Riverview survives Manatee thriller as Venice, Braden River, Sarasota, Palmetto and ODA earn big wins

Games played September 18, 2026

Week 5 of Sarasota-Manatee high school football delivered a 49–47 thriller between Riverview Sarasota and Manatee, continued unbeaten starts for Venice, Braden River and Out-of-Door Academy, and important movement in the Tempo News Area Top 12. This Fearless Fridays roundup covers games played September 18, 2026, with scores, records, rankings, MaxPreps comparisons and top performances.

Sarasota, Palmetto, Out-of-Door Academy and Saint Stephen’s also picked up victories, while Lakewood Ranch, Bayshore and Sarasota Christian suffered losses.

Week 5 at a glance

• Game of the week: Riverview Sarasota 49, Manatee 47
• Top unbeaten public-school teams: Venice and Braden River
• Top unbeaten private-school program: Out-of-Door Academy
• Highest-scoring victory: Bradenton Christian 60, Lake Mary Prep 12
• Top local ranking movement: Riverview Sarasota moves upward after defeating Manatee
• Games covered: Friday, September 18, 2026

Week 5 Area Scoreboard

Team	Opponent	Final Score	Result	Record After Week 5	Class / Program Note
Bayshore	Hawthorne	15–50	Lost	3–2	Public-school program
Bradenton Christian	Lake Mary Prep	60–12	Won	5–1	Private-school program
Braden River	North Port	37–6	Won	4–0	Class 3A program
Cardinal Mooney	—	Bye week	No game	3–1	Class 3A
Dunnellon	Lakewood Ranch	14–13	Lost	2–3	Class 6A matchup
Manatee	Riverview Sarasota	47–49	Lost	3–2	Class 5A, District 10
Out-of-Door Academy	Sarasota Christian	50–21	Won	5–0	SSAA program
Palmetto	Naples	38–28	Won	4–1	Class 5A program
Parrish Community	Sarasota	7–48	Lost	0–5	Public-school program
Saint Stephen’s Episcopal	Seven Rivers Christian	45–0	Won	4–1	SSAA program
Sarasota	Parrish Community	48–7	Won	5–1	Class 6A program
Sarasota Christian	Out-of-Door Academy	21–50	Lost	4–2	SSAA/private-school program
Venice	Cape Coral	63–21	Won	5–0	Class 6A program

The Week 5 results are supported by local coverage, MaxPreps’ September 18 scoreboard and the Sarasota–Manatee weekly schedule roundup.

Week 5 Highlights

Riverview Sarasota 49, Manatee 47

The week’s most dramatic game ended with Riverview Sarasota protecting a two-point victory over Manatee.

Riverview built a 35–21 halftime lead, but Manatee continued to fight back. With 26.5 seconds remaining, Manatee quarterback Nolan Downes connected with Deionne Holloway on a 22-yard touchdown pass to cut the deficit to two points.

The Hurricanes attempted a two-point conversion to tie the game but could not convert. Riverview improved to 4–1, while Manatee dropped to 3–2.

Venice 63, Cape Coral 21

Venice continued its undefeated season with a dominant win over Cape Coral.

Running back Ira Dale Jr. scored three touchdowns on four carries, while Dorien Jones rushed for 135 yards and three touchdowns on 16 carries. The victory also marked John Peacock’s 200th career win.

Braden River 37, North Port 6

Braden River improved to 4–0 with another strong performance on both sides of the ball.

Running back David Louis rushed for 137 yards on 10 carries and scored twice, including touchdown runs of 58 and 2 yards. The Pirates have now produced their best start since 2021.

Palmetto 38, Naples 28

Palmetto jumped out to a 28–0 lead and held off Naples for an important 38–28 victory.

Quarterback Matthew Hennesey opened the game with touchdown passes of 24 and 23 yards. Ashton Kelly scored twice, including a 70-yard touchdown run, helping the Tigers improve to 4–1.

Out-of-Door Academy 50, Sarasota Christian 21

ODA remained perfect at 5–0 after defeating Sarasota Christian, 50–21.

Quarterback Jaxon Lawhun completed 8 of 12 passes for 218 yards and four touchdowns. ODA’s strong start has placed the Thunder firmly among the area’s top programs.

Sarasota 48, Parrish Community 7

Sarasota continued its strong season by defeating Parrish Community, 48–7.

The Sailors improved to 5–1, while Parrish Community remained winless at 0–5. Sarasota’s offense has now scored 48 or more points in each of its last two games.

Bradenton Christian 60, Lake Mary Prep 12

Bradenton Christian continued its productive season with a 60–12 victory over Lake Mary Prep.

