Boy's Lacrosse

MHS, FPC put in solid performances at annual lacrosse tournament
Nov 10 – PALM COAST – The MHS and FPC boy's lacrosse teams had a great warm up for the upcoming 2009 season at the Pumpkin Shootout two weeks ago at ITSC. They had an opportunity to trade shots and clash sticks with other nationally ranked lacrosse teams including St. Andrew’s and Lake Brantley. "The Pirates showed great promise with unbelievable ball handling and field presence that commanded notice from the visiting teams. While many teams played their more experienced players, the Pirates were confident enough in their training program to treat this weekend as a preseason game in which to enhance the abilities and build upon the skill level of their up-and-coming players as well as their returning veterans," MHS coach Dan Cocchi said. "All of the Pirate’s varsity players fined tuned their skills by being the dominant force on defense that other teams have come to expect when stepping on board to play the Pirates. Although they graduated 14 seniors last year, this year’s team should be an exciting one to watch," Cocchi added. "The Matanzas Lacrosse Family would like to extend it’s sincere gratitude to local business contributors for their continued support including Firehouse Subs, Walmart, and Starbucks."

Boy's Soccer

MHS is off to a perfect 3-0 start with three shutouts
Nov 20 – PALM COAST – Make it three up and three down – and make that three shutouts, too. That's the bottom line on the Matanzas soccer team after knocking off Creekside 4-0 Tuesday night. The Pirates are 3-0 and haven't given up a goal so far this season. And while the numbers are being tallied, make that a 3-0 district record, as well. Tuesday against Creekside, the Pirates Christian Benvenuto opened the scoring with a header from Josh Lambright. Kevin Lefkovic scored twice and Ryan Spina scored once.

FPC wins home opener over Pine Ridge 6-0, Alavrez scores twice
Nov 19 – PALM COAST – After tying their season-opener with Seabreeze last week, FPC won't run through the regular season undefeated like last year, but they could still go unbeaten. That possibility remained in tack Monday night after the Bulldogs knocked off Pine Ridge 6-0 in their home opener. "We're looking pretty sharp; we're not as good as last year but it's good so far," senior sharp shooter Jason Alvarez said, who added his main goal is to win a district title. "We haven't won one since I've been on the team, so I really would like to see us get it this year. We lost it on a PK last year."

Pirates soccer wins season opener easily over Palatka, 5-0, on soaked field
Nov 16 – PALM COAST – The Matanzas Pirates were worried about a lack of preparation heading into their season soccer opener with Palatka Wednesday night at Pirates Stadium, but after outshooting the Panthers 35-6, and outscoring them 5-0, the worries dwindled away fast. "We only had two practices and we couldn't get our entire squad out there due to other commitments in cross country and football. We could have done a better job with our passes. But the passes were better in the second half. Palatka has really improved from last year. They did a lot better. Our boys haven't competed since last year," MHS head coach Tony Benvenuto said, whose team played no preseason classic this year. Fabian Cerulo scored the first two goals of the MHS season, one was off an assist from Eweckson Spina to spot the Pirates an early 2-0 lead over Palatka. Midfielder Kevin Lefkovic added a score at the 6:01 mark of the first half for a 3-0 halftime lead.

FPC opens soccer season with 1-1 tie with Seabreeze
Nov 14 – ORMOIND BEACH — The FPC boys started out the 2008-09 soccer season playing to a 1-1 tie with Seabreeze, Tuesday night. Jason Alvarez picked up FPC's only goal (unassisted) 10 minutes into the game. "We came out strong. We have a very young team this year... Matt Hillerby, Juan and Alex Varon were very strong in the midfield and the defense was solid in the first half led by Mark Kalaj, Clay Clingerman and Jeff Lemon," FPC head coach Al Greenwald said. "Zach Greenwald came up with several key saves in the first half to keep a 1-nil lead at halftime. Seabreeze was able to penetrate on the right side in the 19th minute of the second half to score on a very nice play."

College

Davisson signs with NAIA school, will be used out of the bullpen
Sep 18 – FRANKLIN SPRINGS, Ga. – Chris Davisson, a 2008 graduate of Matanzas High School, recently signed a letter of intent to continue his baseball playing career at Emmanuel College in Franklin Springs, Georgia. Emmanuel is an NAIA member that plays in the Southern States Athletic Conference. Davisson, the team MVP at MHS last senior season, lead the Pirates with a .344 batting average including seven RBI's and eight stolen bases. Davisson will be utilized as a pitcher, primarily a situational lefty out of the Lion bullpen. Davisson lead the Pirates with 64 innings pitched with a 4.03 ERA and a team high 50 strikeouts in 2008.

Gilyard sets school record against No. 3 Oklahoma
Sep 10 – NORMAN, Ok. – Now in his second year as a starting wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bearcats, Marshwan Gilyard made national highlight films Saturday. The former FPC All-State running back returned a kickoff 97-yards for a touchdown in the third quarter against the No.3 ranked Oklahoma Sooners. It was the first time in 145 games that a Bearcat returned a kickoff for a touchdown, and even more impressive, Gilyard (jr), set a school record with 365 all-purpose yards in the 52-26 loss. Cincinnati (1-1) had gone 13 seasons without a kickoff being returned for a touchdown – only two other schools in the nation have a longer current drought.

