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.

The final scores only tell part of the story. Last week’s opening day in Alabama gave us a national championship-caliber performance, a legendary coaching rivalry decided in the final minutes, one of the most emotional moments in sports in years, and a game so bizarre it’s not over yet. Here are the biggest stories.

Thompson Sends a Message to the Nation

Thompson and Central-Phenix City have won the last eight state championships together in Alabama’s top division, and the two heavyweights clashed Thursday night before a national television audience. Thompson dominated from the outset in a game that was never in doubt, making it clear to the rest of the country that this team looks capable of contending for a national title. A final score of 41-14 over a program with such a track record isn’t just a good week; it’s a statement that Alabama’s best team deserves to be in the same national conversation as the usual powerhouses from California and Georgia.

Fyffe Survives Battle of Legends

Paul Benefield of Fyffe and Danny Horn of Central-Clay County, two of the winningest coaches in Alabama high school football history, faced off in an overtime duel, with Fyffe ultimately prevailing 21-20 on the road. Games between coaches with such a shared history are rarely easy, and this one lived up to the hype until the final possession.

Columbia Ends 11-Year Losing Streak

The most significant result of the week didn’t come from a playoff team: Columbia routed Greensboro 41-14, snapping the longest losing streak in Alabama high school football history at 101 games, a drought that stretched back to 2015. It’s the kind of victory that means more to a program and a community than any playoff berth: more than a decade of Friday nights finally end in celebration instead of another defeat.

A Gulf Coast Rivalry Held in the Last Minute

Spanish Fort defeated Daphne 18-15 in a hard-fought, TV-worthy game between two of South Alabama’s top teams. Physical, low-scoring rivalries like this one are often overshadowed by high-scoring matchups elsewhere on the schedule, but they are frequently the ultimate test of which team is truly ready to go deep in the playoffs.

The Game That Isn’t Over Yet

Perhaps the strangest story of the week: Mae Jemison’s game against Benjamin Russell at Alabama A&M’s Louis Crews Stadium was suspended with the score tied 0-0 after a transformer explosion knocked out power to the stadium about 10 minutes into the game. Approaching storms prevented the umpires from resuming play that night. The two teams share a bye week in Week 10, and the coaches agreed to resume the game—still scoreless—on the last weekend of October. It’s a curious anecdote from opening week, but it’s true: somewhere in Alabama, a 2026 football game is technically still being played.

Want the full scoreboard instead of just the storylines? Check out our roundups of last week’s top team results and the statewide scores.

Friday nights in Alabama delivered everything from blowouts to thrilling comebacks last week. Here’s a recap of how the games played out across the state, from the stellar matchups at the top of the standings to the results of programs looking to solidify their position for a big season.

Above the Standings

No. 1 seed Thompson got the job done with a 41-14 win over Central, avenging a much closer finish between the two teams last year. No. 2 seed Clay-Chalkville improved to 2-0 with a 29-20 win over Creekside, and Hewitt-Trussville routed Auburn 56-42 in one of the highest-scoring games of the week in the state.

Statewide Big Nights

Several teams racked up blowout victories in games outside the regional league: Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa crushed Tuscaloosa Co. 64-0, Escambia Co. beat Elberta 60-0, and Geraldine routed Anniston 54-6. Florence also secured a scoreless win, 45-0 over Pinson Valley, while Hartselle edged out Bob Jones 35-6.

Close, Thrilling Overtime Games

Not every game was a blowout: Fyffe needed overtime to beat Central-Clay Co. 21-20, and Enterprise edged out Pike Road by two points, 40-38. Games decided by one possession or less often reveal more about a team’s mental fortitude than any lopsided victory, and both types of results are worth keeping a close eye on heading into the regional league.

Other notable results

Dothan defeated Bay (Florida) 35-28 in a hard-fought game outside the region, Dale Co. edged out G.W. Long 41-14, and Gulf Shores beat Parkland Academy (Mississippi) 30-21. Statewide, the week’s results confirmed a common pattern at the start of the season: established teams prevailed, while some closer games suggest which teams might improve year over year once the regional league rules are finalized.

Upcoming games

With non-region play winding down for most 6A and 7A programs, expect the schedule to get tougher — and the state rankings to start reflecting region matchups rather than early tune-up games. Check our Scores page for live results as they’re posted, and our Rankings page for this week’s Alabama Top 10.