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Week 4 football roundup: Manatee remains unbeaten after four games; Falcons roll to big win

A roundup of Weeks 4 Sarasota-Manatee area high school football games from Thursday, Sept. 14 through Friday, Sept. 15.

FRIDAY

Manatee 28, Braden River 20

BRADENTON — The Manatee High football team jumped out in front early, made a stand on defense and remained unbeaten after four games.

The Hurricanes scored the first 14 points and stopped Braden River High five times from inside the 2-yard line in a 28-20 victory Friday night at Joe Kinnan Field at Hawkins Stadium.

It was Manatee’s seventh win in nine tries against the Pirates.

Both teams hit the road Friday: Manatee (4-0) at Port Charlotte High and Braden River (2-1) at Booker High.

Manatee takeaways

Manatee's tailback Ty'Ron Jackson (#3) blocks Braden Rivers' extra point attempt. Manatee Hurricanes stay undefeated with a 28-20 victory over the Braden River Pirates on Friday, Sept. 16, 2023, at Joe Kinnan Field at Hawkins Stadium in Bradenton.
Manatee's tailback Ty'Ron Jackson (#3) blocks Braden Rivers' extra point attempt. Manatee Hurricanes stay undefeated with a 28-20 victory over the Braden River Pirates on Friday, Sept. 16, 2023, at Joe Kinnan Field at Hawkins Stadium in Bradenton.

1. Although he was an offensive player, Hurricanes coach Jacquez Green likes his athletes on the defensive side of the ball. It came in handy when three different players stopped Braden River run attempts from inside the 2-yard line in the first quarter. Junior lineman Ean Johnson-Kelley, senior defensive lineman Tyreek’e Robinson and senior defensive back Daron Jean made plays on the first three downs before the entire defensive line converged on fourth down. They were not the only ones. Senior middle linebacker Elijah Perry, junior defensive lineman Alvoid Kennon, junior defensive back Torey Gilley, senior cornerback Raheim Sexil, senior defensive back Yahir Diaz-Reyes, senior linebacker/defensive end Maxinus Freeman also had plays that resulted in zero or negative yardage. Jean had an interception in the third quarter, and Sexil had a pick in the fourth quarter on a fake punt attempt. “I like to play defense,” Green said. “You can win a bunch of games by being more physical. I’ve always coached with defensive head coaches.”

2. The early stop helped the Hurricanes jump out to a 14-0 lead, an advantage they never relinquished. Senior Cory Sanders (11 carries, 69 yards) had an 11-yard run in the first quarter and junior KeiShawn Smith (7 carries, 116 yards) had a 71-yard scoring scamper on his first carry. Junior quarterback Andrew Heidel (11-for-15 for 175 yards) hooked up with Bon Bean Jr. (5 catches, 137 yards) on a pretty 51-yard pass and catch late in the second quarter giving Manatee a 21-6 lead at the break. “I thought we played pretty good,” Green said. “I never thought they had a chance to take the lead. We got everything we wanted in the first half, offensively. We moved the ball pretty good.”

3. It was only fitting that senior running back/outside linebacker Trayvon Pinder closed the game out. Playing against his former school, Pinder pounded his way in from 5 yards out early in the fourth quarter for Manatee’s final score. He then carried the final three times in the game for 6, 9 and 8 yards to finish with 40 yards on six carries, all in the second half. “He’s a closer,” Green said. “We got him in there when we got a lead. They were worn down and tired. He does a good job on both sides of the football. He wants to play college football and he has shown his skills on both sides of the football.”

Braden River takeaways

Braden River High wide receiver Yahshua Edwards (#17) takes it to the house for a touchdown against Manatee High on Friday, Sept. 16, 2023 at Joe Kinnan Field at Hawkins Stadium in Bradenton. The Hurricanes won 28-20 to remain undefeated this season.
Braden River High wide receiver Yahshua Edwards (#17) takes it to the house for a touchdown against Manatee High on Friday, Sept. 16, 2023 at Joe Kinnan Field at Hawkins Stadium in Bradenton. The Hurricanes won 28-20 to remain undefeated this season.

