SIDELINES: Underclassmen do their part on soccer senior nights

Palm Coast Observer
Sports

Underclassmen saved senior night.

It happened at Matanzas. It happened again at Flagler Palm Coast.

The Matanzas soccer teams celebrated senior night with a boys-girls doubleheader on Tuesday, Jan. 10, against Christ's Church Academy of Jacksonville.

The Matanzas girls have had trouble getting the ball in the net all season. Entering the game, they had scored just one goal in a 1-1 tie against Crescent City on Dec. 5.

Christ's Church led the Pirates 1-0 with seven minutes left when Matanzas junior Jillian Peterson found some space by the left post and tapped the ball into the net. The Pirates' defense was able to protect its second 1-1 tie of the season.

Matanzas celebrated seniors Katie Polak, Mya Barker and Emily Reyes.

The Pirates have one remaining home game. They host Taylor at 6 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 20.

The Matanzas boys also honored three seniors — Sebastian Bernardi, Giancarlo Gonzalez and Ben Kopach. Christ's Church went up 1-0 with a goal by striker Aiden Shepler in the 11th minute. Sophomore Alex Diaz tied it for the Pirates five minutes later.

The score remained tied until Luis Barreto scored off a through ball in the 70th minute. Matanzas coach Beto Aguilar said he was afraid the refs would call offsides.

“I think he timed it well,” Aguilar said of the junior. The 2-1 score held up for the Pirates, who were playing their first game in 25 days.

“We were coming back from break,” Aguilar said.

The Pirates fell to 6-4-2 with a 2-0 loss at Jacksonville Bolles on Monday, Jan. 16.

FPC's boys soccer team held its senior night on Friday, Jan. 13, in a game against St. Joseph Academy.

The Bulldogs honored 10 seniors before the game: Gavin Winkler, Andy Toyos, Grant Woolison, Rowan Getsinger, Francisco Cruz, Arya Moghanaki, Fitzroy Swearing, Grayson Ronk, Marcus Foust and Aidan Giaccone.

FPC trailed the Flashes 1-0 until sophomore forward Jack Moberly scored with three minutes left to give the Bulldogs a 1-1 tie.

FPC has one more regular-season home game — 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19, against Atlantic Coast.

Improving Sandcrabs

Seabreeze's boys basketball team improved to 7-9 under first-year coach Ray Gaines with a 61-39 triumph on Jan. 14 against DME Academy Blue. The last time the Sandcrabs won seven or more games in a season was 2015-16 when they were 16-13.

The ’Crabs have one home game left — against crosstown rival Mainland at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 28. They close the regular season with a game at Father Lopez on Feb. 2.

Pirates take three titles

The Matanzas boys wrestling team finished second behind St. Johns Creekside at the Jacksonville Wolfson Wolfpack Challenge on Saturday, Jan. 14.

Three Pirates won their weight classes. Kaden Golder won at 113 pounds with three consecutive pins. Dylan Parkinson won at 152 pounds with a technical fall in the final. And Jordan Mills won at 182 pounds with three pins in a total of 2 minutes, 48 seconds of mat time. In the final, Mills had seven takedowns before pinning his opponent in 1:43.