Hillsborough High is preparing for a packed house on Friday night as the #2 ranked Plant Panthers travel to Chelo Huerta Stadium. Rumors are floating around HHS campus that the #3 ranked Terriers may “Blackout” (wear all black uniforms) for the oldest rivalry in Hillsborough County. Earl Garcia is Hillsborough County’s winningest active coach, sitting at 187-73-0 while Plant High head football coach Robert Weiner has blessed the Plant following with 3 state champions. This game has been dominated by PHS in recent years as Plant has won the last 4 meetings between the schools. But the Terriers have dominated this series 41-28-7.
No national names this year such as Jarred Fayson, Aaron Murray or James Wilder. However, neither team lacks star power or good football players. Both teams will rely heavily on a good running game and discipline special teams. Hillsborough’s Anthony Brown and Plant’s Paris Bostic will see plenty of carries at RB. Both teams boast a stingy defense; Hillsborough shutout Middleton last week and Plant keep a talent rich Jesuit bunch to 20 points. All the talented players such as Hillsborough’s Jeremiah Green, Earl Moore, Jordan Sherit and Plant’s James Few, Wesley Bullock and Antonio Crawford, will be blanketed by two experienced coaching staffs who have coached at the highest level, in the biggest games and for a long time.
The game Friday is hopefully not a repeat of the 2009 game that was never played due to inclement weather conditions that could have been due to the Terriers unleashing the Black uniforms for the first time ever in school history. Could have been a bad night for the Panthers (Hillsborough High grad writing this). But, if this game is played, it will be the 77th match up between the two and the 6th meeting between the current head coaches.
HILLSBOROUGH VS. PLANT
1927 Hillsborough 44-0
1928 No game
1929 Tie 6-6
1930 Hillsborough 13-0
1931 Plant 12-7
1932 Hillsborough 12-0
1933 Tie 0-0
1934 Plant 14-0
1935 Hillsborough 15-7
1936 Tie 0-0
1937 Hillsborough 14-6
1938 Plant 7-0
1939 Hillsborough 15-12
1940 Plant 19-7
1941 Tie 7-7
1942 Hillsborough 19-7
1943 Plant 7-0
1944 Hillsborough 21-0
1945 Hillsborough 43-0
1946 Hillsborough 26-0
1947 Hillsborough 7-0
1948 Hillsborough 38-6
1949 Hillsborough 39-7
1950 Hillsborough 6-0
1951 Hillsborough 7-0
1952 Plant 20-13
1953 Hillsborough 13-7
1954 Hillsborough 13-0
1955 Plant 6-0
1956 Tie 0-0
1957 Hillsborough 19-0
1958 Plant 14-13
1959 Tie 0-0
1960 Hillsborough 13-2
1960 Plant 12-0 (Conf. Championship)
1961 Hillsborough 12-7
1962 Hillsborough 14-7
1963 Plant 26-14
1964 Plant 7-6
1965 Hillsborough 14-13
1966 Tie 14-14
1967 Hillsborough 10-7
1968 Hillsborough 16-7
1969 Plant 3-0
1970 Plant 14-3
1971 Hillsborough 37-3
1972 Plant 24-0
1973 Plant 28-21
1974 Plant 35-20
1975 Plant 29-13
1976 Plant 35-14
1977 Plant 15-11
1978 Plant 35-14
1979 Plant 13-6
1980 Plant 7-0
1981 Plant 15-7
1982 Hillsborough 35-14
1983 No game
1984 No game
1985 Plant 14-8
1986 Plant 24-14
1987 Hillsborough 27-7
1988 Hillsborough 18-14
1989 Hillsborough 42-14
1990 No game
1991 No game
1992 Hillsborough 28-0
1993 Hillsborough 15-13
1994 Hillsborough 49-18
1995 No game
1996 No game
1997 Hillsborough 43-0
1998 Hillsborough 29-0
1999 Hillsborough 41-20
2000 Hillsborough 34-13
2001 Hillsborough 42-14
2002 Hillsborough 28-6
2003 Hillsborough 40-14
2004 Hillsborough 26-11
2005 Hillsborough 31-14
2006 Plant 28-21
2007 Plant 35-16
2008 Plant 44-28
2009 No game
2010 Plant 20-13
Hillsborough leads series 41-28-7