Sunday morning quarterback: Super 7
1. Plant (7-1): Panthers topple Armwood for the first time since 2009 and strengthen their hold on top spot.
2. Robinson (8-0): Knights cross the bay and come back with their record unblemished and contender credentials established.
3. Hillsborough (7-1): Have to feel for Terriers, who won the district title on the field but may have to compete in a tiebreaker (see story at left).
4. Durant (8-0): Cougars clinch 7A, District 8 title and appear headed for 10-0.
5. Armwood (6-3): Even in defeat, the Hawks are encouraged by their offensive progress against Plant.
6. Wharton (6-2): Wildcats host Alonso next with a playoff berth at stake.
7. Jefferson (4-4): Dragons finally get back to .500 (on the field) after enduring a rugged slate to start the season.
In the conversation: Tampa Bay Tech (6-2), Sickles (5-3), Alonso (5-3), Tampa Catholic (6-2), Gaither (6-2)
Ticket punched
County teams that have clinched playoff spots:
• Plant (8A-6 champion)
• Durant (7A-8 champion)
• Hillsborough (6A-8 champion)*
• Armwood (6A-8 runnerup)*
• Robinson (5A-8 champion)
* If Jefferson is found to have used an ineligible player and forfeits wins, Hillsborough and Armwood may have to play a tiebreaker involving Sickles.
Unsung
Guys we should've appreciated more:
Armwood DL Zeric Coleman. He had two sacks, a handful of QB pressures and generally wreaked havoc on Plant's usually prolific offense. Armwood held the Panthers to 169 yards, fewer than half their average.
Hillsborough CB/RB Jeremiah Green. The senior made the most of his few opportunities on offense in a 46-7 rout of King. Green had four touches, scoring three times: a 35-yard run, a 27-yard catch and a two-point conversion.
Spoto RB Andrew Henry. Filling in for injured starter Eric Moate, the senior fullback rushed for 111 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries in a 13-3 win over Lennard.
Steinbrenner LB Logan McKnight. He made a one-handed interception at the Wiregrass Ranch 10 and returned it for a TD.
Tampa Bay Tech K Austin Miller. The senior made field goals of 22, 27 and 42 yards in a 37-point romp over Freedom.
By the numbers
18 Combined margin of victory in the last four Chamberlain-Gaither games (each has won two)
156 Games Armwood has played since it last lost consecutive games, dating to September 2001
339 Yards by which Tampa Bay Tech outgained Freedom by in its 37-0 win. The Titans finished with 410 yards of offense and held the Patriots to 71.
Compiled by Joey Knight and Joel Anderson, Times staff writers
Audibles
"I tell you what, our defense has been maligned over the last couple of years, but they were big today. … Our defense came up huge in this game." — Lane McLaughlin, Carrollwood Day coach, whose team allowed one fourth-quarter first down to Indian Rocks Christian
"We had seven or eight players quit, we were without our middle linebacker, (leading rusher) Xavier (Johnson) went down in the first half and we just kept believing. The next man needed to step up and that's what we do." — D.J. Mayo, Chamberlain coach, on his team's 19-17 upset of Gaither
"This is the game I've been looking forward to more than John Curtis, more than Jesuit, more than all those other teams. I'm happy to go out as a senior beating Armwood," — Reeves Rogers, Plant S/LB after the Panthers notched their first win over Armwood since 2009