1. The Pirates fell behind and never could get the lead, although they went down trying. Offensive coordinator Eric Sanders and head coach Curt Bradley emptied the playbook, trying fake punts, onside kicks and everything else but came up short. “We did not play a clean game that we needed to play to win this football game,” Bradley said. “The first drive on defense we just laid down and died. That was the worst drive on defense we played all year. Once we got settled in, and it took us spotting them seven points. I had a couple of bad mishaps that put our kids in bad positions.”

2. The offense had more success through the air than on the ground. Junior quarterback Lucas Despot threw for 197 yards and a pair of touchdowns to senior wide receiver Matthew Schefer covering 16 and 22 yards, the latter a scamper down the left sideline. Yahshua Edwards had the other score, a 16-yard run.

3. The Pirates had a chance to tie the game in the first quarter. They needed seven plays to go from their own 19-yard line to the Manatee 1, highlighted by a 53-yard pass from Despot to Schefer, who had five catches for 127 yards. But from the 1-yard line, Braden River tried three running plays that lost a yard. On fourth down, a holding penalty in the end zone moved the ball back to the 1-yard line. Yet another running play was stopped for no gain. “The offense gets down to the 1 and can’t punch it in,” Bradley said. “We can’t do that do that against a good team like this. I’m proud of the effort. It could have gotten ugly. We could have laid down and died. The kids fought tooth and nail.”

− Dennis Maffezzoli 

Saint Stephen's 47, Aubrey Rogers 7

BRADENTON — Evan Brown ran for four touchdowns and passed for another as the host Saint Stephen’s Falcons ran over the visiting Aubrey Rogers Patriots 47-7 on Friday night.

The senior quarterback scored on runs of 10, 9, 2, and 13 yards, as the Falcons (3-1) erased an early 7-0 Patriot lead. Aubrey Rogers, a first-year school, took the lead on a 60-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the game from quarterback Dominic Ardezzone to wide receiver Romeo Sararo.

But Brown’s only TD pass of the game, a 25-yarder to Ryan Jensen, tied the game at 7-all. Saint Stephen’s then slowly increased its lead. Running back Cameron Brewer (11 carries, 139 yards) scored on a 29-yard run with five minutes, 10 seconds left in the game. When he scored on the Falcons’ next possession, on a 40-yard run, it made the score 47-7 and triggered the running clock.

Besides the early TD, the Patriots (0-4) provided little offense. Ardezzone finished 6-of-15 for 82 yards and an interception, by the Falcons’ James Haley. Rogers ended with minus-7 yards rushing.

Saint Stephen’s takeaways

1. A scary moment happened in the second quarter. Patriot running back Mikey Ramos took a handoff and ran left. Waiting for him was Falcon linebacker Jeremy Stroh, who leveled Ramos with a tackle. The 5-foot-7, 166-pound senior lay on the field for at least 10 minutes. EMTs were summoned, Ramos was put on a stretcher, and wheeled away. “He lost consciousness for about 15 seconds,” Patriot head coach JJ Everage said. “I think it’s just a concussion, so I think he’ll be OK. HE was talking and alert when he left.” Everage said Stroh’s hit was helmet-to-helmet, but no penalty was called.

2. Though Falcon head coach A.J. Brown was happy with the win, his team committed 70 yards in penalties, threw an interception, and lost a fumble. “Absolutely,” Brown said. “I don’t know if the kids were just excited about homecoming. We didn’t play down to their level, but I think we played out of character a little bit. Some of the things that I saw on the field, we’re not used to doing, but you better believe we’ll get them fixed.”

3. Falcon QB Evan Brown often is the best athlete on the field. He proved that again Friday night, rushing for four TDs and throwing a fifth. He ran 15 times for 132 yards, often running around Patriot defenders, but also plowing through their attempted tackles. Throwing the ball, he was 4-for-8 for 78 yards, the TD and one careless interception which Brown essentially just threw up. “He does try to make too many plays sometimes,” Brown said. “But he settled down and went back to work.” The four rushing TDs gives Brown seven on the season.

