for Lake Wales High School back when I was a teenager.
Just before halftime, Plant City running back Markese Hargrove took a pretty hard shot to the back and, after spending quite some time on the ground, walked off on his own power and didn’t re-enter the game. The injury wasn’t serious — a set of bruised ribs — and he was practicing in full pads Monday afternoon. That’s as sure a sign as any that he’ll be playing in the Sept. 26 game.
Speaking of Hargrove, it was his replacement — sophomore Ge’Shawn Parker — that scored on a 10-yard run with 54 seconds to play, putting Plant City back in the game during crunch time. Definitely not a bad outing for the young guy. It seems like Plant City’s always got great depth at running back, and this year is no exception.
Durant running back Crispian Atkins is our Athlete of the Week, and for good reason, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Plant City linebacker Patrick Colleran, who finished with 18 tackles (11 solo) and three forced fumbles. That was probably the best performance I’ve seen at the position all season, thus far, and will likely still be at or near the top in November.
P.S.: You know how there’s always something you tell yourself you’re going to do one day, but you keep putting it off until you have a problem? I’ve been telling myself I’d buy a raincoat or an umbrella for several months now, and it only took me a quarter and a half to realize I was dumb to gamble on the weather clearing up. I’m hoping that, by the time you read this, I will have finally bought my own umbrella.