It was a memorable but exhausting week for the four Plant City Police Department (PCPD) officers that travelled to North Port along with 42
Tampa Police officers and two Tam pa International Airport officers to assist with hurricane relief efforts in some of the state’s hardest hit areas.
PCPD Sergeant Paul Tester and Officers Justin Castro, Vincent Wise and Samuel Shireling, all members of
MICHELLE CACERES STAFF WRITER
1997.
It was the year the Academy Award winning movie Titanic premiered, cat apulting actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet to stardom; the year Prin cess Diana was killed in a high-speed car crash in a Paris tunnel.
It was also the year the Plant City Strawberry Classic Cruise-in rolled into downtown. Presented by The Greater Plant City Chamber of Com merce, the third-Saturday monthly event celebrated 25 years of bringing classic auto collectors and enthusiasts together to share their passion for vin tage rides.
While the smell of barbecue and kettle corn wafted through the air and classic tunes played over the sound system, it was all about the cars. There wasn’t a Civic or Corolla in sight on the street that day.
posal.
Improper disposal of medications can end up in drinking water sources. In homes that use septic tanks, prescription and over-the-coun ter drugs flushed down the toilet can leech into the ground and seep into ground water. In cit ies and towns where residences are connected to wastewater treatment plants, drugs poured down the sink or flushed down the toilet can pass through the treatment system and enter rivers and lakes then flow to community drink ing water supplies.
Removing unwanted medications from your home helps prevent them from being lost, sto len or misused, thereby preventing medication misuse and opioid addiction from ever starting.
PCPD’s Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT), returned home safely Friday afternoon for some muchneeded rest and recovery.HUNDREDS OF CLASSIC CARS ON DISPLAY IN DOWNTOWN PLANT CITY MADE FOR A FUN AFTERNOON.MICHELLE CACERES STAFF WRITER
Robby Jordan of Smokin’ Aces BBQ & Steakhouse, located at 2509 N. Park Road, has teamed up with the folks at Keel Farms, located at 5202 Thonotosassa Road, to host a Pet Supply Drive, dubbed “Stuff the Smoer Trailer for Our Furry Friends”, benefiting the Humane Society of Tampa Bay as it deals with an inundation of animals post-Hurricane Ian.
“Our goal is to stuff our oncession trailer full of goodies to drop off,” said Jordan.
The Humane Society’s wishlist, posted on their website, www.humanesocietytampa. org, includes items such as Dawn dish soap, cat litter, canned pate cat food, puppy pads, dog biscuits, dry and canned puppy/dog and cat/kitten food, laundry pods and towels.
Collection bins are set up at both businesses. Donors can drop off iems between now and November 13.
“This town is full of animal lovers so I hope we can get good traction on this,” said Jordan.
Laughter may be the best medicine but it's also a great way to raise money for the Martin P. Carroll Scholarship Fund that awards three students a $2,000 scholarship annually.
Comedians Luke Trotta and Chris Gorges graced the stage (a.k.a. The Chuckle Hut) at the Plant City Elk's Lodge, located at 1501 North Alexander Street, where their zingers caused 89 guests to fill the lode with howls of laughter. Hosted by the Ladies of Elks (LOE), the annual event also included family-style appetizers at every table, a door prize, a cash bar, a 15-item silent auction and ticketed drawings for jewelry, toys, clothing, gift cards and more.
"We raised $3,400 and that's after expenses,” said LOE president Bette Guarino. The scholarships will be awarded in May to one student each from Durant, Plant City and Strawberry Crest High Schools.
Attendee Virginia Brobst Thar rinton was grateful to all who made the event possible. "We always have a great time," said Tharrington. "The Ladies of the Elks put on a fist-class event.”
MICHELLE CACERES STAFF WRITER
Instead, the parking lots near Union Station Depot and its sur rounding streets were lined with approximately 485 vehicles, including an antique Ford Model T, Edsel Pacer, Oldsmobile Cutlases, Pontiac Silver Streaks, Chevy Supras and Novas and classic muscle cars like Chevy Corvettes, Camaros and Mus tangs. There was even a Plymouth Road Runner on display.
Chairman of the car show committee Paul Gaska, who has been involved with the show for six years, said it was a great turnout to commemorate the occasion. “Even though there were a couple other shows happening the same day, including one in Lakeland, we had a fantastic turnout,” he said. “It was a day of camaraderie and fun for automobile enthusiasts.”
Gaska is not just the show’s chairman but also a car enthusiast as well. He brought along his fully-restored black 1977 Pontiac Trans Am, identical to the vehicle Burt Reynolds drove in the popular action film Smokey and the Bandit. Reynolds even sat in the car and autographed the vehicle’s passenger-side dashboard.
Plant City resident Randy Harrison has been exhibiting his vehicles at the show since its inception. At the first show he had five cars on display. While he has a cavernous, air-conditioned garage filled with antique Plymouths, Dodges and Cadillacs, last Saturday, he only brought one…his black 1950 Chevy Starline. Its odometer sits at 29,000 original miles.
His girlfriend, Cindy Doles, said it took him days to wash, wax and buff the vehicle to a glossy shine.
“I like to take care of my vehicles,” he joked. “They’re my kids.” His “kids” steal the show. Before showing up at the Plant City car show in the afternoon, he took the vehicle to a car show in Lakeland, where it won Best in Show.
Dover resident Donnie Moore displayed his 1963 Jeep CJ3 at the show.
“I didn’t want to just sit around my house and watch football all afternoon, so I decided to come out and display my car at the show,” he said.
His family purchased the Jeep in 1976 from the State of Florida and for years used it to tool around in the Everglades. It sat idle for 17 years until he restored it after his dad passed away.
“Cars are memories,” remarked Moore.
Lithia residents and attendees Daniel, Susan and Christina Nel son agree. They’ve been attending the Plant City Strawberry Classic Cruise-in for years.
“I grew up coming here,” said Christina.