Spath will return to football this fall
Aug 27 – TAMPA – Matt Spath didn't run into a whole lot of kangaroos during his recent stay in Australia but he is doing a little hopping around these days. He'll be jumping from the world of professional baseball into a cozy 650-student campus to play college football for the upcoming 2008 season. And then maybe down the line he'll jump back into baseball again, too! Spath, who had played two seasons of minor league baseball and a season in the Australian Major Leagues following an outstanding two-sport prep career at Flagler Palm Coast High School, will be joining the Webber International Warriors football team this fall as a free safety.

Yevoli signs four-year deal with North Carolina school
Aug 27 – High Point, N.C. – Daytona Beach Community College may have just become a four-year school (Daytona State College), but incoming freshman pitcher Al Yevoli has four-year plans of his own. The former FPC 6A All-State player has committed to pitch for the High Point University Panthers instead of DBCC. And the best part for Yevoli – High Point is Division I.

Girl's Soccer

FPC girl's soccer remains unbeaten after key wins over MHS, Spruce and DeLand
Nov 19 – PALM COAST – Many people thought the FPC girl's soccer team would have a decent season, though most didn't see a 6-0 start coming. But it has arrived, and in grand fashion, with the Lady Bulldogs gaining more and more momentum as each game passes. FPC defeated Matanzas 8-0 (an add-on game to the schedule) Tuesday night at Sal Campanella Stadium after coming off huge district and Five Star Conference wins over Spruce Creek 1-0, and DeLand 3-2, last week. FPC is now sitting in sole possession of the Five Star Conference lead (4-0) and is in great position to get the No. 1 district-tournament seed (3-0) if they can maintain their current pace.

MHS mercy rules Atlantic for their second district win
Nov 17 – PALM COAST – Some people may consider the No. 13 to be unlucky. But the MHS girl's soccer team (2-1) (2-0) might disagree. They pumped in 13 unanswered points, on Nov. 13, to turn away district foe Atlantic 13-0 and improve their overall record to 2-1. And to top off the '13s' at Pirates Stadium, Thursday night, Marlee MacCloskey led the Lady Pirates with five goals, giving her 13 on the season (counting preseason). The game ended at halftime due to mercy rules. “The girls came out hungry for a win. The first drive of the game showed we came ready to play. We controlled possession in our offensive third for a good portion of the game. Many different players were taking shots and making runs to open up options. It was absolutely a team win tonight,” MHS head coach Lauren Siatka said.

FPC girls overcome 2-0 halftime deficit to defeat Tallahassee team, remain undefeated
Nov 8 – PALM COAST – Forget the theory: The best defense is a good offense – it's just theory. Time and time again results prove: The best offense is a great defense! FPC girl's soccer coach Pete Hald might be the latest testament to that after the he added an extra defender to his backfield in the second half and then watched his Lady Bulldogs overcome a 2-0 halftime deficit and beat Tallahassee Chiles, 3-2, Friday night. "The first half was the worst half of soccer we've played all year, and they were the best team we've played. They got off a four-hour bus ride and then out hustled us," Hald said. "I gave a talk at halftime and called a few people out, and they responded well. And instead of being offensive minded, I went for defense mindedness and we went with a four-back system."

Lady Pirates mercy Palatka 8-0, tie Seabreeze 1-1, JV starts 2-0
Nov 8 – PALM COAST – New MHS girl's soccer coach Lauren Siatka has got something going with her Lady Pirates team. Not only is the team off to a 1-0-1 start, but they've only given up one goal after the first two games. And on the offensive side, they unleashed eight unanswered scores in an 8-0 win over Palatka Thursday night at Pirates Field. "Overall, it's a great group of girls, and they are responding to new ideas. We clicked from the first moment. They are really working hard," Sitaka said. "They are coming together with a new coach; they are learning to have confidence with the ball. They are also learning when the have the ball that they have a lot of options." Thursday, MHS got four goals from Marlee MacCloskey – and two of her goals were headers off crosses from Veronica Gutierrez. Also, freshmen Leana Lourenco scored twice, and two more goals came from defenders Victoria Ecker and Tatiana Rodrigues.

FPC picks up 2nd Five Star win knocking off Seabreeze 1-0
Nov 6 – PALM COAST – Soccer may be about scoring goals, but FPC girl's head coach Pete Hald has set the Lady Bulldogs' main goal for the season – and that's winning championships. "Our goal is to win championships, conference championships, district championships, tournament championships, all the championships we can win. That's our goal," Hald said, after FPC knocked off Seabreeze 1-0 Wednesday night. The win pushed FPC to 2-0 on the season, and as far as one of the championship races is concerned, the Lady Bulldogs are now 2-0 in the Five Star Conference. FPC plays Tallahassee Chiles Friday night. But next week they travel to both DeLand and Spruce Creek. If they can win those two conference games, the Five Star title could be wrapped up in November.

