Even though the Palmetto Tigers scored an imposing 33 points on Friday, the Manatee Hurricanes still came out on top. Manatee snuck past Palmetto with a 38-33 victory. Given Manatee's advantage in MaxPreps' Florida football rankings (they are ranked 78th, while Palmetto is ranked 217th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Trayvon Pinder had an outrageously good game as he rushed for 140 yards and four touchdowns. Tyron Jackson also helped out as he racked up 115 rushing yards.
When it comes to explaining why Palmetto lost, one person who can't be blamed is Clayton Dees. Despite the final result, he threw for 411 yards and three touchdowns, and also punched in a touchdown on the ground. Rok Lodge also helped out as he racked up 134 receiving yards.
Manatee's win bumped their record up to 8-2. As for Palmetto, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 5-4.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Manatee will take on Southeast at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Southeast is still on the hunt for that elusive first 'W'. As for Palmetto, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Ida Baker at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Ida Baker comes in on a streak of failing to score more than seven points in their last three games, a trend the team is of course eager to reverse.
