- December 25, 2024
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FPC quarterback Nereyda Campos tries to avoid Matanzas defender Leilah Goodwin (1). Photo by Brent Woronoff
Coach Tony Coates with seniors Shannelle Madden (9), Jasail Jackson (6) and Esther Vitalien (0) on FPC flag football senior night. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas junior Aaliyah Jones-Boney throws a pass. Photo by Brent Woronoff
FPC's Jasmine Santana leaps to make a catch. Photo by Brent Woronoff
FPC quarterback Nereyda Campos runs out of the pocket. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Shannelle Madden (9), with her family, is recognized on senior night during halftime of FPC's game with Matanzas. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Jasail Jackson and family on FPC flag football's senior night. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Esther Vitalien, with her family and teammates, is celebrated on FPC's senior night. Photo by Brent Woronoff
FPC junior Giavanna Piazza runs in for a touchdown after making the catch. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Posters on the fence at Sal Campanella Memorial Stadium of FPC's flag football seniors. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas junior Leilah Goodwin can't get to the ball as it bounces out of bounds. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas seniors Samantha Simon (36) and Stephanie Ramotar (8) will be honored at the Pirates' senior day on April 1. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Flagler Palm Coast flag football player Nereyda Campos said she “was hungry for the ball.” Giavanna Piazza was hungry to score a touchdown against her former teammates.
Piazza scored on a second-quarter touchdown pass from Campos, and Campos added two consecutive pick-sixes in the third quarter to give the Bulldogs a 20-0 victory over Matanzas on Friday, March 29, on FPC’s senior night.
Piazza, a junior, played for Matanzas the past two seasons and said she had this game marked on her calendar all season. She wound up scoring her first touchdown of the season, as Campos spotted her streaking down the left sideline.
“It’s my old team and I really wanted to score, so it felt great,” Piazza said.
It would be the only offensive touchdown of the game. But Campos, a sophomore, scored twice on defense on consecutive possessions late in the third quarter. The plays were almost identical.
With Matanzas deep in its territory, Campos rushed into the backfield, intercepted a pitch to the running back and ran in for the score. Then, when the Pirates got the ball back, Campos did it again.
“She’s fast. Their whole defense is fast,” Matanzas coach Phillip Haire said. “We were putting people there and we still couldn’t block her.”
Jasmine Santana and Natalie Patel-Holmes caught extra-point passes from Campos after the first and third touchdowns.
Campos said she was inspired to play flag football by her brother, Tyler Irigoyen, a former FPC football player who went on to play noseguard at Ohio Northern University from 2019 to 2023.
“I started playing flag football for the Mad Dogs when I was 11,” she said. “And I've just loved it ever since.”
The Bulldogs honored seniors Jasail Jackson, Esther Vitalien and Shannell Madden at halftime. They improved to 5-4 with the victory and end the regular season on Thursday, April 4, at University.
Matanzas (3-7) will have its senior night on Monday, April 1, when the Pirates play host to Pine Ridge at 5:30 p.m. Their final two regular season games will be on the road against Crescent City (April 2) and Trinity Christian Academy of Deltona (April 4).
