After a slip last week against Gaither, the Bulls recover to win the title.
By ANTHONY GAGLIANO
Published February 7, 2004
DURANT - All season, Bloomingdale received praise and accolades as it rose to No. 1 in America. Climbing that high probably meant the Bulls (23-2-1) had to come crashing down. And that's exactly what they did last week against Gaither.
But coach Sam Isajar said his team is better for it. And who could argue with him following Bloomingdale's 7-0 win against Plant City in the Class 6A, District 6 finals Friday.
"My grandfather used to say to appreciate the light, you have to go through the dark," Isajar said. "That (Gaither) game, I will say, was the main game for us because it changed us totally. When you're dealing with kids, they think they're here and actually, they're down there. It was a wakeup call for us to realize we have to keep on going."
Isajar's team was relentless in the first half, scoring three goals in the first 10 minutes. By the time John Emery redirected Tom Davison's line-drive cross to make it 4-0 in the 14th minute, the Raiders (9-7-3) looked helpless.
Plant City stemmed the tide for 18 minutes before Alex Muniz's header kicked off a three-goal run in less than four minutes. Davison quickly fed Muniz on a free kick in the 35th minute for the hat trick.
"That's the team I want," Isajar said. "Focused, playing harder and passing tight. My two forwards listened to me to open up the lines, and that's what soccer is all about. Open up when you have the ball and close when you don't have the ball and mark up."
Plant City coach Trent Hobbs will rest knowing his team shut out the Bulls in the second: "The first half we came out completely flat. Our first game we played against them we were up 1-0 until 10 minutes to go, then they scored on a corner and a penalty kick and we lost 3-1. We came out tonight, and they're used to the playoffs. They're used to what it takes to win it all. This is the first time (our) guys have ever experienced a district championship."
