Prep football: MaxPreps considers Florida's Class 8A the second-most toughest bracket in the country

Manatee's road to a sixth state championships is one of the roughest in the nation.
This according to Stephen Spiewak, national football editor for MaxPreps, who listed Class 8A second on his list of the top 10 toughest football brackets in the country.
"In many years, some of the medium-sized brackets in the state of Florida have the deepest fields," Spiewak wrote. "This season, Class 8A presents the most intrigue."
Manatee (16th) and Miramar (15th) are ranked in MaxPreps' Xcellent 25, and Apopka set the state record for points in the season before hanging 77 on Orlando University last week. The Blue Darters, who play Winter Park in a Region 1 semifinal, won the Class 8A crown last year and have recorded 601 points this season.
No one thinks the 11-0 Hurricanes will have an easy time Friday against 9-1 Fort Pierce Central in a Region 2 semifinal, nor will the winner get an easy draw next week, when its either Orlando Dr. Phillips or Tampa Plant in the regional final.
Then there is undefeated Deerfield Beach, which rolled past Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas during the regular season. Deerfield Beach meets Miramar on Friday in a Region 3 semifinal, with the winner getting Palm Beach Gardens or Palm Beach Central next week for the regional championship.
Florida was one of two states (California being the other) to land two brackets on the list: Spiewak ranked Class 6A at No. 6. That class features national powers such as Miami Central, the 6A defending state champion, and Seffner Armwood.
The No.1 ranking went to Texas' Class 5A-Division I bracket of the University Interscholastic  League, which includes Allen, currently at the top of MaxPreps' national composite rankings.

Prep football: Canes crack Rivals' top 50

Manatee is doing some serious damage against Florida opponents. And Rivals has taken notice.

The Hurricanes are ranked 50th in the nation in the latest RivalsHigh 100, which was unveiled today, up 28 spots from last week.

It's the highest Rivals has ranked Manatee since it listed the Canes at No. 36 in its preseason poll.

Manatee is 3-2, but has outscored its Riverview, Southeast and Braden River 159-12. The Canes' two losses have come to New Jersey's Don Bosco Prep, which reclaimed the top spot this week, and Maryland's Our Lady of Good Counsel, ranked seventh by Rivals.

Both teams are undefeated.

Manatee hosts Weston Cyrpess Bay on Friday.

Prep football: Three local teams on AP state poll

(photo by Paul Videla)

Trent Miller and the surging Palmetto Tigers are a top-10 team.

The Tigers are ranked eighth in Class 5A in the latest Associated Press top 1o Florida high school poll, which was released tonight. It's Palmetto's first ranking this season.

The Tigers are 4-0 and ripped through Arcadia DeSoto, 52-0, during Friday's Class 5A-District 10 opener. They host Lakewood Ranch on Friday.

Twenty percent of the Class 5A list resides in Manatee County: Southeast held steady at No. 3, behind top-ranked Glades Central and runner-up Miami Norland, following Friday's 47-7 rout of Sarasota.

The Seminoles (4-0) head to Manatee on Friday.

Speaking of the Hurricanes, they actually moved up a spot to No.9 in Class 7A despite not playing last week. They take a 1-2 record into Friday's rivalry game with the Noles.

Venice, one of Manatee's District 10 foes, entered the 7A poll at No. 10. The Indians are 3-0 following last week's comeback over Charlotte.

Prep football: Southeast-Manatee will Bright House Game of the Week

Next Friday's game between Southeast and host Manatee will be broadcast live on the Bright House Sports Network.

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. It's the 30th meeting between the Hurricanes and Seminoles, and Manatee has won the last four meetings.

Southeast takes a 3-0 record into Friday's game against Sarasota, while Manatee is 1-2 and is off Friday.

Both of the Canes' losses have come to nationally-ranked teams - Our Lady of Good Counsel out of Maryland in Week 1, and Don Bosco Prep out of New Jersey last week.

Prep football: Bosco no longer Rivals' top team

Don Bosco Prep may have left Hawkins Stadium on Friday and returned to New Jersey with its winning streak still intact. But the Ironmen are no longer sitting atop the RivalsHigh100.

Bosco, which defeated Manatee 22-16 during the first game of Friday's Manatee Memorial Hospital Suncoast Challenge for its 37th-straight win, is now fifth in Rivals' latest rankings, which were unveiled this morning.

