The Raiders are looking to build upon last year’s success and get back into the playoffs in 2019.
“Confident” is the right word to describe the Plant City Raiders heading into the 2019 regular season.
Coming off of a successful 2018 that saw a 9-2 record (6-0 district) and a return to the playoffs, slowly becoming a transfer destination and still featuring Hillsborough County’s most dangerous threat to score, the Raiders are optimistic right now. Head coach James Booth believes they have every reason to be.
“I like where we’re at,” Booth said. “I like where our kids are at. We’ve got a lot of guys that came out and filled roles we had lost going into this season, so we’re happy with them.”
You could look at it as a particularly strong take considering the caliber of players this team has to replace.
Plant City lost several quality receivers to graduation and must also work on solidifying offensive line depth, but the team’s biggest loss overall may have been at quarterback. They didn’t lose just any signal-caller: they lost Guy Toph winner and first-team all-state senior Braxton Plunk. Hillsborough County’s best quarterback just gave his team as good a season as you could ask for — he appeared in all 11 games, threw for 2,602 yards and 26 touchdowns (against just five interceptions) with a near-60 percent completion rate and added two rushing touchdowns while commanding one of the top offenses in the county. The question of who would replace Plunk in 2019 loomed large over the program last year.
Enter Makenzie Kennedy, who will be the second former Strawberry Crest quarterback Booth has coached at PCHS. Kennedy, who started for the Chargers last season, didn’t put up much in terms of passing in 2018 but showed the ability to extend plays and move the chains with his legs. His running ability will add some new wrinkles to Booth’s playcalling, as Kennedy is more of a natural runner than Plunk was. Booth added that Kennedy has been an apt student of the offense and has made big strides since summer in terms of grasping what the PCHS offense will need him to do.
“Understanding pass concepts, who we’re trying to attack and where we’re trying to attack, he’s picked a lot of that up going through our summer in 7-on-7s he’s been a part of,” Booth said. “It’s given him confidence understanding where we want to go with the football, and then just working on timing.”
Replacing guys like Chris Wilson, De’Qwan Myers and Maurice Morris at wideout will be Seffner Christian transfer Melek Ford (who will also play defensive back) and returners Reagan Ealy (also a special teams contributor) and Brent Coton. One guy Booth is happy to not have to replace is Mario Williams, whom Booth calls the “best player in the county and, really, the country.” Williams is a dynamic playmaker who could get open against most high school defensive backs with his speed alone, but also has the route-running ability to separate from the faster, smarter DBs. When you have a player like that, who is a threat to score whenever he touches the ball on offense or special teams, you’re never really out of a game — hence virtually every big-time college program you can think of fighting for his NLI next February.
“That’s what we’re trying to tell Makenzie,” Booth said. “We’ve got a guy who’s a legit playmaker. Just give him a chance with the ball and I think good things are gonna happen. Just put him in a position where he can be successful after the catch.”
Plant City is working on building offensive line depth — likely to come from two-way players — to help returning running back Zamir’ Knighten in his last high school season. Knighten blossomed into a 1,000-plus yard rusher in 2018 and kept defenses honest while adding nine touchdowns on the ground. He’ll likely get more involved in the passing game.
Defensively, the Raiders’ biggest challenge was finding a way to make up for the loss of one of the county’s best linebacking groups. D.J. Gordon IV, Ashton Mincey and Kobe Panier are now playing college football, which left a huge hole in the defense. Booth has a plan, though. Keyshawn Green has moved over from defensive end and 2018 backup Tanner Gibbs has worked his way up into a starting job. Antron Robinson will start for the fourth consecutive season, setting the edge opposite Hillsborough High School transfer Latarus Wanser. Booth believes that, while losing three key ‘backers to college football can hurt a team, Plant City’s group looks “better across the board” this season.
“It looks at this point that we’re not really missing a beat, and that says a lot about what those guys are doing as far as coachability and the scheme that we have,” Booth said. “I like what they’re doing and what the outside linebackers are doing.”
Bookending the defensive line will be returning DE Emmanuel Baez, whose move to the position worked well for PCHS last year, and Hillsborough transfer Jimmie Pettis. There is a little uncertainty at defensive back — specifically who will start at cornerback opposite Williams — but Booth believes the team will be able to figure that out.
