Raiders capture 5A state soccer championship

Caleb Roberts spent his entire high school athletic career trying to do something that hadn’t been done since 1982: bring a state championship to Plant City High School. On Saturday, he finally achieved the goal — as a coach — in front of hundreds of screaming fans.

The Raiders won the FHSAA Class 5A state boys soccer championship in DeLand in a closely-contested battle with the Miami Beach Hi-Tides, a game that blew through two scoreless sudden death overtime periods and came down to the final penalty kick in that round.

“The whole city needs a champion,” Roberts said. “There’s a lot of kids in our school that do great things.”

Leonardo Acosta’s goal in the 32nd minute of play put Miami Beach ahead, 1-0, and often looked as though it may have been the only goal of the game. That’s no dig at the Raiders, though — Plant City’s offense found more success in the game’s second half and created numerous open scoring chances. The only problem was that no Plant City shots could find the back of the net from any angle of attack, and that certainly wasn't for a lack of trying.

As the clock crept closer to zero, frustration on the Raiders' faces became more visible. But the team finally ended its scoring drought with 2:29 left on the clock on a Paulino Ramirez header that electrified the team and the army of Plant City fans in the Spec Martin Stadium bleachers. Plant City’s defense held strong through the end of the half, then stopped the skillful Hi-Tides offense in back-to-back sudden death periods.

“That’s the way a state championship’s supposed to be, right? Just two even teams getting after it,” Roberts said.

Going into the fifth and final pair of penalty shots in the game’s final period, both teams had the same result: two consecutive goals, followed by two consecutive saves. Plant City’s David Jalomo saved Miami Beach’s fifth attempt, meaning all the Raiders had to do was put one past the Hi-Tides’ keeper to win.

Ricardo Rosales answered the call.

Plant City High School’s 36-year state championship drought is over, thanks to Rosales’s last shot and, of course, the “all-in” mentality displayed by the team.

“We got it. We made history,” forward Eric Ugarte said. “It’s gonna go down in the books. I’m pretty sure we’re all gonna get down and sit together and eat breakfast one day, and just talk about this season.”