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David Ruiz battles for a ball.
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Eric Ugarte advances the ball through Bloomingdale's defense.
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Bloomingdale and Plant City didn't give each other any easy possessions.
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Eric Ugarte chases down a ball to give Plant City a chance on offense.
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Plant City and Bloomingdale played tough on both sides of the ball.
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Ricardo Rosales keeps the ball moving.
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Paulino Ramirez scored the game-winner for Plant City early in the second half.
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Plant City players react after Paulino Ramirez's goal.
Two of the top teams in the Tampa Bay area clashed at 1 Raider Place Monday night, and the home team earned a tough win.
Plant City and Bloomingdale, making up a game originally scheduled for Nov. 17, found themselves in a physical, defensive battle broken up only by Raiders midfielder Paulino Ramirez’s goal in the 43rd minute. Ramirez’s fifth goal of the season came when he maneuvered the ball past Bulls keeper Will Steck and put it in from close range.
Both teams are currently at the top of their respective districts. Plant City has not lost or tied a game all season and sports an 11-0 record, leading the Class 5A-District 6 field with a 5-0 record. Bloomingdale has a respectable 12-2-2 record and is also undefeated in its district with a 6-0 record in Class 4A-District 9 play. They each have two games left on their schedules before entering district tournament play next week.
Plant City will host Spoto tonight and Plant on Thursday, with both games starting at 7 p.m. Next week’s district tournament will be held at Strawberry Crest and begins at 5 p.m. Jan. 30. The championship game will be played at 7 p.m. Feb. 2.
