Plant’s Ely preparing for his comeback

Posted Sep 15, 2009 by Katherine Smith

Updated Sep 15, 2009 at 09:22 PM

Plant quarterback Phillip Ely will be a game-time decision on Thursday. And he’ll remain that way until he comes back from the lower back stress fracture that has sidelined him since the start of the season.

If Ely can’t play against Jefferson at Dad’s Stadium, back-ups James Few and Deandre Queen would get the bulk of the snaps at quarterback.

“He’s coming along,” Plant coach Robert Weiner said. “He’s got no pain and he’s on the fourth level of his therapy and he needs to get to five in order to play. He’s getting very close. Whether or not he’ll get there by Thursday, I don’t know.”

Ely, who missed the Panthers first two games and would have been out against Hillsborough had the game been played, has been doing everything at practice, except take snaps. He’s also been throwing on the side as part of his rehabilitation.

Plant will definitely have one of its injured starters back on Thursday. Starting defensive back/wide receiver Eric Dungy returned to practice after missing several weeks with a hip pointer. Dungy’s return is a timely one since he and starting cornerback Javonte Martin expect to see a lot of action with Jefferson primarily throwing the ball.

Receivers Andre “Freak Show” Davis and Chris Moore are the main targets of the county’s leading passer Quentin Williams.

“Where Quentin’s at his best, and he’s very good, is scrambling into a breakdown situation,” Weiner said. “So we know we’ve got to stay on those receivers for a long time. And we know we’ve got to close the pocket on him and not give him a lot of room to move.”