By: Katherine Smith and TBO.com Staff
Tampa Tribune. TBO.com
December 21, 2009

TAMPA - Fresh off its third state title in four seasons, Plant High's football team made a big leap in the national prep rankings.

Plant, which defeated Bradenton Manatee 21-14 in Friday's Class 5A state championship game in Orlando, was ranked in the top 10 in three national polls that were released Monday:

• Fourth in the ESPN RISE FAB 50.
• Seventh in the PrepNation.com National Prep Poll.
• 10th in the USA Today Super 25.
• The Panthers were also ranked 17th in the RivalsHigh 100.

The Panthers, who won their final 13 games after starting the season 0-1, were unranked for most of the year. Plant jumped into most of the national rankings after beating perennial power Lakeland 20-0 in the state semifinals.

Plant's final ranking also was aided by Manatee's upset victory over then-consensus national No. 1 Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas in the state semifinals.

"When you are recognized nationally, it means you're not a flash in the pan," said Plant coach Robert Weiner, who guided the Panthers to Class 4A state crowns in 2006 and 2008. "It's a matter of being consistently good. It's a culmination of all our teams that have done so well, so each one of them had a hand in this ranking."

Plant won the Class 4A championship in 2006 and 2008 and moved up to 5A this season.

When told of the No. 7 ranking in the PrepNation.com poll, Weiner jokingly said, "Who are the top six? We'll play them right now."

For the record, they are New Jersey's Don Bosco Prep (12-0) at No. 1, followed by Texas' Abilene High (15-0), Butler High (15-0) of Matthews, N.C., Memphis University High (13-0) in Tennessee, Lake Travis High (16-0) of Austin, Texas, and South Panola High (14-1) of Batesville, Miss.

Don Bosco Prep was No. 1 in all four polls.