+ Dolphins invited to champions event
Although the Plant City Dolphins have played plenty of football over the past few weeks, the UYFL tournament was not their swan song for 2013.
Both the Pee Wee and Varsity squads have been invited to compete at the Under Armour-sponsored Game Day of Champions Dec. 21, at Raymond James Stadium — the biggest stage they will have played on all year.
Coaches were informed Dec. 11, but kept it a secret from the players until the UYFL championship games were played Dec. 13.
Game Day of Champions is free for spectators. According to Raymond James Stadium’s website, the start time is pending.
For more information, visit raymondjamesstadium.com.
+ Local squads continue winning
Most Plant City-area schools won their games this week, and a few of the teams won big.
The Strawberry Crest girls chalked one up in the “win” column Dec. 10 with a 10-0 rout of Spoto. Five Lady Chargers picked up at least one goal in the contest, but it was freshman Frances Cruz and sophomore Angie Conde scoring seven of the goals. Cruz scored four, while Conde added three.
The boys also fared well in their matchup with the Spartans, winning 5-1. That win snapped a two-game tie streak and was the first game the Chargers won since Nov. 14, at Bloomingdale.
The Plant City Lady Raiders’ offense has cooled off a bit since the four-game, 45-goal stretch, but they still are winning. Following Dec. 10’s 8-0 home win against Lennard, in which Diana Corzine, Ericka Lott and Stephanie Galloway each scored two goals, the team traveled Dec. 13, to Hillsborough and picked up a 3-0 win.
The boys also have been playing well lately, beating Lennard 3-2 and shutting out Hillsborough with a 4-0 win. Their hot streak couldn’t have come at a better time, after dropping the first four games of the season, and the Raiders are now 4-0-1 since Nov. 18.
Durant was the only high school that didn’t win its soccer games this week, but the boys did manage to tie, 2-2, against district leader Newsome. The Lady Cougars, on the other hand, lost 2-1 to a 13-0-0 Lady Wolves squad that hasn’t allowed more than one goal in any game.
+ College championship coming to Tampa
You may not have thought about your plans for 2017, but here’s something to mark on the calendar.
The College Football Playoff Group, in conjunction with the Tampa Bay Sports Commission, announced Monday the 2017 College Football National Championship Game will be held at Raymond James Stadium. The official announcement was made in the stadium’s East Club that afternoon.
“Tampa Bay is a terrific destination with a beautiful stadium and a community that is committed to hosting big events in a gracious and thorough manner,” Bill Hancock, executive director of the College Football Playoff, said. “We are very happy with the facilities, the creative proposal and the commitment of support from community leaders.’”
The 2015 title game will be held in Arlington, Texas, and the 2016 game will be held in Glendale, Ariz.
The Chick-fil-A Bowl and Fiesta Bowl will hold the 2017 playoff semifinals, and the title game itself will be played Jan. 9.