It was a tale of two halves in a key district showdown between St. Petersburg and Manatee on the Game of the Week at Hawkins Stadium.
For the first 20 minutes, the Green Devils looked primed for the upset, holding an 18-3 lead before a late 2nd-quarter touchdown by the Hurricanes. But in the second half, it was all Manatee, as the perennial state title contender turned it on for 43 points in a 52-31 win.
Johnnie Lang led the way offensively, rushing for 190 yards and three touchdowns, in his seventh straight 100-yard rushing performance. Kelvin McKnight starred in that key second-quarter TD drive, and finished with seven receptions for 65 yards and a TD. The special teams units excelled, with a blocked field goal and two blocked punts. Jumar Gaskin blocked the field goal while also returning a punt and a fumble for touchdowns, earning Player of the Game honors.
St. Petersburg's vaunted Wing-T offense had it's traditional three-headed monster attack, as they piled up 292 rushing yards behind Jacquel Waller (97 yards, TD), Darius Miller (91 yards) and Jarrett O'Connell (87 yards, 2 TD).
The Green Devils (6-1, 1-1) will face Sarasota Riverview in two weeks, with the winner advancing to the postseason as the 8A District 7 runner-up. The Hurricanes (7-1, 2-0) clinched their fifth straight district title and have a bye next week, returning to finish their district schedule on Halloween vs. Palm Harbor U.