Allen High in Allen, Tx., is the new No.1.

"A game of tough sledding against Manatee last Friday proved enough evidence to move the team down," wrote Dallas Jackson, Rivals' senior analyst for high school sports, on Monday's rankings, "especially in a year when so many top schools have more impressive road wins."

Manatee led the Ironmen 10-9 with less than seven minutes remaining in the game.

The Hurricanes dropped three spots on Rivals' list and are now at No. 83 heading into the bye week.

When it came to Bosco, however, not everyone had a change of heart. The Ironmen are still No. 1 on ESPNRise's Powerade Fab 50 football rankings as well as MaxPreps' Xcellent 25.

Manatee is still ranked by ESPN, having dropped 20 spots to No. 39. And it appears the voters have taken Manatee's schedule into account: the Hurricanes are the only team on the list with two losses.

Prep football: What others are saying about Manatee-Good Counsel

(photo by Preston Keres)

Friday's game between Manatee and host Our Lady Good Counsel brought out over 4,000 fans and tons of media to Kline Stadium.

USA Today wrote how the game's final spot was "right on the 25-yard line", while Good Counsel coach Bob Milloy told The Washington Post he was "very sorry" the game ended the way that it did. Milloy added that the Falcons' all-world receiver, Stefon Diggs, called the play that resulted in Good Counsel's game-winning touchdown that sealed a 24-17 victory in double overtime.

Prep football: Saturday morning in Laurel

OK, so I snapped this photo Friday night at Dancel Field. But I still get a kick out of seeing fresh fruit served at a prep football game. And for just $1!

Anyway, it's about 8:40 a.m., and the Hurricanes are heading back to their rooms after having breakfast. They are heading out at about 9:30 a.m. to take a tour of Washington, D.C., which according to MapQuest, is less than 30 miles from the hotel in Laurel.

Their flight back is slated to leave Baltimore-Washington International Airport at 3:30 and land in Tampa at 5:45.

Curious to see where Mantee sits in the national rankings following Friday's game. The Hurricanes dropped 39 spots in the RivalsHigh 100 after WINNING their Kickoff Classic against Delray Beach American Heritage, so even though they took a tough national power to double overtime on the road, don't be surprised to see them unranked in some polls heading into next Friday's game with Riverview.

Prep football: Big crowd expected for Manatee-Good Counsel game

(photo by Dan Whelan at olgchs.org)

A crowd of possibly 6,000 is expected for Manatee's season-opener Friday at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Olney, Md.

"We're excited," said Good Counsel athletic director Mark Jankovitz.

Both teams are ranked nationally - the rankings vary depending on what poll you study - and the game has caught the attention of USA Today, which plans on sending a writer, Jankovitz said.

"We've had college coaches and scouts calling us about coming out," Jankovitz said, "from as far out as the West Coast."

Good Counsel has won back-to-back Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Championships and begins the season ranked first in the Washington Post's top 20.

Friday's game kicks off at 7 p.m.

Prep football: Canes take a tumble in RivalsHigh 100

The Hurricanes didn't impress the folks at Rivals during Wednesday's Kickoff Classic.

Manatee dropped from No. 36 to No. 75 in the lastest rankings of the RivalsHigh 100 after its 20-14 win over Delray Beach American Heritage, a victory which Rivals described as "incredibly sloppy."

(Canes coach Joe Kinnan also wasn't too pleased with his team's performance.)
Manatee has a chance to make up some ground Friday when the Hurricanes open the season in Maryland against Our Lady of Good Counsel, currently ranked 27th by Rivals.

Prep football: MaxPreps says Hurricanes have fifth-toughest schedule

Manatee's difficult schedule has not gone unnoticed by MaxPreps, which ranked the Canes' fifth in its list of the top 10 most difficult schedules for 2011.

MaxPreps considered Our Lady of Good Counsel (Md.), Don Bosco Prep (N.J.) and Weston Cypress Bay as Manatee's most difficult opponents this year, and with good reason. Good Counsel and Don Bosco are national powerhouses, with Don Bosco ranked first in the nation by USA Today, ESPN and MaxPreps.

Cypress Bay reached the Class 6A state semifinals last year and is now in Class 8A.

Not mentioned was Manatee's list of tough local opponents, which includes Palmetto, Riverview and Southeast. And the Hurricanes also compete in Class 7A-District 10 with Venice, a postseason qualifier the last four years.

