Flagler Palm Coast to host Spruce Creek in first round of the playoffs

The Bulldogs improved to 9-1 and clinched home-field advantage with a wild 62-57 victory over DeLand.

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Flagler Palm Coast will be home in the first round of the state football playoffs, and the Bulldogs will be facing a team they defeated just two weeks ago.

In the pairings released on the evening of Nov. 8, the Bulldogs (9-1) received the No. 4 seed in Region 1-7A and will host fifth seed Spruce Creek (7-3) at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 15.

FPC beat Creek 50-39 on Oct. 25 at home in a District 2-7A game.

All four teams in the district are heading to the playoffs. Third seed University (8-2) and eighth seed DeLand (5-5) are also among the eight teams in the Region 1-7A bracket. DeLand got in despite its 0-3 district record and its wild 62-57 loss to FPC in the regular-season finale on Thursday, Nov. 7. 

It was a game that featured over 1,000 yards of offense and 17 touchdowns, but it took a defensive play to end the madness and put FPC in a three-way tie for first place in District 2-7A.

The spectators at Sal Campanella Memorial Stadium, many of whom came for FPC's Senior Night, witnessed a thrilling offensive showcase that ended three hours after the opening kickoff with FPC outlasting DeLand in a battle of the Bulldogs.

Braylyn "Juice" Simmons scored the winning touchdown with 1:07 left on perhaps the most bizarre play of the game. On paper, Simmons caught a 71-yard touchdown pass, but the ball was knocked out of his hands just short of the goal line, and he recovered the fumble in the end zone.

With all the big plays in the game, the feeling on both sides was that whichever team had the ball last would probably win. There was just over a minute left in regulation for DeLand to score again, but that seemed like an eternity in a game that had nine lead changes and nine touchdowns of 40 yards or longer.

But with 59 seconds left, FPC sophomore Lucas Siharaj leaped high in the air to intercept a pass by DeLand's Gardner Nordman and secure the victory for the FPC Bulldogs.

FPC coach Daniel Fish had hoped his team would meet University in the playoffs. The Titans are the only team to beat the Bulldogs this season (34-19 on Sept. 27). But that rematch won't be possible until the regional final with both teams having to win two games to get there.

Spruce Creek beat University 20-14 on Nov. 7 causing a three-way tie for first place in the district, but the Titans claimed the district trophy by maintaining their higher ranking (sixth overall in Class 7A) compared to FPC (seventh) and Spruce Creek (11th). 

The 5-foot-6 Siharaj intercepted his seventh pass of the year to lead all Class 7A players in his first season playing varsity football. He said Spruce Creek's win made the pick even more imperative. 

I saw that ball in the air, and I just said, 'I got to go get that ball.'
— LUCAS SIHARAJ

"I saw that ball in the air, and I just said, 'I got to go get that ball,'" he said. "'We got to win this game,' because I hear on the speaker that Spruce Creek had beaten University, so I was like, 'I want to win that district championship.'" 

Fish said Siharaj is always in the right spot at the right time.

"His story is just incredible. He's one of the most coachable kids you'll find," Fish said. "He's just not intimidated by anybody. That dude's had to guard guys that were a foot taller than him, and he fights his (butt) off to get off those blocks." 

Siharaj said he owes his success to his position coach, and also to his size.

"I think it's just because I'm undersized, and they just want to (throw) it over my head, but it's not going to happen," he said, "because I work with my coach, Chris Parks, and he's helped me through everything. I wouldn't be anything without him."

It was the second week in a row that FPC scored more than 60 points and the seventh time in 10 games that the Bulldogs scored 48 points or more. But they have also allowed at least 24 points in each of their last six games. Fish has not been happy with the defense, but in crucial situations, they have been making plays.

Besides Siharaj's game-clinching pick, Corinthians Watson scored on an 80-yard interception return with 2.8 seconds left in the first half off a DeLand fourth-down pass. The touchdown tied the score at 28-28 at the half. 

But FPC was not able to contain DeLand running backs Taihj Moore and Marceles Carey, who combined for 385 rushing yards, according to WNZF Flagler Radio statistics. Moore, a freshman, rushed for 227 yards and scored five touchdowns.

FPC running back Marcus Mitchell ran for 230 yards and two touchdowns of 45 and 41 yards. FPC quarterback Hayden Hayes accounted for six touchdowns, rushing for three scores including a 56-yard touchdown run, and throwing for 240 yards and three more touchdowns. 

"That's the first (long) run I've ever broken, because I'm not that fast," he said. "So that will be cool to say in a while.  

Hayes has thrown a school-record 32 touchdowns this season, including 18 in the Bulldogs' last four games.

He was battling through cramps and stuff, and he was able to get open and make a big-time play in a big-time moment.
— HAYDEN HAYES on sophomore Braylyn "Juice" Simmons

Mikhail Zysek caught two touchdown passes for FPC to give him 10 in his last four games. Zysek caught four passes for 87 yards and also had 123 yards on four kickoff returns.

DeLand went ahead 57-56 with 6:10 remaining in the game on Carey's 5-yard touchdown run followed by his two-point conversion run. 

Simmons caught four passes for 117 yards. A week after scoring four touchdowns against Matanzas, the sophomore was held to one, but it turned out to be the biggest touchdown of the game and clinched home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

"I saw him, I saw he was open," Hayes said. "He does a great job. It's crazy to believe he's a sophomore. He was battling through cramps and stuff, and he was able to get open and make a big-time play in a big-time moment to propel us to 9-1 and put a cap on the end of it." 

To watch a replay of the game, go to https://www.youtube.com/@flaglerbroadcasting.

 

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