— Doug Fernandes

Lely 46, Southeast 13

BRADENTON — Like most freshmen, Nino Joseph never really thought he’d get such an opportunity so quickly, but Trojans coach Ben Hammer didn’t hesitate when the team’s leading ground-gainer, sophomore Jayvian Tanelus, went down with an injury Friday night.

Joseph rewarded him with 142 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries, helping Lely (2-2) score 39 unanswered points and roll past the host Seminoles (0-4) at John Kiker Memorial Stadium.

“Freshmen on varsity don’t really touch the field like that,” Joseph said. “When you get that opportunity, you gotta go hard for it.”

The 5-foot-7, 160-pound rookie had pretty much remained a secret through three games.

“I only let Nino play one quarter (in the JV games), because as a freshman, he’s our true (varsity) backup,” Hammer said. “But he came in and carried the load and didn’t think twice. His legs just keep churning.”

Tanelus (14 carries, 49 yards, 1 TD) departed late in the first half with what Hammer called “an injury to his a lower extremities.” He already has 458 yards and six TDs in four weeks.

By that point, though, the Trojans had built a comfortable 19-7 lead, despite their offense controlling the ball for less than eight minutes.

Colin Raymond’s 16-yard pass to Loveguens Avena had tied it after the ’Noles had driven 80 yards in 15 plays on the game’s opening drive, and a pair of short-field chances (Osyrus Boykin’s interception return to Southeast’s 23 and a short punt to the 32) produced Tanelus’ 2-yard score and Luca Rama’s 35-yard toss to senior Joshua Philogene.

Joseph had breakaways of 20 and 24 yards on the first of those drives.

Raymond (8-of-12, 61 yards) threw three of Lely’s four TD passes, capped by a 2-yard strike to Gage Rice and a 12-yarder to Kevin Guzman that pushed the Trojans’ advantage to 32-7 midway through the third quarter.

Southeast takeaways

1. The ’Noles have been outscored 192-39 in their four losses, but for a somewhat frustrated coach Brett Timmons, this one was “the same ol’ same ol’. It’s self-inflicted wounds. Penalties, interceptions, fumbles, just basic fundamental football.”

2. Southeast ran 45 plays in the first half — including 28 passes by senior Tooda Thomas (14-of-32, 133 yards, 1 TD, 2 int), as Timmons looked to get the ball in the hands of his playmakers. Marquis Carter and Ryan Simmons combined for 10 catches and 71 yards. “It’s what they gave us, what we saw,” he said. Bruising senior Evan Bennett added 74 rushing yards in the first half.

3. A Southeast assistant coach who called himself “Bishop Freeze” filled in as the stadium’s PA announcer and was … well, entertaining. “Keep the Faith” seemed to be his go-to line, and he implored the crowd to remain supportive, despite the lopsided score: “Let me hear ya! Go ’Noles!” At one point, he referred to Simmons as “Prime Time,” and seemed delighted when the 5-11 junior broke free for 33 yards.

Lely takeaways

1. Hudson Switken, a sophomore, handled most of the Trojans’ extra-point and punting duties, but senior Emiliano Nicasio boomed five consecutive kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks. “Our kicking coach is a soccer coach, so we actually have five senior kickers and (Switken),” Hammer said. “Four of the seniors are out for the first time, and none of them are bad.”

2. Both of Lely’s wins are on the road, but Hammer hasn’t been happy with his team’s slow starts, including this one: “We’ve gotta do a better job of getting off the bus. … We left a lot out here. We can be a better team than what we were tonight.”

3. The Trojans’ defense allowed 10 first downs and 214 total yards before the half – but no more first downs and only 27 yards until the game’s final two minutes. “Our defense played great in the second half,” Hammer said. “We did a great job running to the ball and getting off blocks.”

— Donnie Wilkie

Sarasota Christian 68, The Classical Academy of Sarasota 26

TOP PLAYERS: SC: Justin Brock (6 TDs, 6 carries for 84 yards, 60 yard punt return for a TD), Randall Collins (5 catches, 174 yards, 3 TDs), Colton Loftus (4 catches, 41 yards, Daniel Jacinto (13 tackles), Carson Spenn (9 tackles), Mason Miller (4 tackles, 4 pass breakups).

