Plant City was somewhat depleted heading into the offseason a year ago. On defense, 10 starters graduated. The Raiders also had to replace starting quarterback Braxton Plunk, the Hillsborough County player of the year in 2018.
That did not matter to Mario Williams. The receiver, already a big-time college prospect, decided to stay.
Plant City went through some growing pains while playing a brutal early season schedule that included three teams that made the state semifinals. The result: a 5-5 record.
Still, Williams never considered bolting for another program. The offers continued coming. His recruiting rankings remained among the best at his position.
Two weeks ago, Williams, the nation’s top-rated receiver in the Class of 2021, committed to Oklahoma.
RELATED: Plant City’s Mario Williams picks Oklahoma
After the decision, Plies, a rapper from Fort Myers, took to social media to heap praise on Williams. Not for the five-star prospect’s allegiance to the Sooners. Instead, Plies lauded Williams’ loyalty to his high school program.
Plies, whose real name is Algernod Lanier Washington, was a receiver at Miami (Ohio) from 1996-97 before becoming a rapper. He is a big high school football fan and often posts about issues relating to state prospects. The message regarding Williams was simple. Colleges will find you, even on a .500 team.
“I never met Mario before, but I respect the fact that he stayed down until he came up,” Plies said of Williams in the video.
