- December 13, 2025
Mainland running back Braylyn Simmons (6) drags Middleburg linebacker Kadin Hanifen (8) for a first down in round one of the playoffs on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland team captains (left to right) Dennis "Tank" King III, Chevin Davis, Sebastian Johnson and Christian Cooper get ready to take the field for the coin toss in the playoff game against Middleburg on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland wide receiver Chris Butler (7) grabs a pass as Middleburg defensive back Floyd Reed chases him down in round one of the playoffs on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland wide receiver Chris Butler (7) celebrates receiving a pass in round one of the playoffs against Middleburg on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland wide receiver Chris Butler (7) does a little celebration dance after the Bucs' round one playoff win against Middleburg on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland linemen Ayden Lewis (center) and Shawn "Quinn" Holmes block a pass by Middleburg quarterback Mason Bacus in round one of the playoffs on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland defensive backs Kiarin Sullivan (left) and Denzel Shropshire (right) tackle Middleburg players C.J. Williams (center left) and Gino Addison (center right) in round one of the playoffs on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland defensive back Ivan Gaines (bottom) tackles Middleburg wide receiver C.J. Williams (center) in round one of the playoffs on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland wide receiver Christian Cooper snatches a pass from quarterback Sebastian Johnson in the playoff game against Middleburg on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Middleburg defensive back Lorelle Pitt (4) is called for pass interference against Mainland wide receiver Jaden "Melo" Parks (5) during the playoff game on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland wide receiver Jaden "Melo" Parks (5) reaches for the ball during the playoff game on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland wide receiver Kadin Flores (15) runs in for a touchdown with teammate Jordan Jones (16) in the playoff game against Middleburg on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Daytona Stadium. The touchdown was called back due to a penalty. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland head coach Jerrime "Squatty" Bell (center) gets a traditional dousing after the Bucs round one playoff win against Middleburg on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Sed Simmons (left) interviews Mainland head coach Jerrime "Squatty" Bell (right) after the Bucs round one playoff win against Middleburg on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland celebrates after the Bucs' round one playoff win against Middleburg on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland's Chris Butler blocks Middleburg defensive back Floyd Reed (2) as running back Braylyn Simmons (right) pushes toward the end zone in the playoff game on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland players (left to right) Braylyn Simmons, Jaden "Melo" Parks and Sebastian Johnson celebrate another touchdown by Simmons in the playoff game against Middleburg on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland team captain Chistian Cooper celebrates the round one playoff win against Middleburg on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland linebacker Tamaj Woodard (left) goes for the tackle on Middleburg wide receiver Jordan Williams (right) in the Region 1-5A quarterfinals on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Touchdown for running back Braylyn Simmons in the Region 1-5A quarterfinal game against Middleburg on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland's Tamaj Woodard (3) celebrates with Dennis "Tank" King III (left) after Woodard made a tackle behind the line of scrimmage in the Region 1-5A quarterfinal game against Middleburg on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Another flying tackle by Mainland's Bubba Westbrook (19) against Middleburg in the Region 1-5A quarterfinal game on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland cheerleaders motivate the crowd at the Region 1-5A quarterfinal game against Middleburg on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland running back Braylyn Simmons (left) scores another touchdown in the Region 1-5A quarterfinal game against Middleburg on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland running back Braylyn Simmons celebrates another touchdown during the Region 1-5A quarterfinal game against Middleburg on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland players (left to right) Amarion Lane, Sebastian Johnson, Chris Butler and Braylyn Simmons celebrate another touchdown by Simmons in the playoff game against Middleburg on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland quarterback Sebastian Johnson (10) grabs the snap during the playoff game against Middleburg on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland's AFJROTC posts the colors before the Region 1-5A quarterfinal game against Middleburg on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland's AFJROTC Maj. Michael Miglioranzi stands at attnetion as the national anthem plays before the Region 1-5A quarterfinal game against Middleburg on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland team captains (left to right) Dennis "Tank" King III, Chevin Davis, Sebastian Johnson and Christian Cooper take the field to meet Middleburg captains for the coin toss before the Region 1-5A playoff game on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland team captains (left to right) Dennis "Tank" King III, Chevin Davis, Sebastian Johnson and Christian Cooper meet Middleburg captains for the coin toss before the Region 1-5A playoff game on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Dennis "Tank" King III (center) and Chevin Davis (right) prep for the Region 1-5A playoff game against Middleburg on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland quarterback Sebastian Johnson (10) runs to join his teammates before the game against Middleburg on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland's Pryncetn Lamb (41) and Dennis "Tank" King III (1) run to the sidelines with their teammates for the Region 1-5A playoff game against Middleburg on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland's Kadin Flores grabs the ball for a kickoff return in the Region 1-5A playoff game against Middleburg on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland defensive players (left to right) Tamaj Woodard, Dennis "Tank" King III, Marcus Day and Denzel Shropshire unite after stopping Middleburg in the Region 1-5A quarterfinal game on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland quarterback Sebastian Johnson (10) passes as Amarion Lane (53) slows the sack attempt by Middleburg's Dominic Swilley (3) in the Region 1-5A playoff game on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Chris Butler (7) and Jaden "Melo" Parks (right) perform sideline antics after Butler scored a touchdown in the Region 1-5A playoff game against Middleburg on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland wide receiver Chirstian Cooper (4) grabs a 54-yard touchdown pass in the Region 1-5A playoff game against Middleburg on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland team captains Dennis "Tank" King III (1), Chevin Davis (55), Sebastian Johnson and Christian Cooper (4) shake hands with the Middleburg captains then join their teammates before the Region 1-5A quarterfinal game on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
It was a happy birthday indeed for Mainland quarterback Sebastian Johnson who led the Buccaneers to a 34-13 win over Middleburg in the Region 1-5A quarterfinals on Friday, Nov. 14. Johnson turned 18 the day the second-seeded Bucs guaranteed themselves a playdate with No. 3 seed Lynn Haven Mosley in the semifinals at Daytona Stadium on Friday, Nov. 21.
