- December 4, 2025
Matanzas freshman Amir Tariq, competes in the unlimited class. Photo by Jake Montgomery
Ethan Wakefield, a senior from Seabreeze, won the 154-pound weight class. Photo by Jake Montgomery
Matanzas freshman Payton Ellis, lifting in the unlimited class, drives the jerk aspect of the clean and jerk lift. Photo by Jake Montgomery
Seabreeze senior Dante Jones, who won in the 219-pound class, gets ready to complete the clean and jerk. Photo by Jake Montgomery
Seabreeze junior Aden Weaver, lifting in the 183-pound class, pushes to complete the clean and jerk. Photo by Jake Montgomery
Matanzas sophomore Cole Hash won the 183-pound class. Photo by Jake Montgomery
Seabreeze sophomore Aiden Ford, who won the unlimited class, pulls hard to complete the clean and jerk. Photo by Jake Montgomery
Seabreeze senior Steven Taylor, who won the 199-pound class, completes a clean and jerk lift. Photo by Jake Montgomery
Matanzas sophomore Dakwon Evans, lifting in the 169-pound class, waits for his turn. Photo by Jake Montgomery
Matanzas senior Tate Winecoff powering through the clean aspect of the clean and jerk lift. Photo by Jake Montgomery
Seabreeze sophomore Alex Capua, lifting in the 169-pound weight class, starts the clean and jerk lift. Photo by Jake Montgomery
Matanzas sophomore Ahmad Lewis-Charles completes a lift. Photo by Jake Montgomery
Matanzas senior Jacob Warren, competing in the 154-pound weight class, pulls to complete the clean aspect of the lift. Photo by Jake Montgomery
Seniors Jacob Warren of Matanzas, left, and Ethan Wakefield of Seabreeze enjoy the friendly competition. Photo by Jake Montgomery
The Matanzas weightlifting team honored its seniors before its match with Seabreeze on March 9, but Pirates coach Matt Forrest also got a glimpse into the future.
“We’ve had multiple freshmen getting stronger through the year, benching 105, 110, 115 in November and now benching 200 pounds,” he said. “Our kids have really bought into this as a way to compete and get stronger.”
The Pirates defeated the Sandcrabs 51-35 to improve to 7-0-1 on the season with one more regular-season match remaining (March 23 at St. Augustine) before districts on March 30.
Seabreeze’s final regular-season match will be the Five Star Conference championships at Flagler Palm Coast on March 23.
Both Forrest and Seabreeze coach Pat Brown were pleased with their teams’ progress heading into the home stretch. Forrest and Brown are also the head coaches of their schools' football teams.
“Our guys are just getting better by the day,” Forrest said. “We went up against a tough Seabreeze team.”
Matanzas sophomore Cole Hash had the top total of the night in the traditional bench press/clean and jerk competition. Hash won the 183-pound weight class with a 310-pound bench press and a 245-pound clean and jerk for a 545 total.
“If Cole keeps progressing, he’ll make a run for the state title,” Forrest said. “He’s a very dedicated kid. He puts it all together with his work ethic, attention to detail and willingness to compete. The kid takes no days off. We see it on the football field and in the weight room.”
Seabreeze’s Dante Jones set three personal records in winning the 219-pound class. He benched 285 pounds and lifted 235 in the clean and jerk for a 525 total.
“Our guys are just getting better by the day. We went up against a tough Seabreeze team.”
MATT FORREST, Matanzas coach
Ethan Wakefield won the 154-pound class for the Sandcrabs. The senior had a 425-pound total and tied his PR in the bench with a 215-pound lift.
“We’re trying to get him to 225,” Brown said.
Seabreeze senior Steven Taylor won the 199-pound class with a personal-record 510-pound total.
Matanzas sophomore Dakwon Evans, the Pirates’ starting quarterback, won the 169-pound class with a 455-pound total.
“Dakwon doesn’t realize how strong he is,” Forrest said. “His technique is getting better every day.”
Other weight class winners included Matanzas’ Jayden Sao (119-pound class), Cameron Sleep (129), Aiden Schissler (139) and Tate Winecoff (238) and Seabreeze’s Aiden Ford (unlimited).
The Pirates honored seniors Jacob Warren, Sleep, Winecoff, Walker Skoglund, Zeke Flores and James Antoine.
