Football Recap: Manatee Falls to St. John Bosco in First Game of Season

Manatee unfortunately couldn't capitalize on their home-field advantage in their season opener. They were dealt a 31-0 loss at the hands of the St. John Bosco Braves on Friday. While losing is never fun, the Hurricanes can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' football rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 63rd in Florida, while the Braves are ranked second in California).

Koa Malau'ulu looked great while leading his team to the win, throwing for 121 yards and three touchdowns while completing 75% of his passes. What's more, he racked up 146.2 passer rating, the most he's had since back in September of 2024.

Manatee has already played their next contest, a 42-14 victory against Southeast on the 29th. As for St. John Bosco, they also didn't take long to hit the field again: they've already played their next game, a 66-7 win against Eastwood on the 29th.