For her mom, Susan, seeing a 1967 Chevrolet Camaro SS brings her back to the days of her youth.
“I had one of those cars growing up,” she recalled. “I had a job and used my own money to have it painted green and put new tires on it.”
She joked that Plant City police officers were always waiting for her to drive through town with it, making sure she wasn’t speed ing. No promises with a car like that.
“This show just brings back so many good memories,” said Susan.
All in all, it was a good day to be a classic car collector or enthu siast in Plant City. At the end of the show, 55 Award of Excellence trophies were presented to stand-out automobiles.
Gaska is grateful to those who help make sure the event is a suc cess every month, including John Mekita, who works with him at his mobile DJ company, this month’s guest judge Jody Summey and Sparky, who runs the chamber tent. He and his crew usually arrive by 10 a.m. to set up.
“It’s a major undertaking to set up the tents, tables and banners and spread 26 loudspeakers throughout downtown,” he said. Even though it’s a lot of work, he hopes the show continues another 25 years.
“As long as the Chamber presents it, I’ll be here,” he said.
1300 block of Tahitian Sunrise Dr Residential burglary: An officer met with the employee of a building company who advised that he noticed two sliding glass doors missing from the home while securing it for the hurricane on Sept. 27.
700 block of W. Madison St. Shooting into occupied dwelling: An officer responded to a residence at the listed location and met with the victim in reference to bullet damage to the residence.
1100 block of S. Collins St. Warrant/drug arrest: Officers observed an individual sitting in front of a business at the listed location. An FCIC/NCIC check reviewed an active Hillsborough County warrant for violation of probation. Both officers made contact with the individual and the warrant was confirmed by HCSO. The individual was charged with possession of a controlled substance and violation of probation and transported to Orient Road Jail without incident.
S. Collins St. / E. J Arden Mays Blvd.
Habitual traffic ffender arrest:
Officers conducted a traffictop on a vehicle for non-working taillights and made contact with the driver. The individual was subsequently placed under arrest and transported to Orient Road Jail without incident.
2600 block of Thonotosassa Rd. Warrant arrest: Officers responded to a call from a business at the listed location regarding an individual that fell down at the doors of the establishment. The officer made contact with the individual as he sat in the driver’s seat of a truck. The tag attached to the vehicle was provided to dispatch and returned stolen out of Polk County. The individual provided a false identity which returned no information and a finerprint check later con-
firmed the individuals identity, uncovering an active warrant out of Hillsborough County and an active warrant out of Polk County. Another officer responded as an additional unit and took primary of the investigation, subsequently transporting the individual to Orient Road Jail for booking.
2600 block of James L. Redman Pkwy.
Resisting arrest without violence/ disorderly conduct: An officer responded to the business at the listed location in reference to an individual that appeared to be intoxicated and causing a disturbance with other customers. The individual was subsequently arrested and transported to Hillsborough County jail where they were turned over to on-duty deputies.
1500 block of E. Baker St. Counterfeit bill: An officer made contact with an employee of a business at the listed location who advised that counterfeit currency was used at the location.
1200 block of N. Palm Dr. Burglary: An officer met with the victim at the listed location who advised that multiple items were taken from their yard and from inside their shed.
3500 block of N. Maryland Ave. Construction burglary: An officer responded to the listed location and met with the manager of a construction company who reported that several appliances were taken from the under construction residence.
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MICHELLE CACERES STAFF WRITER
In addition to assisting the local agencies with daily patrol functions, the officers were hard at work assisting with clearing trees and debris, reseating signs, tarping damaged roofs and sort ing through damaged household items for salvageable property.
Tester, who is also CIRT team leader, said driving through neighborhoods and seeing the entire contents of peoples’ homes piled near the street was particu larly memorable.
“It was a reminder to me that you can have everything one day and then in an instant it can
all be gone and you have to start over from scratch,” he said. “All their personal possessions, all their irreplaceable mementos are gone.”
He and his team assisted many residents with mucking houses, about as fun as the word sounds.
The first step in the reconstruc tion process, it involves removing mud, muck and other typically semi-solid material from a home and then removing damaged con struction materials, including drywall, insulation, floorboards, panelling and cabinets.
One particular muck-out involved a husband who had an art studio attached and they were trying to save as many of his art pieces as they could. “It was heart-wrenching,” said Tester.
When they first arrived, Tester said there were still homes filled with water and some roadways were submerged. “I’ve never experienced anything like that,” he said.
Luckily nobody was afraid of heights, because they also climbed onto 20 or 30 roofs, tarp ing the areas where shingles were torn off to prevent further water damage.
Once the word got out that they were there to help, their phones were ringing off the hook with people needing assistance.
“We always said we’ll be right there,” said Tester.
One family couldn’t get their electricity turned back on because a tree was on the electrical box. His team went out to remove the
tree so electricians could restore power to the home.
The officers, who were placed in squads of 12 - 16 officers, worked 12-hour shifts, either from 6 a.m. - 6 p.m. or 6 p.m. - 6 a.m.
From the damage, it’d be easy to assume they were working in coastal communities.
“We were a good 30 minutes from the beach,” he said.
In the midst of all of the dif ficult manual labor, Tester said volunteers were helping to sus tain them. Local businesses would bring them a meal. The last day of work, volunteers with the Gary Sinise Foundation’s Serving Heroes program provided a hot meal from Mission BBQ.
It was a challenging but reward ing week for Tester and his team.
Through it all, he was thankful for the training he received through the PCPD’s CIRT program.
“The training we received gave us the knowledge we needed and we were able to put that knowl edge into action,” he said.
Captain Robert McLellan is proud of the officers who so read ily answered the call to help their southern neighbors. “I want to commend these officers for not only helping Plant City’s citi zens but also having the training necessary to help the citizens of North Port,” he said. “It just shows that Plant City, although a small community, truly does put its hand out to help others.”
SBA program is November 28th for the physical property damage for homeowners, businesses and renters, and nonprofits
In the aftermath of a disaster, mis conceptions about disaster assis tance can often prevent survivors from applying for help from the Fed eral Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). A good rule of thumb: just register.