Head coach Jerrime “Squatty” Bell was all smiles as he was doused with a celebratory torrent of water following his first quarterfinal win with the Bucs. Last season, Tallahassee Lincoln eliminated Mainland with a 21-0 win in the first round of playoffs.
“Offense played well. Defense played well. Special teams played well. It was a complete game, again,” Bell said. “We have some things to clean up. We had too many touchdowns called back, but we’ll fix that. They executed through that, though. Even through the penalties and dropped passes, we kept throwing and scored on most of those drives, so it was great. It was a good night.”
Middleburg running back Gino Addison rushed for the first touchdown of the game, while the Broncos' defense held the Bucs on downs and kept them off the scoreboard in the first quarter. Addison finished with 89 yards rushing and two touchdowns.
Tonight was a great night, but we’ve got to move on to the next opponent — Mosley. We’ve got to keep rolling. It’s a standard to win round one here, so it’s after Thanksgiving or bust. I’m just ready for the next game and hopefully we get to play all the way to December.
— CHRISTIAN COOPER, Mainland team captain
Mainland running back Braylyn Simmons shifted the trajectory of the game with a touchdown run minutes into the second quarter. The Flagler Palm Coast transfer carried the ball 18 times for 151 yards and three touchdowns and caught two passes for 15 yards. All year long, Bell said he has been saying that Simmons is a special kid.
“That’s what Braylyn Simmons is (a special kid),” Bell said. “He showed you in the ring game (Belleview). Everybody in Flagler County got to see it last year. Everybody in Daytona Beach got to see it his whole youth football career. Tonight, he put it on display for the rest of the state to see. When the ball is in his hands, special things are going to happen.”
Simmons ran in two more touchdowns which were called back. Wide receiver Kadin Flores also had a kickoff return for a touchdown called back.
“It was bang, bang penalties — you can call it either way or you don’t call it either way,” Bell said. “We’ve got to make sure we don’t put ourselves in positions to allow them to call stuff like that. Whether we believe it or not, we’ve got to clean it up.”
Johnson passed for 277 yards and two touchdowns. Wide receiver Chris Butler caught a 52-yard touchdown pass with seconds remaining in the first half. Christian Cooper had a 54-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter. Butler finished with 104 yards receiving, and Cooper snagged five passes for 97 yards.
Cooper’s first year as a receiver was his freshman year at Mainland. Coach A.J. Mallory is the Bucs receiver coach. Cooper said he had Mallory as a coach for four years and credits him with his development along with coach Aaron Mallory, coach Gordon Cohagan and coach Arthur Westbrook.
After the win, Cooper said he was at a loss for words because of his memory of last season’s 5-6 finish and the loss to Lincoln in the quarterfinals.
“We didn’t put any points up on the board,” he said. “It was just a horrible game altogether, 21-0. Tonight was a great night, but we’ve got to move on to the next opponent — Mosley. We’ve got to keep rolling. It’s a standard to win round one here, so it’s after Thanksgiving or bust. I’m just ready for the next game and hopefully we get to play all the way to December.”
Mosley defeated Lincoln 33-30 in its quarterfinal on Nov. 13. The Dolphins are 0-1. Quarterback J.P. Holsombake totaled 260 offensive yards and one touchdown. Wide receiver Ga’Marcus Halstead had 90 yards receiving and three touchdowns. The Dolphins' defense racked up five tackles for loss and five sacks.
Mainland had seven tackles for loss. With linebackers Dennis “Tank” King III and Tamaj Woodard leading the Bucs’ defense, Bell said he is looking forward to the matchup against Mosley. Woodard led the Bucs with eight solo tackles, five assists and one tackle for loss. King and Marcus Day each had nine total tackles with Day adding a tackle for loss.
“They’re a tough opponent,” Bell said about Mosley. “I always thought they were probably the second best, most talented team in our region. Whether we are playing in the third round or playing the second round, we have to play a tough team. We’ve been watching them on film throughout the year and they do some really good stuff. They have a great coach who has turned that program around. They play tough.”
The other Region 1-5A semifinals on Friday are: Ponte Vedra hosts Beachside, Orlando Edgewater Orlando hosts Tampa Bay Tech and Lakeland hosts Tampa Gaither.