Bradenton Times News Articles

Ace Sanders was an integral part of the Manatee High football team that upset No.1 ranked St. Thomas Aquinas in the 2009 state semi-final. Sanders caught 65 passes that season for just under a thousand yards. His talents caught the eye of legendary coach Steve Spurrier who recruited him to play for South Carolina, where the dynamic athlete has emerged as perhaps the best punt returner in the conference.

St. Thomas Aquinas and Manatee High have a recent history that can't be ignored. Even though the schools are separated by a three and a half hour drive, have never played in the regular season and don't generally have a chance to square off unless both make the state semi-finals in one of the most competitive football states in the country, each team has nonetheless managed to end the other's undefeated season and national championship dreams once in the last four years.

The resurgent North American Soccer League (NASL) will kick off its third season in the spring of 2013 with a new Commissioner at the helm. Veteran sports executive Bill Peterson will lead the expanding nine-team NASL into a new era of soccer, while establishing the league on the sporting landscape. Peterson, who will assume his role immediately, is no stranger to North American soccer, having worked closely with MLS teams when he was the Senior Vice President of AEG Sports and Managing Director of the Home Depot Center from 2000 to 2006. 

In the beginning of the season, we were calling Manatee a second-half team. Given to slow starts, followed by 30-40 point second halves, the 'Canes seemed to find their rhythm after the halftime break. By the midpoint of the season, however, Joe Kinnan's squad started hitting their stride earlier in the game, and it was usually just after the 1st quarter when the real damage was done. That was the case Friday night against Ft. Pierce Central, when a 28-point 2nd quarter put the game out of reach after just 24 minutes of play.

Fort Pierce's defense gave Manatee's high-powered offense its toughest game of the year last season, as the Cobras were the only team to keep the Hurricane offense out of the end zone, in a 13-10 loss that ended Ft. Pierce Central's season. For Manatee, it was their defensive line that also stepped up as well, putting constant pressure on the QB, while containing one of the best RB's in the state, Cincinnati-bound Marcus Levy, who is back this season for the Cobras. If Coach Gulash's relentless crew can manage a repeat performance, the 'Canes should be able to secure another victory.

On Thursday, the Pittsburgh Pirates announced their 2013 Spring Training schedule and ticket pricing for games at McKechnie Field. The 33-game Florida schedule consists of 16 home games and will also feature an intrasquad “Black and Gold” game on February 22 and an exhibition game against Team Spain on March 5. The Pirates are scheduled to open their 2013 Grapefruit League season against the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday, February 23 in Port Charlotte. The Pirates will then host the Braves the following day in their Spring Training Home Opener at McKechnie Field at 1:05 p.m.

The Fort Piece Central Cobras are 11-0. Like the Manatee Hurricanes, no team has beaten them this season and when the two teams met in last year's playoffs, Manatee won by a mere 3 points. When they step onto their home field on Friday night, the Cobras will be expecting to accomplish what they have in each game this year – victory. Going into the match-up, there is however, one distinct advantage held by the 'Canes. They've been on the field with teams as good or better than Central this season, while the Cobras have not seen anything like the awesome spectacle that is this year's Manatee Hurricanes. In sports, such familiarity with worthy adversaries can sometimes make all the difference in the world.

The Manatee Hurricanes continued their roll toward a national championship Friday night, thoroughly stomping the Venice Indians in one of their most dominant performances of the season. The Palmetto Tigers, once favored to win the 5A state title, continued a late season slide that started with their 62-0 loss to the 'Canes, coming up short 17-14 against Lake Wales to end their season.

Playoff action is in full swing. Follow up your turkey day with some local high school football. Manatee hosts rival Venice this Friday night in a repeat of last year's round-two playoff game, while Palmetto travels to Lake Wales to take on a tough team that upset Southeast at home last Friday night, ending the Seminoles season and thwarting a much-anticipated rematch between the two local teams.

In round 2 playoff action this Friday, the Manatee Hurricanes are set to face Venice, yet again, in what has become something of a playoff ritual among the two 7A powerhouses, though Manatee has enjoyed the upper hand as of late. Meanwhile, Palmetto travels to Lake Wales to take on a tough team that eliminated Southeast last Friday night in a surprise upset.