- December 4, 2025
Wiley Conner (left) attempts to get past a defender in the Pirates' intrasquad game on Aug. 8. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Quarterback Cole Hardy throws downfield in the Pirates' instrasquad scrimmage on Aug. 8. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Devin Williams runs up the sideline on a muddy Matanzas practice field during the Pirates' intrasquad scrimmage on Aug. 8. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Josh Mills (73) runs in a pick-six in Matanzas' intrasquad scrimmage on Aug. 8. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Wiley Conner runs through a hole in the Pirates' instrasquad scrimmage on Aug. 8. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Quarterback Cole Walker (right) hands off to Wiley Conner. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Quarterback Cole Hardy throws a pass in the Pirates' intrasquad scrimmage. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Devin Williams finds some running room in the Pirates' instrasquad scrimmage on Aug. 8. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas running back Wiley Conner runs for a touchdown in the Pirates' intrasqad scrimmage on Aug. 8. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Spectators line the practice field to watch the Matanzas Pirates' intrasquad scrimmage on Aug. 8. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Football coaches want to see their teams dominate during the season, but not during an intrasquad scrimmage.
Matanzas coach Matt Forrest was encouraged because he saw positive signs on both sides of the ball during the Pirates’ blue and white scrimmage on Friday, Aug. 8.
“(In a scrimmage), if your offense is that much more dominant over your defense, or vice versa, I think it can make you kind of go to extremes and think that one may be severely better than the other, and then, what do we got to do to get them to up the bar?
Heading into the Pirates’ kickoff classic, Forrest and his staff have concluded that extreme measures are unnecessary.
Matanzas hosts Jacksonville Episcopal in a kickoff classic at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 15. The Pirates open the season a week later, Aug. 22, when they host county rival Flagler Palm Coast in the annual Potato Bowl game.
The scrimmage gave the Pirates’ coaches an indication of what they need to work on as the opener inches closer.
The offense put some drives together, and the defense forced some turnovers. The defense bent but didn’t break inside the red zone. The offense moved the ball but struggled to get into the end zone once it got inside the 20-yard line.
“When you leave fall camp after 10 practices against each other, I think it’s good to have the ebbs and flows in a scrimmage,” Forrest said. “Our offense made some plays, our defense made some plays and I thought it was a good spirited contest. I wouldn't say one outperformed the other. When you see that, it does give you some confidence about your team going into the kickoff classic, because then, once we get to play a full game against somebody else, I think you're going to really know where your team's at.”
Forrest praised linebackers Nick Yacano and Chase Johnson, cornerback Jayden McCoy and defensive lineman Omar Steward among others on defense.
Offensively, Forrest said the line played well and running back Wiley Conner had a good night running the football.
“I think our quarterbacks, Cole Walker and Cole Hardy, did some good things throwing the football. And (receivers) Jordan Schendorf, Ladarien Baker and Thomas Larywon had a good scrimmage,” Forrest said.
“We just have to clean up the minor details,” he added. “That's the stuff that gets exposed in the game. Overall, we feel like we have a pretty good football team. When they're competing against each other and really going back and forth, I think that bodes well for our season.”
