#2 PLANT PANTHERS (9-2) at #6 LAKELAND DREADNAUGHTS (8-2)
When: Friday, November 20, 2015, 7:30 P.M.
Where: Bryant Stadium, 1125 N Florida Avenue, Lakeland, FL 33805
TV: BHSN (Channel 47 and HD 1147)
Coaches: PLANT- Robert Weiner (131-26-1, 13th Season) LAKELAND- Bill Castle (394-84, 40th Season)
How they match up:
Two of the top high school programs in the state meet in a win-or-go-home second round playoff matchup. Neither team will be overwhelmed by the big stage with ten state championships between them. Plant has won a Tampa Bay area best eleven straight district titles, while Lakeland’s string of 23 consecutive trips to the postseason is the second longest streak in state history. Head Coach Robert Weiner’s Panthers enter this mega matchup with momentum. They’ve won six straight games, including last week’s 35-24 victory over Kathleen in the first round of the playoffs. Junior quarterback Dane Frantzen (888 pass yards, 8 TD, 3 INT, 622 rush yards) has done a remarkable job of running the offense after senior Syracuse commit Rex Culpepper tore his ACL in the preseason. Frantzen has had some help from junior Kyle Trina along the way. The Panthers do a great job of getting the ball in the hands of their playmakers, including junior wide receiver Whop Philyor (47 receptions, 672 yards, 5 TD). Plant’s defense is as solid as you’ll find in the Sunshine State. Senior linebacker and Army commit Joe Ryan (111 tackles, 9 sacks) is a tackling machine and incredible leader who had four sacks against Kathleen last week. Junior linebacker Thomas Allen (84 tackles, 5 sacks), the son of USF defensive coordinator Tom Allen, and 3-year senior starter Scoop Bradshaw at safety are also dynamic defensive playmakers.
Another legendary coach leads Lakeland (5 straight wins) on the other sideline. Bill Castle has 394 wins and six state championships in his 40 years with the Dreadnaughts. And he has plenty of talent to work with again. Lakeland’s offense features 4-star junior running back A.J. Davis, an explosive senior running back with offers from schools like Florida, Florida State, Auburn, Clemson, and Ohio State. Davis (1345 rush yards, 10 TD in 2015) had his best game of the season last week (195 rush yards, kickoff return TD) in a dominant 55-26 win over Sickles in the first round of the playoffs. Lakeland junior quarterback Holden Hotchkiss (1449 pass yards, 14 TD, 8 INT) has a pair of talented receivers to throw to in junior James Robinson (4th ranked junior receiver in the nation- 698 receiving yards, 7 TD) and senior Tariq Young (611 receiving yards, 6 TD). FIU commit Matt Kramer (6 sacks) anchors a strong defensive line, while leading tackler Danquaris Longs (80 tackles) is a big hitter with great football instincts.
Three Facts to know:
1. STARTING AND FINISHING- Lakeland gets off to fast starts, and the Dreadnaughts also have a knack for finishing games late. Lakeland has outscored opponents 135-33 in the first quarter and 103-42 in the fourth quarter.
2. STOPPING THE RUN- Plant’s destructive defense has been incredibly tough against the run this season. The Panthers are giving up just 42.8 rush yards per game in their nine wins. That average includes a pair of teams that were held to negative yardage against Plant: Wiregrass Ranch (-40 rush yards) and Freedom (-19 rush yards).
3. PREPARING FOR NOISE- The Panthers didn’t specifically prepare for the hostile environment of Bryant Stadium this week. Plant didn’t need to do anything differently. The Panthers have blasted music from speakers at each 30 yard line in practice all season long to get players accustomed to concentrating in loud game conditions. Head Coach Robert Weiner even plays music during quarterback meetings so his players can learn to process information through distractions.