- November 23, 2024
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The Seabreeze Sandcrabs football team fell prey to the Spruce Creek Hawks in their season opener Friday, Aug. 27, losing 32-20.
The Sandcrabs fought back from a 25-7 deficit.
Sandcrabs punter Mac Chiumento launched the kickoff after a 30-minute lightning delay at the “Hawks’ nest.” Less than halfway into the first quarter, Creek senior running back Kevin Minckler ran in a 39-yard touchdown. Minckler was back in the end zone three minutes later with a 30-yard scoring run.
A 2-point conversion and another touchdown made it 15-0 before Seabreeze answered with a 7-yard touchdown run by running back Toma Pouncey Jr.
In a Tweet, Seabreeze head coach Pat Brown said, “Tonight was a physical game and a real heavyweight fight. I gotta tip my hat to the young man Kevin Minckler. He is the toughest player in this area. Got hit every play, went to sideline for concussion check, cramps and every time came back!”
After halftime Spruce Creek converted a blocked punt into a field goal to go up 25-7. Seabreeze made it 25-14 late in the third quarter when Tayshawn Galery recovered a Sandcrabs' fumble and ran for a touchdown.
The Sandcrabs scored again with 8:48 left in the game to pull within a touchdown at 25-20. But Minckler scored his third touchdown of the night with 3:01 left to end the Seabreeze rally.
“Hey, man, look,” assistant coach Teron “T” Rayam said to his players. “You can’t decide in the middle of the game that we’re going to play. You can’t decide in the middle of the game that we’re going to turn up."
Seabreeze travels to Ocala Forest on Friday, Sept. 3.