Manatee County high school football teams returned to the field Friday night, Sept. 4, with several local programs adding another win to their early-season records. Manatee, Bayshore, Braden River, Bradenton Christian and Palmetto all came away victorious.
The Manatee Hurricanes improved to 2-1 with a 41-21 home victory over Sarasota’s SFA Rams. Manatee’s 20-point win gave the Hurricanes their second victory of the season while dropping SFA to 1-2.
Bayshore also continued its strong start, defeating Parrish Community 35-13. The Bruins moved to 2-1, while the Bulls remain in search of their first victory at 0-3.
Braden River remained unbeaten with a 39-28 victory over Lakewood Ranch. The Pirates improved to 3-0 with the win, while the Mustangs dropped to 2-1. Braden River is now one of the county’s remaining undefeated teams heading deeper into September.
Bradenton Christian delivered one of the most decisive performances of the week, shutting out Hernando Christian Academy 39-0 on the road. The Panthers improved to 3-1.
Palmetto earned a close victory over Riverview Sarasota, defeating the Rams 34-28. The Tigers improved to 2-1 following the six-point home win, while Riverview Sarasota fell to 2-1.
Saint Stephen’s Episcopal faced a difficult matchup against the undefeated Out-of-Door Academy. The Thunder defeated the Falcons 28-0, improving to 4-0, while Saint Stephen’s moved to 2-2.
Southeast came up just short against Charlotte in one of Friday night’s closest local games. The Seminoles fell 14-10 to the Fighting Tarpons. Charlotte improved to 3-0, while Southeast dropped to 0-3.
IMG Academy Takes the Field Saturday
IMG Academy follows a Saturday schedule this week rather than the Friday night slate played by the other Manatee County teams.
The Ascenders last played Saturday, Aug. 29, defeating Cornerstone Christian 59-10. The victory moved IMG Academy to 2-0.
IMG returns to action today, Saturday, Sept. 5, for a home non-district matchup against St. Louis. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. IMG enters the game 2-0, while St. Louis enters at 0-2.
With the first few weeks of the season complete, Braden River remains undefeated at 3-0, while IMG Academy will have an opportunity Saturday evening to move to 3-0 as Manatee County’s high school football season continues.