Senior running back Wes Bullock welcomed starting quarterback Aaron Banks back to action by taking the load off of Banks’ injured shoulder and leading Plant to a 22 – 12 victory over district foe Alonso. Bullock ran for just shy of 200 yards on 17 carries to lead the Panthers to the win.
The game showed all the signs of being a defensive slugfest early on as Plant punted on its first two possessions and Alonso did the same on its first possession. However, on its second possession of the night, Alonso was able to drive the ball 70 yards for the first score of the game. Alonso began the drive with a 17-yard reverse by Brandon Robinson. The drive was kept alive by a defensive holding penalty against Plant on a 3rd and 8 and was punctuated with a 29-yard touchdown pass from Brandon Hawkins to receiver Derius Davis. Panther defensive lineman Chandler Reed blocked the extra point and the Ravens had a 6 – 0 lead over the visiting Panthers.
Alonso’s defense came up strong again, forcing another Plant punt. However, this one bounced off an Alonso player and was recovered by the Panthers close to midfield. Plant shook off a couple of penalties to move the ball down to the Raven 20 yard line, a Banks pass to sophomore receiver Clarke Miller covering most of the real estate. From there, Bullock picked up the remaining yards on three carries, punching it in from the 2 yard line for the score. Will Few added the PAT to give Plant a 7 – 6 lead.
After forcing Alonso to punt on the ensuing possession, Plant put together another scoring drive, primarily behind a strong offensive line and the legs of Bullock. With just under 5:00 minutes remaining in the first half, Bullock broke past the Raven’s defense for a 40 yards TD run. The 2-point conversion failed and Plant had a 13 – 6 lead.
The Panthers forced another 3-and-out and started their next drive on their own 45 yard line. Bullock and Banks traded carries to move the ball downfield, with Banks getting the final carry – a 1-yard QB sneak for the touchdown. The extra point attempt failed, but Plant had built up a 19 – 6 lead. Alonso managed to move the ball downfield in the waning seconds of the first half, but saw a 4th down pass fall incomplete just before the half ended.
The second half began like the first, with the two teams combining on three possessions that ended with punts. Following Alonso’s second punt of the half, Plant took over on its own 45. On the first play of the drive, Banks was stripped of the ball and Raven defenseman Sean Lengyel grabbed the ball and rambled 42 yards for an Alonso touchdown. The kick was blocked again, this time by Mitchell Wright, but the Ravens had closed the gap and trailed 19 – 12.
Any thoughts that Alonso might have momentum on its side were wiped away on the ensuing kickoff when Plant sophomore Jordan Reed returned the kickoff 70 yards to the Ravens 25 yard line. Plant picked up one first down, but when they were unable to draw Alonso offsides on a 4th and inches, Few split the uprights with a 32-yard field goal on the final play of the 3rd quarter.
Neither team was able to put any points on the scoreboard in the fourth quarter, but Bullock was certainly able to add to his yardage behind runs of 40 and 20 yards. Ravens quarterback Brandon Hawkins was able to connect on a few short passes during the final period. However, on critical plays, Plant managed to keep the pressure on Hawkins and, more importantly, managed to contain running back Ish Witter, who finished the night with 50 yards on 20 carries.
Plant stays undefeated in district play, while Alonso falls to 1 – 1, with a crucial showdown looming with Wharton.
– Bob Barnes