Potato Juice: 'Juice' Simmons scores four touchdowns as Flagler Palm Coast explodes past Matanzas 68-26 in the Potato Bowl

It was a day of celebrations for the playoff-bound Bulldogs who host DeLand in their final regular-season game on Thursday.

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A youth football coach gave Braylyn Simmons the nickname “Juice” when he was 6 years old.

“It stuck with me ever since,” said Simmons, now a sophomore receiver/running back at Flagler Palm Coast High School.

Simmons said he’s not sure why “Coach Bob” decided to call him Juice. But before many of the thousands of fans had settled into their seats at FPC’s Sal Campanella Stadium for the Potato Bowl game on Friday, Nov. 1, it was not hard to guess. Simmons caught the opening kickoff and dashed 96 yards for a touchdown.

He went on to score four touchdowns on the night — adding scores on two runs and a reception — as the Bulldogs defeated Matanzas 68-26 in a high-scoring rivalry game. His shortest touchdown was a 35-yard run that put FPC ahead 28-14. He also ran 82 yards for a score that made it 34-14 and added a 65-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter that put the Bulldogs up 54-20.

“It’s hard to believe he's a sophomore sometimes,” said quarterback Hayden Hayes. “Just his level of maturity, to be able to go out there and perform as he did and start the game off strong with the kick return. He's just a spark plug.”

Simmons said he received a motivational message, like he always does, from his father in New Orleans and felt like he had to do something special for his grandpa who was sitting in the stands on his birthday, rooting for his grandson.

“It was my grandpa’s birthday today, I told him I had to show out for him, so I gave him four touchdowns,” Simmons said.

Simmons’ grandfather wasn’t the only person in the stadium celebrating a birthday. It was also Hayes' 18th birthday. And FPC was celebrating the school's 50th birthday with its first Hall of Fame induction ceremony before the game.

Hayes said his most important birthday present was the victory. He had already broken FPC's single-season school records for passing yards and passing touchdowns the previous week.

He added 347 yards passing and four touchdowns against the Pirates, according to Flagler Radio's statistics, to give him an estimated 2,478 yards and 29 touchdowns this year. He has thrown 15 touchdown passes in his last three games.

“I knew he was going to have an explosive year like this,” FPC coach Daniel Fish said of Hayes, who transferred to FPC over the summer. “I don't think I could have called it to be as successful as it is, but I knew he would be the guy that would lead the area in passing and passing touchdowns. I knew he would break the records. But it's awesome to see him do this on his birthday in the Potato Bowl on the biggest attended game of the year, so I’m happy for him.”

But Hayes seemed more concerned about his first interception of the season than his other stats. It occurred in the second quarter when Braden Russell stepped in front of a pass in the flat and ran 47 yards to set up DJ Harris’ 4-yard scoring run to pull Matanzas to within a touchdown at 20-14.

“I broke my streak,” Hayes said. “It was my first pick of the year, but we’re going to make plays, and they’re going to make plays. It’s how the game goes. It’s not going to be all perfect.”

NEXT UP: DELAND

The Bulldogs may not be perfect, but they improved to 8-1, their best record since 2017 when they finished 9-1. FPC ends the regular-season on Thursday, Nov. 7, with a home game against DeLand. Win or lose, the Bulldogs expect to be one of eight Region 1-7A teams to qualify for the state playoffs.

But FPC will need to beat DeLand (5-4) and hope Spruce Creek beats University on the same night to have a chance to host a regional quarterfinal on Nov. 15. FPC was ranked fourth in the region before the Matanzas game. If the rankings remain the same, the Bulldogs would have to travel to No. 5 Creekside, which would get to host because it won its district.

A University loss to Spruce Creek and an FPC win over DeLand would catapult FPC into a three-way tie with University and Spruce Creek for the District 1-7A title. In that scenario, the highest ranked team of the three would be declared district champ and host the first-round game.

“We’re going to focus on DeLand and only DeLand this week, “Fish said. “They're a very good opponent, a very talented offense and a very well coached team. So we're going to focus on them and have a great week of practice and hopefully be playing our best ball against them.”

Hayes said, ”Even though DeLand's on the regular season schedule, we have a playoff mindset. It's playoffs from here on out every game.”

We already had it in our mind. I was going to get it and we were going to score on the first play.
— BRAYLYN ‘JUICE’ SIMMONS

Although, the Bulldogs defeated the Pirates by 42 points, and the game went to a running clock for the final three minutes, Matanzas led early at 7-6, trailed 20-14 with 7:31 left in the third quarter and was down 40-20 late in the third quarter before FPC ended the game with four fourth-quarter touchdowns. 

The Bulldogs’ final touchdown came on an interception return by defensive lineman Malique Joseph who corralled a pass that defensive end Colby Cronk batted high in the air. Joseph rumbled 40 yards for the touchdown.

“We were able to make big plays,” Matanzas coach Matt Forrest said. “It was a 20-point game, and then all of a sudden it explodes to a running clock late because they have the capability of hitting home runs, and things can get out of hand. That’s what happens when you play a quick-strike offense. They’re super talented. They have a lot of real good football players on that side of the ball.”

BOTH TEAMS JUICED

The Pirates showed early that FPC would have to work for the win. Matanzas followed Simmons’ kickoff return touchdown with a trick play to go up 7-6. Quarterback Jackson Lundahl threw a lateral to receiver Jordan Schendorf who threw a 62-yard touchdown pass to Andrew Bass.

Mikhail Zysek caught two touchdown passes for FPC, while Robbie Dailey caught one. Marcus Mitchell, who ran for 114 yards, added two rushing touchdowns. Simmons led the Bulldogs in rushing with 119 yards on just four carries.

“Early on (before the season), we knew Juice was our biggest playmaker aside from Mikhail and Marcus,” Fish said. “He's not crazy fast, but he has great acceleration and he knows how to turn on the jets and beat angles. When Marcus gets a little tired we can put him back there and it gives us a little bit different look.”

Simmons said he knew he was going to run back the opening kickoff for a touchdown. Fish said he couldn’t believe the Pirates were kicking to him. He had only two previous kickoff returns this season, but one of those he ran back 99 yards for a touchdown.

“We were talking about that all week,” Simmons said. “We already had it in our mind. I was going to get it and we were going to score on the first play. A lot of people were here. We had to come out of the gate with straight fire.”

Simmons said he got a good block by Zysek and then he stiff-armed Bass to get into the open.”

Schendorf threw two touchdown passes from his receiver position for the Pirates. Lundahl threw one TD pass. In addition to Bass, Ladarian Baker and Harris also caught touchdown passes.

Lundahl, a senior, was making his first start of the season after starter Caden Burchfield reinjured his ribs the previous week against Menendez, Forrest said. Lundahl passed for 163 yards but was sacked five times.

“I’m proud of the way he fought and the way he kept us in the game for a long time,” Forrest said. “He’s going to get his opportunity at the next level. Jackson Lundahl is a very talented player and a great young man too. I know he’ll generate some interest from some smaller schools.”

The Pirates, who had a young team this year, finished the season at 4-6.

“I think we got labeled as a rebuilding year, which is sometimes unfair,” Forrest said. “We had to replace a lot of players. And I’m proud of the way our team battled. We were not physically outmatched. We had two close losses where with a bounce of the ball either way we could have had a 6-4 record, maybe 7-3. But I’m very proud of the progress we made. We're closer to being a program that’s sustainable for a long time. We were in rebuilding mode three years ago when we won three games and in all seven losses we were not even close. That shows me we are going in the right direction.”

 

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