Palmetto football begins bid for state title by cruising to win vs. Coral Glades
Expectations are high for the Miami Palmetto football team as the playoffs begin.
The Panthers were district champions, went 8-2 during the regular season and beat longtime nemesis Columbus.
But Palmetto is aware that now is the time to really prove its worth.
The Panthers got their postseason off to a good start on Thursday night with a comfortable 42-0 victory over Coral Glades in a Region 4-7A quarterfinal at Tropical Park.
Palmetto (9-2), the top seed in the region, will now brace for a possible rematch with No. 5 seed Columbus next Friday, Nov. 21 at Tropical Park if the Explorers beat No. 4 seed Lantana Santaluces in their regional quarterfinal this Friday.
“It’s good to come out and start it like this, but it’s just the first step,” Palmetto coach Mike Manasco said. “We’re still getting after it in practice and we know we have a lot of fight left in us.”
Coral Glades finished a turnaround season for its program with a 6-5 record and its first winning record and playoff appearance since 2021.
Despite a number of penalties early on, Palmetto showed the kind of balance it will need to accomplish this goal. Quarterback Andre Bailey went a perfect 12-for-12 passing for over 200 yards and threw three touchdown passes to lead the Panthers’ offense. Bailey threw touchdown passes to Connelius Miller Jr., Kaden Howard and Robert Richardson.
Aiden Butler led all Palmetto rushers with over 100 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries. Butler broke loose for a 50-yard score late in the first half and Bailey’s 20-yard touchdown pass to Miller Jr. gave the Panthers a 35-0 lead with less than a minute left in the first half, prompting a running clock in the second half.
The Panthers are hoping to put together a run to their first state championship this season. The closest they came in recent years was in 2020 when a dominant defense helped them advance to the state semifinals.
This year’s defense might arguably be the best the Panthers have had since that season.
Freshman Travis Godbolt had a fumble recovery and junior Eythan Bargman had an interception to lead the Panthers, who finished with three sacks.
“We’ve been through it for 13 weeks and played good games for a half, but still haven’t played those perfect four quarters yet,” Manasco said.
