PLANT CITY — Plant City coach Wayne Ward didn’t sound like he had plans on making a change at quarterback, but backup Austin Carswell gave him plenty of reasons for security. Carswell came on in the third quarter and led the Raiders on a nine-play drive, capped off by Sterling Day Jr.’s 2-yard touchdown run that was the difference. Sophomore Cade Weldon made his debut for the Dragons, finishing 15-of-26 for 171 and a touchdown, despite several drops from his receivers.
Drive of the game: The Raiders took over at the Jefferson 13, trailing 12-7, but starting quarterback Corey King fumbled on the third play and Jefferson recovered. Plant City forced a punt and Carswell accounted for 27 of the 60-yard drive that resulted in Day Jr.’s TD.
Play of the game: Jefferson took a 6-0 lead on Quinton Rogers’ second-quarter interception. Rogers jumped an out route along the sideline and raced 25 yards for the score.
Star of the game: Junior tailback Markese Hargrove ran for 103 yards on 12 carries including a nifty 55-yard run to the Dragons’ 1 in the second quarter.
Final word: “Corey just needs to settle down and make the plays. He has the tools, he has the capability. But it’s nice to have a kid like Austin who can come in and run the show like he did.” —Ward