“I like our starting group,” Booth said. “We’re trying to build depth a little bit with some guys going both ways to give us instant depth. But on both sides of the ball, we really like our starting group.”
Chris Rodriguez, who won a baseball state championship with Williams in the spring, returns as the team’s kicker. Tyreke Harrison’s kick-blocking prowess will be missed on special teams, but Booth has a lot of confidence in the return game with Williams, Knighten and Ealy. Long snapper Jackson Knotts, who has played in exhibitions and camps around the country, is also back for his fourth year.
Plant City is most likely to compete for a district title against Lakeland. Booth says the Raiders are ready for any challenge thrown their way this year, but that renewing an old rivalry makes 2019 a little more special for everyone involved: players, coaches and fans.
“They (fans) used to play in that game and be a part of it, so it’s exciting for them to get some Polk County schools (Lakeland and Kathleen) again and renew that rivalry,” Booth said. “Who wouldn’t want to play a state championship team? You play at Plant City to play those games. I’m excited about the challenge.”
No matter what the schedule looks like — and it’s a doozy this year — the Raiders aren’t lacking in self-confidence and welcome any challenge against any opponent. Even if the road to the playoffs goes through a 2018 state champion, the culture and state of the program inspire confidence in the team.
“At this point, the buy-in’s been great,” Booth said. “I feel we’ve got guys that can go in and compete.”
THE RUNDOWN
Location: 1 Raider Place, Plant City
Established: 1914
Head Coach: James Booth (3rd season with team)
Offense: Spread
Defense: 3-4
2018 Record: 9-2 (6-0 district)
SCHEDULE
Note: All games scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. District games marked with *.
8/23: @ Jesuit
8/30: @ Tampa Bay Tech
9/6: vs. Gaither
9/13: vs. Lakeland*
9/20: @ East Bay*
9/27: @ Bloomingdale*
10/4: vs. Armwood
10/11: @ Strawberry Crest*
10/18: vs. Kathleen*
10/25: vs. Durant* (Battle for the Redman Cup)
11/1: BYE
THREE TO SEE
Emmanuel Baez, DE
You did well last season at a new position. How do you feel about the way things are looking this time around?
I’m feeling pretty good. The team’s looking good. We’ve got a lot of kids coming back from last year, so there’s a lot of momentum from going to the playoffs last year, understanding what it takes, a lot of them already have that mindset… we’re ahead of where we were last year, in a sense.
How are you handling your leadership role as a senior?
I’m trying my best to handle it. Most of the team, they’re younger than me but they like to clown with me because I’m cool with them and all that. But when we come out here, I go ahead and let them know we’ve gotta be about business. A big thing on our team is that everybody’s held accountable for your job that you’ve got to do.
Where have you improved the most at DE?
Probably my strength. I gained over 10 pounds this summer and my bench max increased by a lot. My teammate was clowning me because he got bigger than me, a little bit, but I gained a little weight and strength.
Zamir’ Knighten, RB
Big season for you last year. Where do you see yourself at, as a running back, right now?
This summer, all my bench and things went up by 10 pounds. I squatted 500 pounds and put on more than 10 pounds this summer. I’m feeling pretty good.
How has that changed your game, if at all?
I feel like I’m an every-down back. I mean, I was last year. But now I feel like I could do it every play and not come out of the game.
What are your expectations for the season?
Same goal. State championship. That’s the main goal. We take every game one by one and try to go undefeated each game.
Mario Williams, ATH
You really made a name for yourself last year and got a ton of attention. Has all that press changed anything for you?
I’m coming back harder. It’s gonna be a movie this year.
Where have you grown as a player from last season to now?
My legs, I’ve been in the weight room working out a lot. I’m walking around school and everybody’s like, “Oh, you’ve gotten bigger.” I’m trying to not have just one guy be able to take me down this year. I’m trying to have everybody have to take me down.
How do you stay humble and keep your head when you have more big-time college offers and spotlight on you than most?
I actually come out here and have a great time… I’m basically the same. Just because I have offers, that don’t mean nothing. Everybody puts on their pads the same way. That’s how I think about it. Everybody wakes up and brushes their teeth and does the same stuff. So, why am I different? Like, OK, I know I make big plays. Anybody can make a big play. I don’t mean nothing, man, I just know that in my head, that I’m going to college and I can succeed in life. I don’t care who makes the play.