Manatee, which defeated Delray Beach American Heritage on Wednesday in a Kickoff Classic, opens the regular season Friday at Good Counsel, which is located in Olney, Md.

Prep football: Noles third, Canes fourth in FloridaHSFootball.com rankings

Southeast and Manatee made the preseason top 10 in their classifications in the FloridaHSfootball.com's preseason rankings, which were unveiled today.

And the website considers the Seminoles and Hurricanes final four teams, as well.

The Noles are ranked third in Class 5A, behind Miami Norland and Belle Glades Belle Central. Southeast is ranked No. 1 in Region 3. Palmetto, which joins the Noles in District 10, is ranked fourth in Region 3.

Manatee is ranked fourth in Class 7A, looking up at Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas (No. 1), Palm Beach Gardens Dwyer (2) and Tallahassee Lincoln (3).

The Canes are picked to win Region 3, while Braden River is picked to finish ninth in the region.

Manatee's District 10 rival, Venice, is ranked eighth in the state and third in the region.

Prep football: No plans yet to televise Bosco-Manatee game

It doesn't appear that Manatee's game against New Jersey powerhouse Don Bosco Prep, scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 16 as part of the Manatee Memorial Hospital Suncoast Challenge at Hawkins Stadium, will be shown on television.

"We had ESPN for both games, but the problem was they wanted to televise it at 5 and 8:30 (p.m.)," said Ken Halloy, president of Halloy Boy Sports Marketing, which is running the event. "Five was too early, and it was non-negotiable."

Halloy said there is a possibility of switching the Manatee-Bosco game to 8:30 p.m., and televising it.

But as of now, the times appear to be static, with Tampa Plant and Bergen Catholic, another Jersey team, set to follow Manatee-Bosco at 8:30 p.m.

"We're just so tight on crunch time right now," Halloy said following Thursday morning's press conference at Manatee Memorial Hospital. "We've got all these people traveling from New Jersey, and you don't want to disrupt their schedule. I think we're going to hold pat right now."

Halloy said Bright House Sports Network has expressed interest in broadcasting the games locally.

"We'll sit down and go over all the options. Manatee was going to be on ESPN, the second game was going to be on ESPN 2," Halloy said. "We just thought 5 o'clock, for people to get to the stadium, was just too early."

Prep football: Canes, Tigers, Noles crack Freeman's top 10

(photo by Grant Jefferies)

Another day, another ranking.

This ones comes courtesy of MaxPreps, which unveiled its Freeman football rankings earlier this week.

Three area teams made the top 10 of their respective classifications: Manatee is third in Class 7A, while Southeast is fourth and Palmetto, coached by Dave Marino, above, is ninth in Class 5A.

MaxPreps also ranked Manatee 16th overall the state, the highest of the 10 area teams.

Southeast is 31st, while Palmetto is 60th.

Listed below are the rankings for the area's other schools.

BAYSHORE - 36th in Class 5A, 209th overall.

BRADEN RIVER - 30th in Class 7A, 159th overall.

BRADENTON CHRISTIAN - 26th in Class 2A, 424th overall.

CARDINAL MOONEY - 32nd in Class 3A, 419th overall.

LAKEWOOD RANCH - 40th in Class 6A, 146th overall.

OUT-OF-DOOR ACADEMY - 15th in Class 2A, 331st overall.

SAINT STEPHEN'S - 48th in Class 2A, 526th overall.

Want to know how MaxPreps came up with these rankings?

Click here.

Prep football: Sept. 16 doubleheader at Hawkins has a name

(nj.com)

The doubeleader scheduled for Friday, Sept. 16 at Hawkins Stadium has a name - The Manatee Memorial Hospital Suncoast Challenge.

Manatee faces Don Bosco Prep (N.J.) and its coach, Greg Toal (above), at 6 p.m.

Another Jersey team, Bergen Catholic, faces Tampa Plant at 8:30 p.m.

Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 the day of the game, and discount opportunities will be announced soon.

All four coaches will be together for a press conference 11 a.m. Thursday in the Tower Lobby of Manatee Memorial Hospital, 206 Second St. East in Bradenton.

Prep volleyball: A primer

(fhsaa.org)

Football isn't the only sport that starts practicing Monday: golf, swimming and diving volleyball also begins working out next week, signaling the start of the 2011-12 prep sports season.

