Panthers Rebound from Armwood, Dismantle Bloomingdale 53-7

"We had the best practice we've had all season on Monday," said Plant Panther head coach Robert Weiner.

Weiner was concerned about how his team would react after a . The week leading up and the opening of Friday night's game against Bloomingdale (4-5, 0-3 Class 8A-District 6) cleared any doubts.

The Panthers (8-1, 3-0) were up 8-0 very quickly. Junior running back Wes Bullock ran one in to make it 15-0, and the rout was on.

Final score: Plant 53, Bloomingdale 7.

"Including last week and going into this week, Wes has done a great job of fighting through and breaking tackles every time he touches the ball," Weiner said.

Junior running back Paris Bostick followed Bullock's score with a 50-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 22-0.

The Panther defense did its damage, too. Junior linebacker Mitchell Wright ran an interception back for a touchdown, and the first-team defense blanked Bloomingdale. It wasn't until late in the blowout that the Bulls finally reached the endzone.

"Our trademark now is the way our defense flies around the football," said Weiner. "We like to imagine it's raining tacklers."

"The defense sets our tone, energy, and enthusiasm."

The Panthers host South Tampa rival Robinson (8-1, 7-1 Class 5A-District 8) in the regular season finale on Nov. 10.

Bloomingdale wraps up its regular season Nov. 10 at Riverview.