Tampa Bay Buccaneers Preseason Kickoff Classic Days 1-2 Roundup
TAMPA, FLORIDA- The first two days of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Preseason Kickoff Classic has already seen some of the top teams in the state take the field.
Between Wednesday and Thursday at the Ed Radice Sports Complex, some competitive games have taken place as teams get warmed up for the 2024 campaign.
On Thursday afternoon, teams took the field once again for preseason action and SBLive Florida was on hand for some of the action taking place.
One of the top games of the day was between Fort Pierce Central and Hillsborough, with the Cobras coming out on top 19-12.
Leading 12-6 going into intermission, the Cobras needed to add another touchdown in the second half to pull away and they did behind the tandem of quarterback Adrienne Rivera and wide receiver Karla Timothy.
Rivera would find Timothy on a 10-yard touchdown pass with 3:30 remaining in the game to seal the victory. It’s a solid start to what Fort Pierce head coach Nick Clements believes will be a good season for his Cobras.
“Our whole season last year was based on resiliency and I’d love to see that carry over,” Clements said. “We’ve got a lot of leaders out here making plays.”
Another game that was started at 4:45 p.m. alongside of Fort Pierce Central-Hillsborough was the contest between Sickles and Springstead.
Both teams played to a stalemate in the first half, with each club having scoring opportunities that ended in turnovers. One of the players that stood out from the game was Sickles senior quarterback/safety Rye Newton, who made some plays on offense and defense.
The game ended up playing out to a scoreless 0-0 draw, with any contest that was tied after regulation finished as a tie.
Springstead was an independent team last year, but will now play in district and head coach Andrew Sitar spoke about the event out on by the Buccaneers.
“The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Zak (Zumbiel) have done a great job making it a great event for these girls,” Sitar said. “We get to come out here and get an opportunity to get some preseason games before the start of the season next week. We are super excited about the event.”
Day 1 scores (February 14th)
Lecanto 20, Palmetto 13
Hernando 13, Seminole 7
Celebration 22, Carrollwood Day 0
Countryside 22, Lakeland 7
Lecanto 6, Tarpon Springs 0
Hernando 19, Carrollwood Day 6
Celebration 33, Seminole 6
Lakeland 28, Bayshore Christian 13
Palmetto 26, Armwood 6
Brandon 27, Wharton 0
Southeast 46, Kathleen 0
Countryside 26, Bayshore Christian 0
Tarpon Springs 27, Armwood 6
Plant City 16, Chamberlain 0
Tampa Freedom 21, Southeast 0
Wharton 27, Kathleen 0
Tampa Freedom 6, Chamberlain 6
Brandon 12, Plant City 6
Day 2 scores (February 15th)
Fort Pierce Central 19, Hillsborough 12
Hillsborough 31, Gibbs 0
Sickles 7, Trinity Catholic 6
Fort Pierce Central 18, Riverview 14
Riverview 41, Spoto 0
Brooksville Central 0, Pinellas Park 0
Citrus 6, Manatee 0
Largo 24, Lakewood Ranch Prep 0
Sickles 0, Springstead 0
Brooksville Central 35, Spoto 0
Brooks-DeBartolo 13, Lakewood Ranch Prep 0
Citrus 19, Largo 6
Pinellas Park 6, Manatee 0
Editors note: Complete set of game scores still being compiled from Day 2
-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @sblivefl
