- March 6, 2025
The Matanzas softball team keeps rolling along. The Pirates improved to 6-0 with a three-inning, 17-0 victory over St. Augustine on March 4. A day earlier, they defeated Orange City University 8-1 with pitcher Leah Stevens striking out 13 in seven innings. The Matanzas batters collected 12 hits. The win was th Pirates’ first in school history against the Titans.
On Feb. 27, the Pirates defeated Bartram Trail 3-2 in eight innings with Ashley Sampselle driving in the game-winning run with a triple. Stevens struck out a season-high 22 batters. In six games, the University of Florida signee has 73 strikeouts and a 0.66 earned run average. The Pirates are back home on March 7 against Canterbury.
Six Flagler Palm Coast wrestlers qualified for the Class 3A boys state championships March 6-8 at the Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee.
Freshman Kevin McLean (113 pounds), sophomore Trey Twilley (126) and seniors Carson Baert (157) and Melique Joseph (215) all won championships at the Region 1-3A meet on March 1 in Lake Mary. Braden Dailey (third place, 106 pounds) and Doyvonne Leadon (second place, 165 pounds) also qualified. The Bulldogs placed second at region behind team champ Oviedo Hagerty.
Matanzas senior Mason Obama qualified for the Class 2A boys state championships placing second at 157 pounds at the Region 1-2A meet in Tallahassee.
Flagler Palm Coast will host some of the top track and field teams in the state at the fourth annual North vs. South Classic on Saturday, March 8. FPC, Lincoln, Mandarin, Fleming Island, Ponte Vedra Miami Northwestern, Miami Columbus, Miami Belen Jesuit, Nease, Tocoi Creek, Bartram Trail and Orlando Timber Creek are scheduled to compete. This is the third year in a row that FPC is hosting.
“The idea was to go back and forth,” FPC coach David Halliday said. “We went down to Miami the first year. The next year, the Miami schools loved our place so much, they asked if we can host it every year. It’s a fun little meet to have. We’ve expanded to 10 teams, but it’s still very small, so everybody gets a competitive meet, but it’s not a long day.”
FPC’s boys won the Hagerty Invitational track meet on March 1, while the FPC girls finished third. Stacy Mitchell and Gethin Pritchard placed first and second, respectively, in the boys shot put. Mitchell was also third in discus. The Bulldogs also won the 4x400 relay. Ladarius Simmons placed second in javelin. Corinthians Watson placed second in triple jump, one spot ahead of teammate Lucas Campbell.
The FPC girls placed first (Sophia Johnson) and second (Karin Marcelus) in the 400 hurdles and first (Isabella Tarsitano) and third (Ari Slaughter) in the 800.
Mainland’s boys placed fifth at the Craig Speziale Memorial track meet at Ponte Vedra High on March 1. Ethan Figueroa won the high jump and the Bucs added first-place finishes in both the 4x100 and 4x400 relays. Kajuan Curry placed second in the 800. Matanzas’ Jeffrey Powell placed second in the 100 with a time of 11.03 seconds. The Pirates’ Ladarien Baker place third in the triple jump.
On the girls side, Matanzas freshman Peyton Cerasi placed second in both the 1,600 and 3,200. Mainland’s Amyah Watlington placed second in the 100 hurdles. The Bucs’ 4x100 relay placed third.
Matanzas defeated Crescent City 46-40 in traditional competition in a boys weightlifting meet on Feb. 26. Tyler Oliveira (119), Jayden Sao (129), Ian Knuff (139), Jaice Raiji (154), Jaggger Drew-Kulik (169) and Jack Fergusson (199) won their weight classes. The Pirates celebrated senior night in a dual meet against Palatka on March 3. Matanzas honored seniors Maison Leonard, Drew-Kulik, Knuff, Jed Davis, Sao, Raiji, Amir Tariq and Jackson Saterfield.
FPC won the Olympic competition and finished second behind the host school in the traditional competition at the Keystone Heights invitational on Feb. 28. Cody Strawser won both titles at 129 pounds with a 385-pound Olympic total and a 430-pound traditional total.
Flagler Palm Coast defender Felipe De Campos became the third FPC soccer player in the 2025 class to commit to a college. De Campos has committed to Word of Life Bible Institute in Potterville, New York. The Huskies play in the United State Collegiate Athletic Association.
