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Just like in college football, conference play is critical; in high school football, district play carries that same weight. For the Pinellas Park Patriots, Friday marked the start of their first of two district games in 2025. Their opponent: the Manatee Hurricanes, the same team that defeated the Patriots in last year’s regular season and again in Pinellas Park’s lone playoff appearance.
Both teams entered at 2–3 and were coming off wins. Pinellas Park, whose first victory came against Largo, was eager to finally get past Manatee. The game kicked off at 7 p.m. under hot, humid skies with just a slight breeze.
The Patriots took the field in royal blue tops with white pants and helmets, while the Hurricanes wore white tops, red pants, and white helmets. Pinellas Park won the toss and deferred to the second half. From the start, Manatee looked polished — even bringing their own broadcast team — and their sideline had the feel of a high-class program. Head coach Jaquez Green, the former Florida Gator and Tampa Bay Buccaneer, had his team ready.
The Hurricanes wasted no time showing why they were the better squad. Mixing the run and pass, they kept Pinellas Park’s defense guessing and jumped out to a 14–0 lead with two touchdown drives. The Patriots managed their lone scoring drive in the second quarter, cutting the deficit to 14–7. But that was as close as it got. By halftime, Manatee had stretched the lead to 21–7, and whatever halftime adjustments the Patriots hoped to make didn’t materialize.
The second half began much like the first ended: with Manatee in control. Pinellas Park had created two turnovers in the first half but fumbled away their own chance on their opening drive. Momentum never swung their way. The Hurricanes piled on 21 more points after the break, cruising to a 42–7 victory. Pinellas Park’s special teams only added to their frustration, with a string of poor punts and field position issues compounding the problem.
The win pushed Manatee back to .500 at 3–3, while the Patriots dropped to 2–4. The game underscored Pinellas Park’s youth and inexperience, traits that have surfaced often this season.
Still, the season isn’t over. The Patriots now hit the road for two straight games, starting with a trip to face the Tarpon Springs Spongers (1–5). On paper, it’s a matchup Pinellas Park should be able to win, but Tarpon is coming off a loss to one of Pinellas County’s hottest teams, the Lakewood Spartans — the same Spartans who shut out the Patriots earlier this year.
Friday’s game will be a test: can Pinellas Park bounce back, or will the struggles continue?
Can the Pinellas Park Patriots bounce back after the blowout loss to the Manatee Hurricanes? Leave a comment below.
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Author Profile
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Director of Operations for NGSC Sports
Covers USF Athletics in Football, Baseball, Lacrosse, and Softball.
Also covered both major and minor league baseball in the Tampa Bay Rays and Clearwater Threshers.
He also covers college football bowl and conference championship games.
It might seem like just covers team sports he also covers both the PGA & LIV Tours and writes and announces for the Pinellas Park High School Patriots in football and basketball.
He also has two sports podcasts in the P&W Sports Report and The Walker Report.
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