Here is a brief, nuts-and-bolts look at area volleyball, with golf and swimming and diving coming soon.

BAYSHORE

District: Class 5A-District 12

First regular season match: Aug. 30 at Bradenton Christian

BRADEN RIVER

District: Class 7A-District 11

First regular season match: Sept. 7 at Manatee

BRADENTON CHRISTIAN

District: Class 3A-District 10

First regular season match: Aug. 30 vs. Bradenton Christian

CARDINAL MOONEY

District: Class 3A-District 10

First regular season match: Aug. 29 vs. Lakewood Ranch

LAKEWOOD RANCH

District: Class 6A-District 12

MANATEE

District: Class 7A-District 11

First regular season match: Aug. 30 at Riverview

OUT-OF-DOOR ACADEMY

District: Class 3A-District 10

First regular season match: Sept. 6 vs. Bradenton Christian

PALMETTO

District: Class 6A-District 12

First regular season match: Aug. 31 at Saint Stephen's

SAINT STEPHEN'S

District: Class 3A-District 10

First regular season match: Aug. 30 vs. Southeast

SOUTHEAST

District: Class 5A-District 12

First regular season match: Aug. 29 vs. Wauchula Hardee

Prep football: Manatee ranked No 36 in RivalsHigh 100

The Hurricanes have cracked the RivalsHigh 100, landing at No. 36.

Dallas Jackson, a senior analyst at RivalsHigh, writes that experience will be Manatee's greatest strength, especially since injuries last season to guys like Mike Blakely, Drakkar Wilson and Quinton Pompey pushed a lot of players into action quicker than expected.

"With a demanding schedule this season," Jackson writes in Manatee's capsule, "...that experience should be prove to be invaluable."

Experienced starters such as defensive back Clinton Heaven and linebacker Darius White anchor a defense that lost three starters off the line, while running back Leon Allen, who was ineligible last year but rushed for 94 yards in the spring game, should help offset the loss of Blakely.

Wide receiver Anthony Lauro was effective when healthy last year, and defensive lineman Derrick Calloway, who appeared in just six games last year, has already earned a scholarship offer from USF.

And of course there is quarterback Cord Sandberg, who burst on to the scene as a sophomore last year and propelled himself right on to the national radar.

"The talent is there," Jackson writes, "and coach Joe Kinnan has done just about everything a coach can do in a career."

Jackson does point to Manatee's schedule, however, which includes games against national powers such as Our Lady of Good Counsel (Md.) and Don Bosco Prep (N.J.), as well as local rivals such as Riverview, Southeast, Palmetto and Venice.

"A team that can make a dramatic move up (or down) with its schedule," he wrote on RivalsHigh's Twitter page.

Manatee opens its regular season Sept. 2 at Good Counsel, which Jackson listed at No. 54.

Prep football poll: Vote on your favorite game this season

(pagemoorephoto.com)

Football season officially gets underway in less than a month, when teams can start their preseason workouts.

So what game are you most looking forward to this year?

Is it the age-old rivalry between Southeast and Manatee, featuring Southeast's Brian Poole and Manatee's Rhoshaun Goff, pictured above? Or how about Palmetto and Southeast playing a district game?

How about the battle for East Manatee bragging rights - Lakewood Ranch and Braden River?

Check out the poll on the right side of the page and take your pick. I listed 10 games and a vote for other, just in case you don't see a game you like.

And as always, feel free to shoot me an email at jlembo@bradenton.com.

Listed below are the nominess and a little on each game:

DON BOSCO PREP (N.J.) AT MANATEE, 9/16

The Jersey-based Ironmen are ranked No. 1 in the nation by MaxPreps and have won 35 straight games.

MANATEE AT OUR LADY OF GOOD COUNSEL (Md.), 9/2

Ranked 15th in the nation by MaxPreps, Good Counsel should challenge a Hurricanes team that plays outside the state for the second straight year.

SOUTHEAST AT MANATEE, 9/30

The perennial classic turns 30 this year. The Noles were up 24-7 at the half last year before the Canes rallied for a 31-24 win, so this year's game has plenty to live up to.

PALMETTO AT SOUTHEAST, 11/4

This neighborhood rivalry got a jolt in 2007, when the Tigers beat Southeast for the first time. It will be even bigger this year - the teams are now Class 5A-District 10 foes, and this marks the final game of district play for each team.