FEMA provides disaster recovery assistance grants to eligible individu als, families, governments and pri vate non-profit entities. Residents of Hillsborough County, along with 23 other counties in Florida, are eligible to request assistance but time is run ning out. The deadline to apply for its Public Assistance Grant Program is Oct. 29.
The application process begins by registering with FEMA at disasteras sistance.gov, on the FEMA app or by calling (800) 621-3362. Once regis tered, apply at www.disasterloanas sistance.sba.gov or in-person at any local disaster center. The nearest FEMA Disaster Recovery Center is located at 1702 U.S. Highway 17 South in Bartow. Its office hours are Mon.Sun. 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Representative from the U.S. Small Business Admin istration are on hand at this location to assist residents with disaster assis tance loans.
“It’s always a good idea for people to register for these programs in person while we’re here on the ground in your area,” said SBA public affairs special ist Sharon Gadbois. “Even the most tech-savvy person has questions and when you’re applying in-person you can have those questions answered immediately.”
Applicants should bring their stateissued identification card and a mobile phone for the purpose of identity ver ification. After applying with FEMA, its customer service representatives
might refer applicants to the SBA, the largest provider of disaster recovery funds, to see if its programs would be a match for applicants.
Its programs come in the form of low-interest loans to businesses, non profit organizations, homeowners and renters located in regions affected by declared disasters, like Hurricane Ian, to help repair or replace uninsured or underinsured disaster damaged prop erty, from damaged fencing to debris removal to roofing repairs.
Eligible borrowers may also choose to receive expanded funding to make improvements to mitigate against damage in future disasters.
It also provides eligible small busi nesses and nonprofit organizations with working capital to help overcome the economic injury of a declared disaster. For example, some restau rants experienced food spoilage when the electricity went out, had reduced revenue because vendors couldn’t deliver products or lost business because the credit card processing machines weren’t working.
“These are just a couple examples of economic injuries that businesses can experience,” said SBA public affairs specialist Stephen Clark.
In addition to the Bartow office, the SBA operates a SBA Business Recovery Center, located in the Chloe Coney Urban Enterprise Center at 1907 East Hillsborough Avenue in Tampa. Its office hours are Mon. - Sun. 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
“With interest rates as low as 2.188%, it’s a better option that putting the needed repairs on a credit card,” said Gadbois. “Don’t wait to receive an insurance settlement, come see what’s available so you can preserve the abil ity to cover your damages.”
For more information about FEMA visit www.fema.gov. For more infor mation about SBA loans visit sba.gov.
Plans are in the works for TD Bank, a subsidiary of TD Bank Group, headquar tered in Toronto, Canada, to open a branch in Plant City.
With two ATM locations currently in the city, this will be its first brick and mortar location.
The bank will be situated at 308 West Alexander Street in the building formerly occupied by Suntrust Bank. The property was purchased by Vantage Properties, LLC, a privately-held commercial real estate development and investment firm, in August for $850,000.
Vantage Properties vice president/part ner and Plant City resident Scott Collins said as soon as his company purchased the property there were several national ten ants interested in renting the space.
Chief building official Juan Arevalo said there were issues related to the proposal’s life safety features, including an egress path to help customers and employees safely enter and exit the building.
Internal“We have a working relationship with TD Bank and so went ahead and struck a deal with them,” he said. “It was the easier of the transactions because they were able to repurpose the existing building.”
Originally built in 1985, the 3,225 squarefoot property also features a 2,433 squarefoot canopy and is ideally constructed for a banking corporation.
Contractors for the bank filed a building permit application with the city’s Building Division on September 20 to make modi fications to the structure to make it con form to its existing bank buildings. While the plans were signed off on by the Plan ning and Zoning, Electrical, Plumbing, Engineering, Mechanical and Fire Depart ments, the Building Division needed amended documents.
“It’s important to make certain the plans meet all city ordinances and building and planning codes,” he said.
When open, the bank will feature an advice center format, which allows col leagues to have advice conversations with customers about their financial goals. It will also offer a variety of financial prod ucts and services including checking and savings accounts for individuals and busi nesses, mortgages, credit cards, home equity lines of credit and personal loans.
The bank will have sit-stand worksta tions that enable associates to adapt them based on the type of conversation they’re having with customers, who will also have the option to self-serve using two on-site ATM’s.
Coined “America’s Most Convenient Bank”, TD Bank is one of the 10 largest banks in the U.S., with more than 1,100 convenient locations throughout the
Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, metro D.C., the Carolinas and Florida.
“TD Bank is committed to Central Flor ida and and looks forward to continuing to expand its store network statewide,” said Randy Estrada, Retail Market President for TD Bank. “As we continue to grow, we strive to maintain the personalized feel of
a regional bank.”
Collins is thrilled to be working to bring new commercial development projects to town, especially as a resident of Plant City. “It’s always exciting to make a posi tive contribution to the city, it’s so much better than having a vacant building sitting there,” he said.
Bank officis are working with the city’s Planning and Zoning Department to make interior modifiations.
Her New Age album enhances planetary sounds from space to create hauntingly beautiful music.
CACERES
It’s easy to assume that in the vastness of space, our solar system’s eight planets move soundlessly through the galaxy.
That couldn’t be more wrong.
Although we can’t hear them, NASA has cap tured and amplified the unearthly sounds of each of the planets through radio emissions that scien tists have converted into sounds waves.
Plant City native Charleene Closshey has taken those space sounds, combined them with math ematically-calculated frequencies of our plan ets, ambient music compositions tuned to each celestial body’s unique hertz frequency, planetary gongs and ancient mantras sung in Sanskrit, to create the New Age album Aligned: A Planetary Mantra and Gong Shower
Closshey teamed with Grammy award winning Nashville-based engineer Charles Yingling to mix and master the album. Released on September 30, the album has already earned a nomination by Hollywood Music in Media Awards (HMMA) in the New Age/Ambient Genre category for her single “Jupiter,” that has the longest running time of 15:24.
