- November 23, 2024
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FPC's Leah Simpson shoots the ball over a Pirate. Photo by Ray Boone
The Bulldogs' Jimaya Baker drives past a defender. Photo by Ray Boone
FPC's Jimaya Baker dribbles the ball up the court. Photo by Ray Boone
FPC's Prosperity Wright blocks a shot against Matanzas. Photo by Ray Boone
FPC's Brianna Ellis plays defense on a Matanzas player. Photo by Ray Boone
Pirates coach Monterika Warren watches her team from the bench. Photo by Ray Boone
Quetrina Brown takes a jump shot against Matanzas. Photo by Ray Boone
Arnesia Powell attempts a layup against FPC. Photo by Ray Boone
A Matanzas player dribbles the ball against FPC's defense. Photo by Ray Boone
FPC's Lily Dunaway dribbles the ball up the court. Photo by Ray Boone
Matanzas' Diamond McGlocking passes the ball to a teammate. Photo by Ray Boone
Javier Bevacqua has been the head coach of Flagler Palm Coast’s girls basketball team for 10 years, and he has never lost to crosstown rival Matanzas.
That streak continued on the night of Monday, Dec. 3, when the Bulldogs faced their local foe on the Pirates’ home court. The Bulldogs built a large lead early in the game and never relinquished it in their 57-24 victory. It was the first and only meeting between the two teams this season.
“It’s hard to get up for the games like this sometimes,” Bevacqua said. “But we find ways to keep our kids motivated.”
And although the Bulldogs have largely breezed through their schedule so far this season, they are without a piece that was central to their success over the past few seasons: star forward Skye Green.
Green graduated at the end of the 2017-18 school year and is now playing college basketball at the University of North Carolina-Asheville.
“Not having her has changed our offense quite a bit,” Bevacqua said. “She was someone who when you needed a basket, she was there.”
The Bulldogs are more of a perimeter team, as a result, and that showed against the Pirates. The Bulldogs were led by junior guard Quetrina Brown, who scored a game-high 14 points. FPC also got productive play from guards Brianna Ellis (10 points, 5 assists, 6 steals) and Dyman Howard (9 points and 4 steals).
“Things have changed a little bit,” Brown said, “but we’re moving the ball and finding each other.”
Bevacqua added that instead of having one go-to scorer, the Bulldogs are now counting on a combination of Brown, Ellis and senior guard Jimaya Baker.
And the goal for this season? The same as always.
“We have to make it to states,” he said.
The Pirates went 5-12 under then-head coach Dan Toblin last season.
Enter new head coach Monterika Warren.
Warren, who played basketball for and graduated from Bethune-Cookman University, was most recently the head coach at Hinson Middle School in Daytona Beach.
She said it’s going to take consistency and commitment to build Matanzas’ girls basketball program into a success.
“It’s going to take pushing them probably to a level that they’re not used to,” she said.
