Two dominant s in Ja'Quez Estera and Connor Purcell are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Plant Panthers will take on the Steinbrenner Warriors at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Plant will be strutting in after a victory while Steinbrenner will be coming in after a defeat.
Plant will roll into the contest after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up seven points last Friday, then bounced right back against Sickles on Friday. The Panthers blew past the Gryphons 64-0. The win continues a trend for the Panthers in their matchups with the Gryphons: they've now won seven in a row.
Special teams was a major factor in the game for Plant, racking up 26 points in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Davie Rolle, who ran a punt back for a touchdown. Another bright spot was a kickoff return touchdown from Darryon Williams.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Plant's defense and their four sacks. That dominant display was truly a team effort as four different players picked up one apiece. Cedric Rogers got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Steinbrenner was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their eighth straight loss. The game between the Warriors and Palm Harbor University didn't end well, with the Warriors falling 35-17.
Plant will need to focus on slowing down Jorge Mercado, one of several Steinbrenner players who made an impact when they last played. He picked up 59 receiving yards and a pair of TDs. Steinbrenner also got help from Chance Robertson, who showed off his sure hands for 84 receiving yards.
Plant's victory bumped their record up to 4-5. As for Steinbrenner, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-8.
Everything came up roses for Plant against Steinbrenner in their previous meeting back in November of 2024, as the team secured a 56-0 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Panthers since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
