NO. 5 BRADEN RIVER PIRATES (1-1) at NO. 14 PALMETTO TIGERS (3-1)

When:  Friday, October 6, 2017, 7:30 P.M.

Where:  Harllee Stadium, 1200 17th Street W, Palmetto, FL 34221

TV:  Spectrum Sports (Channel 47 and HD 1147)

Coaches:  BRADEN RIVER PIRATES- Curt Bradley (39-18, 6th Season), PALMETTO TIGERS- Dave Marino (51-31, 8th Season)

How they match up:

The Braden River/Palmetto showdown has been critical to the playoff prospects of both teams the past few years, and this season’s meeting will be no different.  Braden River head coach Curt Bradley sees his team in a “must win” situation after the Pirates lost a 41-35 thriller to district rival Venice last week.  Braden River rose to the occasion in a “win or you’re out of the playoffs” matchup at Palmetto last season, cruising to a 35-0 victory in a game that was also televised live on Spectrum Sports.  Coach Bradley’s team is loaded with Division I college prospects again, including senior running back DeShaun Fenwick (398 yards from scrimmage, 8 TD), a South Carolina commit whose versatility creates matchup problems all over the field.  Fenwick is just one of the weapons you need to account for when facing Braden River.  Junior playmakers Knowledge McDaniel (18 receptions, 309 receiving yards, 3 total TD) and Camaron White (32 carries, 338 yards, 2 TD) can go the distance anytime they touch the ball, while sophomore tight end Travis Tobey (3 receptions, 41 yards, TD) is a good receiver and blocker.  Sarasota High School transfer Bryan Gagg (591 passing yards, 6 TD, 2 INT) has looked good at quarterback, showing his grit by playing through a separated shoulder in the Venice game.  Three-year starter Brendan Bengtsson is a great center who can play any position on the offensive line.  Defensively, the Pirates are young but stocked with talent.  University of Florida commit Taylor Upshaw is a physical force at defensive end, while sophomore linebacker Noah Font is a rising star in the middle of defense.  University of Missouri commit Tyrone Collins makes his much anticipated return for his first game action of the year after a long road to recovery from an ACL injury and could see time at both receiver and cornerback.

Palmetto is off to an impressive 3-1 start with a couple of signature wins already on the resume.  Head Coach Dave Marino and his players are still sky high from their 35-7 victory over Manatee, Palmetto’s first win over its rival since 2004.  The Tigers followed that up three weeks later with a 24-13 win on the road over last year’s Class 7A runner-up, Lake Gibson.  Palmetto has four good running backs in senior E.J. Davis (261 rushing yards, 3 TD), junior Johnny Jones (228 yards from scrimmage, 2 TD), sophomore Eddravian Butler (149 yards from scrimmage), and senior Herman White (55 rushing yards).  Palmetto has also gotten outstanding play from Anthony Marino (577 passing yards, 4 TD), while last year’s quarterback, senior Jason Spicer (13 receptions, 131 yards, TD) is making his mark again at wide receiver.  Fellow senior receiver Tray Goodman (12 receptions, 184 yards, 2 TD) has been a big-play threat, while 300-pound senior Eriq Porter has anchored the offensive line.  The heart of the Tigers comes at linebacker, where senior captains Andrew Duncan (42 tackles, 3 sacks) and Alonzo Houston (40 tackles, 5 sacks) have a nose for the football.  Palmetto is stacked inside, too, with seniors Lester Johnson (21 tackles, 1.5 sacks) and Isaiah “Teddy” Washington (10 tackes) have taken care of business.  The secondary is in good hands with seniors Sidney Pompey (INT for TD), Tray Thompskin (36 tackles, fumble return for TD), and Derrick Bradley (30 tackles, 6 pass breakups).  Kicker Alfredo “Freddie” Manriquez has one of the best legs in the state with a range of over 50 yards.

Three Facts to know:

1.  THE WAITING IS THE HARDEST PART- This rivalry game was initially scheduled to be played on September 15, but was postponed due to Hurricane Irma.  Palmetto initially had interest in rescheduling it for September 22, but Braden River chose to keep its bye week, so the two programs finally settled on the October 6 date.  Braden River has only played one full game since its August 24 opener.

2.  THE MARINO TWINS- Coach Marino loves coaching his two twin sons, Anthony and Derek, but said it’s a challenge because it’s important for him to treat them like the rest of his players on the field.  He remembers all the days when Anthony and Derek played football out in his front yard, which is where their chemistry and the passing game originally developed.  Coach Marino joked that Anthony was a better fit at quarterback because he displayed leadership skills from day one when he came out of the womb 30 minutes before Derek when the twins were born.

3.  LUXURIOUS LOCKER ROOM- The rebuilding of the Braden River program hasn’t just taken place on the field.   The Pirates’ new locker room is a masterpiece to behold.  The $20,000 upgrade started with grassroots fundraising by the players, and that money was combined with sponsorship dollars to build a beautiful area for the players to dress for action.  The locker room includes specialty lighting in a circle above the Pirates’ logo, a display case in the back, and pictures of past Braden River stars who helped build the program into something special.