Pinellas Park was the 39-7 winner over East Lake when they last played one another back in August of 2024, but their luck changed this time around. The Patriots took a 34-23 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Eagles on Friday.
Despite the defeat, Pinellas Park had strong showings from Chayse Armstrong, who rushed for 44 yards and one touchdown, and Jhai Hitchcock, who rushed for 92 yards.
Don't try to pin the team's loss on the defense: they kept the trenches locked down and allowed a mere 3.2 yards per carry. While two picked up at least ten total tackles, Taveon Weathers stood above the rest. He picked up two sacks and made ten total tackles (3.0 for loss). Pinellas Park didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 6.6.
Pinellas Park's defensive line didn't let Eli Millian., get away unscathed either: they got into the backfield for three sacks. Leading the way was Weathers with two sacks. Armstrong got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
East Lake's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Millian led the charge by throwing for 284 yards and three TDs while picking up 11.8 yards per attempt, and also punching in one rushing score. Those 284 passing yards gave Millian a new career-high. East Lake's leading receiver Jermiah Cooper was Millian's top target yet again, picking up 173 receiving yards and one score.
Pinellas Park's record is now 1-1. As for East Lake, the victory also got them back to even at 1-1.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Pinellas Park will head out to face off against Bayshore at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. As for East Lake, they will take on St. Petersburg at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
