- May 15, 2026
Just before the final play of the third quarter of Mainland’s spring football game, Bucs receiver Jaden “Melo” Parks made a suggestion to offensive coordinator AJ Mallory.
The suggestion turned into a touchdown that gave Mainland a 28-27 varsity win over Coconut Creek during a spring football jamboree on Thursday, May 14, at Palm Beach Gardens High School.
In the fourth quarter, with the teams playing backups and JV players, the Bucs scored the only touchdown to drive home with an overall 35-27 victory.
In the varsity portion, Coconut Creek scored a touchdown to take the lead with 34 seconds left in the third quarter.
“It looked like we let it slip away,” Mainland head coach Jerrime Bell said.
But Mainland responded with quarterback PJ Miller completing three straight passes on a 75-yard touchdown drive. Braylyn “Juice” Simmons scored the winning touchdown on a 35-yard catch out of the backfield.
“He made a couple of players miss and got into the end zone,” Bell said.
With 34 seconds left, Miller completed a first-down pass to Parks, who got out of bounds. Kadin Flores then a caught a pass down the middle. A roughing-the-passer penalty moved the ball to Coconut Creek’s 35-yard line. That’s when Parks made his suggestion.
“Melo told AJ, ‘Their guys are following me. If we run Braylyn out of the backfield, he might be open,’” Bell said. “And that’s exactly what happened.”
Miller, a rising senior, is a transfer from Spruce Creek, where he passed for 1,602 yards and 13 touchdowns and ran for another 571 yards and four TDs last season.
“He commanded the offense very well,” Bell said. “He led four scoring drives with two touchdown passes.”
Simmons scored three of the touchdowns and rushed for more than 100 yards in two quarters. He sat out of the second quarter with “hydration issues,” Bell said.
The Bucs’ defense held the Cougars to under 100 yards rushing and and totaled five sacks but couldn’t keep Coconut Creek’s talented receivers out of the end zone.
“We stuffed the run the majority of the night without Tamaj Woodard, but Shawn Holmes stepped up and played well at linebacker,” Bell said. “They’re a good football team. Their receivers are all highly recruited guys, and they made plays. It will help us for the fall schedule we have.”
The Bucs have another daunting schedule next season, starting with a kickoff classic at Kissimmee Osceola on Aug. 14. Mainland opens the season at home on Aug. 21 against Miami Carol City.
“Carol City is probably the most talent public high school in the state with all of their transfers,” Bell said.
From there, the Bucs will play six 2025 playoff teams — at Nease, Sanford Seminole, at Class 7A state runner-up Vero Beach, at Spruce Creek, Class 7A state champ Lake Mary and DeLand. University and Seabreeze round out the Bucs' schedule.
Mainland finished 9-3 and advanced to the Class 5A regional finals last season.
