Plan B: Matanzas adapts on the fly for emotional spring football win

Receiver Jordan Schendorf was informed three or four hours before the game that he would be playing quarterback.

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Matanzas football coach Matt Forrest’s play sheet for the spring game on May 23 against Pine Ridge resembled a crossword puzzle written in pen — by someone not very good at solving crossword puzzles.

Plays were crossed out, notes were written in margins. That’s what happens when you find out about four hours before kickoff that your starting quarterback and other players who had transferred in were ineligible for the game because they had played for another school in the fall.

The Pirates were already shorthanded due to injuries, Forrest said.

“We talk all the time about thriving in chaos. And today was about as chaotic of a day we could have,” Forrest said.

It was also a very emotional day for the Pirates. They played before a packed house at “the Ship.” They defeated the Panthers 14-7. Jordan Schendorf — who had never taken a rep at quarterback in practice — threw a touchdown pass. And Andrew Bass — who took his first snaps at running back — scored the winning touchdown on a 33-yard run.

After the game, they held a celebration for departing assistant head coach Donny LaFleur, who is returning with his family to their home state of Tennessee and his former school. LaFleur was overcome with emotion as he hugged players and received a game ball from Forrest. The Pirates presented LaFleur with a signed team banner.  LaFleur said he'll hang it in his garage.

“I’ll be able to see it all the time and just be reminded of what we built here working with these young men,” he said.

“We’re definitely going to miss him,” Forrest said. “He's done a great job here and definitely left the program better than when he found it.”


TOSSING OUT THE GAME PLAN

When the Pirates were informed at around 3 p.m. that transfer quarterback Cole Walker would not be allowed to play in the spring game, they scrambled. The plan was to work backup quarterback Cole Hardy, a rising sophomore, into the game late. With Walker on the sideline, the Matanzas coaches decided it wouldn’t be to Hardy’s benefit to throw him into the fire.

“Cole Hardy's got a bright future. … But he needs more time to develop, and when you're talking about rearranging everything at the last minute, we didn't want to put that on his plate,” Forrest said.

Schendorf, a rising senior, said he was informed at 3:30 or “4ish” that he would start at quarterback. The wide receiver threw two touchdown passes off trick plays against Flagler Palm Coast last season. He had played quarterback in flag football, but he never prepared to play the position for Matanzas.

“He is one of the smartest players we have on our whole team. He's super cerebral,” Forrest said. “He knows the plays like the back of his hand. And he can throw the ball really well.”

Schendorf completed a long pass to Ladarien Baker to set up an 11-yard touchdown pass to Thomas Larywon with 5:04 left in the first half giving  Matanzas a 7-0 lead.

“At first I was nervous, but as the punches kept rolling I kept adapting,” Schendorf said. “We had to close the playbook a little bit; it was not as open as it would have been for Cole (Walker). I was just game managing, not trying to be a superhero, just managing the game, and I feel like my quarterback coach, Coach Bryce (Petellat), and Coach Forrest were pleased with how I did.”


WINNING TOUCHDOWN

After Pine Ridge quarterback Deandre Weston tied the score with a 45-yard third-quarter touchdown run, the Pirates found a spark in Bass.

Forrest said they had tinkered with the idea of trying the slot receiver at running back and see if he could run in between the tackles — Bass is listed at 5-foot-7, 135 pounds on hudl.com. On three consecutive plays, he ran for a total of 70 yards, culminating with the 33-yard touchdown run with about 4:45 left in the game. He bounced off would-be tacklers on each run.

“We said, in the second half, why not put him back there, and let him get some carries,” Forrest said, “I don't know how many tackles he bounced off of, but he might have broken three or four tackles on a single run.”

After the touchdown, he was swarmed by his teammates. Bass said he was ready to contribute any way he could.


We lost our QB due to transfer eligibility. We lost our center, we lost a lot of starters, but our team, we always persevere no matter what. We find a way.
— ANDREW BASS

“With the workout plan, we stay ready for every moment,” Bass said. “We lost our QB due to transfer eligibility. We lost our center, we lost a lot of starters, but our team, we always persevere no matter what. We find a way.”

And they did it on a most chaotic day.

“Our program is set up to be able to endure and overcome,” Forrest said. “We don't always get the best bounces, but our kids show up and they work their tails off and our coaches work their tails off. And I think the thing I'm most proud of about our program is this show would go on no matter what players are in the game, what coaches are coaching. And that's a testament to the people who built it and who've been a part of it.”

 

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