Football Game Preview: Palmetto Tigers vs. Manatee Hurricanes

The Palmetto Tigers will square off against the Manatee Hurricanes at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Palmetto is coming into the contest hot, having won their last four games.

On Friday, Palmetto took their game with ease, bagging a 42-7 victory over Lakewood Ranch. Considering the Tigers have won four matchups by more than 21 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.

Palmetto got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Matthew Hennesey out in front who threw for 214 yards and four TDs while completing 76.9% of his passes. Keyron Jones helped Hennesey out on the ground, rushing for 119 yards on only ten carries.

Meanwhile, Friday just wasn't the day for Manatee's offense. They were outmatched by Columbia and fell 35-0. Having soared to a lofty 42 points in the game before, the Hurricanes' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.

Even if they lost, Manatee's defensive line still kept up the pressure with four sacks. Derek Morgan was particularly dangerous to the passing game, picking up two himself. He has become a key player for Manatee: the team is 2-1 when he posts at least one sack, but 1-3 otherwise. Ronin Dangler was another major factor on D, making 11 total tackles (5.0 for loss).

Palmetto's victory bumped their record up to 5-1. As for Manatee, they now have a losing record of 3-4.

Palmetto took a serious blow against Manatee in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, falling 35-7. Thankfully for the Tigers, Andrew Heidel (who threw for 217 yards and four touchdowns while completing 82.4% of his passes, and also punched in one score on the ground) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.