Prep football: Week full of big games for Manatee County area



photo by John Lembo
Joe Kinnan and his Hurricanes have a big game Friday at Venice

Who: Manatee (6-0, 1-0) at Venice (5-1, 1-0)
When : 7:30 p.m. Friday
District: 7A-11
On the line: With all due respect to Braden River and Sarasota, this game will crown the district champion for the fourth straight season. There is more than hardware on the line, however - Manatee and Venice have met in the Region 3 semifinals the last two years, and Friday's winner gets homefield should the rematch happen again.

Who: Palmetto (6-0, 2-0) at Wauchula Hardee (2-4, 1-0)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
District: 5A-10
On the line: These are two of the district's three undefeated teams (Southeast is the other), and Friday's winner will have an inside track to a playoff spot and a district title. This marks the first of three huge games for the Tigers, who head to Manatee next week and close the regular season Nov. 2 against the Seminoles.

Who: Bayshore  (2-5, 0-2) at Southeast (5-2, 1-0)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
District: 5A-10
On the line: The Bruins can really throw a monkey wrench into Southeast's quest for a district title should they score an upset at John Kiker Memorial Stadium. A win will be huge for the Seminoles considering the district's two other undefeated teams - Palmetto and Wauchula Hardee - are playing each other and Southeast can gain a game on one of them.

Who: St. Petersburg Admiral Farragut (6-1, 4-1) at Bradenton Christian (3-4, 3-2)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
District: Class 2A (Urban)-5
On the line: The Panthers and Bluejackets are two of the five teams in the district separated by a game, and this is a must-win if BCS wants a shot at making the playoffs for the first time in school history.

Who: Frostproof (3-3, 0-1) at Cardinal Mooney (4-3, 1-0)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
District: Class 3A-6
On the line: Mooney bounced back from its tough loss last Monday at Lakeland Christian by pounding St. Petersburg Catholic, and the Cougars need to keep the momentum flowing against the Bulldogs. Mooney neeeds to beat Frostproof as well as Fort Meade in order to control its own fate - a split means the Cougars have to hope for a three-way tiebreaker. Those are never fun.