OF NOTE: Sarasota Christian set the school record for points in a game with 68

RECORDS: Sarasota Christian 5-0, The Classical Academy of Sarasota 2-3)

NEXT GAME: Sarasota Christian hosts Academy at the Lakes on Tuesday, at 7 p.m.

THURSDAY

Palmetto 49, Sarasota 31

PALMETTO − Jamari Parker and Davaughn Thomas combined for five touchdowns as the host Palmetto Tigers rolled the winless Sarasota Sailors 49-31.

Parker scored on the first play of the game, a 73-yard scoring run that put the Tigers (2-1) up 7-0 with the Brandon Gonzales PAT. He later added a 1-yard TD, and another 1-yard score in the fourth, accounting for the final score.

Thomas took one 86 yards for the score in the second period, putting Palmetto up 28-21. But the Sailors (0-4) battled back to take the lead on 31-yard field goal by Andrew Clayton, followed by a 25-yard scoring run by quarterback Johnny Squitieri, putting Sarasota in front 31-28 with 2:26 left in the third.

But Palmetto responded with three straight scores. Thomas ran it in from 1 yard out, Rokland Lodge caught a 16-yard TD pass from quarterback Clayton Dees, and Parker’s 1-yarder made it 49-31.

Squitieri did his best to keep Sarasota in the game. He scored on a 1-yard run in the first, another 1-yarder, making it 14-all. A 30-yard TD pass to Joe Ziegler tied the game 21-21. Later, a 25-yard scoring run by Squitieri kept Sarasota close at 31-28. He finished 12-of-20 for 124 yards.

Palmetto takeaways

Palmetto's mascot tiger doing 28 push-ups, the score of the Palmetto's points during the first half of play. Palmetto with a 49-31 victory over the Sarasota Sailors Thursday night, Sept. 14, 2023, at Harllee Stadium in Palmetto.
Palmetto's mascot tiger doing 28 push-ups, the score of the Palmetto's points during the first half of play. Palmetto with a 49-31 victory over the Sarasota Sailors Thursday night, Sept. 14, 2023, at Harllee Stadium in Palmetto.

1. Running backs Jamari Parker and Davaughn Thomas combined for five touchdowns and 341 yards rushing. Just as head coach Rashad West had hoped. “We thought we’d be able to run the ball with our offensive line,” he said. “We didn’t try to force it and throw the ball, and we seemed to have success running the ball. (Sarasota) did a good job being ready for a lot of our other stuff, but we just tried to be more physical.” Parker and Thomas are backs with similar styles, but West will take them both. “They do complement each other, but they’re a nice 1-2 punch,” he said. “They’ve been big for us this year. It’s been great to have both of those kids.”

2. The game was interrupted in the third quarter with about two minutes left when Sarasota running back John Ford III was tackled out of bounds. As he lay on the ground, Palmetto’s Marcus Smith stood over Ford, drawing a flag. Smith walked away after getting it, but pushing and shoving ensued. When order was restored, both teams had been penalized, and Palmetto had lost defensive back Rashaun Brown to an ejection, and Sarasota had lost linebacker Nathan Pralle and safety Jhoan Agudelo. The three face being suspended for their team’s next game. “They said they threw punches,” West said, “so I would imagine. The kids know each other. I think that was more a heat of the moment and being aggressive, and it spilled over and we don’t want that to happen. That was a black eye on what was a good game.” Said Sarasota head coach Josh Phillips, “I hate that.”

Sarasota takeaways

Sarasota's quarterback Johnny Squitieri (#13) on a quarterback keeper being pursued by Palmetto's linebacker Evan Stancil (#8). Palmetto with a 49-31 victory over the Sarasota Sailors Thursday night, Sept. 14, 2023, at Harllee Stadium in Palmetto.
Sarasota's quarterback Johnny Squitieri (#13) on a quarterback keeper being pursued by Palmetto's linebacker Evan Stancil (#8). Palmetto with a 49-31 victory over the Sarasota Sailors Thursday night, Sept. 14, 2023, at Harllee Stadium in Palmetto.

