Tigers beat Pirates 7-3

EAST MANATEE — The score was 7-3 Palmetto midway through the second quarter, and it remained 7-3 Palmetto when the final seconds ticked off the clock Friday night at Braden River High. But how it remained a four-point Palmetto win was far from textbook football, yet that didn’t mean it wasn’t any less exciting.

The Tigers finished their season with a win by surviving a frantic final drive by the Pirates that featured two personal foul penalties on the Tigers, a fumble by Pirate quarterback Ryan Fischer that was recovered by Pirate receiver Sharrod Neasman-Glover, an end zone interception by Ryan Huggins that was nullified by the second personal foul call on the Tigers, a pass interference call on Huggins in the end zone on a fourth-and-10 play that gave the Pirates a first-and-goal at the 7 and, finally, an interception by Huggins in the end zone with 30 seconds to play that ended the game.

“We stayed together,” Higgins said. “We played as a team. We fought together.”

Braden River (6-4) heads to Winter Haven this Friday for a Class 3A-Region 3 quarterfinal game.

Palmetto heads home at 5-5, having washed the bitter taste of their 17-13 last-minute loss to Lakewood Ranch on Nov. 6 that knocked the Tigers out of the playoffs.

“Way to show character,” Palmetto coach Raymond Woodie said. “They could have quit. They could have turned it in. I wanted to go out a winner, and they went out as winners, and I’m proud off them.”

Braden River took a 3-0 lead in the first quarter on a 39-yard field goal by Kadin Kearns.

Palmetto’s touchdown game on a 1-yard plunge by quarterback Donald Campbell that was set up by a blocked punt by Jadarien Smith.

Smith, a 6-foot-2 defensive end, was put on the punt block team this week.

“Someone got hurt, and I told them I could do it,” Smith said. “The team just needed someone to step up and make a play. I just put it on my shoulders.”

Smith’s block was recovered by Pervis Goff and gave the Tigers first-and-goal at the 8.

Three plays later, the lead changed hands and the Tigers never let go.

Braden River’s Tevin Bryant had a game-high 165 yards rushing, but fumbled twice in the fourth quarter. Darius Brooks recovered the first fumble. Huggins recovered the second.

The Pirates final drive began at their own 24 thanks to a personal foul call on the previous play, a punt that would have pinned the Pirates at their own nine.

The Pirates drove to within the shadows of the end zone when Huggins finally made the game-ending play.

“They tried to run a stop-and-go. I just didn’t bite on the stop,” Huggins said. “When I got the penalty, it just motivated me to play harder.”

It was Huggins second interception of the season, and it came during the final game of his senior year.

Not a bad way to end his high school football career.

“Yes sir,” he said. “It feels real good.”