Week 8 of the high school football season brought a mix of victories, shutouts and difficult losses for Manatee County teams, with Palmetto, Braden River, Bradenton Christian and IMG Academy highlighting the action during the week of October 5–9.
Palmetto delivered one of the week’s notable performances, defeating longtime rival Manatee 37-14 in a district matchup Friday night. The Tigers secured a 23-point victory over the Hurricanes in one of the county’s most anticipated local matchups.
Braden River also celebrated a district victory, shutting out Southeast 31-0 on Friday. The Pirates held the Seminoles scoreless while adding another win to their season.
Bradenton Christian opened the local football action Thursday, October 8, with a 22-8 home victory over Shorecrest Prep. The Panthers’ defense limited the Chargers to eight points as Bradenton Christian secured a 14-point win.
IMG Academy continued its strong showing with a commanding 49-7 road victory over New Palestine on Friday. The Ascenders outscored their opponent by 42 points in the non-district contest.
Other Manatee County programs faced challenging opponents during the week. Lakewood Ranch fell 49-14 on the road against Venice in district competition, while Parrish Community suffered a 52-6 district loss to Sumner.
Bayshore also faced a difficult road matchup, losing 55-7 to Cardinal Mooney on Friday. The Bruins were unable to keep pace with the Cougars in district play.
The week’s coverage also includes Saint Stephen’s Episcopal, which fell 46-6 to Canterbury on Saturday, October 3.
Palmetto running back Ashton Kelly was among the week’s standout performers, rushing for more than 130 yards and scoring three touchdowns against Manatee. Braden River quarterback Louisen Desinor completed 11 of 18 passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns in the Pirates’ shutout victory. Bayshore’s Camdon Stancil contributed eight receptions for 144 yards in the first half against Cardinal Mooney.
The results set up another important week of football on October 16. Palmetto will travel to Winter Park, Braden River will host Wellen Park, Southeast will face Cardinal Mooney, and Lakewood Ranch will host Sarasota. Parrish Community will host IMG Academy Junior National, while Bradenton Christian visits Foundation Christian and Saint Stephen’s travels to Santa Fe Catholic.
Manatee will have a bye week, while Bayshore has no game scheduled for October 16.