MANATEE COUNTY (SNN TV) — For the second straight year the Palmetto Tigers find themselves one win away from the state title game.
“We’re going to finish it his year,” senior safety Jacquez Hughes said. “We are going to go all the way to states this year.”
Standing in the Tigers way are the Class-6A defending champions, Miami Central. The Rockets are the same team that ended Palmetto’s season in last years state semifinal game.
“The kids from the time we lost that game, the underclassman have been on a mission they wanted to get back to this point and they wanted to play Central,” Palmetto head football coach Dave Marino said. “They have done an outstanding job of staying resilient, staying together and staying focused on what their goal is.”
The 34-30 loss at Harllee Stadium last November is being used as a tool.
“We are going to use this as an advantage and learn from last year when we played them,” Hughes said,
The senior captain Hughes does everything on the football field for Palmetto. From lining up at defensive-back, to booting punts on special teams.
“To be honest I just really listen to the coaches, they tell me what to do and they put me in positions to make the plays,” Hughes said.
Late wins have become the norm for Marino’s team, coming from behind in all three of their playoff games thus far.
“That has just been the culture of our program,” Marino said. “We expect to win every Friday night,”
Now that we have reached the final-four stage of the playoffs in all 8 classes, the cream has risen to the top, showcasing the high level of talent we have in our backyards.
“There is no doubt in my mind that Dade, Broward, Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties are the best areas for football in the state of Florida,” Marino said.
