Mainland ends playoff run with loss to Ponte Vedra in the regional finals

The Buccaneers finished the season with a 9-3 record and reestablished themselves as a state power.

  • By Michele Meyers
  • | 7:35 a.m. December 4, 2025
  • Ormond Beach Observer
  • Sports
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Mainland head coach Jerrime “Squatty” Bell said heart, dedication and discipline got the Bucs to the Region 1-5A final against Ponte Vedra.

The Bucs' playoff run ended on Friday, Nov. 28, with a 27-10 loss at the "Shark Tank.” Ponte Vedra will meet Lakeland in the Class 5A state semifinals on Dec. 5.

Bell talked to his players following the loss. He said people did not expect Mainland to be “worth a darn” this year following its 5-6 record last season, but the Bucs persevered and finished 9-3.

“It’s playoff time — there’s got to be a winner, there’s got to be the loser,” he said. “We didn’t play our best. I’m not going to talk about tonight. I’m going to talk about the journey that we took. You started at the Kickoff Classic against a top five team in the state, at the time, down 14-13 and came back and won. You kept building from there.”

Mainland quarterback Sebastian Johnson completed 24 of 42 passes for 328 yards in the regional final. Ponte Vedra quarterback Cole Rosendahl passed for 239 yards. Even though Mainland accumulated more yards on offens, 402 to 357, Ponte Vedra was able to capitalize on Mainland turnovers — three lost fumble and two interceptions.

“It was just an off night for us,” Bell said. “We never really, truly got a rhythm, even though we probably had over 400 yards offense. It just never felt like we were really into the game. With Juice (Braylyn Simmons), Sebastian and our receivers, we never got on the same page all night long.”

The first quarter set the tone with a fumbled handoff by the Bucs that was recovered by Ponte Vedra linebacker Bennett Baumgartner. A fake punt and subsequent pass from Sam Cote to Alex Winkles led to a first down followed by Winkles’ touchdown.

When you mention 2025 Mainland High School football, people need to respect the fact that these guys are winners and they did it their way.
— JERRIME BELL, Mainland head football coach

Bell said he and his coaches had scouted Ponte Vedra well and knew there would be areas they could take advantage of. On the first drive, they utilized that knowledge but eventually turned the ball over.

“We knew it was going to be a dog fight,” he said. “They were exactly who we thought they were but they played mistake-free football and we picked the wrong night to play our ‘C’ game.”

Kicker David Aponte put the Bucs on the board with a field goal in the second quarter. Ponte Vedra's kicker Noah Ash matched those points that quarter and also had four touchbacks throughout the game. Rosendahl and Jack Berquist scored the final two touchdowns for the Sharks. Jaden "Melo" Parks caught a scoring pass in the fourth quarter for the Bucs’ only touchdown.

Bell’s second year at the helm of Mainland football proved to be a successful one with a season reflecting his seniors’ commitment to the program, resulting in a deeper playoff run. Last year, the Bucs were out in the first round with a 21-0 loss to Tallahassee Lincoln. This year, Mainland defeated  Middleburg 34-13 in the first round and outlasted Lynn Haven Mosley 36-31 in the regional semifinals.

Before the start of the season, the seniors bonded with a goal to put the program back on the right trajectory. Bell said they did just that and added some big wins along the way — beating perennial power Cocoa on Aug. 29, defeatingt Kissimmee Osceola, ranked top 12 in the state at the time, and prevailing against Georgia state power Coffee on its home field..

“When you mention 2025 Mainland High School football, people need to respect the fact that these guys are winners, and they did it their way,” Bell said.

Seniors led the team not only with leadership skills but top team performances. Johnson wrapped up the season with 2,872 yards passing and 2,979 total yards. Middle linebacker Dennis “Tank" King III completed the season with 78 solo tackles, 39 assists, two interceptions and one sack while defensive back Jhavin Westbrook had three interceptions and was a major playmaker.

“They were determined to make a run and they did it,” Bell said. “Now, we’ve got to build on that leadership that we saw from Sebastian (Johnson), Christian (Cooper) and Dennis (King) and some of the other seniors like Kiarin Sullivan and Amare Campbell. We have to build on that and make sure that all they did this year isn't forgotten and make a deeper run next year because of the path they put us on.”

Simmons, a junior, led the team with 1,129 rushing yards and added 231 receiving yards. Sophomore receiver Kadin Flores finished with 1,158 total all-purpose yards. Junior linebacker Tamaj Woodard had 72 solo tackles, 36 assists and 3.5 sacks.

Bell said he will miss the smiles of his seniors but is looking forward to helping the underclassmen evolve during the offseason and leading the team to a deeper playoff run. 

“We are going to miss those smiles more than anything else,” he said. “Those smiles make the day. They make practice go by better. Losing those smiles is going to hurt but we’ve got some good, young leaders coming up and I’m looking forward to seeing them smile a lot more, too.”

 

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