“I’m deeply humbled and honored to have my music recognized with so many other great artists and creators,” said Closshey.
Music has influenced her life from a young age. Though piano was the first instrument she learned to play at the age of two, over the years she has also become proficient with other instruments, including violin, flute, clarinet, harp and viola. After her freshman year at Plant City High, Closs hey transferred to Lakeland’s Harrison School for the Performing Arts, graduating in 1999 as its class valedictorian. She attended Florida South ern College, graduating in 2002 with degrees in Marketing Management and Exercise Science.
Not one to travel the traditional conservatory route, she considers herself a “musical free spirit,” learning from a plethora of diverse teachers. She completed extension courses through the Julliard School, New York University, Circle in the Square Theater School and the Berklee College of Music.
When she wanted to learn to sing, she took opera lessons, honing her vocal instrument until she was proficient enough to perform in Rome.
“Your voice is the one instrument you play that you can’t see and in many ways that opens up so much potential for ways you can use it,” she said.
Her vocals on Aligned, combined with other sounds, help listeners’ bodies feel soothed and relaxed through low hertz frequencies that stim ulate the body’s longest nerve- the vagus nerve.
“Part of the reason I composed this album was to explore the depth of healing with sound,” she said. “Vibrations can have a healing effect in your body.”
While her music is otherworldly, Closshey has her roots planted firmly in Plant City. She moved back home in early 2020 during COVID and now lives next door to her parents in Walden Lake.
“Plant City is my home and its people have always been so supportive and encouraging,” she said.
From her first piano teacher, Patty Linder, who still attends her local shows, to her family, she is grateful to be blessed with so many supporters.
“It’s a give and take, with people loving on me and me loving back on them,” she said.
To learn more about Closshey or to purchase her two-disc album visit www.charleene.com.
TAYLOR JENKINS SPORTS WRITER
The 2022 Plant City Pig Jam State BBQ Championship, presented by Citizen’s Bank & Trust, has over 50 competition BBQ teams coming to Plant City from more than a dozen different states to com pete in the Kansas City Barbecue Society sanctioned competition on Nov. 18 and 19.
The event will take place on Friday from 5 to 10 p.m. and on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Randy Larson Fourplex, 1500 S. Park Rd. Families are encouraged to come and grab dinner from some of the best BBQ teams in the country on Friday while enjoying live music and ice-cold drinks at the Pepin Sports Bar and taking in the mechanical bull riding contest at 8 p.m. On Saturday, teams will be cook ing up their entries and attendees will
Plant City Pig Jam
When: from 5 to 10 p.m. Nov. 18 and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 19
Where: Randy L. Larson Softball Four-Plex, 1500 S. Park Rd. Cost: Admission is free, parking is $10 Fireworks: 9 p.m. Nov. 22 For more information visit: www.plantcitypigjam.com
have the opportunity to enjoy live music, bounce houses, rock climbing walls, face painting, games and entertainment for kids of all ages prior to the awards cer emony kicking off at 5 p.m. where over $18,300 in prizes will be awarded.
Many volunteers are still needed to help make this community event possible. Vol unteering is a great way to get a behindthe-scenes peak at this two-day BBQ festival; stations include the beer tents, merchandise tents, and kids’ area. To sign up to volunteer please visit www.plantci typigjam.com.
Admission is free for all to attend and parking will cost $10 per vehicle. All pro ceeds from the Plant City Pig Jam benefit The Greater Plant City Chamber of Com merce.
TAYLOR JENKINS STAFF WRITER
For over 30 years the Plant City Black Heritage and Des’Aimes Social Club have partnered with their local community to present the annual Santa Sled Festival, with the event returning this year on Dec. 17 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Sadye Gibbs Martin Community Center, 1601 E. Dr. Martin Luther Kind Jr. Blvd. This year’s event will pro vide toys, groceries, turkeys and clothes to over 200 Plant City families, impacting the holiday season for over 500 kids from age five to 12, while also holding a raffle where winners will receive one of the over 50 bicycles that have been donated from local sponsors. Additionally, food will be pro vided by Feeding Tampa Bay
while kids in attendance will have the opportunity to play on bounce jumpers and have their pictures taken with Santa!
“The event has grown tre mendously,” Sharon Moody said. “We started out with very few, building it each year and each year it gets bigger and better. We have a lot of support from the community.”
Sponsors of the event include C&S Wholesaler Gro cers, Kiwanis Club of Plant City, Feeding Tampa Bay, the Plant City Housing Author ity, Southern Hospitality and Winn-Dixie. And along with their corporate sponsors, the event gets help each year from local churches and individual members within the Plant City community.
To register for the event, families can obtain an appli cation at the Plant City Cham
ber, 118 W. Reynolds St., or from the Sadye Gibbs Martin Community Center. For more information, or to register, contact Moody at 813-4537134 or Plant City Black Heri tage president Dorothy Smith at 813-255-2694. The deadline for registration is Nov. 30, 2022 and all parents must also preregister with their ID and kid(s) present between 8:30 and 9 a.m. on the day of the event.
“I think it’s a very important gesture that we do for the com munity because a lot of people are hurting right now,” Moody said. “Things have come up in a lot of their lives where they can’t always do the things for the children that they want to. That’s where we step in to give them a relief and let them know that things will be taken care of as normal.”
The annual event has taken place in Plant City for over thirty years, serving hundreds of families within the community.
TAYLOR JENKINS SPORTS WRITER
Durant hosted Newsome on Friday night, escaping with a 34-33 win in overtime to claim their first victory over the Wolves in four years, along with their first district title since 2014.
After winning the opening coin toss, Durant deferred to the second half and New some took over to start the contest. After forcing a punt, the Cougars moved right down the field and down to the one-yard line on a long completion to receiver Jeremiah Gines before running back Calub Connell punched in the short touchdown carry two plays later to give Durant a 6-0 lead. On the ensuing kickoff the Cougars stole a second possession as they jumped on the short kickoff from A.J. Elliott, once again driving right down the field and putting another touchdown on the board to take a 13-0 first quarter lead.
