- April 23, 2024
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Coach Robert Ripley relates to quarterback Mackenzy Wagner the next desired play. Photo by Jeff Dawsey
Philip Moultrie gets away from a defender for one of his several first-down runs. Photos by Bob Rollins
Devin Mathews and Nick Kubiet bring down Mainland's C.J. Wilson for a loss of yards.
Wagner scrambles and gets off the pass before he is brought down by a Mainland defender.
Toward the end of the game, down by a couple of touchdowns, it became apparent that the Matanzas Pirates would fail to get the result they sought this past Friday against Mainland. With heads hung low, there was very little talking. Momentum had completely left the Pirates' sideline, and their new arch nemesis was having a ball. Walking out the "ship," having been shut out, there was only one good thing to lean on: their hope for a playoff berth was still alive.
While the road to the postseason has become a lot more difficult, the Pirates still own second place in their district -- but not alone. Deltona, who beat them last year in a win-and-your-end division finale, also sits with Matanzas with a 2-1 division record. The Wolves play Seabreeze this week, and Matanzas visits Pine Ridge. Both of the second place opponents are the worst in the district. If they both win, the final playoff spot for the district will, again, go down to their game, except this time it will be played at Matanzas.
"The postseason has been the goal since I arrived on campus," said head coach Robert Ripley, "finding a way to win district games. We have two left, and it's pretty simple: Win and your in. Then it's survive and advance."
ICYMI: For the second consecutive season, the Mainland Buccaneers ended the Matanzad Pirates' undefeated win streak, this time shutting them out 41-0 on Friday, Oct. 14, at Matanzas.
After both defenses held the opposing offenses to no points through the first quarter, Matanzas (5-1, 2-1) gave up a punt return and couldn't stop Mainland for the rest of the game.
Philip Moultrie was held in check, except for a couple of big runs, and the offense struggled to find a consistent rhythm.
Last year, the Bucs shut out Matanzas 43-0, when the Pirates had gotten off to a 6-0 start. After having defeated their crosstown rival FPC twice in the last two seasons, Matanzas has found another nemesis to look forward to playing.
The Pirates will next play Pine Ridge at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 20, at Pine Ridge.
