Venice Indians Scalp Southeast 34-7, Manatee Tops Lakewood Ranch by Same Score

VENICE – The Southeast Seminoles did not look like the team that nearly upset nationally ranked Manatee two weeks ago at Kiker Field when they lost to 4-1 Venice last night on the road. Sloppy execution, turnovers and penalties all hindered the ÔNoles as they struggled to find their rhythm in a game they were never really in.

QB Dyron Speight marched Southeast down the field on their first possession, but fumbled inside the red zone to give Venice the ball. On the first play from scrimmage, Venice QB Grant Flessner took the ball 85 yards on an option keeper to the Seminole 1, where RB Danny Dillard punched it in for his first of 4 rushing touchdowns.

Southeast WR Boe Brand had a big night in loss to Venice Photo by Page & Moore

Southeast brought the ball right back down the field and showing no respect for the Venice defense, went for it on a 4th and 3 pass that was deflected, another mistake that Venice turned into a TD drive. Just before half, Southeast orchestrated another drive down the gridiron, but this time Speight was picked off in Indian territory and Venice converted the turnover into yet another TD to make it 21-0 at half.

The ÔNoles came out strong in the second half and quickly scored on a run by Brian Poole, but were unable to take advantage of a suddenly complacent Venice team that committed 8 second half penalties and whose offense was almost non-existent in the third quarter.

LB Desmond Blue, who had another monster game for Southeast, made a tackle in the backfield and seemed to strip the ball and take it into the end zone, however, the play was called back and it was ruled that the runner was down. The call seemed to shift the momentum until Reggie White blocked a punt at the end of the 3rd quarter and Southeast again seemed poised to score, trailing 2-17 to open the 4th. 

However, another interception put the ball back in Venice’s hands. Then, on a 4th and long play inside the Southeast 40, the ÔNoles swarmed Flessner, but committed a face mask on the group sack, setting up a first down and another Dillard TD. Another interception in the closing minutes set up a final Indian touchdown to make it 34-7.

While the Venice secondary seemed to have trouble keeping up with the lightning fast Southeast receivers, their front four rarely gave Speight a chance to capitalize. Dino Fanti and 6’6 265 lb. Junior defensive lineman Omari Phillips plugged up the middle and contained Poole, who’d given Manatee fits.

Notre Dame bound DE Clay Burton dominated Southeast’s offensive line, sacking Speight twice and forcing him out of the pocket more than Southeast would have liked. Burton is the brother of Florida freshman phenom Tre Burton, who QB’d the Indians last year and set a freshman record with 6 TD’s last week against Kentucky for the Gators. Southeast will now look to get there first win in a month next week at Braden River, while Venice heads to struggling North Port.

Ironically, the Manatee Hurricanes beat the Lakewood Ranch Mustangs by the exact same total. A 20-point second quarter courtesy of standout WR Quenton Bundrage who scored all three TD's was enough to keep the Mustangs at bay. Bundrage scored on a 73-yard kickoff return and passes of 32 and 31 yards from both Cord Sandberg and RB Mike Blakely who added two rushing TD's in the 2nd half. Manatee hosts Sarasota high next week while Lakewood Ranch hosts Port Charlotte.