But Newsome would respond quickly, scoring on their next possession to cut the Durant lead to 13-7 early in the second quar ter. The Cougars were forced to punt on their following possession and Newsome battled back once again with a long scoring drive to take a 14-13 lead that they would carry into the locker room for halftime.
Coming out of halftime, Durant opened the half with a touchdown drive but were unable to convert on the two-point conver sion attempt, leaving them with a 19-14 lead before Newsome responded with a scoring drive of their own, failing a two-point con version themselves after a pass breakup from Gines to leave the score at 20-19. Both offenses failed to put points on the board for much of the second half but in the waning moments of the fourth quarter – still lead ing 20-19 – Newsome battled their way into Durant territory, inside the 10-yard line. With just over a minute left, Durant conceded a late touchdown to ensure that they get one
more possession, now trailing 27-19. Durant recovered the squib kick and took over just short of midfield before quickly moving into Newsome territory on a pass to Connell out of the backfield. Two completions to Gines put Durant down near the Newsome goal line when quarterback Mike Ryan took the quarterback keeper through traffic and into the end zone with the help of his offensive linemen to leave Durant trailing just 27-25 and in need of a two-point conversion to force overtime. On the two-point attempt, Ryan rolled out to his right and dove into the end zone to tie the game at 27-27.
Heading to overtime, Newsome won the coin toss and deferred to give Durant the first offensive possession starting at the 10-yard line. On the Cougars’ first play, Ryan tucked the ball and made his way down to the two-yard line before being tackled out of bounds and Connell subsequently punched in the go-ahead score on second down to give Durant a 34-27 lead following the extra point from Elliott. On their ensuing posses sion, Newsome found the end zone on three plays to bring the score to 34-33, an extra point away from extending the overtime period, but sophomore linebacker Hale Soll mann came up with a massive block on the kick to thwart the Newsome attempt and clinch the victory for the Cougars.
“I’ve been here for 16 years, my dad’s been here for 20 and we’ve never seen a more improbable, ‘what in the world, I can’t believe this is happening,’ game,” Varnum said.
After transferring from Newsome to Durant to start this year, Ryan had quite possibly the most impressive game of his high school career against his former school on Friday as he finished the contest with 15 completions on 26 attempts for a careerhigh 249 passing yards – soaring past his previous high of 160 passing yards against Plant City earlier in the season – while add ing 47 rushing yards and three rushing
touchdowns on a team-high 14 carries.
“For being a sophomore, going along with our ‘ride the middle’ phrase, Mike just never gets excited, he never gets down, he just wears the same face all the time and I know this game meant a lot to him,” Varnum said. “It’s the same Mike that we’ve seen week after week. Even at Sickles we knew that we were so close offensively to just blowing the top off of it. And he’s matured every week. His decision-making has gotten better and better, knock on wood he has no turnovers yet, he’s really smart with the ball, he trusts his guys to be where they’re supposed to be, to me he’s playing beyond his years. I mean, for the first time ever starting as a quarterback, he’s doing a phenomenal job. It’s a combination because he’s really ath letic, he’s really smart and things don’t get to him.”
Behind Ryan, Connell added 47 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries, complimented by 15 yards on six carries from sophomore Jarelle Franklin. For Con nell, it was his first opportunity to handle a relatively full workload in the backfield since September as a groin injury left him extremely limited against Sumner and then forced him to miss the Cougars’ contest against Sickles.
“In the game you don’t really evaluate what his cuts look like or what he’s doing but going back and looking at the film, it was just nice to see him running again,” Varnum said. “We’ve been watching him run for four years but the cuts he makes, dragging people with him when he shouldn’t, people hate defend ing him. He’s so good, he’s so strong so it was nice to have him out there but it’s just nice to have him playing again. I know he was upset having that groin injury, it’s his senior year and he wants to go out and get as many carries as he can so I think that his presence just picks everyone up.”
On the outside, Gines paced all receivers with nine receptions for 110 yards, followed
by Jayden Cornelius with 48 yards on two receptions, Zaevion Jordan with 40 yards on one reception, Connell with 26 yards on one reception, Jayden Forte with 13 yards on one reception and Elian Gonzalez with 12 yards on one reception.
Defensively, junior linebacker Brant Bovee led the unit with 13 total tackles in the absence of his counterpart Jacob Reed who is currently out with a knee injury, fol lowed by senior defensive backs Elian Gon zales with nine tackles and Xavier Peavy with seven tackles.Defensive back Zaevion Jordan and defensive linemen Gage Aroz and Greg Smith all had one tackle for loss each while Aroz notched the Cougars’ lone sack on the night.
Along with clinching the district title, Fri day’s win moves the Cougars to 7-1 on the season and gives the Cougars a legitimate chance to post their highest single-season win total in over a decade with two games remaining in the regular season. With an 8-3 record in Varnum’s first season at the helm in 2021, it matched Durant’s best record since going 8-3 in 2016. Two more wins would mark their highest win total since finishing the 2012 season at 11-1. Durant will return to action this Friday as they head to Gaither before returning home to finish their regular season against Riverview the following week.
“I’d say that last year our goal was to make the playoffs, this year our goal was to win the district,” Varnum said. “Maybe it’s the right time and the right place because it has noth ing to do with me, it has everything to do with the people around, the kids, the men tality. Maybe we needed new life, maybe we just needed a fresh perspective and people to believe in this place again like I’ve always believed in it. I don’t know, it’s a crazy combination of a lot of things but most of all it’s these kids and these coaches, the people in this place believing in what we’re doing.”
THE RAIDERS MOVED TO 2-5 ON THE YEAR FOLLOWING THE 38-15 LOSS TO PLANT.
Plant City traveled to Plant on Friday night where the Raiders’ two-game win streak came to an end by way of a 38-15 loss to the Panthers.
