- November 5, 2024
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With music blaring in the background during Monday’s practice, it was another day at work for the Matanzas High School football team.
Turnovers continued to be an issue in Week 2 for the Matanzas Pirates, who turned the ball over three times in Friday night’s 14-11 loss to Crescent City.
“We’re trying to dig ourselves out of a hole,” coach Jeff Nettles said Monday at practice. “We’re not a great football team right now, but we’re working.”
Through the first two games, Matanzas has turned the ball over five times, something Nettles said must be fixed.
“We will continue to work on special teams because we are far behind,” he said. “Also, the next two weeks will be dedicated to taking care of the football and fundamentals.”
Matanzas (0-2) opened up Friday’s game against Crescent City with a defensive stop, but Matanzas muffed the punt return and gave the ball right back to the Raiders. The defense got another stop, though, and forced a turnover on downs. Then, on the first offensive play of the night, the snap went over quarterback Jeremiah Wilson’s head, and Crescent City recovered. A few plays later, Crescent City took a 7-0 lead with 3 minutes, 39 seconds to go in the first quarter.
After Pirates kicker Ian Hubbs missed a 26-yard field goal, Crescent City led Matanzas, 14-0, with about 7:30 to go in the first half.
From there, Matanzas went on to score 11 unanswered points, including a 33-yard field goal by Hubbs and a 7-yard touchdown run by Stefan Tucker with about nine minutes to go in the fourth quarter. Wilson ran in the two-point conversion.
The Pirates had a few chances late in the game to tie or win but couldn’t capitalize.
“That was a tough loss for us because we had so many chances to win it and pushed it away so many times,” Nettles said. “We have so much room to grow, and we have to keep working if we want to see progress in the program.”
Nettles said Monday that team depth is an issue as the season wears on. “As coaches, we need to continue to develop our players,” he said.
Matanzas will play its first home game of the season when it hosts Arlington Country Day 7 p.m. Friday.
After cancellation, FPC prepares for game No. 2
Coming off a dominating win in Week 1, the Flagler Palm Coast Bulldogs (1-0) sat idle Friday night. But it wasn’t because it was a bye week.
The game against Seabreeze was canceled about an hour before kickoff because of a failed drainage system at the Municipal Stadium, in Daytona Beach. The game will not be made up this season, according to FPC Athletics Director Steve DeAugustino.
FPC (1-0) has a short week and will travel to play University at 7 p.m. Thursday, at Deltona High School.
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