3 takeaways from Port Charlotte's Peace River Rivalry win over Charlotte

The Pirates dominated the Fightin' Tarpons in a rain-filled night of high school football on Election Day

Ike Perry/X

PORT CHARLOTTE, FLORIDA- When folks at Port Charlotte and Charlotte decided to change the night on which the Peace River Rivalry was played to Tuesday, thoughts were that the two rivals would be avoiding bad weather.

Instead, the Pirates and Fightin' Tarpons played right through the thick of it. Regardless, the inclement weather didn't slow down Port Charlotte as they rolled easily to a 39-0 victory over Charlotte at Harbor Nissan Stadium.

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

1. Logan Flaherty impresses against his old team

.@PortCharlotteFB on the move here on their first possession on this @Lflahertyqb17 pass pic.twitter.com/2h1B7Dd0gs

— Andy Villamarzo (@Andy_Villamarzo) November 6, 2024

Playing up against your old teammates isn't the easiest thing to do, but that's what Port Charlotte sophomore quarterback Logan Flaherty had to do on Tuesday night versus Charlotte. Flaherty transferred out of Charlotte and to Port Charlotte in the off-season and has blossomed into one of the South Suncoast's top passers this season. Up against his old running mates, the signal caller relied on his legs more than his arm because of the downpour of rain at the stadium. By halftime, Flaherty had already rushed for multiple touchdowns on the ground and had his Pirates well on their way to a running clock. Taking a closer look at the quarterback, Flaherty showed full control of the offense and looked poised on when and when not to pull on zone-read handoffs. The sophomore will need to play well if Port Charlotte aims to make a deep playoff run in Class 4A.

2. Ike Perry has been a fine replacement for Ed Guerrier

When last year's starting running back Ed Guerrier graduated and took his talents to Rutgers back in the spring, questions from folks out of Charlotte County were likely about who might replace him. Perry showed off his ability aplenty last season and Tuesday night was another showcase of why the tailback has been a perfect replacement. The senior running back finished the night with well over 100 yards on the ground, sending him over the 1,000-yard mark for the season. Perry's 82-yard touchdown run in the second quarter looked to be the breaking point in the contest in showing that the Pirates would pull away early. When you have players like Perry and Flaherty operating in-sync out of the backfield, you have a pretty free flowing Port Charlotte offense, which is a dangerous thing for opposing defenses.

3. Myron Charles heads up a very talented Port Charlotte defensive line

Myron Charles, a 4-star Texas commitment, has obviously been the focal point for many opposing offensive lines all season long, but don't just forget he's the featured piece on a pretty talented defensive line for the Pirates. Senior defensive lineman King Justice has been a big benefactor when it comes to teams choosing to double-team Charles, with the former tallying 7.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. For teams that go up against Port Charlotte, their defensive line is a strength and would find it easier to challenge their secondary instead. It's easy to see why the Pirates were able to stand toe-to-toe with teams like Dunbar and Naples, respectively.

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