The Braden River Pirates were able to weather what would have been the storm of the century, or at least the 2018 football season, at 1 Raider Place Friday night.
Plant City rallied in the fourth quarter to cut away at a three-possession deficit but couldn’t regain its offensive rhythm at the end of the 28-23 loss to Braden River.
The Raiders’ defense played well, forcing an recovering three fumbles in the first half, but the Pirates were still able to build a lead. Braden River running back Brian Battie, who picked up more than 200 yards rushing, scored early in the first quarter after the Pirates blocked Braxton Plunk’s punt and recovered at the Plant City 10. Three plays later, Battie hit paydirt to give the Pirates a 7-0 lead. Chris Rodriguez nailed a 27-yard field goal to cut the lead to 7-3 shortly after a Mario Williams touchdown catch was called back on an illegal formation penalty, but Battie broke off a 60-yard run with 3:21 left in the first half to put BRHS up, 14-3. Plunk and the Raiders drove to the Pirates’ 15 near the end of the first half but defensive back Mark Davis picked him off at the goal line to prevent any further PCHS scoring in the half.
Williams scored his first touchdown of the night with 4:22 left in the third quarter, a 40-yard grab that set the score at 14-9, but Battie only needed two minutes to get downfield and score on a 27-yard run.
The Raiders’ next drive went as far as the BRHS 11-yard line, but the offense couldn’t click any further and the defense forced a turnover on downs at the same spot. Williams gave Plant City another chance to score with another huge catch, setting Plant City up with a first down at the Pirates’ 10-yard line, but the BRHS defense forced yet another turnover on downs deep in their own territory. With a 21-9 lead firmly in hand for Braden River, the energy at 1 Raider Place seemed all but gone.
Williams worked some more magic to pull the Raiders within five points with 4:35 left in the game, returning a punt to the house to make it a 21-16 game, and things looked even better for the Raiders when Braden River botched the kick return and got a penalty to set up shop around its own 1-yard line. It didn’t matter — on the first play of that drive, Battie found a hole in the middle of the line and bolted 99 yards for a score with 4:09 to go. Heads started to hang and fans started to file out of the stadium.
The Pirates started to get careless right when the Raiders started to find an offensive groove. Shortly after Chris Wilson made a big catch to Braden River’s 31-yard line, the Pirates picked up an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that put Plant City at their 16-yard line with plenty of time to score. The Raiders didn’t need much, though — Plunk and Wilson linked up on the very next play for a 16-yard touchdown, cutting the lead to 28-23 with 3:44 to go.
Braden River’s next drive started with a kick return getting blown up at its own 8-yard line and ended a minute and a half later with a punt to the Pirates’ own 42-yard line. Plant City had two minutes to go 42 yards and score.
Plunk’s first two pass attempts to De’Qwan Myers were incomplete, and the third pass to Maurice Morris was stopped just inches short of a first down. The Raiders handed the ball to Zamir’ Knighten for a quick run up the middle to pick up the first down and he came close, but the referees’ measurement didn’t work out in the Raiders’ favor and the Pirates were able to kneel the rest of the clock out.