- April 22, 2024
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The Matanzas football team faced an uphill battle from the start, when they hosted district foe Ponte Vedra Friday, Oct. 7, in what was probably a must-win game for the Pirates if they wanted to earn their first state playoff berth.
The game plan for the Pirates was to utilize the speed of their skill players to exploit the slower Ponte Vedra secondary. But the Pirates began the game going three-and-out on offense. Ponte Vedra blocked the ensuing punt and returned it for a touchdown.
Just minutes into the game, Matanzas was down 7-0, and was immediately taken out of its own game plan.
But the Pirates’ defense held strong for most of the first half, and didn’t allow positive yards against the Sharks in the first quarter.
The Sharks closed out the first half by blocking another Pirates punt, which resulted in another touchdown. It was 14-0 at halftime.
Ponte Vedra opened the second half with the ball. The Sharks engineered a 13-play, 81-yard scoring drive that took up the first six minutes of the third quarter. The Sharks went ahead 21-0. The final result: Matanzas fell to Ponte Vedra, 35-6. The Pirates (2-3, 0-2) will look to rebound, Lagocki said. Next up, the Pirates host Fernandina Beach 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 14, on homecoming night. Lagocki said Fernandina Beach will run the ball most of the game and try to control the clock. Lagocki said he will be switching things up on defense this week.
Friday night, the Pirates will use fewer defensive backs in the secondary and add more players on the line. Jason Cowles, who usually plays defense end, will be asked to perform some linebacking duties. Marquese Jones, the Pirates’ starting safety, will move to more of a hybrid linebacker.
Contact Andrew O’Brien at [email protected].
