- November 1, 2024
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For the second time in three weeks, Matanzas' football team trailed heading into the fourth quarter. And for the second time in three weeks, the Pirates came out with a hard-fought victory.
Facing a well-coached Nease team on Friday, Sept. 28, at Nease High School, the Pirates (2-3, 1-0) were down early to the Panthers after the Pirates' quarterback was sacked in the end zone for a safety near the start of the second quarter. The Panthers followed up their ensuing drive with a field goal to take a 5-0 lead — a lead they maintained with less than 2 minutes to play in the game.
However, Pirates freshman Noah Cundiff scored on a reverse play on fourth down with 1:38 remaining, ultimately lifting Matanzas over Nease 6-5. The Pirates also won in a similar fashion against Seabreeze two weeks ago.
"The thing I like the most is that we just kept fighting," Matanzas' first-year head coach Don Mathews said. "We never quit. We never gave up. We just found a way to get the job done."
After graduating the winningest senior class in school history last season, the Pirates' starting lineup consists mostly of freshmen and sophomores with only a handful of upperclassmen. Mathews said their willingness to battle back in tough games will be something to build on in upcoming seasons.
"That's the whole point I'm trying to make: These young kids that we have have a lot of character," he said. "They're starting off young with that desire and drive to win."