Plant City won the coin toss, opting to defer to the second half and Plant opened the scoring quickly as receiver/running back Jaquez Kindell returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown to give the Panthers a 7-0 lead in an instant.
The two teams exchanged punts and Plant City was pinned back deep in their own territory to start their second offensive drive of the evening, starting inside their own oneyard line and ultimately gaining just two yards before punting from the shadow of their own goalpost.
Plant started the ensuing drive in Raider territory at the 40-yard line, losing one yard on a first down carry before quarterback J.C. Mirasola found Kindell deep over the middle of the field as he broke one tackle and ran free for a 41-yard score to put Plant up 14-0 late in the first quarter.
Plant City would get a huge play on the following kickoff as cornerback Trae’veon Smith hauled in the kick and found space up the left sideline, down to the Plant 24-yard line. The Raiders would stall out on the next three plays but a roughing the passer pen alty on third down gave them new life at the Plant 11, ultimately settling for a field goal from Isaiah Wilson to cut the Plant lead to 14-3. They then stole a free possession as they forced a fumble on the ensuing kickoff to take right back over at the Plant 20-yard line but were unable to capitalize as they
were once again forced to settle for a field goal attempt three plays later, only for the attempt to be blocked and recovered at the 35 by Plant.
Plant City’s defense stood strong and forced the Panthers to punt, but Plant was able to take advantage of more fortune on special teams as the punt return was fum bled and subsequently recovered to give them the ball inside the Raiders’ red zone at the 16. Plant gained six yards on first down before Kindell broke through tacklers on a run to the left, getting to the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown run to put Plant up 21-3.
And on their final possession of the first half, Plant once again extended their lead as Mir asola found Kindell for a 31-yard touchdown pass as the Panthers took a 28-3 lead into the half. The reception marked Kindell’s fourth touchdown of the first half, with two receiving touchdowns, a rushing touchdown and a kickoff return touchdown over the contest’s first 24 minutes of play.
Coming out of the locker room for the second half Plant City was quickly forced to punt and the snap was high, leading to a blocked punt that sailed through the Raid ers’ end zone for a safety and a 30-3 lead for the Panthers. Plant then drove right down the field and into the Raiders’ red zone before Plant City got a huge defensive play at the goal line as a pass over the middle, intended for Kindell, was tipped and inter cepted by junior defensive back Chase Dex ter at the three-yard line.
Plant added one more touchdown and a two-point conversion in the fourth quarter
to extend their lead to 38-3 and enact a rolling clock for the rest of the contest but Plant City would continue to battle despite the deficit. A short kickoff was hauled in by linebacker Cole Highsmith and returned up to the Plant 31 before quarterback D.J. Howard fired deep down the right sideline to a leaping Jaylen Smith who hauled in the touchdown pass and cut the score to 38-9.
With less than a minute left, Plant took over in Raiders territory following an unsuc cessful onside kick and kept the offense running. Set up right on the edge of the Plant City red zone, the Panthers rushed to the line and got one last play off as the final pass of the night was intercepted at the Raiders’ goal line by Smith and returned 100 yards for a pick-six with zeroes on the clock to bring the final score to 38-15.
Offensively, quarterback D.J. Howard completed nine of his 17 attempts for 67 yards and a touchdown. On the ground, junior running back Jaden Mccants paced the group with 37 rushing yards on 11 car ries. On the outside, Jaylen Smith hauled in three receptions for 49 yards and a touch down, followed by Judah Bendorf with three receptions for 16 yards.
Defensively, Senior defensive back Tahuji Miller led the group with eight total tack les, followed by the linebacker duo of junior Mike Bell and senior Cole Highsmith with eight each. Highsmith and defensive line men Donta Jenkins and Davin Stone-Grant totaled two tackles for loss each, followed by one each from Bell and freshman Temarce Miller.
The loss moves the Raiders to 2-5 on the year and Plant City will head to Armwood next week to take on a 4-3 Hawks team that’s coming off of a big win against Free dom.
Across town, Strawberry Crest fell in a 31-21 contest against Alonso, moving the Chargers to 5-3 on the season.
Offensively, quarterback Jordan Lewis completed 14 of his 31 pass attempts for a season-high 133 yards and one touchdown while adding 50 rushing yards and a touch down on 12 carries. Receiver K.J. Canady led the unit with 58 receiving yards on five receptions, followed by Marcus Springfield with 38 yards on six receptions and Coby Burger with 34 yards and a touchdown on two receptions.
In the backfield, junior Devin Blunt han dled the bulk of Crest’s rushing attack with 80 yards on 15 carries, followed by 12 yards on one cary from senior Quincy Hart and 11 yards and a touchdown on three carries from Springfield.
The Chargers will look to get back in the win column on Friday as they host 4-3 Riv erview.
Taylor Jenkins is the Sports Writer at the Plant City Observer. Email: tjenkins@ plantcityobserver.com.
The Chargers beat Ridge Community in three straight sets on Tuesday to earn a spot in the finas.
TAYLOR JENKINS SPORTS WRITER
Strawberry Crest volleyball hosted the Ridge Community High School Bolts on Tuesday, winning the match in three straight sets to advance through the semifinal round and earn a spot in the 7A District 10 Final against top-seed Winter Haven on Thursday.
Crest started the first set by scoring the first two points and eventually racing out to an 11-5 lead before Ridge was able to stop the Chargers’ early run. But Crest continued to put up point after point as they extended their lead to 17-9, only for Ridge to rattle off eight consecutive points to knot the set up at 17-17, then 18-18, then 20-20 before the Chargers were able to hold off Ridge for a 25-21 set victory.
In the second set, Crest took an early 5-2 lead before Ridge rallied out to an 8-5 advantage and held their first lead of the night. But Crest responded with three con secutive points to knot it up at 8-8 and did not allow the Bolts to ever retake the lead as they pulled away to 24-15 — their largest lead of the match — before eventually tak ing the second set 25-19.
