You would either have to be living under a rock or really do not care about sports to not know that Armwood is in some deep stuff. The doors have been kicked open and the whole nation is awaiting the fate of the 2011 6A state title.

Hey, but supporting or defending the accusation on the Hawk football team is not what we are concerned with. So, in the midst of the bad numbers that have been spilled in the investigation report, we felt this may be a good time to interject and post some numbers that are fact and darn impressive.

The saying goes, “If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em”. By the investigation report, that seems to have been what took place. How does Plant get lumped into this whole deal? We don’t know other than that there is at least one person in the world that would like Plant to suffer the same fate.

Since the organization of the FHSAA playoffs in 1963, Armwood and Plant are two of the five Hillsborough Count state champions. Yet, the county has produced a total of 12 championship contenders and a Hillsborough county team has played in the final game of the season each year since 2001.

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FINALISTS
1963 2A Robinson Runner-Up
1968 1A Jesuit Champions
1969 2A Brandon Runner-Up
1969 1A Blake Champions
1969 1C Pinecrest Champions
1971 4A Robinson Runner-Up
1992 3A Jesuit Runner-Up
1996 6A Hillsborough Runner-Up
2001 5A Chamberlain Runner-Up
2002 5A Wharton Runner-Up
2002 4A Jefferson Runner-Up
2003 4A Armwood Champions
2004 4A Armwood Champions
2004 3A Jefferson Runner-Up
2005 4A Armwood Runner-Up
2006 4A Plant Champions
2007 2A Tampa Catholic Runner-Up
2008 4A Plant Champions
2009 5A Plant Champions
2009 2B Tampa Catholic Runner-Up
2010 5A Plant Runner-Up
2010 4A Armwood Runner-Up
2010 3A Jefferson Champions
2011 8A Plant Champions
2011 6A Armwood Champions

PINELLAS COUNTY FINALISTS
1975 1A Shorecrest Runner-Up
1976 1A Shorecrest Runner-Up
1984 3A St.Petersburg Runner-Up
1986 5A Dunedin Runner-Up
1986 4A Tarpon Springs Runner-Up
1987 5A Dunedin Runner-Up
1995 5A Dixie Hollins Runner-Up
2011 2A Admiral Farragut Runner-Up

PASCO COUNTY FINALISTS
1992 3A Pasco Champions

The dominance of Armwood and Plant is extremely engulfing. Sean Callahan’s record is currently 196-72 overall after taking over as head coach of the Armwood Hawks football program in 1990. In his first 6 seasons Callahan won just 40% of his games, posting a 24-36 record with only 2 winning seasons. It was not until Callahan’s 12th season that the Hawks won their first district title and 13th season until the Hawks won their 1st state title game.

Since Armwood’s first state title game victory, the Hawks have been virtually unpenatralble by the other Hillsborough County teams and almost unstoppable by any opponent. Under Callahan, Armwood has a total of 10 losses (1 forfiet loss), just 4 of those are to Hillsborough County teams (’04 forfiet to Middleton, ’05 Hillsborough, ’08 and ’09 to Plant).

Plant has had the entire state scratching their heads. No longer is it a case of “No way! They can’t get there [Championship Game] again”, but it is expected.

Robert Weiner took over as head coach at Plant in 2004. That season, the Panthers lost 7 of 10 games, pounded by 30 or more points in five go those seven games. Since then, the tide has changed its course.

Robert Weiner is 91-18 overall in just 8 seasons, currently sitting at the #11 spot on the Hillsborough County’s winningest coaches list behind Brian Thornton (96-80-0 at East Bay 1994-2010). In 2005, Plant started a snowball; finishing 9-3 and crowned district champions (Last district title 1999, overall 5-6 record under Darlee Nelson). It is well documented what happened in 2006 and after.  But, what many are probably unaware of is that Plant has lost just 8 games since winning the state title in 2006; 8 total losses, 5 of which were at the hands of the Armwood Hawks. The only other Hillsborough County team to defeat Plant was the 2009 Tampa Bay Tech. Titans.

Callahan and Weiner, combined, have totaled 287 wins and 90 losses. Since each team’s 1st State Championship (’03 Armwood, ’06 Plant) they have won 199 games, only having been defeated 17 times.

It is not our job to condemn or protect any team in our coverage area. But, the fact of the matter still stands: some teams have been good and few have been really good.

Armwood and Plant by the numbers overall: