Don’t tell the Eagles they were supposed to lose. Don’t tell them that Plant City had the district wrapped up. Don’t tell them that Tyrell Garner is all they have offensively.
An already hectic 7A-8 district became even more uncertain. A 48-36 Brandon victory forced a three-way tie at the top of the district.
“For us, it was a must-win,” Brandon coach John Lima said. “We had to win this one to have a chance to win district and then we needed some help. We put ourselves in a position to possibly be first and we needed help from other people, but I think it guarantees us either a first or second spot for now.”
A win from Durant over East Bay is the help that Brandon needed.
Eagles’ quarterback Alan Knippel had the game of his life. He was a perfect 10-for-10 for 151 yards and two touchdowns. The humble senior credited his receivers and offensive line while noting that he was not sacked – not even touched – once all game.
Brandon (4-4, 3-1) featured a two-headed rushing attack. Tyrell Garner tallied 123 yards and two touchdowns (he also had a passing TD and intercepted a pass) while Cyrus Dooley ran for 101 yards and two touchdowns.
Facing a 35-0 deficit midway through the third quarter Plant City (8-1, 3-1) mounted a nearly improbable comeback. Without Dazmond Patterson, who only had one carry due to an apparent ankle injury, quarterback Bennie Coney put the ball in the air 42 times. That is not a mistake. Coney was 19-42 for 329 yards. The senior notched five touchdowns and threw two interceptions.
Plant City hosts Newsome next week. Brandon will host East Bay.
Impact Players:
Alan Knippel; The Brandon QB came into the game completing 40% of his passes. He had just 209 yards and three touchdowns through seven games. Knippel was a perfect 10-for-10. He threw for 151 yards and two touchdowns.
Brandon offensive line; Not to be lost in the shuffle of Knippel’s fantastic game is the work his offensive line. Not only was Knippel not sacked, but after the game he looked like he was ready to take his team picture – He didn’t have even a spot of grass on him because he was never even hurried. The BHS O-Line was dominant, simply put.
Tyrell Garner did everything. He ran for 123 yards and two touchdowns. He threw a 37 yard touchdown. He intercepted a pass. He was a factor in nearly every play.
Isiah Harris was a huge asset for the Eagles defense. He notched two sacks and hurried Coney on a number of times. Harris was the only Brandon defender who tackled Coney in a one-on-one situation and he for the most part kept the Raiders in check up the middle.
Bennie Coney; In a losing effort the Plant City quarterback still put up unbelievable numbers. He, at times, held the ball too long. He missed some open receivers. He threw a couple interceptions BUT he still threw for over 300 yards and five touchdowns.