By FRANCIS FEDOR
Sumner traveled to South Tampa and left with a 19-13 win over Plant High School. The Plant Panthers came into the game with a 2-2 record with one of those games a close loss on the road at Tampa Bay Tech, 15-7. Prior to that loss, the Panthers had demolished Robinson at home, 59-0. The Stingrays were coming off a last minute win over Newsome the week before.
The ’Rays came up big again to move to a game over .500 at 3-2 with a huge win on the road in the heart of Tampa over the Panthers. After starting the season at 0-2 with a difficult scheduling draw, the team has now rattled off three straight wins, with two of those in enemy territory. The Plant win was especially satisfying as the Panthers were the team that came to Sumner and ended its 2023 playoff run with a heartbreaking 20-14 loss. Plant was also responsible for Sumner’s 2022 playoff exit with a 37-34 home win. The players have changed, but the win over the Panthers is a measure of success against a team that the Stingrays easily could have defeated in those playoff games with a break or two going their way.
The Stingrays used a big strike pass offense to account for all of the scoring. Tasean Robinson was the beneficiary of those long strikes. The junior is having a big season and has compiled 456 yards receiving with five TDs and is the favorite target of Antonio Balaguer. Balaguer hooked up with Robinson for the first TD of the game on a 71-yard play in the first quarter.
The duo connected again for an 84-yard TD to extend their lead to 13-0 in the second quarter. The Panthers came back to tie the game at 13 going into the fourth quarter, setting up another fantastic finish for the ’Rays in back-to-back games.
This time it was again Robinson being on the receiving end, but with Jeremiah Jones making the throw, going for a 62-yard touchdown. Senior Jones is also a highlight reel player from both sides of the football.
Sumner has righted the ship after the first two games and is now on a roll. The Stingrays stay on the road to face the Plant City Raiders on Sept. 27 before returning home to the Tank to open October, facing the Lakeland Dreadnaughts on Friday, Oct. 4, at 7:30 p.m. Both Sumner and Plant City bring 3-2 records into the game, and Sumner has momentum. The Raiders lost a 1 point game to Steinbrenner, after crushing a number of South Shore rivals at Spoto 61-24 on Sept. 6 and then defeating Riverview the following week in Plant City, 54-7. The Stingrays will be looking to stay on a roll and end the string of South Shore defeats at the hands of the Raiders.