THURSDAY HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SPRING GAME PREVIEWS
It may feel like mid-summer but this week a sense of fall returns to Manatee and Sarasota counties.
Area high school football programs will be wrapping up their 20-day spring practice allotments by playing exhibition games. Here is a look at the six games being played Thursday night.
Bradenton Christian at Bayshore
AT: Balvanz Stadium, 7 p.m.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Bradenton Christian has a new coach in Phillip Spess, who takes over for Nate Strawderman, who accepted the offensive coordinator position at Southeast High under new Coach Curt Bradley. … Spess takes over a Panthers' team that went 7-2 last season with their only two losses to
Fort Lauderdale Westminster Academy. … Bradenton Christian graduated 16 players from last year's roster, so they will be looking to fill some key spots and establish some much-needed depth. … Bayshore got off to a nice start last season, winning its first two and three of its first four. … The Bruins also will be looking to develop more depth to have a better second half of the season.
Parrish Community at Seminole Osceola
AT: Osceola High School, Seminole, 7 p.m.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Second-year coach Dylan Clark is looking to build upon a 7-4 season in which Parrish Community qualified for the regional playoffs for the first time in the program's four-year history. … The Bulls, who lost their regional quarterfinal 42-0 at Naples High, graduated many key players, but had a young roster to fill the gaps. … Look for big performances this season from MLB Gage Cameron and WR/DB Kymistrii Young, who had eight touchdowns on 22 catches a year ago.
Port Charlotte at Palmetto
AT: Harllee Stadium, 7:30 p.m.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Still without a permanent coach, Palmetto will be tested early by a Port Charlotte squad loaded with talent on both sides of the ball. … Assistant Jim Webb, along with girls flag football coach Butch Santcil, have been running the Tigers' spring workouts on an interim basis until a new coach is in place. … Tigers director of athletics Bryan Wilkes plans to post the job after the spring. … Coming off a 5-5 season and going 16-15 in the past three seasons after back-to-back appearances in the state semifinals, Palmetto has work to do to get back to being a dominant team in the area. … Rising junior WR/QB/CB Dylan Wester was a versatile player for the Tigers a year ago. … Rising senior QB Jackson Roth transfers in from Out-of-Door Academy, where he threw for five touchdowns and rushed for two others. … The Pirates finished 9-3 last season and closed the regular season with six straight wins.
Sarasota at St. Petersburg Lakewood
AT: Lakewood High, St. Petersburg, 7 p.m.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Coming off a 1-9 season in Coach Josh Phillips’ lone season, Sarasota will look to do a major rebuild under former Riverview High assistant Amp Campbell. … The Sailors will try to rejuvenate a program that has made the playoffs twice in the past 10 years with a relatively young roster. … Lakewood was 2-9 last season and reached the Class 2A-Metro playoffs.
Ocala Vanguard at Manatee
AT: Joe Kinnan Field at Hawkins Stadium, Bradenton, 7:30 p.m.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Going 15-7 the past two seasons, Manatee looks to take the next step in Coach Jacquez Green’s fourth season. … The Hurricanes went 9-3 before losing to Riverview, 35-30, in the regional semifinals last year at home. … Manatee has loads of talented players, especially along the defensive line where the likes of rising seniors DE/DT Ian Johnson-Kelley and DE/DT Alvoid Kennon put up a wall. … QB Andrew Heidel returns at quarterback for his senior season and has a number of weapons both in the backfield (rising sophomore RB Keith Smith) and at wideout (rising seniors Torey Gilley and AJ Causey) at his disposal. … Vanguard went 11-3 last season and lost in the Class 3A-Suburban State Semifinals to eventual state champion Daytona Beach Mainland.
Cardinal Mooney and Clearwater at St. Petersburg
AT: St. Petersburg High, St. Petersburg, 6:30 p.m.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Coming off its first state championship since 1972, Cardinal Mooney is looking to become the first area team to go back-to-back since Southeast High in 1993-94. … The Cougars have enough firepower returning to make a run with rising junior dual-threat Devin Mignery back to take the majority of the snaps at quarterback after splitting time last year with Michael Valentino. … Look for last year's state final hero rising senior WR/ DB Chris McCorkle to play an even bigger role after catching the gamewinning touchdown and intercepting a pass on the final play of the game in Cardinal Mooney's 31-27 victory over Ocala Trinity Catholic in the Class 1Suburban title game. … There are holes to fill, such as finding a dominant running back to take the place of workhorse RB Carson Beach and plugging holes at linebacker. … Cardinal Mooney received a good spring test going against Port Charlotte High in a scrimmage Saturday. … Clearwater went 7-5 last season. … St. Petersburg went 8-3 a year ago.