Manatee seeks redemption in trip to Alabama

For three Manatee High seniors, the trip to Alabama this week is personal.

A.J. Colagiovanni, Garrett Ware and Seth Walter are 0-2 in out-of-state football games, and this is their last chance to find redemption.

The Hurricanes lost to national power Hoover (Ala.) 42-21 last year. Friday night, they face Hewitt-Trussville, ranked seventh in Alabama.

“It’s great, it’s bittersweet just to go up there to get another chance to beat another great team. They are a great team and we are going to respect them like every team we play,” Colagiovanni said. “We are just focusing this week (after the win over Seffner Armwood). We have to put everything we have into this game. We can’t look behind us anymore.”

The senior quarterback said he and his teammates learned a lot from last year’s trip to Alabama that they can use as an advantage.

Two years ago, they traveled by bus to Georgia, where they lost to Ware County in a gut-wrenching defeat. They are also traveling by bus to Trussville in what is about nine hours road time.

“You have to focus more when you go on a long trip. There are so many distractions. It’s a new hostile environment and you have to be ready as a team,” Colagiovanni said. “It’s football, we’ve been playing it since we were young, and we go out there every day and have fun.”

Manatee left at 8 a.m. Thursday and planned to make about three stops. One was at Tallahassee Godby, where the team planned to do a walk through and lift weights, eat and shower and arrive at the hotel Thursday evening.

”We can’t allow the Armwood game to carry over. It’s a concern every time you have a big win like that,” Manatee head coach John Booth said. “Trussville will be well prepared. They had a big win last week (over Nashville Montgomery Bell Academy) on the road against a good team.”

Against Montgomery, Trussville had 511 total yards from scrimmage with quarterback Connor Adair throwing for 341 yards and two touchdowns and Elliott McElwain catching nine passes for 147 yards and a touchdown.

Manatee was stellar against the run in the Armwood game, getting strong performances from veteran linebacker Garrett Ware and newcomer Gary White.

“This game, it’s kind of like revenge, but more kind of like going to finally win a game (out of state),” Ware said. “We’ve had trouble the last couple of years (Manatee is 2-3 in out-of-state games). We want to come out with a win and prove all these people wrong. The Armwood game is in the rearview mirror.”

Ware had nine tackles (seven solos) against Armwood, and White was the most disruptive player on the field with a key interception late in the game, a forced fumble and a tackle for a loss.

“Gary brings a new athleticism to what I didn’t have with me last year. I had some bangers, but he is definitely better in coverage and it’s exciting to be with him,” Ware said.

White played linebacker and running back for Fort Lauderdale Northeast last season. He is strictly a linebacker and enjoying the experience with his new teammates.

“Last week was a tough opponent, but I tried to stay calm,” White said. “I got hyped with my team but at the same time stayed focused on doing my assignment like coach (Chad) Choate always tells me. I love it here. They treat me read good.”

Trussville was on the verge of having a good season last year. They started off 6-2, lost their highly touted, dual-threat quarterback for the season against Hoover and dropped their last three games.

Manatee will be without Keyon Fordham, who will be out for about a month with a dislocated elbow. Defensive end Keyvus Canady will not play Friday night because of a foot he injured in a car accident.

This story was originally published August 25, 2016 at 5:47 PM with the headline "Manatee seeks redemption in trip to Alabama."