Lakewood Ranch is 0-8 against Palmetto since October of 2015 but things could change on Friday. The Mustangs will venture away from home to face off against the Tigers at 7:30 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
On Friday, Lakewood Ranch was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 41-37 to Sarasota. Even if the Mustangs couldn't come away with the win, the high-scoring effort was a great turnaround for their offense, which had struggled int the games prior.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Palmetto). They simply couldn't be stopped last Friday as they easily beat Gateway 70-6. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the team's high-flying offense, the game also marked the team's biggest victory of the season.
Lakewood Ranch better keep an eye on Matthew Hennesey. He was instrumental in Palmetto's win, throwing for 221 yards and seven TDs on only 15 passes. Thanks to that big game, Hennesey is now up to 16 passing touchdowns on the season. Palmetto's leading receiver Maurice Carter was Hennesey's top target yet again, picking up 95 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Palmetto's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 4-1. Those home victories came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 10.0 points on average over those games. As for Lakewood Ranch, their loss dropped their record down to 2-4.
Lakewood Ranch took a serious blow against Palmetto in their previous matchup back in November of 2024, falling 38-0. Can the Mustangs avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