1. Once again, a strong running attack wore down a game but smallish Sarasota defensive line. “We had defensive linemen rotating in and trying to stay fresh, and they wore us down a little bit,” Phillips said. “They got a lot of speed and we got to tackle better. There’s just too many plays that could have been a 3-yard play that they make a much bigger play. Offensively, we got to execute better.”

2. The Sailors are getting everything possible from transfer QB Johnny Squitieri, who had a hand in all the Sailor touchdowns. “My quarterback played his guts out tonight,” Phillips said. “He’s amazing. He plays so hard. Leadership and heart. He comes from a football family, but he’s got guts and heart and the will to win. All these kids are great to coach. I feel bad for them. My kids are fighting so hard, but we have a tough schedule.”

3. It’s obvious to anyone who watches Sarasota that the Sailors aren’t especially big, or especially fast, or especially athletic. “I’m trying to draw magic stuff up,” Phillips said.

Riverview 35, Cardinal Mooney 7

Riverview quarterback Braxton Thomas (#7) keeps the ball and looks for a hole in the Mooney defense. The Cardinal Mooney Cougars hosted the Riverview Rams Thursday evening, Sept. 14, 2023.
Riverview quarterback Braxton Thomas (#7) keeps the ball and looks for a hole in the Mooney defense. The Cardinal Mooney Cougars hosted the Riverview Rams Thursday evening, Sept. 14, 2023.

SARASOTA − Riverview High potted Cardinal Mooney Catholic High an early touchdown before storming back with 35 unanswered points.

The Rams avenged last year’s loss to the Cougars with a 35-7 victory Thursday night at John Heath Field at Austin Smithers Stadium.

DJ Johnson and Isaiah Belt each scored two touchdowns, and quarterback Braxton Thomas scrambled for another for Riverview. Meanwhile, the Rams defense pitched a shutout, as Cardinal Mooney’s lone touchdown of the game came on a fumble return.

On Sept. 22, Cardinal Mooney (3-1) heads to Cocoa to face Space Coast High.

Riverview (3-1) is off until Sept. 29 when it heads to Venice in a Class 4 Suburban-District 14 contest.

Riverview takeaways

1. After allowing 42 points in a home win last week against Palmetto High, the Rams defense tightened the screws against one of the better offenses in the area. Riverview allowed 283 total yards. Linebacker Landon Marsters recovered a fumble and had a tackle for a loss. Defensive lineman Luke Haskins notched two of the team’s three sacks with defensive end Jacorey Denrow recording the other. Defensive linemen Henry Fioriglio and Jack Folvig each had two tackles for a loss. “Last week we had a hard time getting off the field,” Riverview coach Josh Smithers said. “We told these guys: Sometimes offensive has got to win it; sometimes defense has got to win it. Tonight it was the defense’s time.”

2. Running behind Julius Edwards, CJ McCutcheon, Weston Gruttadauria, Aljonon Oliver, Malik Byrd, and tight end Christian Leetzow, the Rams rushed for 363 yards. Johnson shook off an early fumble to gain 229 yards on 21 carries, including touchdown runs of 16 and 80. Isaiah Belt followed with 110 yards on 13 carries and reached the end zone on runs of 20 and 28. Quarterback Braxton Thomas rushed for 24 yards and a score and completed three passes for 45 yards. “When they got the scoop fumble we got a little uptight,” Smithers said. “We went into halftime and relaxed. We told them to be patient; it’s gonna happen. Once we got the score, we relaxed a little bit and went quick. DJ was great. He ran his butt off. Isaiah Belt, we’ve got two really good running backs. The offensive line was phenomenal tonight.”

3. Smithers credited strength and conditioning coach Mark Cristiani for the preparation. “We do it the old-fashioned way. Our guys are hard-nosed, blue-collar. You can’t buy success and toughness. You’ve got to work for that,” Smithers said. “I loved the way the guys approached it. They were resilient and I love it. I felt like we were more physical the whole game.”

Cardinal Mooney takeaways

Cardinal Mooney's Teddy Foster (#1) avoids Riverview defender Luke Haskins (#11) on a kick return. The Cardinal Mooney Cougars hosted the Riverview Rams Thursday evening, Sept. 14, 2023.
Cardinal Mooney's Teddy Foster (#1) avoids Riverview defender Luke Haskins (#11) on a kick return. The Cardinal Mooney Cougars hosted the Riverview Rams Thursday evening, Sept. 14, 2023.

