- November 16, 2025
Matanzas running back Wiley Conner (34) ran for about 200 yards to surpass 1,000 for the season. Photo by Keishia McLendon
Teammates celebrate Jaden Dormevil's fumble return for a touchdown. Dormevil also scored on an interception return. Photo by Keishia McLendon
Wiley Conner churns for yardage. Photo by Keishia McLendon
Nick Yacono tackles Palm Bay's Billy Brown. Photo by Keishia McLendon
Matanzas linebackers Nick Yacono (18) and Chase Johnson (19). Yacono made the tackle on the previous play. Photo by Keishia McLendon
Matanzas senior linebacker gets ready to make a tackle. Photo by Keishia McLendon
Jaden Dormevil returns a fumble for a touchdown. Photo by Keishia McLendon
Matanzas senior linebacker Nick Yacono makes the tackle. Photo by Keishia McLendon
The Matanzas JROTC presents the colors before the game. Photo by Keishia McLendon
The hometown crowd cheers for the Matanzas Pirates, who defeated the Palm Bay Pirates 41-14. Photo by Keishia McLendon
Matanzas cheerleaders at the Pirates' final regular-season game. Photo by Keishia McLendon
Devin Williams scored Matanzas' final touchdown on a 19-yard run. Photo by Keishia McLendon
Cole Walker hands off the Wiley Conner. Photo by Keishia McLendon
Palm Bay defenders bring down Matanzas running back Wiley Conner (34), Photo by Keishia McLendon
Jaden Dormevil returns a punt in the first quarter. Photo by Keishia McLendon
Matanzas senior Ladarien Baker (3) break up a Palm Bay pass. Photo by Keishia McLendon
Brady Putis (11) and Wiley Conner celebrate a Matanzas touchdown. Photo by Keishia McLendon
Matanzas senior Cooper May (5) makes the tackle. Photo by Keishia McLendon
Cooper May (5) and other Matanzas players close in on Palm Bay's Caden Newton. Photo by Keishia McLendon
Matanzas' Nick Yacono (18) and Cooper May (5) celebrate a defensive play. Photo by Keishia McLendon
Wiley Conner (34) fights for yards. Photo by Keishia McLendon
Cooper May (5) makes the tackle. Photo by Keishia McLendon
Matanzas receiver Brady Putis (11) and center Logan Walker (52). Photo by Keishia McLendon
Quarterback Cole Hardy looks to pass late in the game. Photo by Keishia McLendon.
The Matanzas Pirates raise the Jolly Roger after their win over the Palm Bay Pirates on Oct. 30. Photo by Brent Woronoff
It was a milestone night for several Matanzas football players in what may have been their last home game of the season.
The Pirates ended their regular season with a 41-14 victory over Palm Bay on Thursday, Oct. 30, and now await word on whether their season’s resumé and 7-3 record will be good enough to be selected for an at-large playoff berth.
Several individual milestones were reached. Senior quarterback Cole Walker became the first Matanzas player to surpass 2,000 yards passing in a season. Junior running back Wiley Conner rushed for 203 yards on 22 carries against Palm Bay to become the first Matanzas player since 2016 to run for over 1,000 yards in a season. Senior receiver Ladarien Baker topped 1,000 yards receiving in his career.
And senior defensive back Jaden Dormevil scored the first touchdown of his varsity career. For good measure, Dormevil added the second touchdown of his career, too.
“It was a great game. I’m glad our seniors and our team got to win at home,” Matanzas coach Matt Forrest said. “Hopefully the postseason's coming.”
The Pirates entered the game ranked 10th in Region 1-5A. There are eight playoff spots in each region with automatic berths awarded to the four district champs and four at-large spots awarded to the next highest ranked teams by the Florida High School Athletic Association.
So, Matanzas has to move up at least two spots. But making things even more difficult, is that the No. 9 team, Tallahassee Lincoln, is a district champ and is automatically in.
The playoff brackets will be announced by the FHSAA on Thursday, Nov. 6, two days after the deadline for teams to play makeup games.
“We did all we could do, and there's a lot of scenarios out there, but I feel like we're a playoff team, and I still feel that whatever the ranking metrics are, we're one of the best in our region, and I think we’re one of the best in 5A in the state,” Forrest said.
The Pirates finished the season with four straight wins. Of their three losses, one came to the top-ranked team in the region in Mainland; and another came to a Class 7A team, Flagler Palm Coast. Matanzas’ third loss was an upset by Seabreeze, which finished its season at 5-5.
“I don't see how we're not in, and I think the metrics should reflect that,” Forrest said. “But we've done all we can do and, and we’ve got to play the waiting game now.”
The Pirates will be practicing next week, Forrest said. If they do not receive a playoff spot, they could receive a bid to play in the new Florida Invitational Tournament, which will have three 16-team brackets — one for the state’s rural class, one for teams in Class 1A to 3A and another for teams in Class 4A to 7A.
Dormevil and senior Jordan Schendorf each scored two touchdowns against the Palm Bay Pirates (2-8). Schendorf ran in from 3 yards on a direct snap and caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from Walker. He almost scored a third but was stripped just before the goal line for a touchback.
Dormevil scored on a 37-yard strip-and-scoop fumble return on the first play of the third quarter and then added a 60-yard interception return for a touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter. He also had a long punt return to inside the Palm Bay 5-yard line, but a penalty for an illegal block brought it back to the 45.
“What a story,” Forrest said of the senior defensive back. “That young man has grown up so much since being in our football program. He was the one that they scored their first touchdown on (an 89-yard catch and run by Palm Bay’s Tim Sedaros in the first quarter that tied the score at 7-7). He knew he made a mistake, and coming out of halftime, he got me on the sideline, and he said, ‘Coach, that's my fault. I'm sorry, I'm going to get that one back. And two plays later, he's running into the end zone with a strip and a recovery for a touchdown. And then after the second one, he said, ‘I told you I was going to get one, but I got you another one.’ It was an awesome job by him, a great individual effort. I’m very proud of that young man.”
It’s not an individual sport, it’s a team sport. And this team is very special. We all come from different places, but we're able to adapt and come together as one and fight hard, because we know the work that we put in. I feel like we're a very special group, and y'all got to see that on display tonight.
— JADEN DORMEVIL
On the fumble return, Dormevil said he saw a teammate going for a tackle, and Dormevil punched the ball out.
“The ball was rolling, and I picked it up, and I saw two defenders, and I just saw green grass. Two defenders didn't matter to me. I just hit the hole as fast as I could,” he said.
He said his teammates helped him get into the end zone on his interception return.
“I knew they were desperate, and I just saw the ball floated, and I had to go get it,” Dormevil said. “I took off running, and I got tired, but thanks to my blockers I was able to get into the end zone.
“I didn’t think I was going to score to be honest, but my teammates had my back and supported me, saying, ‘Jayden run this way, Jaden run that way,’ I'm just so thankful for those guys. It's really about my team. It’s not an individual sport, it’s a team sport. And this team is very special. We all come from different places, but we're able to adapt and come together as one and fight hard, because we know the work that we put in. I feel like we're a very special group, and y'all got to see that on display tonight.”
