Football Preview: Pinellas Park Patriots vs. Manatee Hurricanes
Two dominant backs in Zahmir Mcneil and KeiShawn Smith are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Pinellas Park Patriots will face off against the Manatee Hurricanes at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Both are strolling into their games after big wins in their previous games.
Manatee is hoping to do what Gibbs couldn't on Friday: put an end to Pinellas Park's winning streak, which now stands at four games. Pinellas Park claimed a resounding 41-10 victory over Gibbs on the road. Given the Patriots' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida football rankings (they are ranked 125th, while the Gladiators are ranked 399th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
It was another big night for Mcneil, who rushed for 148 yards and three touchdowns on only 15 carries. His rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his third straight game with at least 146 rushing yards dating back to last season. Kaiden Nobles also helped with two touchdowns in total.
Meanwhile, Manatee blew past IMG Academy White, posting a 44-7 win at home. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Hurricanes.
Smith was his usual excellent self, picking up 87 receiving yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for 51 yards and two touchdowns. Another player making a difference was Andrew Heidel, who threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns on only 16 passes.
Manatee's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged two passes before it was all said and done. The picks came courtesy of Jamari Parker and Jermiah Patterson. Another thorn in IMG Academy White's side was Alvoid Kennon Jr., who picked up a sack, forced a fumble, and forced a fumble.
Pinellas Park's record is now 4-1. As for Manatee, they pushed their record up to 4-1 with the victory, which was their third straight at home.
Pinellas Park took a serious blow against Manatee in their previous matchup back in November of 2019, falling 35-7. Thankfully for Pinellas Park, Jayse Berzowski (who rushed for 54 yards and a touchdown, and also threw for 134 yards and a touchdown while completing 84.6% of his passes) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