1. A key turning point came at the end of the third quarter. With the score tied at 7-all, the Cougars had a touchdown called back because of a penalty. They lined up for a 28-yard field goal, but again an infraction moved the ball back 5 yards. The 33-yard field goal hit the crossbar. On Riverview’s first play, Johnson went 80 yards to give the Rams their first lead at 14-7 with 14.9 seconds left in the third quarter. Cardinal Mooney’s fatigued defense then allowed three fourth-quarter touchdowns. “That was huge,” Cougars coach Jared Clark said. “Our defense was on the field for too long. The difference in the game was we couldn’t stop the run in the second half. We fought our tails off for three quarters.”

2. Quarterback Michael Valentino moved the ball against the Riverview defense but could not produce a touchdown. Valentino completed 7-of-12 passes for 94 yards in the first half before an injury sidelined him for the remainder of the game. Clark said Valentino would be “all right.” Devin Mignery came on in the second half and was 9-for-23 for 110 yards. “The quarterback goes out after the first half,” Clark said. “We had plays that were there. Devin played really well. It was his first varsity game, and it was against a really good football team. I’m very proud of him. I don’t think there was much difference between Devin and Valentino.”

3. The Cougars got off to a quick start when Zy’marion Lang scooped up a fumble and went 40 yards for a score on Riverview’s first play from scrimmage 15 seconds into the game. That was all Cardinal Mooney’s scoring.

− Dennis Maffezzoli

Lakewood Ranch 47, IMG Blue 7

BRADENTON - Simon Freed ran for 202 yards and three touchdowns as Lakewood Ranch cruised past IMG Blue, 47-7, Thursday night.

The Mustangs jumped out to an early lead and dominated the Ascenders throughout to earn their first victory of the season.

“It was really the first game that we’ve started out quick,” Lakewood Ranch coach Scott Paravicini said. “It’s something that we’ve struggled with all year and we’ve been trying to preach to these guys to start fast.”

The Mustangs took the opening kickoff and three runs by Freed brought the ball to the 4-yard line before Lakewood Ranch fumbled it away. But after an IMG three-and-out, the Mustangs drove down the field again and scored on a 22-yard pass from Sebastian Mejia to Dalin Koscielski. Jaylen Munoz intercepted a pass on the Ascenders' next possession and bought it back to the 8-yard line, and Freed scored from there to give the Mustangs a 14-0 lead in the first quarter.

A 1-yard run by Freed capped off a second-quarter drive after Mejia completed 4 of 4 passes during the march to put Ranch up 21-0 at halftime.

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Week 3 rankings: Manatee, Cardinal Mooney still on top of Herald-Tribune football rankings after Week 3

A brief hiccup at the start of the third quarter saw the Mustangs fumble again in their own territory, setting up a 21-yard TD catch by James Olsen to cut the deficit to 21-7 with 7:53 left in the period.

But Lakewood Ranch quickly responded with Freed’s third TD run of the night from 47 yards and pulled away from there. Freed finished with 202 yards on 16 carries.

“All props to my linemen, honestly,” Freed said. “The linemen did amazing. Just hit the hole and just keep on running.”

The Mustangs would score three more times on an 18-yard TD pass from Mejia to Jaron Fields, a 5-yard scoring pass from Anthony Speciale to Connor Anthony, and a 2-yard run by Cobian Favazza. Mejia finished 8 for 13 passing for 127 yards and Munoz caught 4 passes for 61 yards for the Mustangs, who are now 1-3 on the season and will host Lyman for homecoming next Friday night.

Lakewood Ranch takeaways

1.  Freed was not even supposed to be the starting running back for the Mustangs, but has seized the opportunity and ran with it. “He’s a heck of a football player,” Paravacini said. “He’s kind of assumed the role of running back. That wasn’t something that we initially thought that he would be doing a ton of but there were some injuries and some depth issues and he’s really rose up and kind of solidified himself to be the guy for us.”

