- April 23, 2025
FPC Alexandria Connerton goes up for a shot. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas' Jaeda Paige goes up for a shot against three FPC defenders. Photo by Brent Woronoff
FPC assistant coach Mike Ebert (left) and head coach George Butts (right with grandchild) with seniors Kaley Mack (2), Taylor Spann (5), Davianna Simmons (11), Kameran Gordon (21) and Kyra Johnson (24). Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas seniors Laila Krebs (15), Taylor Boone (2) and Ryleigh Smith. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Senior members of FPC's basketball cheer team: Coach Naomie Thomas, Khalyel Robinson, Naomi Williams, Nazair McCarthy, Laron Walker and Breona Murdock. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas' Ryleigh Smith (left) and FPC's Kameran Gordon battle for the ball. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas' Ruby Fogel passes the ball. Photo by Brent Woronoff
FPC's Kameran Gordon (right) tries to take the ball from Matanzas' Ryleigh Smith. Photo by Brent Woronoff
FPC's Alexandra Connerton shoots from the corner as Ruby Fogel (left) and Taylor Boone defend. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Taylor Boone (2) and Jaeda Paige (21) guard FPC's Kyra Johnson (24). Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas' Laila Krebs shoots a free throw. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas' Taylor Boone brings the ball upcourt. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas' Jaeda Paige goes up for a shot against three FPC players. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas' Jaeda Paige protects the ball under the basket as Alexandria Connerton (10) defends. Photo by Brent Woronoff
The future’s bright for the Flagler Palm Coast girls basketball team.
Coach George Butts was hired late last summer and was not able to spend an offseason with the Bulldogs. This year will be different. He will be with the players all summer, he said.
FPC will return seven players, including freshmen Ava Works and Tori Spann and sophomore Alexandria Connerton, who combined for 52 points on Friday, Feb. 2, in the Bulldogs’ final regular-season game, a 66-27 victory over Matanzas on senior night at the Bulldogs’ gym.
“I’m very proud of them,” Butts said. “We’re young. We’re going to be tough next year.”
Connerton scored a game-high 21 points, while Works and Spann added 16 and 15 points, respectively.
“There was a whole bunch of energy in here. I liked it,” said Spann, who has become more of a scoring option in the second half of the season.
“They trust me more to shoot the ball,” she said. “You just have to keep working hard.”
FPC jumped out to a 23-6 second-quarter lead against the Pirates and led 31-19 at the half. Freshman Jaeda Paige led Matanzas with seven points, while Laila Krebs scored six.
FPC honored seniors Kaley Mack, Taylor Spann, Davianna Simmons, Kameran Gordon and Kyra Johnson before the game.
The Bulldogs' season ended at 10-12 with a 78-35 loss to Jacksonville Mandarin on Monday, Jan. 5, in a first-round District 1-7A tournament game. Matanzas (3-21) fell to Winter Springs 47-22 on Jan. 5 in a District 5-6A first-round game.