The third set was the most tightly-con tested set of the night, with Ridge taking an early 2-0 lead before later holding a 6-4 lead after the two teams battled back and forth in the early minutes of the set. Crest battled back for a 7-6 lead but Ridge snatched it right back at 8-7 and pulled away to a 10-7 lead before Crest stopped the Bolts’ run. Ridge would then hold a sustained lead for much of the match, but to the Chargers’ credit they never let the Bolts’ lead extend past four points at any point before knotting the set up at 15-15. The Bolts pulled back ahead at 16-15 and the Chargers answered to tie the set. The Bolts then pulled ahead 18-16 but once again the Chargers answered with two points of their own to tie the set at 18-18. Ridge scored the next point to lead 19-18 and it was the final lead they would
hold in the match as Crest outlasted the Bolts’ best efforts to eventually take the third set 25-22.
“We didn’t have any information going in about that team but they have some very, very talented players on that team and we played about as flawless as I could ask for,” head coach Robert Dodson said. “On our front row, the sets were going up and Aman da Siomiak, our libero tonight, was unreal. I was just talking to the coaches about the number of digs she threw up tonight and it felt like she was picking up the world. The front line blocked between Brooklyn Zajac and Savannah Schwarz, they were just lights out. We got some extra offensive firepower from one of our freshmen that we brought up, Lillian Terrell. Then there was straight up consistency like normal from our seniors. Morgan McGuire is continuing to throw up sets the way she’s supposed to, Alissa McBee is adding the firepower in from the outside, I couldn’t be more proud of the way the girls played tonight. If they play with that kind of fight against Winter Haven, we’ll give them a run for their money. Maybe this is another year where Strawberry Crest brings home another district title and then
we’ll see how far we can go into states and considering that it’s our first year in 7A, I’m excited to see what this team has to offer.”
The win moves Crest to 14-10 on the year, besting their 13-win season in 2021 and marking their highest single-season win total since finishing 15-9 in 2015. The Chargers will now head to Winter Haven on Thursday to face the Blue Devils after falling 2-0 in their only meeting earlier in the year, the match coming in a September tourna ment as Crest dealt with multiple key inju ries.
“We have to play our game against Winter Haven,” Dodson said. “We can’t let it get frus trating and we can’t shut it down if we get a couple of points down. We have to swing and swing hard, tips aren’t going to work. You need to go after them and you have to
keep pounding and we have the players to do that, it’s just a matter of whether or not we can come out and pass up enough balls to put it to the ground over and over again. They have it in them. If they communicate, stay together, and have each other’s back, they’ve got a shot against Winter Haven.”
“A family fun center like they have in Lakeland . Mini golf, go carts, arcade games. We have nothing for our teens to do and hangout at. Even a new skating rink or bowling alley.” - Tiffany Jones
“I’d really love Sprouts or Trader Joe’s.”Donna Varano
“Would like a Sams Club because they usually have everything you need in stock.” - Jennifer Benton
“Definiely another western store! Easy access to all the animals needs to and high quality equipment for cattle.” - Naomi Donnell
“I would love to see a good restaurant that is open for dinner downtown! I love our downtown but it is frustrating not being able to go down and spend an entire evening right there.
I would also love to see a cool brunch option downtown. It stinks having to go to downtown Lakeland or South Tampa for a fun brunch experience when we have our own cool little downtown right here!” - Jennifer Barringer
“Target! better options.” - Candice Phillips LeClerc
“Texas Roadhouse.” - Becky Scheels Frost
“How about a mall so we don’t have to go far away to Brandon or Lakeland. We don’t need
more gas stations or banks or Starbucks or Amazon warehouses. We have too many as is.” - Brandon Clark
“Vietnamese and Thai food restaurants.”Kellie Berry Corry
“Fresh Kitchen! I crave that place daily!”Ashlee Harper
“Maybe three? Metro Diner, Uno Pizza, and 4 Rivers.” - Alex Bustillo
“Chipotle and Target.” - Rebecca Walker
Virginia Scott Hargis, (Ginger) or nanny to most, went home to be with her Heavenly Father at the age of 77, surrounded by her loved ones and those closest to her.
Expression of condolence at hopewellfuneral. com.
Hector Hugo Cazares, 36, of Plant City, Fla., born on Nov. 27, 1985 in Brownsville, Tex., entered into eternal rest on Oct. 12, 2022.
Expressions of condolence at www.HopewellFuneral. com.
Joyce Ann Pettis, 85, of Plant City, Florida, born on March 6, 1937 in Arcadia, Florida entered into eternal rest on October, 14 2022.
Expressions of condolence at hopewellfuneral. com.
William Warf, 81, born Aug. 24, 1941 in Center, Ky., passed away on Oct. 17, 2022 in Lakeland, Fla. A Graveside Service will take place Oct. 20, 2022 at 10 a.m. at Memorial Park Cemetery 2401 Paul Buchman Hwy Plant City FL 33563.
Online condolences may be left for the family at haught.care.
HOPEWELLFUNERAL.COMMartha Glover Durrance, 88, of Plant City, Fla. was born on Feb. 23, 1934 in Midland City, Ala., entered into eternal rest on Oct. 7, 2022.
Expressions of condolence at www.HopewellFuneral. com.
Bayard “Lee” King, 91, of Valrico, Fla., born on Aug. 13, 1930 in Neil, Kans., entered into eternal rest on June 21, 2022.
Expressions of condolence at www.HopewellFuneral. com.
HOPEWELLFUNERAL.COMSylvia Ann Granger Grooms, 81 of Plant City passed away Oct. 15, 2022.
Funeral services were held Oct. 19, 2022 at Haught Funeral Home Chapel, 708 W Dr MLK Jr Blvd, Plant City.
Online condolences may be left for the family at haught.care.
Steven Lloyd Wallace, 58, of Plant City, Fla., passed away on Oct. 17, 2022. Services will be held privately.
