Wha a Saturday from Brighton to Bradenton

What a Saturday.

Went to Brighton to the Seminole casino with my wife and in-laws, made a couple of dollars early, quit while I was ahead and watched college football.

On the way back Saturday evening, we listened to the USF game on radio and had dinner in Arcadia.

From that point on, I fiddled with the radio dial until we were able to get better reception on the game that was really on my mind.

The Manatee Hurricane game in western Pennsylvania.

It finally began coming in near Myakka City and tried to follow it the rest of the drive.

The last score I heard was 10-9, Woodland Hills, early in the third quarter.

Then the signal faded in and out until we got home and turned on the game again.

By then it was Hurricanes 24-10.

Man, that was quick.

We knew Manatee was good, but after thumping Tampa Plant on ESPN's nationally-televised rematch of the Class 5A state championship game in the Kickoff Classic the week before, would Joe Kinnan's players be able to reload?

The Hurricanes 39-16 answered the question.

Yet that wasn't the only Saturday game from which the community felt the flush of a significant victory.

The Bradenton Marauders clinched the FSL Southern Division second-half title with its 4-2 win at Charlotte.

That means there will be a playoff game Tuesday at McKechnie Field.

What a Saturday, indeed.