5 takeaways from Manatee's thrilling upset win over Buchholz

A fourth quarter turnover dooms No. 18 Buchholz as Manatee picks up a signature win on the road

Billy D. Photography

Coming off their first loss of the season last week against Lowndes (Georgia), the Manatee Hurricanes had no time to sulk about it.

Jacquez Green and his group had to hop back on Interstate 75 North to the former University of Florida star's old stomping grounds against No. 18-ranked Buchholz.

The Hurricanes used timely offense and a opportunistic defense to pull off a 34-27 upset victory over the Bobcats at Santa Fe High School.

We give you five takeaways from the entertaining contest between the two storied programs:

Signature regular season win for Manatee

Manatee's victories before Friday night's came against Lake Minneola and Southeast, falling to Lowndes in Georgia. With a chance to make an impression on the rest of the state with a victory, the Hurricanes rose to the occasion. There's a very realistic chance that Manatee could run the table to 9-1, with winnable games against Benjamin, IMG Academy White and rival Palmetto dotted along the schedule. This could be Jacquez Green's best season as a head coach yet.

Late turnover doom Buchholz

With the game hanging in the balance after the third quarter and all knotted up at 20-all, something had to give on one side or the other. It would be Manatee taking the ball away from Buchholz and turning that into points that became the difference maker. Bobcats' quarterback Trace Johnson threw a pick six that Buchholz was not able to recover from, en route to the loss. Against a quality opponent like Manatee, fourth quarter turnovers became the difference in the game.

A homecoming of sorts for Jacquez Green

Gainesville is no unfamiliar place for Manatee had coach Jacquez Green. The former University of Florida receiver returned to the 352 and was able to come away with a victory just miles away from where he made his name as college star for the Gators. During his time at Florida, Green caught 113 passes for 2,181 yards and 23 touchdowns receiving. Gatorland will always hold a special place in Green's memory and heart.

Hurricanes show variety on offense

A lot about what Manatee does on offense is predicated around the talents of Army commitment Andrew Heidel at quarterback. Yes, he's still the maestro of the Hurricanes' offense, but the team showed that there's a slew of playmakers making it happen around him. From running back Kei'shawn Smith to tight end Farrakhan Shannon, the team received contributions across the board. One has to like the direction Green has this Hurricanes team heading in as the midway point of the season is upon us.

Where to go from here for the Bobcats

We're not going to sugarcoat things for Buchholz, as they have a very tough remaining schedule that lies ahead of them. Like Manatee, now the Bobcats will head into Georgia and take on a very good Richmond Hill team. After that, Buchholz faces Bartram Trail, Cardinal Newman and Nease among the remaining five contests. What looked like a possible path to a 10-0 season now could turn into something totaly different in thecoming weeks.

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