Two dominant signal callers in Jaylen White and Logan Flaherty are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Clearwater Tornadoes will head out to challenge the Port Charlotte Pirates at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Clearwater is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They blew past Blake 44-6. Winning may never get old, but the Tornadoes sure are getting used to it with their fourth in a row.
Sincere McClinton
| 11/14/25 vs Blake | 200 |
| 10/17/25 vs East Lake | 178 |
| 10/24/25 vs Countryside | 133 |
| 10/10/25 @ River Ridge | 122 |
| 09/26/25 vs Gulf | 100 |
Sincere McClinton had another great game (as he tends to do), rushing for 200 yards and two scores while picking up 10.0 yards per carry. Those 200 rushing yards gave him a new career-high. Another back making a difference was Kemariae Bullard, who gained 89 total yards and a touchdown.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Clearwater was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 382 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 170 rushing yards every time they've taken the field this season.
Clearwater didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Kentrail McRae and Jacoby Butler. McRae got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Port Charlotte, who bounced back after a loss on the road back in October. They took their matchup on Friday with ease, bagging a 48-21 win over Dunbar. Given the Pirates' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida football rankings (they are ranked 60th, while the Tigers are ranked 225th) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.
One reason for the win was Port Charlotte's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for three sacks. The team can thank two different players for their defensive prowess: Patrick Joy and Myka Akers, who each picked up one sack apiece.
Port Charlotte's victory bumped their record up to 9-2. As for Clearwater, their win bumped their record up to 8-3.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Clearwater has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 286.5 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Port Charlotte struggles in that department as they've been averaging 170.4 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Clearwater beat Port Charlotte 27-16 in their previous matchup back in November of 2016. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Tornadoes since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
