- December 7, 2025
FPC's Tori Spann drives between Matanzas players. Photo by Keishia McLendon
Matanzas' Efredia Nesee shoots a 3-pointer. Photo by Keishia McLendon
Matanzas' Paiden Hickman with the ball. Photo by Keishia McLendon
FPC's Tori Spann puts up a shot. Photo by Keishia McLendon
FPC's Tori Spann shoots a jumper. Photo by Keishia McLendon
FPC's Ava Works (1) guards Matanzas' Kaylina Vitt. Photo by Keishia McLendon
FPC's Stephanie Turner drives past Efredia Wesee. Photo by Keishia McLendon
FPC's Tori Spann takes a shot as Matanas' Ruby Fogel defends. Photo by Keishia McLendon
Matanzas' Paiden Hickman (23). Photo by Keishia McLendon
Matanzas' Aurora Purdy and FPC's Stephanie Turner go for a loose ball. Photo by Keishia McLendon
FPC girls basketball coach George Butts. Photo by Keishia McLendon
Matanzas' Paiden Hickman (23) dribbles around Le'Nai Ramsey's pressure defense. Photo by Keishia McLendon
Matanzas' Kaylina Vitt takes a foul shot. Photo by Keishia McLendon
FPC's Lexi Brown (23) shoots a jumper. Photo by Keishia McLendon
Matanzas coach Cory Curtis. Photo by Keishia McLendon
FPC's Ava Works (1) shoots a jumper from the elbow. Photo by Keishia McLendon
Matanzas' Aurora Purdy (right) tries to drive past Ava Works. Photo by Keishia McLendon
Veteran girls basketball coach George Butts said his Flagler Palm Coast team is finally reminding him of his dominating squads at Atlantic High School.
Butts and his longtime assistant Mike Ebert are in their third year at FPC, and the Bulldogs are looking like playoff contenders. They dispatched Flagler County rival Matanzas 64-17 at home on Friday, Dec. 5, to improve to 3-0. Their closest margin of victory so far is 14 points (62-48 over Oviedo on Dec. 4). They are averaging 63 points per game while holding their opponents to 26 points per game.
“When I got here, I wanted to implement the type of basketball we played at Atlantic. We wanted to play up tempo, pressure basketball, and push teams to do what they don't want to do. And we’re getting there.
— GEORGE BUTTS, FPC girls basketball coach
“When I got here, I wanted to implement the type of basketball we played at Atlantic,” said Butts, who is in his 30th year as a head coach and was Atlantic's coach for 25 seasons. “We wanted to play up tempo, pressure basketball, and push teams to do what they don't want to do. And we’re getting there. We’re not there yet. (The players) think that they are there, but they’re not there yet.”
Junior guard Ava Works drained four 3-pointers and scored 20 points in the win against the Pirates (3-2) — FPC’s fourth straight against Matanzas. Tori Spann, who missed most of last season with an ACL tear, scored 12 points, all in the first half, and Calvary Christian transfer Lexi Brown added 11 points. Kaylina Vitt led Matanzas with eight points. FPC led 44-9 at the half. With a 35-point margin, the second half was played with a running clock.
Works, who has been with the Bulldogs since Butts arrived, is excited about the new-look team. Freshman Stephanie Turner has taken over the point guard position allowing Works to move to shooting guard. And the addition of Brown and Spann’s return have given the Bulldogs an inside presence.
“The chemistry is amazing,” Works said. “Everything just snapped together. It was super quick considering our circumstances. We work together very, very well.”
Spann hasn’t missed a beat, Butts said.
“She's come back, like she's never been hurt,” he said. Brown, Butts said, “is something to deal with.” And he compared Turner to former Atlantic point guard Destiny Woodard, who helped lead the Sharks to the 2013 final four.
Works, who averaged 12.4 points per game last season, said having Turner running the offense, has allowed her to set up for her shot.
“It’s really nice because I’m a shooter at heart,” she said.
But when her shot’s not falling, the Bulldogs have other options. Nine players scored against the Pirates.
“(Against Oviedo), Ava only had one point. She did more on the defensive end and assisting,” Butts said. “You can't watch her now, because we got other scorers. If you pick her up, the other ones can score, so that makes a difference. Basically, there are five that are able to score on the floor.”
That includes senior Nereyda Campos, the Bulldogs’ flag football star who joined the basketball team last year.
“Last year was her first year playing basketball, ever,” Works said. “She works really hard. If you were to go to war, you would take her with you. She's very strong and dependable.
“It's just all working together,” Works added. “We have all the parts that we need. I think we can go far this year. I know we can go far this year. I’m very confident in our team.”
