Keyon Fordham does a little bit of everything. Manatee does just enough to prevail.

Keyon Fordham gathered the offense before the Manatee High unit took the field for the final time in the third quarter.

The Hurricanes trailed North Miami by a point in a defensive struggle Friday night. Their only points came when the athlete broke off a 49-yard touchdown run.

“We’ve got to score,” Fordham told his teammates. “We’ve got to.”

Manatee’s offense staggered as it did so frequently in its Kickoff Classic at Joe Kinnan Field at Hawkins Stadium. The Hurricanes went three-and-out, but Fordham didn’t leave the field.

The senior does a little bit of everything for Manatee when the Hurricanes have the ball, including punt. When Manatee’s second drive of the fourth quarter stalled again, Fordham lined up for another punt.

The booming kick was his best of the night. Fordham pounded the ball from just across midfield down to the 10-yard line, where the Pioneers’ punt returner met a host of Hurricanes. Manatee jostled the ball loose and defensive back Brandon Shannon hopped on the fumble. Three plays later, quarterback Anthony Squittieri hit Irone Jackson for the final touchdown in a 16-9 win.

Despite a shaky effort on offense, the Hurricanes’ defense did enough to eke out a win against a playoff team from a year ago.

“We were getting close. We’ve just got to get there a little faster,” Manatee coach Yusuf Shakir said. “We’ve got to tighten up on some things, so we’ve got a long ways to go, but that’s what the Kickoff Classic is for, to see where you stand.”

During a storied career at Tallahassee Lincoln, Shakir built his reputation on his ability to develop defenses. Even in an up-and-down first season with the Hurricanes, Shakir typically won with defense.

On Friday, Manatee tormented North Miami. The Hurricanes racked up eight tackles for a loss and forced an intentional grounding. In the fourth quarter, Manatee logged a pair of takeaways, effectively sealing the game with an interception in the final four minutes.

On offense, the Hurricanes ran through Fordham. Primarily playing running back, Fordham had 11 carries for 98 yards and a touchdown, including multiple carries for more than 25 yards.

He lined up as a quarterback during some of Manatee’s most successful possessions, including the first two plays of the Hurricanes’ final scoring drive. It won’t always be conventional, but Manatee will get the ball to Fordham as often as possible.

Said Shakir: “You’d be crazy if you don’t.”

This story was originally published August 17, 2018 at 11:33 PM.