Hurricanes Fall 35-18 to St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders

Hurricanes Raiders state semifinal did not go as planned and the Hurricanes took an early exit Friday night.

The Manatee Hurricanes 2012 season came to heart-breaking end Friday night in Fort Lauderdale as they fell 35-18 to the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders. The Raiders scored on their opening drive and again on their third possession to carry a 14-3 lead into halftime. The Hurricanes picked up the pace on offense in the second half but simply could not contain the Raider offense or close out Raider offensive drives. "We couldn't get off the field on third down," said Joe Kinnan, Manatee's head coach. "We couldn't get off blocks and make plays." The Hurricanes scored both of their touchdowns in the second half. The first was an eight-yard touchdown run from freshman Johnnie Lang. The second was an 11-yard completion to senior Ja Juan Pollock. …

• Photos (5)

Livestream: Manatee vs. St. Thomas Aquinas in Florida Semi-Finals

Titanic clash will play live on Patch as the Raiders challenge the top-ranked Hurricanes.

Can't make it to the game in Ft. Lauderdale. You can still watch all of the action live on Patch!

• Videos (1)

Manatee High Alum Named to All-SEC Team

Coaches from the Southeastern Conference selected Tracy "Ace" Sanders, a junior at the University of South Carolina, was named to the first-team All-SEC squad.

Southeastern Conference coaches named Tracy "Ace" Sanders, a former Manatee High School football standout, to the first-team All-SEC squad Sanders, a 5-8, 175-pound junior at the University of South Carolina, set the Carolina single-season record for punt return yards with 363. He was the top punt returner in the SEC, averaging 14.5 yards per return, with seven returns of 27 yards or more. Sanders, who also plays wide receiver for the Gamecocks, earned a spot on the second unit as an All-Purpose player. As a wide receiver with Manatee High, Sanders caught 65 passes for 990 yards and 10 touchdowns his senior year, helping the Hurricanes reach the Florida State 5A Championship game.

• Photos (1)
• Videos (1)

Manatee Hurricanes Embark on 2012 Playoff Run

It's familiar territory for the Canes but this year's playoff run holds a host of challenges.

The Manatee Hurricanes already have five state titles to their credit. Their sixth seems closer and closer as the regular season wraps and the post season ignites on Friday. This year's Canes followed a scheduling route similar to the one the 2011 team followed. They scheduled a couple early-season, marquee games against nationally-ranked opponents. In 2011, the Canes fell 24-17 to Maryland's Our Lady of Good Counsel and 22-16 to New Jersey's Don Bosco Prep. The Canes did not blink the rest of the season en route to a 40-0 state championship victory over the First Coast Buccaneers. It is possible that the 2012 team could be even better? Well, Manatee's two nationally-ranked opponents in 2012, Miami Miramar and Miami Central fell 41-6 and …

• Photos (5)

Manatee Victorious Over Venice

The Hurricanes blew out Venice 56-27 to take the district championship.

Viewfinder: Manatee Routs Braden River 56-0

The game in photos

Manatee Hurricanes: The Art of the Quarterback Sack

Defensive line coach Steve Gulash helped develop the talents of seniors Marquis Dawsey and Blake Keller. Just count their weekly QB sacks.

It's no secret that the Manatee Hurricanes bookend one of the best defensive fronts in school history. Afterall, the edge rush tandem of senior defensive ends Blake Keller and Marquis Dawsey produced 28 sacks between the two of them in 2011. What is probably much less known is the painstaking preparation that goes into every game, every possession, every snap. "They already know their first three rushes before any game," defensive line coach Steve Gulash said. Gulash, now in his sixth year coaching the defensive line, plans out a very specific pass rush for his ends to use in each game against a particular blocker. Phrases like, "Toe touching toe - power and go" or "Vertical-low, rip and go" are common in Gulash's vernacular. Every coach …

• Photos (10)
• Videos (1)

Manatee Hurricanes No. 1 in the Nation

The Hurricanes football team takes the top spot in the USA Today rankings after a decisive win over Miramar on Sunday.

It's official Manatee High School's Football team is number one in the nation. That's according to USA Today's rankings of football teams. Sunday's decisive win (41-6) against Miramar helped put the team in the top spot after initially being ranked in the number three spot. The ranking recap of the game specifically pointed out Defensive Tackle Blake Keller's performance. He had two sacks, assisted on another and blocked two punts, returning one for a touchdown. This is not the only poll that ranks Manatee High School at the top. MaxPreps has had Manatee County ranked at number one and the Hurricanes held on to that position with their excellent performance over the weekend. The Hurricanes face Sarasota's Riverview on Friday. The team has …

• Photos (1)

Manatee Hurricanes Find Final Pieces to the Puzzle

The 2012 Hurricanes needed to address two positions. The positions seem well addressed.

The most glaring needs that the 2012 Manatee Hurricanes face seem to be vanishing. Any team that's won a state championship will tell you, it's tough to win two in a row. The Hurricanes have never done it.  After blasting First Coast of Jacksonville for their fifth state title, Manatee quickly set its eyes on repeating in 2012. The Hurricanes return stars across the lineup. However, this spring and summer it was their task to replace 2011 leading rusher Leon Allen (868 rushing yards, 8 TDs) and leading tackler Hershel Caywood (104 total tackles). Linebacker Darius White (80 total tackles) would also have to be replaced for Manatee to seriously ponder repeating as Class 7A state champs. Some players have emerged and they got a true test …

• Photos (7)