Mainland loses heartbreaker in season football opener

The Bucs fell to University 31-28 on a Titans touchdown pass with 46 seconds left. They return to Daytona Stadium Friday, Aug. 30, for a game against state power Cocoa.

  • By Michele Meyers
  • | 11:57 a.m. August 29, 2024
  • Ormond Beach Observer
  • Sports
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Mainland head football coach Jerrime Bell told his players to take a knee as he addressed the team. Some of them were hanging their heads following the 31-28 loss to the University Titans on Aug. 23 at Daytona Stadium.

University scored the winning touchdown with 46 seconds left in the game.

“… Every champion has taken a loss,” he said. “This is how you bounce back from it. Pick your heads up. Let’s learn from this. Don’t leave a good team close. If you want to be a champion again, you have to learn to finish. For those of you that are champions already, remember what it took. We’ve got a long season. This is just Week 1. You want to feel good when Cocoa rolls in here, go finish the mission.”

The Bucs got off to a quick start in the first two minutes of the game with a 34-yard touchdown pass by quarterback Sebastian Johnson to wide receiver Houston Cadette. The Titans answered with 95-yard pick-six by Jermane Hayes in the last four seconds of the first quarter and added a 25-yard field goal by Owen Baylor in the second quarter.

Mainland wrapped up the first half with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Johnson to Cadette and a 28-yard touchdown run through the Titans defense by Edward Williams to take a 21-10 halftime lead.

“We had a chance to put them away early in the first half,” Bell said. “When we had them down, we should have finished and we didn’t. We got our start and gave it back to them. We have to learn to finish everything we do.” 

The second half went back and forth starting with a 10-yard touchdown pass by University quarterback Malachi Walters to wide receiver Isaiah Baker. Mainland's Tamaj Woodard followed with a quarterback sack and less than five minutes later, Johnson connected with Cadette for a 14-yard touchdown, Cadette's third touchdown catch of the game.

Barrett Schulz scored again for the Titans pulling University to within a touchdown at 28-24 with 7:28 left in the game.

We have playmakers. Everybody thinks Mainland is down, but Mainland is Mainland. My players showed resiliency all night. They stepped up and made plays that needed to be made.
— JERRIME BELL, Mainland head football coach

Bell said Kwasie Kwaku had a phenomenal game. He thought Kwaku's late interception clinched a victory for the Bucs, but University got the ball back after Mainland fumbled. 

With 46 seconds left, Hayes caught the winning touchdown pass for University. The officials conferred about the validity of the catch after Mainland coaches questioned whether the ball had been secured. The touchdown stood and the Titans celebrated their comeback win as time ran out.

“Hats off to University,” Bell said. “They fought. They came out the second half with a heart of a champion. The ball bounced their way in the end. I can’t take anything from those kids. They made plays too. (University head coach Justin) Roberts is doing a good job over there.”

Bell said Mainland has playmakers all over the field starting with defensive lineman Christian Hudson, who the Titans game-planned by attempting to keep their distance. Johnson and Cadette connected on three scoring passes and Jameil Patrick caught 42-yard and 34-yard passes and Christian Cooper caught 21-yard and 35-yard passes.

“We have playmakers,” Bell said. “Everybody thinks Mainland is down, but Mainland is Mainland. My players showed resiliency all night. They stepped up and made plays that needed to be made.”

Patrick has been playing football since he was 6 years old. He transferred to Mainland this year from DeLand. He said Mainland looks good as a team and appreciates his coach for trusting him to make plays.

“I want to thank my O-line, my blockers and quarterback — everybody on the team,” he said. “It’s a team effort ... We lost, but we have to bounce back and keep our heads up. We can’t keep our heads down on this loss.”

The Buccaneers host state power Cocoa on Friday, Aug. 30, at Daytona Stadium. 

 

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