It isn’t often that Manatee finds itself in a two-touchdown deficit, but that’s what happened early on against Venice Friday night. When it was over and Hurricanes head coach Joe Kinnan gathered his players, he had one simple message.

“That’s why we play 48 minutes,” Kinnan said.

The Hurricanes needed a full four quarters, actually a strong second half, to come from behind to defeat Venice. The Indians stormed out to a 14-0 lead before Manatee scored 35 unanswered points for the 35-14 win. They could have added on 14 more points, but the Hurricanes had two touchdowns negated by penalties.

“We felt going in (at halftime) if we just hang in there, don’t panic, get it corrected, suck it up and go,” Kinnan said. “We told them stay with what we do and just hang in there, don’t beat yourself and make stupid mistakes.”

With a good majority of Venice players going both ways, Manatee was able to wear them down in the second half, specifically by running right at them.

The Hurricanes finally pulled even with 8:18 remaining in the third quarter after senior defensive end Raland Brewer blocked a Venice punt at the Indians five-yard line. Manatee senior Marquel Hines scored on the next play.

Manatee took the lead for the first time with 1:32 remaining in the third quarter when Johnnie Lang scored on a 20-yard run. Lang would add another score, with a 65-yard touchdown run with 1:20 remaining in the game.

Lang’s fresh legs and the pounding ground game of senior running back Trevon Walters were one of the big differences for the Hurricanes in the second half.

Walters scored on a one-yard run near the end of the second quarter and capped off his night with a 69-yard touchdown run. He finished with 20 carries for 167 yards and two touchdowns.

Manatee’s defense also proved to be difference makers. After giving up one big play, a 59-yard touchdown pass from Venice quarterback Dom Marino to Langston Provitt, the Hurricanes “D” bowed up and held the Indians offense in check for the most part.

“They gave up the one score, they bend but don’t break,” Kinnan said. “They did a good job.”