- November 4, 2024
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Daniel Dillard: once bullied, now a bulldozer
Matanzas’ Daniel Dillard, on his way to becoming the first Pirate to run for over 1,000 yards (1,1189) in a single season, spent very little time trying to juke defenders; he frequently ran them over. But, before his middle school growth spurt, Dillard was small, and the kids at his elementary school often reminded him, as they bullied and beat on him weekly.
Dillard grew up in a school that consisted of mainly whites and blacks, but he stood out as the mixed kid.
“To some of the kids, I wasn’t black enough, and to the other kids, I wasn’t white enough,” Dillard said.
Dillard would get jumped by multiple kids at least once every two weeks, and to add insult to his injuries, he would get blamed for causing a “disturbance” by yelling.
The weekly fights for Dillard went away once he started playing football and became one of the best at it. Those who were jumping him wanted to befriend him, seeing that Dillard became one of the cool kids in school.
A few years later, Dillard, one of the popular players on his middle school team, saw some of his teammates bullying a mentally challenged kid. Dillard, knowing how it felt to be bullied, intervened and stopped his teammates.
Dillard will try to improve on his last season’s football success, and for now, he’s prepping to compete in lacrosse and competition cheerleading. Dillard believes that the two sports help him on the football field, and competition cheerleading also gives him the opportunity to meet new girls.
Justin Pacifico: a run for greatness
Flagler Palm Coast’s Justin Pacifico began running after his freshman football season, when the seniors on the team told him that he would do really well at it. They were right.
Since joining the FPC track and cross country teams, Pacifico has only gotten faster while placing higher. This past cross country season, he placed sixth at districts, ninth at regionals and 27th at states, which was the best result for any runner in the area.
“This past year has been a great experience overall, and it just makes me more excited for our team going into track season,” Pacifico added.
Due to his top finishes, Pacifico was chosen as the Daytona News-Journal’s Runner of the Year. Pacifico’s running season isn’t over; he still has track left, and he, as well as many others on the team, are going into the season with high expectations.
“We want to win a championship this season, which we believe we can do,” Pacifico added.
“I think the entire boys track team is going to have a breakout year,” coach David Halliday said. “I expect Justin (Pacifico) to be one of the best 800-meter runners in the state in track, and in cross country I think Justin has the chance to be one of the top five guys in the state next year.”
Pacifico is proud of the fact that he learned to bring the discipline of running into the classroom, where he is now taking more honors classes and has over a 3.0 GPA.
“I just want to be a better student-athlete, period,” he said.
Miracle Porter: set for new goals
Matanzas’ Miracle Porter’s long-term goal of breaking the nation’s record of high school soccer goals scored puts her talent and career into perspective. With a few more regular season and playoff games left in her sophomore soccer season, Porter has already become the top goal scorer in Matanzas’ history with over 125 goals and counting.
“I have set my mind to try to break that national record,” Porter said. “But, right now, one of my biggest goals is to beat FPC for the first time.”
The Lady Pirates have yet to beat their crosstown rivals in soccer, but Porter is confident that she will, not only get that coveted win, but she will also eclipse the high school women’s soccer goal record of 286.
Que’Shaun Byrd: All laughs off the field, but strictly business on it
FPC’s Que’Shaun Byrd rarely smiles on the football field. Everything out there, for him, is about business, even when the Bulldogs are up by a comfortable margin. Byrd credits that mentality for being one of the reasons how he managed to lead the area in rushing with over 1,300 yards and over 20 touchdowns.
Because Byrd never smiles, very few actually get to know him as the ultimate “goofy” guy.
Growing up, Byrd was always inspired by comedies and the way they made people feel.
“I like to clown around a lot, but I know when to get serious,” Byrd said. “But, most of the time I like to have fun.”
Before FPC games, when some of the players on the team are nervous, Byrd says that he would often make a joke that would lighten up the room. He recalls a funny moment during the season, when he fell asleep while watching film with the team, and he woke up yelling from a dream.
“Everybody was laughing at me, even Coach (Caesar Campana).
The football star is set to put away his smile once again to compete in track. Byrd is a part of the 4X100 meter relay team that placed second at last year’s state finals.
“Last year, the only team that beat us was all seniors, so we expect to win the championship this year,” he said.
Brendan Zagumennikh: swimming in his father’s lane
Matanzas’ Brendan Zagumennikh was once too afraid to even put his head under water. Now, a freshman and already a multiple school-record holder, it is tough to keep him out of the pool.
Zagumennikh’s destiny was to swim, seeing that his father, Sergey, was the top ranked junior swimmer in the Soviet Union in the 1500M, at the age of 14, and his grandfather also participated in the sport. He has taken the mantle, and has already impressed his father.
“I’m proud of him, because swimming has always been in my life,” Sergey Zagumennikh said. “My father participated in the sport, and I have, so it’s good to see that Brendan is doing well. I hope he will be able to get a scholarship and go on to compete in world competition.”
Zagumennikh says that his best showing, thus far, was at the Ryan Lochte Classic, this past season, where he placed first in the 50 IM freestyle and second in the 100 IM meter free style and the 100 IM and 200 IM backstroke, placing him in the Top 20 in the nation in the 200 IM backstroke.
“That was definitely my best meet,” Zagumennikh said. “I dropped so many seconds off my time, and the competition was great. That’s why I love the sport; the competition is real. It’s great.”
Zagumennikh currently holds Matanzas’ in the 100 IM breast stroke and 200 IM, which he broke five times last year.
“It shows that I’m a dedicated swimmer and that I put a lot of work into it,” he added. “It also shows that I have great coaches. Coach (Carrie) Purdy and coach Matt (Araujo) are the best coaches I’ve ever had."
Next year, Zagumennikh is looking to make it to the state finals and compete against the best swimmers in the state.
