Pirates capture win No. 2 with victory over Nease

Palm Coast Observer
Sports

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."