Flagler Palm Coast, Seabreeze, Matanzas, Mainland open boys basketball season with mixed results

Bulldogs, Sandcrabs each win one during the first week of action. Pirates start hot at 2-0.

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Flagler Palm Coast boys basketball coach Greg Shirley was pleased with his team's defensive performance in the Bulldogs' 50-38 season-opening victory against Seabreeze on Nov. 18. After two more games, the Bulldogs' defense continued to be ahead of their offense.

FPC suffered consecutive losses to Spruce Creek at home (52-43) on Nov. 20 and Jacksonville Atlantic Coast on the road (45-40) on Nov. 22.

"Their length bothered us," Shirley said of Spruce Creek. "When we started attacking the basket (in the second half), we were getting better looks."

The Bulldogs trailed the Hawks by 13 entering the fourth quarter (44-31) but closed the gap to nine in the final minute. Creek went to the free throw line 32 times, converting 18, while FPC was more efficient in half as many trips to the line, hitting 11 of 16.

After three games, Nate Perry and Anthony Hampton were leading the Bulldogs in scoring with 14.0 and 10.3 points per game, respectively. Six-foot-6 center Siah Sanders is averaging 8.0 points and 10.7 rebounds.

FPC continues its busy early-season schedule with games against Orlando Colonial and Lake Mary at a tournament at Father Lopez on Nov. 24-25. The Bulldogs then host St. Johns Creekside on Tuesday, Dec. 2.

Seabreeze evened its record to 1-1 with a 45-41 home win against Titusville Astronaut on Nov. 20. The Sandcrabs had two more tough games scheduled in the next week in Wekiva on the road Nov. 25 and Matanzas at home on Monday, Dec. 1.

Matanzas opened its season with consecutive victories against Deltona (75-69) and Menendez (65-57). The Pirates were led by three sophomores against Deltona — Jayden McCoy (23 points), Jemel Guerrero (20 points) and CJ Giles (15 points).

Mainland, 1-0 after a 90-39 rout of Palm Bay Bayside on Nov. 19, has tournament games against Ocoee on Nov. 26 and Wildwood on Nov. 29.

First-year Matanzas girls basketball coach Cory Curtis got his first high school coaching victory with a 49-5 trouncing of Crescent City on Nov. 21 to even the Pirates' record at 1-1. Paiden Hickman and Katelynn Smith each scored 11 points against the Raiders. Matanzas hosts Atlantic at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 2, and hosts Seabreeze (1-2) at 6 p.m. on Dec. 4.

In other upcoming girls games, FPC opens its season on Dec. 2 at University and then faces rival Matanzas in its home opener at 7 p.m. on Dec. 5. Mainland (0-2) visits New Smyrna Beach on Dec. 2. 

Season-opening crowd at FPC during a break in the action. Photo by Keishia McLendon
Season-opening crowd at FPC during a break in the action. Photo by Keishia McLendon



 

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