- April 18, 2024
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An Atlantic player does a drill at practice. File photo
Over the last three seasons, Atlantic's football team has won a total of four games, prompting the firing of then-head coach Kendall Bradley and the hiring of former Spruce Creek defensive coordinator D.J. Mayo. Atlantic's program and its fanbase got their first taste of what life would be like under Mayo in the Sharks' spring game win against Tavares.
The players and fans were excited then — and they're even more excited now. Two weeks before the start of the regular season, Atlantic turned in a stout defensive performance in their 13-0 win over Crescent City in their kickoff classic on the night of Friday, Aug. 17, at Crescent City High School.
The Sharks were missing their top linebacker and best overall player Tyler Berrong and still managed to hold Crescent City, a team that averaged about 40 points per game and scored 49 points on the Sharks last year, scoreless. The Sharks' defense forced four turnovers — all in the second half.
The offense was a different story, though.
“Offensively, we shot ourselves in the foot," Mayo said. "Repeatedly."
He added: "Penalties, bad snaps, dropped balls. We just couldn’t get out of our own way. We did have more explosive plays than in the spring game. So now, we’ve just got to put drives together and not kill ourselves.”
