While IMG Academy grabs national headlines, Bradenton is home to a wide range of competitive high school football beyond the Ascenders. Here is how the rest of Manatee County’s teams kicked off their 2026 seasons.
Manatee 33, Plant 26
Manatee High opened the season with a 33-26 road victory over Plant, holding off the Panthers in one of the tightest contests involving a Manatee County team during opening week. A one-possession road win against a quality opponent is an early positive sign for the Hurricanes program, which has a history of making deep playoff runs.
Braden River 34, Pasco 7
Braden River hosted Pasco and secured a commanding 34-7 victory, marking a strong home start for the Pirates. It was the kind of comfortable, controlled win that allows the coaching staff to utilize their full player rotation before the schedule becomes more demanding.
Bradenton Christian 53, Orlando Christian Prep 0
Bradenton Christian delivered the most dominant performance of any Manatee County team—aside from IMG Academy—by routing Orlando Christian Prep 53-0 at home; it was the highest point total by a home team that week. The victory sets a strong tone for a program that does not always garner the same regional attention as the county’s larger public schools.
Lakewood Ranch 27, Parrish Community 14
Lakewood Ranch claimed a 27-14 road victory over Parrish Community, another Manatee County program. Intra-county rivalry games carry special weight even in Week 1, as local bragging rights within Manatee County often matter just as much as the final win-loss record.
Tough Nights: Southeast and Bayshore
Not every program in the county celebrated. Southeast fell to Wesley Chapel 34–28 at home, coming up six points short of a win, while Bayshore lost a tough away game against Sarasota, 35–18. Narrow losses like Southeast’s are often more encouraging than the final score alone suggests: a competitive effort that falls just six points short against a solid opponent provides a strong foundation to build upon for upcoming county and district matchups. County Overview
Manatee, Braden River, Bradenton Christian, IMG Academy, Lakewood Ranch, and Saint Stephen’s Episcopal opened the season with wins, while Palmetto, Southeast, Parrish Community, and Bayshore will look to bounce back in Week 2. Six wins across ten local teams represent a solid start for Manatee County football overall—even without factoring in IMG’s commanding national-level victory.
Looking specifically for the IMG Academy result? Check out our IMG Academy Week 1 recap. For full statewide results, visit our Scoreboard page.