Football Recap: Manatee Takes a Loss

Manatee and Riverdale squared off in some playoff action on Friday, but Manatee had to settle for second. They fell just short of the Raiders by a score of 28-26. The Hurricanes were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Raiders apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in November of 2024.

Despite the loss, Manatee still got an impressive performance from Keith Smith, who rushed for 62 yards and one TD, and also caught one score.

Riverdale's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Lovensky Blanchard, who rushed for 110 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Blanchard's rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his third straight game with at least 110 rushing yards. Theodis Harris was in the mix as well, providing Riverdale with two TDs.

Manatee now has a losing record of 6-7. As for Riverdale, the win was the eighth in a row for them, bringing their record up to 12-1.

Manatee does not have any more games scheduled as of now. As for Riverdale, they will challenge St. Thomas Aquinas at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few points on average (Riverdale 12.9, St. Thomas Aquinas 13.1) so any points scored will be well earned.