- February 9, 2025
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The Flagler Palm Coast and Matanzas boys basketball teams missed out on the playoffs, but both programs have reason to be optimistic heading into next season.
FPC finished with a 15-12 record for its first winning season since 2021 and its first district final appearance since 2019. Matanzas finished at 14-9, its first winning season since 2018, and took Tocoi Creek, the fifth-ranked team in Class 6A, to overtime in the District 3-6A semifinals.
Both teams are returning the majority of their rotation players next season.
“We kind of struggled at the beginning (of the season),” said FPC first-year coach Greg Shirley, “but I knew we would get better. And I really think the key to that is the players really care about each other.”
The Bulldogs won nine of their final 14 games, including a 61-54 victory over Jacksonville Sandalwood in a District 1-7A semifinal on Feb. 5. With the win they advanced to the final against Creekside, the top-ranked team in the region. The Knights, who are led by 6-foot-8 sophomore Nolan Nelson (15.2 points, 11.1 rebounds per game), defeated FPC 65-36.
After defeating Sandalwood, Shirley said the Bulldogs were excited to still be playing.
“There are 32 teams in the state of Florida playing for a 7A district championship and we’re one of them,” he said. “It’s been a while since that’s happened here from my understanding.”
Anthony Hampton (14 points), Nateshawn Royal (12 points) and Roman Caliendo (10 points) all scored in double figures against Sandalwood. FPC jumped out to a 16-3 first-quarter lead and handled the Saints’ full-court press in the second half to hold on for the win.
Matanzas defeated Bartram Trail 60-46 in a district quarterfinal. The Pirates gave Tocoi Creek (24-3) all it could handle in the semifinals before falling 68-58 in overtime. Freshman Curtis Giles sank a 3-pointer in the closing seconds of regulation to tie the score at 53-53 and send the game to OT.
In other districts, Mainland fell to Oviedo 72-47 in the District 4-6A semifinals to end its season at 16-10; Seabreeze (10-15) ended its season with a 66-41 loss to Pine Ridge in a District 7-5A quarterfinal, four days after defeating the Panthers 39-38.
In the girls districts, FPC (14-8) fell to Atlantic Coast 51-47 in the District 1-7A semifinals; Winter Springs defeated Mainland (12-11) 59-48 in the District 4-6A semifinals; Seabreeze (11-10) lost to Kissimmee Gateway in the District 7-5A quarterfinals to finish with a winning record for the first time since 2021; Matanzas finished its season at 8-9 after falling to Gainesville Buchholz in a District 3-6A quarterfinal.