Online condolences may be left for the family at www. haught.care.
Leatrice Ann (Lariscy) Roberts, 81, of Dover, Florida went to be with her Lord and Savior on Oct. 6, 2022. She was born on June 15, 1941 in Tampa, Florida to James and Eunice Lariscy, Sr.
She was a loving and devoted wife, mother and memaw and a retired school bus aide.
Janet Rowles, age 89, of Plant City, Florida passed away on Friday, October 7, 2022.
HOPEWELLFUNERAL.COM
Carol Anne Reinke, 60, of Lithia, Fla., born on Sept. 19, 1962 in Harbor Beach, Mich., entered into eternal rest on October 12, 2022.
Expressions of condolence at www.HopewellFuneral.com.
Gerry Dale Lee, 66, of Plant City, Fla., born on Feb. 8, 1956 in Mobile, Ala. entered into eternal rest on Oct. 5, 2022.
Expressions of condolence at www.HopewellFuneral.com.
She is survived by her husband of 63 years; son, Keith Roberts (Cynthia); two granddaughters and fie great granddaughters;
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www. WellsMemorial.com for the Rowles family.
PLANT CITY BALLOON FESTIVAL
5 p.m. at 303 N. Lemon St. Bring the family to this annual event to watch hot air balloons. It will also feature vendor markets, food vendors, live music, a kids’ zone, magicians, jugglers, roaming entertainers, laser shows and other festival experiences. The event will take place on both Friday, Oct. 21 and Saturday, Oct. 22 with gates opening at 5 p.m and proceeds will benefit the Special Olympis. Admission will cost $22 for adults and $10 for kids age 17 and under if purchased in advance or $30 for adults and $15 for kids at the door. Admission for kids fie and under is free and tickets can be purchased in advance at www.freshtix. com/events/plantcityballoonfest.
free of charge and all who wish attend are welcome.
THE FANCY FLEA 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 2866 W. Reynolds St. The Fancy Flea is a mecca for shabby chic lovers rejoice. At Plant City’s Fancy Flea you will find furnitue, garden decor, repurposed items, antiques, original art, handmade clothing, artisan jewelry and soaps and more. The event will take place on Friday, Nov. 4 and Saturday, Nov. 5. Parking for the event is free and admission is $5.
BLUEGRASS JAM!
6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at 101 E. J. Arden Mays Blvd. This is an open invitation for local Bluegrass musicians and fans to come to the Krazy Kup loft and jam, clap hands, stomp feet and enjoy! Krazy Kup holds their Bluegrass JAM on the fist Saturday of every month.
PLANT CITY SOCIAL DANCE
7 to 9:30 a.m. at 102 N. Palmer St. Lace up your running shoes to get some exercise and support a worthy cause. All finess levels are encouraged to participate in this 5K and proceeds from the event will go to benefit the Unied Food Bank. Cost to participate is $35 and includes a ticket to the United Food Bank’s Empty Bowls Project event later that day. For more information or to register for the event, visit www.forkranawaywiththespoon5k.com
7 to 8:30 p.m. at 101 E. J. Arden Mays Blvd. Open Mic Night is back at Krazy Kup. Join them for a fun night where you get to be the star of the show. Come out, strut your stuff and shw everyone what you’ve got.
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Federal, state and local opportunities are constantly changing. If you’ve served any time in the military, retired or non-retention, and would like to review your benefis please take advantage of free assistance at the Bing House Museum, 205 Allen St., every Wednesday. Walk-ins welcomed or call 813-704-5800 to set a specific tim.
LAST FRIDAY IN DOWNTOWN
5 to 9 p.m. at 110 N. Collins St. The Last Friday in Downtown Food Truck Rally is held with a new theme each month. There will be live music, market vendors and food trucks. The event is family and pet friendly and all are recommended to bring chairs and blankets. October’s theme will be Nightmare on Main Street!
6 to 9 p.m. at Plant City Stadium, 2002 N. Frontage Rd. Presented by City of Plant City Parks & Recreation, this familyfriendly event will feature free activities, trunk or treat, a scare zone, food vendors (for an additional cost), games and more. Don’t forget to wear your Halloween costume and bring a bucket to collect candy. Admission is free, but parking will cost $5 cash per vehicle.
6 to 8 p.m. at 3005 Thonotosassa Rd. Mt. Zion Assembly of God will be teaming up with the Plant City Lions Club to host their annual Fall Festival. Activities will include food, carnival games, train rides, a rock wall, a balloon artist, candy and more. In addition to the activities listed, the Lions Club will be offering free eye screenings for children in attendance and diabetes screenings for all. The event is
6 to 9:30 p.m. at 4401 Promenade Blvd. DJ Ken will be hosting the Plant City Social Dance every Saturday throughout the month of November at the Strawberry Square Dance Center. Cups and water will be available and the event’s cost is $7 per person. For more information or a chance to look at sample playlists, visit www. djkenmiller.com.
5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday at 1401 Gordon Food Service Dr. Don’t miss out on this Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS) sanctioned competition offering you the change to enjoy mouth-watering BBQ, live entertainment, a kids’ zone, complete with a rock climbing wall and moonwalks. The event will take place on both Friday and Saturday where admission is free for all to attend and parking will cost $10 per vehicle.
STRAWBERRY CLASSIC CRUISE-IN
3 to 6:30 p.m. at 102 N. Palmer St. The Plant City Strawberry Classic Cruise-In is back on Saturday, Nov. 19, rain or shine. Cars and trucks manufactured in or before 1996 can register for free starting at 3 p.m. Live music by DJ John Paul Gasca.
MONSTER MASH
Sunrise Sunset Thursday, Oct 20 7:31a 6:54p Friday, Oct 21 7:32a 6:53p Saturday, Oct 22 7:33a 6:52p Sunday, Oct 23 7:33a 6:51p Monday, Oct 24 7:34a 6:50p Tuesday, Oct 25 7:35a 6:49p Wednesday, Oct 26 7:35a 6:48p
