Week 5 of the 2026 high school football season brought everything from decisive victories to nail-biting finishes for Manatee County teams Friday night, with five local programs coming away with wins.
Braden River remained unbeaten with a 37-6 road victory over North Port. The Pirates improved to 4-0, their best start since 2021. David Louis helped lead the offense with 137 rushing yards on 10 carries and two touchdowns, including a 58-yard scoring run.
Bradenton Christian continued its strong season with a dominant 60-12 road victory over Lake Mary Prep. The Panthers improved to 5-1 with the win.
IMG Academy National also picked up a road victory, defeating The First Academy in Orlando 48-27. The Ascenders remained undefeated at 4-0.
Palmetto jumped out to a 28-0 advantage against Naples before the Golden Eagles mounted a comeback. The Tigers held on for a 38-28 victory, improving to 4-1. (
Saint Stephen’s Episcopal delivered one of the most convincing performances of the night, shutting out Seven Rivers Christian 45-0. The Falcons improved to 4-2.
Manatee came up just short in one of the week’s highest-scoring and closest games. Riverview Sarasota edged the Hurricanes 49-47. Manatee running back Caedon White rushed for more than 260 yards and three touchdowns on at least 34 carries. The loss dropped the Hurricanes to 3-2.
Lakewood Ranch was involved in another game decided by the narrowest of margins. Dunnellon escaped with a 14-13 victory over the Mustangs, who fell to 2-3.
Bayshore faced undefeated Hawthorne and fell 50-15 at home. The Bruins moved to 3-2, while Hawthorne improved to 5-0.
Parrish Community continued searching for its first victory after a 48-7 road loss to Sarasota. The Bulls are now 0-5.
Southeast High School had a bye this week. The Southeast Seminoles are scheduled to return to action Friday, Sept. 25, with a road game against Gadsden County in Havana.
Week 6 will include several notable matchups for Manatee County programs. Braden River travels to Cardinal Mooney, Manatee visits Sumner, Lakewood Ranch heads to North Port, and Palmetto and Parrish Community meet in an all-Manatee County matchup. Bayshore travels to Wellen Park, Bradenton Christian hosts SLAM Tampa, IMG Academy National hosts Legacy School of Sport Sciences of Texas, and Saint Stephen’s travels to Marco Island Academy.