Manatee County high school football teams were back on the field this week, with Manatee, Bayshore, Bradenton Christian, IMG Academy and Palmetto recording victories while several other local programs faced tough losses.
Manatee improved to 3-1 with a 48-27 road victory over Lake Brantley. The Hurricanes traveled to Altamonte Springs for the non-conference matchup and came away with their third win of the season.
Bayshore also improved to 3-1 after defeating fellow Bradenton program Southeast 35-21. The conference loss dropped the Seminoles to 0-4.
Bradenton Christian continued its strong start to the season with a 55-0 victory over Donahue Catholic. The Panthers jumped out to a 28-0 lead in the first quarter and carried the shutout through the remainder of the game. Donahue Catholic found some opportunities to move the ball, but the Panthers’ defense largely held the Shamrocks to short gains. Bradenton Christian improved to 4-1.
IMG Academy’s varsity team posted another lopsided result, shutting out St. Louis 41-0.
Parrish Community fell to 0-4 after a 26-7 home loss to Palm Harbor University. The Bulls were held to one touchdown as Palm Harbor University picked up its first victory of the season.
Lakewood Ranch suffered a 46-0 road loss to Riverview Sarasota. The Mustangs moved to 2-2, while Riverview improved to 3-1.
Palmetto also picked up a win, defeating IMG Academy’s Junior National team 40-0. The Tigers improved to 3-1 with the victory. The game was separate from IMG Academy’s varsity matchup against St. Louis.
The results leave several Manatee County programs with winning records as the season moves deeper into September, while others will look to turn things around in their upcoming games.