2. The Mustangs piled up 285 yards rushing and 132 yards passing while holding the Ascenders to just 145 yards of total offense. “I thing some stuff came together for us tonight,” Paravacini said. “I think the line blocked well, credit goes to the guys up front and Freed for being a heck of a football player. I think we’ve gotten significantly better on defense. Tonight we came out and executed what we wanted to do. So we’ve got a lot of stuff to be proud of and a lot of stuff we still have to work on.”  Levi Freed also had an interception for the Mustangs.

3. With their first victory under their belts, Simon Freed is hopeful the Mustangs can turn their season around. “I try my best to come out here and work all the time,” Freed said. “I’m showing that with a full new coaching staff and guys that have left, the guys who have stayed are rising up. And I think that our seniors can rise up to the occasion and we can step up and work towards having a winning season."

−Bruce Robins

North Port 35, Ambassadors Christian 0

NORTH PORT – Have you ever seen a high school football team play an entire game with just 11 players?

Neither had most people in attendance at North Port High on Thursday night until Ambassadors Christian Academy rolled in over an hour late from Lake Wales.

As you could expect, the Bobcats (2-1) were hardly challenged on their way to a 35-0 running clock win in which the Stallions had to play with 10 players at times.

“When I scheduled this team, I didn’t know much about them really,” North Port coach Garon Belser said. “The month leading up to it, I started researching them more, and I was like, ‘Oh, Jesus Christ.’

“But I give them all the credit in the world. They came out here and revealed a lot of bad qualities in us. I was not very happy with this game.”

In a game that was essentially decided from the start, North Port took control quickly as Nicholas Leroux scooped up a Stallions fumble and Bobcats quarterback Giovanni Dibene capped a 42-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run.

Another fumble on the ensuing drive by ACA led to another North Port touchdown – this one a 6-yard run by Colton Eichten – as the Bobcats took a 13-0 lead with two minutes remaining in the first quarter.

North Port slowed its momentum from there.

The Bobcats fumbled the ball twice in the second quarter and couldn’t deliver the death knell until 2-plus minutes remained in the third quarter.

“Personally, if we’re being honest, no, I don’t really get any value out of this game,” Belser said. “I wasn’t really expecting that. Again, I want to look at it positively. They exposed a lot of flaws that we want to fix.

“We were definitely a lot flatter than we were at IMG Blue.”

North Port takeaways

  1. The Bobcats have run the ball well all season and that was the one bright spot in Thursday night’s win. The Bobcats rushed 33 times for 254 yards, led by Zeke Baez (15 rushes for 113 yards, TD) and Colton Eichten (5 rushes for 49 yards, 2 TDs, 2-point conversion).

  2. However, North Port hardly even tried to pass all game. The Bobcats finished 1-of-2 passing as Dibene hit Patrick White for a 13-yard reception.

  3. This is a game that should have never happened. This game was far too easy for North Port, even with several mistakes, and Belser added that this is "not going to be a yearly game here."

Berkeley Prep 28, Booker 8

SARASOTA − The Buccaneers jumped out to a lead and never looked back in topping the Tornadoes at Tornado Alley.

Berkeley Prep (2-1) scored a touchdown in each quarter. Booker (2-2) notched all its points in the fourth quarter. The Tornadoes had a two-game winning streak snapped.

Booker plays host to Braden River High on Sept. 22 at Tornado Alley.

Week 4 schedule, scores

THURSDAY

Lakewood Ranch 47, IMG Academy Blue 7

North Port 35, Ambassadors Christian Academy 0

Riverview 35, Cardinal Mooney 7

Palmetto 49, Sarasota 31

Berkeley Prep 28, Booker 8

FRIDAY

Manatee 28, Braden River 20

IMG Academy National 28, Glenville (Cleveland) 6

IMG Academy White 55, Evangelical Christian 27

Lemon Bay 34, North Fort Myers 33

Parrish Community at Avon Park

Port Charlotte 62, Ida Baker 0

Saint Stephen’s Episcopal 47, Aubrey Rogers 7

Sarasota Christian 68, The Classical Academy of Sarasota 27

Lely 46, Southeast 13

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: High School Football Week 4 roundup of Sarasota and Manatee County games