- November 4, 2024
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There is little that needs to be said about the run the Pirates are putting together. They have become certified favorites to win in their games, which says enough about the program that has failed to construct a winning a winning season. Matanzas’ latest achievement was winning their first district game in three years, a 28-7 win over the Seabreeze Sandcrabs Friday, Sept. 18, at Matanzas.
“That’s what I’m more proud of,” Coach Robert Ripley said. “4-1 is great, but if you would’ve told me, ‘Coach, you’re going to be 3-1 and win that first district game,’ I would’ve taken it. That’s been the biggest thing that has given this school problems; they can’t seem to find a way to win district games. So, we got that accomplished tonight. Let’s see what we do next week.”
The Pirates and the Sandcrabs got off to decent starts, with both quarterbacks finding the end zone on keepers. The Pirates’ Mackenzy Wagner, scoring from 10 yards out, and Butler, hurdling a defender on his way to a 43-yard touchdown run.
In the second quarter, they both traded punts, but a Matanzas botched punt placed Seabreeze at the Pirates’ 28-yard line. After failing to go past the 15-yard marker, the Sandcrabs attempted a field goal but fumbled the snap, which led to a short return by the Pirates to midfield. Matanzas then drove down to Seabreeze’s red zone, but penalties and a sack cost them a scoring chance, and the score remained 7-7, heading into the half.
“Coach told us that we came out soft,” said Andre Bodison, wide receiver and safety for the Pirates. “He told us that we played like they were 0-3, not like they were 0-0 in the district, so he yelled at us and told us we had to fix it after halftime.”
That’s exactly what the Pirates did. On the first drive out of the half, Wagner connected with Bodison, and he broke a couple of tackles and raced to the end zone for a 47-yard touchdown reception and a 13-7 lead.
“Before the end of the half, coach Rip came up to me and told me it was my time, and I was like, “I got you; just throw me the ball,’” Bodison said. He threw me the ball, and I made it happen.”
On defense, the Pirates forced a fumble, which was recovered by Wagner’s brother, Zach. On the very next play, Mackenzy Wagner called his own number and took it 18 yards for another score, and, with the extra point, made it 21-7.
With just under six minutes remaining in the game, Seabreeze, backed into their own end zone, attempted a screen pass but was picked off by Devin Matthews, who returned it for the game’s final touchdown.
The Pirates’ defense, led by Nick Kubiet, who had two sacks, held the Sandcrabs to negative yards in the second half.
“We’ve got a defensive philosophy that we’re going to get 11 hats to the ball, and our kids have bought into it, they believe in it and they practice that way,” Ripley said. “That’s the biggest difference between year one and year two. They thought we could in year one, but now the fruit’s in the pudding, and they’re out there doing it, but we have to get to the next level where we can put you away early and score a couple more points in the first half and stop letting teams hang around.”
Ripley already has his team focusing on their next opponent, Nease, who won last year’s bout 40-39. They are, according to him, on the revenge list.
“I will never forget it,” he said. “But, they’re coming here, and this place is a little different now. There are a lot of people sitting in those stands, believing in what we got going on, and I think our defense is playing at a little higher level than it was last year to give up 40 points.”
That game will take place Friday, Sept. 25, at Matanzas.
