Manatee County high school football teams took the field Friday night for the second week of the 2026 regular season, with several local programs earning victories on the road and at home while others came up just short in closely contested games.
Manatee, Bayshore, Braden River, Lakewood Ranch and Palmetto all came away with wins Aug. 28, while Bradenton Christian, Parrish Community, Saint Stephen’s Episcopal and Southeast fell to their opponents.
The Manatee Hurricanes picked up a 28-17 home victory over the Naples Golden Eagles. Manatee was the only local team in this group playing at home Friday night and earned an 11-point non-district win.
Bayshore traveled to face Sunlake and returned to Bradenton with a 20-14 victory. The Bruins held off the Seahawks for a six-point non-district win.
Braden River also won a close game on the road, defeating Fivay 17-14. The Pirates’ three-point victory was one of the tightest finishes involving a Manatee County team Friday night.
Lakewood Ranch delivered the most dominant defensive performance of the week. The Mustangs shut out Davenport 27-0, scoring four times while keeping the Broncos off the scoreboard.
Palmetto also posted a convincing road victory. The Tigers defeated Key West 35-7, producing the highest point total among the Manatee County teams included in this week’s results and winning by 28 points.
Bradenton Christian came within two points of a road victory against Lakeside Christian. The Panthers fell 20-18 in a district matchup, the closest local game of the night.
Parrish Community suffered a 27-12 loss at Riverview. The Bulls scored 12 points but were unable to keep pace with the Sharks in the non-district matchup.
Saint Stephen’s Episcopal was involved in another close finish, falling 35-32 to Sarasota Christian. The Falcons’ 32 points were the most scored by a local team that lost Friday night.
Southeast traveled to Hillsborough and fell 21-7. The Seminoles were held to one touchdown in the non-district contest.
With Week 2 complete, local teams will turn their attention to the next round of the 2026 season as district races begin to take on greater importance heading into September.