Manatee gets defensive in posting shutout. Hurricanes offense comes to life after a slow start
Manatee High coach Yusuf Shakir watched a few of his defensive players try to do too much over the first few weeks of the season and decided to challenge them to be more focused, to be more disciplined, to just take care of their responsibilities.
His defense responded Friday night by leading the Hurricanes to a 31-0 win against Lutz Steinbrenner, recording seven sacks and producing its first shutout since October 2017.
“We had a lot of guys out there that were just trying to do too much early in the season instead of just doing their responsibility,” Shakir said. “It wasn’t like they were being disrespectful or doing bad. They were just trying to do too much.
“I think once we calmed down, and a lot of these guys are playing for the first time, so a lot of them really stepped up and focused and did the little things right. They’re just locked in.”
The Hurricanes (3-2, 2-0 Class 8A-District 6) needed the strong performance from their defense against the Warriors (1-4, 0-2). Their offense struggled early, taking a 3-0 lead into halftime following a 34-yard field goal from Axel Lepvreau in the second quarter.
The performance came against a team the Hurricanes had beaten by an average of 40 points per game during the first three games of the series, which began in 2015.
The Hurricanes were without running back Napoleon Harris, who entered the game as the team’s second-leading rusher, and wide receiver Irone Jackson, the team’s second-leading receiver, because of knee injuries on Friday. Harris is expected to undergo an MRI, and Jackson is expected to return next week.
The Hurricanes managed to find an offensive spark in freshman running back Kyree Jones, who rushed 15 times for 131 yards and two touchdowns. His performance continues his hot start.
“He continues to surprise me week after week just with his play and his knack to be in the right place and do the right thing at the right time,” Shakir said. “That’s something very special that people don’t have. (Him being just a freshman is) phenomenal.”
Added Hurricanes quarterback Anthony Squitieri, who finished 9 of 14 for 79 yards and a rushing touchdown: “The way he cuts and sees the holes, he’s just real special. He’s a good running back. He’s going to be a special dude.”
The Hurricanes host Tampa Alonso at 7:30 p.m. next Friday, a team they’ve beaten in each of the past three years and outscored by nearly 44 points per game in that span.
Shakir hopes the Hurricanes can fix what ailed them against the Warriors by then.
“Sloppy,” he said, “but an ugly win is better than a pretty loss any day.”