FLAGLER

Prep Football Preview: Week 5

Staff Writer
The Daytona Beach News-Journal
Hard work over the summer finally paid off for Matanzas with the team's first win Friday over Seabreeze. The Pirates hope to keep the momentum this week against Port St. Lucie Treasure Coast. [News-Tribune file]

FPC at Palatka

WHEN: 7 p.m. Friday

WHERE: Memorial Stadium, Palatka.

RECORDS: FPC 3-1, Palatka 3-1.

COACHES: FPC, Travis Roland; Palatka, Willie Fells.

Key Players: FPC — Nelson Paul, Sr. DE-OLB; Tallin Coates, Sr. MLB-DE; Dennis Shorter, Sr. DB-RB; Woody Dezius, Sr. DB; Marquise Gilbert, Sr. DB; Donovan Montoyo, Jr. QB; Damien Irven, Sr. DB; Ty Jenkins, So. RB; Mark Genis, Sr. RB; Verneal Henshaw, Sr. OL; Tyler Irigoyen, Sr. DE; J.T. Dahlberg, Sr. WR; Devon Conkrite, Sr. OL; Willis Glover, Sr. NT; Seamus Hackett, Sr. DT; Tobin Hackett, Jr. MLB; Dylan Gambone, Sr. WR. Palatka — Jaylen Session, Sr. RB; Treyvon Williams, Sr. WR-CB; Mitchell McKinnon, Sr. QB; Calvant Canty, Sr. DE-FB; Camden Sweat, Sr. DT; De’Shawn Shaw, Jr. SS-OLB; Ke’Shawn Hughes Jr. Jr. SS-RB; DeMontae Ashley, Jr. QB; Delton Nealy, So. WR; K’darius Poole, Jr. OLB-SS; David Williams, Jr. LB.

Game Preview: The Bulldogs got back to their winning ways Friday night with a 47-14 rout of St. Augustine, a first-ever regular season victory over the Yellow Jackets. It came a week after FPC’s first loss since late October 2016 and gave them valuable playoff bonus points headed into district play, which starts the following week. Roland was encouraged to see the team get back to what it does best with hard-nosed defense, executing a game plan revolving around Montoyo and freshman back-up Preston Roberts. Montoyo completed two touchdown passes covering 15 yards to Jordan Belle and 20 to Jarien Ramos. Roberts, getting some valuable game action, also had two TD strikes late in the game covering 47 yards to Dahlberg and five yards to Nick Redding. Ja’Corey Benjamin had a 40-yard scoop-and-score fumble recovery and Irven made an interception for defensive highlights while special teams accounted for five points on a safety and a 42-yard field goal by Stephen Usina. Improved Palatka presents an interesting challenge. Last year, the Panthers were 3-8, which led to a coaching change, and they have played well in the first half of the season under Fells. The offense revolves around Session, who is the team’s leading rusher. McKinnon was the undisputed star for Palatka on Friday against Ridgeview, throwing for 223 yards and two scores as well as rushing for 89 and another TD. Palatka mixes about a 60-40 run-to-pass ratio and has amassed close to 1,000 yards on the ground so far this year. The defense shows a lot of schemes and gets after opponents on blitzes. Poole, Canty and David Williams are the team’s leading tacklers and have the lion’s share of sacks. The Panthers mounted a big lead Friday night and held on for a 39-25 win over Ridgeview to take their second straight win… Although the on-again, off-again rivalry extends back decades, FPC has dominated Palatka in recent years and has a four-game winning streak since 2013. The Bulldogs whipped the Panthers 48-18 last year.

UP NEXT: FPC plays a home field District 1-8A game with Jacksonville Sandalwood visiting Sept. 28. 

Matanzas at Port St. Lucie Treasure Coast

WHEN: 7 p.m. Friday 

WHERE:Treasure Coast High School

RECORDS: Matanzas 1-2; Treasure Coast, 3-1.

COACHES: Matanzas, Don Mathews; Treasure Coast, Irvin Jones.

Key Players: Matanzas — Branden Gilyard, Jr. CB; Corey Van Dyke, So. LB; Seaton Waldhauer, Sr. OL-DL; Nehemiah Knight, Jr. DB; Skyelar Williams-Michaud, Jr. RB; Joshua Iglesius, Sr. LB; Josef Powell, Sr. QB-RB; Sean Lebeau, So. RB-LB; Chase Sabine, Jr. OL; Cecil Bermudez, Sr. OL; Demontrae Neeley, So. QB; Tristan Williams So. CB; Darrion Sessions, So. RB; Richard Knowles, Sr. NG; Curtis Gray, Sr. WR. Treasure Coast — Shamir Minnis, Sr. CB-RB; Sean Miller, Jr. RB; Tyrec Thompson, Sr. CB-WR; Marvelle Pittman, Sr. QB-WR; Joshua Nunes, Jr. K; Austin Ramirez, Sr. TE-T; Joey Fleurjuste, Jr. LB-SS; Josh Fleurjuste, Sr. DT; Marquez Bargman, So. OL; Brandon Joseph, Sr. LB.

Game preview: The Pirates finally broke through for their first win of the season Friday night in a 22-7 victory over Seabreeze. Gilyard had a huge game, returning a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown after the Sandcrabs took a 7-0 lead and scoring what proved to be the winning touchdown on a 46-yard fourth quarter run while the Pirates were trailing 7-6. Matanzas stopped a Sandcrabs’ effort to tie the score by holding Seabreeze on downs and Powell provided clinching points with a 16-yard touchdown run. The Matanzas defense settled down for its best performance of the year after Seabreeze grabbed the early lead on a touchdown pass. Friday’s opponent, Treasure Coast, blasted Martin County 57-18 in a game that saw the Titans score 36 first-half points but give up 18 in the second quarter when Martin County got its passing game untracked. Most of Treasure Coast’s scoring this season has been on the ground, with Minnis, a three-year letter winner, commanding a good deal of the action. Miller and Thompson also had touchdowns. The Titans beat Lake Wales 54-44 in the season-opener and took out Cocoa 34-28 the following week. Their only loss came Sept. 7 to a familiar Matanzas opponent when Mainland won 36-22, so the coming contest should give Mathews and his staff a gauge of what to expect as the district part of the schedule begins. Matanzas has only played Treasure Coast once in regular season and won 20-13 in come-from-behind fashion in the 2017 clash in Palm Coast.

UP NEXT: Matanzas travels to St. Johns County to play Nease Sept 28.

-- Andy Mikula