By Andy Warrener
The Laker/Lutz News Correspondent
The Wharton football team lost its Class 8A-District 6 opener at home against Plant 27-7 in a contest that stretch across two days.
The Wildcats (3-2, 0-1) and Panthers (4-1, 1-0) were scheduled for Oct. 5, but bad weather postponed the contest to Oct. 6. Another weather delay pushed the start of the second half to 10 p.m.
Wharton’s fans planned a blackout to coordinate with the black jerseys their team wore to remember former defensive coordinator Earl Goodman, who died the day after the Wildcats won their first district title in 2008.
The host was coming off a 13-12 loss to Durant the week before and was looking to rebound with a victory over the defending Class 8A state champions. Plant was also without starting quarterback Aaron Banks.
However, moving the game to Saturday seemed to negate much of the hype and energy for Wharton. It was the Panthers who came out with all the energy.
Plant’s Wes Bullock took the opening kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown. On Wharton’s first offensive play, Paris Bostick jarred the ball loose after a short completion and Bernard Rogers scooped it up and took it into the end zone to go ahead 14-0 with 11:28 left in the first quarter.
“You can’t come out on defense behind 14-0 or it’s gonna be a long game,” said Wildcats defensive coordinator Kiwaukee Thomas.
Wharton’s defense held up under the pressure, allowing less than 150 yards of total offense and didn’t allow an offensive touchdown until the final minutes.
The Panthers could not get out of their own way with penalties, but what they did do well was rush junior quarterback Chase Litton like mad dogs.
“When they blitz 67 guys every time you have to hit the quick routes,” Litton said. “It changes the development of the game.”
Litton (13-of-36, 115 yards) never had time to throw without a defender in his face, but he was able to move the chains. His lone interception bounced off a Wharton receiver before Plant’s Reeves Rodgers snagged it.
Many of Litton’s incompletions happened while eluding pressure and ditching the ball to avoid sacks. He also accounted for more than half of the Wildcats 50 rushing yards.
A lack of any run game allowed the Panthers to lock onto Wharton receivers, closing passing windows. Litton was able to find senior Keith Hopkins for a 30-yard strike snagged over a Plant defender.
On defense, Wildcats senior Vernon Hargreaves showed that he can handle more than just defensive back duties.
The University of Florida commit played defensive end and linebacker. Wharton jammed eight or nine in the box and dared Panthers backup Colby Brown to throw. Brown completed only eight passes and the Wildcats limited Bullock to 85 yards on 22 carries.
“We like to match up Vernon with their best guy,” Thomas said. “Tonight, their best guy was No. 3 (Bullock).”
The Wildcats limited Plant to a 28-yard and a 45-yard field goal between the first 32 seconds and the last four minutes, a far cry from last year when they were blown out in the first half.
Even though they lost the de facto district championship game, their playoff hopes are still very much alive.
“We got Bloomingdale, we got Alonso,” said Wharton coach David Mitchell. “We know what we have to do to get to the playoffs. … Our defense played a heck of a game. We have got to find some way to open up the run game.”
The Wildcats will look to stop its two-game losing streak at cross-town rival Freedom Oct. 12 at 7:30 p.m.
