Prep football: Week 7 Manatee County area matchups

(photo by Grant Jefferies)

Joe Kinnan hopes his Manatee Hurricanes keep rolling through Florida opponents Friday night when they face Weston Cypress Bay at Hawkins Stadium.

Games are at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

Here are this week's matchups. As always, head to bradenton.com and Friday's print edition of The Bradenton Herald for detailed capsules into each game.

Bayshore (2-4) at Braden River (1-5)

The skinny: Neither the Bruins nor Pirates appear likely to make the playoffs this season, so a good consolation prize could be a win over a county rival. Both teams are pretty banged up and are coming off one-sided district defeats (Bruins lost 42-7 to Palmetto; Pirates lost 63-0 to Manatee), but a win for either side would cure some ills.

Weston Cypress Bay (3-2) at Manatee (3-2)

The skinny: The Lightning aren't your typical Homecoming opponent: They made the Class 6A state semifinals last season and their two losses this year have come to nationally-ranked Miramar and Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas. The Canes want to win, obviously, and further the momentum they have created with statement-making wins over Southeast and Braden River. But coach Joe Kinnan said the main objective is to come out of Friday night healthy, especially since Manatee hosts Venice next week in what could wind up being the Class 7A-District 10 championship game.

Southeast (5-1) at Riverview (1-4)

The skinny: The Seminoles rebounded from their loss to Manatee by winning their district opener last week against Arcadia DeSoto. And while this is a non-district affair, a win would be beneficial for a Southeast team that closes out the regular season with three consecutive Class 5A-District 10 opponents: Bayshore, Wauchula Hardee and Palmetto.

Bradenton Christian (2-3, 2-2 Class 2A Urban-District 5) at Tampa Carrollwood (3-3, 1-3), 4 p.m.

The skinny: Being one of five teams with two district losses, the Panthers are in the thick of the playoff chase despite a slow start. That said, they need some help, and most importantly, need to win out if they want to make a run at their first-ever postseason berth.

Cardinal Mooney (3-3) at St. Petersburg Catholic (1-5)

The skinny: Running back Anthony Caiazzo broke a school record by rushing for 366 yards last week, though the Cougars may not need such an effort Friday: The Crusaders have yielded 191 points this season.

Dade Christian School (4-1) at Out-of-Door Academy (3-2), 6 p.m.

The skinny: It's Homecoming for the Thunder, as well as a rare week when they don't have to play a district opponent. But seeing as how three of its last four games come against Class 2A Urban-District 6 foes, ODA needs to stay sharp in this one.

BYE WEEK: Lakewood Ranch, Palmetto, Saint Stephen's.