The varsity football team looks to hand their rivals at Armwood High School their second loss of the season under the lights of Dad’s Stadium at the next game. With the Panthers currently ranked 20th and the Hawks 25th, the two teams will face off at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7. 

The Plant-Armwood rivalry was built by the success of both programs in the 2000s. In the past 15 seasons, Plant and Armwood have combined for six state championships and have both spent many of those years highly ranked in the state.

“Last year it was really crazy playing them at their home, but this year we’re playing them at our home, and I just feel like we are more prepared,” senior defensive back Julien Kee said.  

Juniors and seniors who played in this game last season remember the 27-7 loss that the team suffered on Armwood’s turf. However, Weiner said they are now preparing at a higher-level for the upcoming game to avoid a repeat of last year. 

“Our theme this week is about being at your best when things mean the most, so that’s why we’re trying to put our guys into situations in practice where they have to step up and be their best in a very meaningful moment,” head coach Robert Weiner said.  

Practicing at a high level means taking every repetition seriously and continuing to attack every play according to Kee.  

“I feel confident in the fact that Coach Weiner and the rest of our coaching has taught us what we need to do,” junior defensive lineman Aidan Giansante said. “I feel like the way we practice and the intense way we approach every drill and every barrier we come to during practice –  I feel like it prepares us in a different way.”  

The varsity football team knows the strengths of their game. They also have an idea of the strengths possessed by the Hawks, which are consistently on the defensive side of the ball.  

“You never start a conversation about Armwood without talking about their defense first,” Weiner said. “They never seem to change much on that. Their names change, and maybe even the scheme in which they do things change, but they fly around the ball, and they’re physical and they’re fast.”

Weiner also made it a point to say that being able to control the game on the offensive side is important when looking to come out on top of this match-up. According to senior wide receiver Romain “Smoke” Mungin, the team’s strengths are their “running and passing game.”  

In order to reach 3-0 for this season, consistency and focus are needed throughout the game.   

“It’s one of those things you have to be on top of for 48 minutes of a football game,” Weiner said.  “It’s not something you can feel like, ‘oh, we’ve got this thing,’ because you never really have it against Armwood until it says zero, zero, zero on the scoreboard.”