The Panthers improved to 5–1 and remain one of the area’s strongest private-school programs.

Saint Stephen’s 45, Seven Rivers Christian 0

Saint Stephen’s posted a shutout victory, blanking Seven Rivers Christian, 45–0.

The Falcons improved to 4–1 and bounced back strongly after their earlier loss to Sarasota Christian.

Week 5 Player Highlights

Riverview Sarasota

• Logan Carrillo: More than 150 passing yards and one touchdown.
• Justin Flores: Three touchdowns.
• Michael Peterson: Three touchdowns and part of a rushing attack that combined for more than 250 yards.

Manatee

• Caedon White: More than 260 rushing yards and three touchdowns on at least 34 carries.
• Nolan Downes: Led the late comeback attempt and threw the final touchdown pass.
• Deionne Holloway: Caught the 22-yard touchdown pass that brought Manatee within two points.

Venice

• Ira Dale Jr.: 52 yards and three touchdowns on four carries.
• Dorien Jones: 135 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

Braden River

• David Louis: 137 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries.

Palmetto

• Matthew Hennesey: Two touchdown passes on his first two attempts.
• Ashton Kelly: Two touchdowns, including a 70-yard scoring run.

Out-of-Door Academy

• Jaxon Lawhun: 218 passing yards and four touchdowns.

The Week 5 player highlights are based on the Sarasota Herald-Tribune’s weekly performers report.

Week 5 Storylines

• Game of the Week: Riverview Sarasota 49, Manatee 47.
• Largest area win: Bradenton Christian defeated Lake Mary Prep, 60–12.
• Top unbeaten public-school teams: Venice and Braden River.
• Top unbeaten private-school team: Out-of-Door Academy.
• Best individual rushing performance: Manatee’s Caedon White with more than 260 yards and three touchdowns.
• Best passing performance: ODA’s Jaxon Lawhun with 218 yards and four touchdowns.
• Most important ranking result: Riverview’s win over Manatee could move the Rams into the area’s top three.
• Biggest Week 6 question: Can Manatee rebound against Sumner after the heartbreaking loss to Riverview?

Fearless Fridays Takeaway

Week 5 showed just how competitive the Sarasota–Manatee football landscape has become. Venice and Braden River remain unbeaten among the public-school programs, ODA continues to roll through its schedule, and Riverview has established itself as one of the area’s most dangerous teams.

The biggest lesson from Friday night: In this part of Florida, a two-point lead is not a lead until the final whistle. And sometimes not even then.

Fearless Fridays Area Football: Tempo News Top 12 After Week 5

Rankings are Tempo News’ local editorial rankings. MaxPreps rankings were checked against the latest available updates, generally through September 20, 2026. “NR” means the team was not listed in that specific ranking category or the comparison was not directly applicable.

Tempo News Area Top 12 After Week 5

Rankings and records reviewed as of September 23, 2026, using results from games played September 18, 2026. MaxPreps rankings were reviewed on September 20, 2026. The Source column identifies the primary reference used for each row.

Area Rank	Team	Record	MaxPreps Florida Rank	Classification Rank	National Rank	Week 5 Result	Movement	Source
1	IMG Academy Ascenders*	4–0	Not directly comparable	Not directly comparable	Not directly comparable	Defeated The First Academy, 48–27	Unchanged	Tempo News editorial file; independent national program
2	Venice Indians	5–0	No. 8	No. 2, Class 6A	No. 42	Defeated Cape Coral, 63–21	Unchanged	MaxPreps 2026–27 team rankings (MAXPREPS)
3	Riverview Sarasota Rams	4–1	No. 46	No. 13, Class 6A	Not listed in reviewed snapshot	Defeated Manatee, 49–47	Up 1	MaxPreps 2026–27 team page (MAXPREPS)
4	Cardinal Mooney Cougars	3–1	Not listed in reviewed snapshot	Not listed in reviewed snapshot	Not listed in reviewed snapshot	Bye week	Unchanged	Tempo News editorial ranking
5	Palmetto Tigers	4–1	No. 52	No. 12, Class 5A	Not listed in reviewed snapshot	Defeated Naples, 38–28	Down 2	MaxPreps 2026–27 team listing (MAXPREPS)
6	Braden River Pirates	4–0	No. 226	No. 28, Class 3A	Not listed in reviewed snapshot	Defeated North Port, 37–6	Up 2	MaxPreps 2026–27 team page (MAXPREPS)
7	Sarasota Sailors	4–1	No. 200	No. 39, Class 6A	Not listed in reviewed snapshot	Defeated Parrish Community, 48–7	Up 1	MaxPreps 2026–27 team page (MAXPREPS)
8	Out-of-Door Academy Thunder*	5–0	Not listed in reviewed snapshot	Not directly comparable	Not listed in reviewed snapshot	Defeated Sarasota Christian, 50–21	Up 1	Tempo News editorial ranking; private-school program
9	Manatee Hurricanes	3–2	No. 55	No. 13, Class 5A	Not listed in reviewed snapshot	Lost to Riverview Sarasota, 49–47	Down 4	MaxPreps rankings updated September 20, 2026 (MAXPREPS)
10	Sarasota Christian Blazers*	4–2	Not listed in reviewed snapshot	Not directly comparable	Not listed in reviewed snapshot	Lost to Out-of-Door Academy, 50–21	Unchanged	Tempo News editorial ranking; private-school program
11	Saint Stephen’s Falcons*	4–1	Not listed in reviewed snapshot	Not directly comparable	Not listed in reviewed snapshot	Defeated Seven Rivers Christian, 45–0	Up 1	Tempo News editorial ranking; private-school program
12	Bradenton Christian Panthers*	5–1	Not listed in reviewed snapshot	Not directly comparable	Not listed in reviewed snapshot	Defeated Lake Mary Prep, 60–12	New	Tempo News editorial ranking; private-school program