VENICE AT MANATEE, 10/21

The Hurricanes beat the Indians twice last year - once for the district title, and then again in the Class 5A-Region 3 semifinals. District realignments had no effect on this rivalry, as Manatee and Venice moved to Class 7A-District 10.

LAKEWOOD RANCH AT BRADEN RIVER, 9/2

It's not quite at the same level as Manatee-Southeast, but this backyard battle in East Manatee county was ratcheted up a notch last fall when the Mustangs beat the Pirates for the first time.

WAUCHULA HARDEE AT PALMETTO, 10/21

One of the state's most historic rivalries now has playoff implications - both teams compete in Class 5A-District 10.

OUT-OF-DOOR ACADEMY AT SAINT STEPHEN'S, 11/4

With Bradenton Christian in its own district, this game will decide small-school area bragging rights, as well as who takes home the Headmaster's Cup.

BAYSHORE AT PALMETTO, 10/7

Another local rivalry that means a little more now that both teams are district foes.

RIVERVIEW AT MANATEE, 9/9

It's no longer a district game. But it will be interesting watching someone other than John Sprague lead the Rams into Hawkins Stadium.

Prep football: RivalsHigh ranks Manatee twice in list of top 25 out-of-state game

Both of Manatee's games against opponents outside Florida this fall made RivalsHigh's rankings of the top 25 interstate games.

The Canes' Sept. 16 game against visiting Don Bosco Prep (N.J.), ranked No. 1 in the nation by MaxPreps, placed ninth. And Manatee's season-opener at Our Lady of Good Counsel (Md.) made the list at No. 11.

"I think for 2011 and beyond, teams will have to schedule a minimum of one out-of-state game to be considered a national contender," Brian Hercules, owner of Hercules Sports Management LLC, told Dallas Jackson, RivalsHigh's senior analyst.

The Hurricanes played their first game against an out-of-state opponent last season against Woodland Hills, Pa. That game, coupled with a convincing win over Tampa Plant on a Kickoff Classic broadcast live on ESPN, kept Manatee ranked near the top of a number of national polls throughout the season.

Placing first on RivalsHigh's list, which was unveiled today, is the Sept. 23 game between De La Salle (Calif.) and host Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas.

Prep football: Times set for doubleheader at Hawkins Stadium

The times for the Sept. 16 doubleheader at Hawkins Stadium have been set.

Manatee will play New Jersey's Don Bosco Prep at 6 p.m. and Tampa Plant will face another Jersey team, Bergen Catholic, at 8:30 p.m.

Why are the homestanding Hurriances playing first?

"8:30 is past my bedtime," Canes coach Joe Kinnan said with a laugh.

The times may slide to later slots if the games land on television, Kinnan said.

That end of it is being handled by Halloy Boy Sports Marketing, which helped coordinate last year's Rally at The Wolvarena, a four-game showcase in Pennsylvania that featured Manatee.

Based out of Ramsey, the Bosco Prep Ironmen will begin the season ranked No. 1 in the nation by MaxPreps. They have won 35 straight games, 80 of 84 and five straight state titles.

"And with all that, this should be their crowning jewel," writes MaxPreps' Stephen Spiewak, "quite possibly their best team ever."

Spiewak writes the Ironmen, who return 14 starters, will be "next to impossible to pass on," so it will be interesting to watch them go up against Canes' quarterback Cord Sandberg.

Bosco's defense is anchored by cornerback Yuri Wright, ranked 40th on ESPNU's list of the top 150 players for the Class of 2012, and defensive end Darius Hamilton, who ESPNU ranks 67th.

Prep baseball: Plenty of locals on FACA all-state team

(photo from Paul Videla)

Manatee catcher Bryan Voelkl was one of a number of area baseball players named to the Florida Athletic Coaches Association's all-state teams.

Voelkl made the Class 5A team.

Lakewood Ranch's Andrew McNett, Shane Davidson, Phil Dilandro, Zach Larson and Seth McGarry made the Class 4A team. Palmetto's Granden Goetzman also made the 4A team.

Southeast's Joseph Muldoon, Michael Suchy, Cameron Cox and Andy Ramirez made the team for Class 3A.

And The Pendleton School's Brandon Bonilla and Matt Martin made the Class 2A team.