Manatee, Riverview destined to decide district race

This time last year, nobody saw Manatee losing to Sarasota Riverview.

Who could?

The Rams hadn’t beaten the Hurricanes in more than a decade.

Then the upset and a district title going Riverview’s way happened.

The Class 8A-District 6 race should come down to the same two programs again.

On Friday, Manatee is heading to the Ram Bowl to play Riverview. While the Rams possess lots of talent, the Hurricanes feature a more cohesive unit than at the beginning of the season.

Head coach Yusuf Shakir told the Herald before the season that it’s about how you play in November and December compared to August and September.

You can throw October in there, too, and the Canes are finding a groove. It’s a must-watch game for area fans and one Manatee fans probably circled shortly after last year’s stunning defeat.

Other games to watch: Lakewood Ranch at Palmetto, Englewood Lemon Bay at Southeast.

Takeaways

1. Jake Hepler didn’t waver in becoming Braden River’s starting quarterback as a game-time decision. Hepler said he found out 1 1/2 hours before kickoff. He said he relied on his practice reps and practiced like he’d play. It surely worked, and the Pirates offense didn’t slow down with him performing more than just a game-manager. Tossing some decent deep balls, Hepler looked sharp.

2. Palmetto should not hang its heads low. Despite giving up some big plays, the defense held tight on a few possessions and the Tigers pounced on two miscues for 10 first-half points. As said before here, Eddravian Butler is a future star. The latest was his 55-yard run where he kept his legs moving and running despite the Braden River’s defense stopping play. Butler wasn’t down, the whistle didn’t blow and the Tigers played the Pirates close compared to last year’s 35-0 loss.

3. IMG Blue’s first local visit wasn’t the blowout that many expected. Venice head coach John Peacock scheduled the game as a way to see which of his players could compete against a Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas-caliber team, since that’s the likely path any area program in Class 7A must navigate for a state title. Holding a 9-0 lead in the first half was certainly a shock, before IMG’s depth took over in the second half.

4. Manatee’s homecoming victory was a rout, but the Hurricanes didn’t rely on just Keyon Fordham at QB. Backup Ryan O’Neill, who began the season as the starter, found a little groove. If he can get it going, using Fordham in other roles could prove beneficial in the long haul for Manatee.

Game balls

This week’s offensive player of the week goes to Braden River junior Knowledge McDaniel. He made two highlight-reel touchdown plays to give the Pirates the edge over Palmetto on Friday. Ultimately, McDaniel finished with 10 catches for 217 yards with two touchdowns. He added a rushing touchdown, too. McDaniel wasn’t the only offensive star for Braden River. Running back Deshaun Fenwick tallied 204 rushing yards. Other offensive stars this week: Manatee’s Josh Booker (11 carries, 130 rushing yards, three TDs) and Fordham (112 rushing yards, TD); Southeast’s Alex Taylor (18 of 26 for 279 passing yards, four TDs.

The defensive player of the week was Southeast’s Teriq Houston (six tackles, four TFL, four hurries, three sacks).

Other defensive stars were: Manatee’s Joseph Liu (seven tackles, TFL, sack), Jordan Bing (seven tackles, TFL, sack), Frank Waiters (three tackles, INT); Saint Stephen’s Vaughn Hayes (two tackles, four PBU, INT); Southeast’s Brandon Shannon (14 tackles, three TFL, PBU), Damien Washington (nine tackles, two PBU, INT), D.J. Bryant (13 tackles, three TFL, PBU) and Kam’ron Green (four tackles, two TFL, four hurries, two sacks).

Southeast seeks new AD

Southeast is looking for another athletic director. Allie Turley, who took over during the summer after former AD Daniel Bradshaw left for an out-of-state position, has stepped down. The reasons were not disclosed.

This story was originally published October 8, 2017 at 10:04 AM with the headline "Manatee, Riverview destined to decide district race."