Ranking Notes

• Not listed in reviewed snapshot means the team did not appear in that specific MaxPreps category when reviewed. It does not necessarily mean the program is unranked in every MaxPreps ranking system.
• Not directly comparable applies primarily to independent or private-school programs whose schedules and competitive classifications do not align cleanly with standard FHSAA public-school comparisons.
• IMG Academy is marked with an asterisk because the Ascenders operate as a specialized independent national program. Their ranking profile and schedule should not be compared directly with a typical local FHSAA program.
• MaxPreps rankings are computer-generated and may change when additional scores, corrections or schedule information are entered. MaxPreps’ team pages identify Florida, classification and national ranking categories separately; for example, Venice is listed at No. 8 in Florida, No. 2 in Class 6A and No. 42 nationally. (MAXPREPS)
• The Area Rank and Movement columns are Tempo News editorial judgments based on record, schedule strength, quality wins, recent performance and overall program profile.

Ranking source note: Tempo News’ Area Top 12 is an editorial ranking. MaxPreps Florida, classification and national rankings are computer-generated comparison points reviewed on September 20, 2026. Rankings may change as scores and team records are updated. Programs marked with an asterisk operate in an independent, private-school or specialized competitive setting and may not have directly comparable classification rankings.

Team Ranking Notes

• IMG Academy receives an asterisk because the Ascenders operate as an independent national program. Their schedule and ranking profile do not fit neatly into ordinary FHSAA classification comparisons. MaxPreps currently lists IMG at the top of its Tampa-area rankings, while the program is also listed No. 3 in the Xcellent national computer ranking.
• Venice remains the area’s top-ranked team after improving to 5–0 and earning head coach John Peacock his 200th career victory and are No. 2 locally after improving to 5–0. MaxPreps lists the Indians No. 8 in Florida, No. 2 in Class 6A and No. 42 nationally.
• Riverview strengthens its case for a top-three position after defeating Manatee in the highest-scoring game of the week and makes the biggest major-program move, climbing after its 49–47 win over Manatee. MaxPreps lists Riverview No. 46 in Florida and No. 10 in Class 6A.
• Braden River continues to climb after starting the season 4–0, its best beginning since 2021 and rises two spots after moving to 4–0. The Pirates are listed No. 226 in Florida and No. 28 in Class 3A.
• Palmetto Palmetto moved to 4–1 after building a 28–0 lead against Naples and remains one of the area’s strongest teams, but drops behind the undefeated Braden River after Week 5. MaxPreps lists the Tigers No. 52 in Florida and No. 12 in Class 5A.
• Manatee falls four spots, not because of poor performance, but because the Hurricanes lost a high-scoring game to a surging Riverview team. Manatee remains No. 55 in Florida and No. 13 in Class 5A.
• ODA remains undefeated at 5–0 and has continued to dominate its opponents and is a legitimate private-school contender. MaxPreps’ Week 5 recap listed the Thunder No. 148 in Florida and Sarasota Christian No. 298.
• Bradenton Christian enters the Tempo News Top 12 after moving to 5–1 with a 60–12 victory over Lake Mary Prep.
• Sarasota Christian remain ranked contenders despite Week 5 losses.

These are media and computer power rankings, not official FHSAA standings. The most recent statewide power snapshot before Week 5 listed Venice No. 8 in Florida and No. 1 in Class 6A, while Cardinal Mooney was No. 10 statewide and No. 1 in Class 3A.