3 takeaways from Manatee's Class 5A, District 9 victory over Pinellas Park

High School On SI Florida was on hand for the game and give you three takeaways from the contest

Manatee quarterback Andrew Heidel went 10-for-19 for 188 yards and a touchdown in the Hurricanes' 34-27 victory last week over Buchholz. / Thomas Bender/ Sarasota Herald-Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

BRADENTON, FLORIDA- Heading into Monday night's Class 5A, District 9 tilt with Pinellas Park, one thing Manatee has yet to deal with is becoming complacent.

With the team off to another hot start like 2023, there's reasons to believe that could set in for the state's No. 21-ranked team in the Hurricanes. Playing on an odd night due to Hurricane Helene pushing back Week 6 games, Manatee made sure they didn't lose focus on the task at hand.

---

Top 25 Florida high school football rankings (9/28/2024)

---

The Hurricanes scored 34 unanswered points after the Patriots' game-opening drive score to defeat Pinellas Park 34-10 on Joe Kinnan Field at Hawkins Stadium. Manatee sits in the driver's seat of Class 5A-9 now, with one district game to go.

High School On SI Florida was on hand for Monday's game and gives you three takeaways fron Manatee's win over Pinellas Park:

1. Manatee's Andrew Heidel was dealing

Manatee quarterback Andrew Heidel has a 19-8 career record as the Hurricane starter. / Mike Lang / Sarasota Herald-Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Army commitment was near the top of his game in the key Class 5A, District 9 victory over Pinellas Park. What looked like a slow start defensively for the Hurricanes equaled to the offense picking them up and boy did they. Heidel was the catalyst in making sure Manatee didn't miss a beat, with the senior gunslinger completing 10-of-10 passes for 114 yards and four touchdowns. When you think about why Manatee is able to play so well, it really all starts at quarterback.

2. We can't forget about the Hurricanes' skill players around Heidel

Manatee's tailback, Kei'Shawn Smith (#1) gets a little running room. The Riverview Rams celebrated a 35-30 victory over the Manatee Hurricanes at Joe Kinnan Field at Hawkins Stadium, Friday night, Nov. 17, 2023. / THOMAS BENDER/HERALD-TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK

Now in saying everything nice about Heidel, we have to admit the signal caller has some pretty good players surrounding him as well. From running back Kei'Shawn Smith aka 'Numero Uno' to his talented wide receiving corps, featuring AJ Causey and Torey Gilley on Monday night. All three scored touchdowns on the night and proved themselves to be key figureheads within coach Jacquez Green's offense. When you got guys like this around your quarterback, you're bound to do some good things.

3. This all but seals the 5A-9 district title for Manatee

Manatee Hurricanes' head coach Jacquez Green continues to be undefeated in the third week as the Manatee Hurricanes win 41-0 over the Southeast Seminoles in a non-district game Friday night, Aug. 30, 2024, in Bradenton. / Thomas Bender/ Sarasota Herald-Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK

When the district was put together back in the off-season, Manatee had to been excited about the prospects of seeing this day come, which was winning the district crown. Yes, you still have to go out on the field and prove yourself, but for the Hurricanes it was all about not getting complacent. With their only loss having come to an undefeated Lowndes (Georgia) team, Manatee has learned from then and picked up some impressive wins along the way. Only Braden River still stands in the way, but we figure the Hurricanes will officially lock the district come Oct. 25th.

---

Follow SBLive Florida throughout the 2024 high school football season for Live Updates, the most up to date Schedules & Scores and complete coverage from the preseason through the state championships!

Be sure to Bookmark High School on SI for all of the latest high school football news.

SBLIVE SPORTS LAUNCHES HIGH SCHOOL ON SI

High School On SI will serve as the premier destination for high school sports fans, delivering unparalleled coverage of high school athletics nationwide through in-depth stories, recruiting coverage, rankings, highlights and much more. The launch of a dedicated high school experience expands Sports Illustrated’s reach to even more local communities as fans can now truly follow athletes from “preps to the pros” on a single platform, bringing them closer to the action than ever before. For more information, visit si.com/high-school.

Download the SBLive App

To get live updates on your phone - as well as follow your favorite teams and top games - you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App| Download Android App

-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @sblivefl