Robins toss-in finishes off Deltona, Barney nails two goals in 3-1 win
Nov 6 – PALM COAST – Senior Chelsea Barney pumped in two goals and hard-throwing midfielder Dana Robins tossed in another just in time to thrawt a Deltona comeback and lead FPC to an opening night 3-1 win. "Last year we started the season down there (Deltona) with a 0-0 game," FPC head coach Pete Hald said. "We don't finish early in the game." Barney opened up the night's scoring when she broke into the open, after getting a pass from Lynch, and nailed a shot into the net at the 25:20 point of the first half for a 1-0 lead. "We are fast upfront with Jenna (Lynch) and Chelsea. We got Dana at mid, who came up from the back, and Daneilla Colleta (midfield), who transfered from Matanzas. We're strong up the gut, very strong," Hald said.

Gymnastics

PC Gymnastic teams are vaulting to new heights
Nov 13 – PALM COAST – It looks like PC Gymnastics is going to be more than ready for the upcoming state championship meets in late November and December. In mid October at the Teddy Bear Invitational, in Gainesville, PC Gymnastics went head-to-head with 18 other programs and the Level 2 group came out as the All-Around Champions. That win coupled with a win at Longhorn Classic in St. Cloud a week later, vaulted the Level 2 group to a 5-0 record on the year. "The coaching and the hours these girls put in is probably the big difference. They are so organized and so busy. They waste no time when they come in to practice," PC Gymnastics head coach Kelly Hesbeens said.

PC Gymnastics teams keep pace with tougher teams
Oct 8 – DAYTONA BEACH – Though the competition was stronger at the Blackjack at the Beach meet, the PC Gymnastics Level 3 team didn't seem a bit fazed as they jumped, vaulted and sprang to their second first-place finish in as many outings. Actually, the local gymnastics center almost picked up two first-place wins when the Level 2 squad finished second by less than a point (0.125). "This was definitely some tough competition. Our girls got to see some of the other really good gyms. Our Level 2 team was just a toe-point away from finishing in first place," head coach Kellie Hesbeens said.

PC Gymnastics handles first USA meet, Level 3 competitors rule
Sep 18 – TAMPA — They may not be ready to vault into the Olympics just yet, but PC Gymnastics' climb from the AAU ranks into the prestigious USA competition didn't present any road blocks. At least not for the Level 2 and Level 3 competitors, they placed first in the team competition held at the University of Tampa last weekend. And the Level 3 squad was loaded with individual event champions as well. "Not bad for our first competition. It was tough. All the scores were lower (than AAU), but it's a different scene," Kelly Hesbeens, PC Gymnastic's head coach said.

PC Gymnastic girls say good-bye to AAU, hello to a higher call
Sep 11 – FLAGLER COUNTY – What do 12, 30 and 45 have in common? That's the ever-growing number of girls that have competed for PC Gymnastics since the studio's inception three years ago. And they've done well. Last Spring PC Gymnastics dominated the AAU state championships in Lakeland and now even more girls are headed to compete at the higher USA Gymnastics level this fall. "A lot of our girls won All-Around Competitions as well as Team Competitions (divisions) last year," Kelly Hesbeens, the team's head coach said. "It's an Olympic year so interest goes up; enrollment goes up. This year will be kind of different since we competed in the Spring last season and we only had half the time to get prepared since we start earlier. Last year, the season ran from January to April and this year it is from September to December."

High School Bowling

Pannullo wraps up career at state bowling finals, finishes 58th
Nov 14 – ORLANDO – FPC senior bowling ace Ronnie Pannullo finished off his Bulldogs career placing 58th in the state competition at Boardwalk Bowl, Tuesday. He was the only qualifying bowler from Flagler County this year. Yesterday, Pannullo bowled a 213 to start things off in his first of four 10-pin opening round games. He bowled a 170 in the second game and followed it up with a third game of 238, which had moved him into 26th place in the individual standings after three games. Pannullo picked up few very tough splits in the last game and finished with a 142. "Ronnie has had a stellar four years bowling for FPC. His past achievements include being part of a district championship team his sophomore year of 2006, a Five-Star Conference Championship (2007) and two appearances in the FHSAA Tournament in 2006 and 2008," FPC head coach Mike Screder said.

Pannullo qualifies for state bowling finals, MHS and FPC teams finish season at district meet
Nov 6 – DeLAND – Power bowlers are known as crankers and the finesse bowlers are called strokers. But FPC senior Ronnie Pannullo, who was the only prep bowler in Flagler County to qualify for the state finals Tuesday, has a combination of both games. "I consider myself to be in the middle – I'm a croker," Pannullo explained, who won one of the four individual at-large state tournament berths at DeLand's Sunshine Lanes, tossing a three-game 522 total. "I think I did well considering the conditions layed out in front of us by the bowling gods. It wasn't perfect (I didn't get the good rolls I wanted)," Pannullo said, who went to the state tournament two years ago and is hoping that experience will pay dividends at the state meet at Boardwalk Bowl in Orlando next Tuesday. "I was there my sophomore year. I believe it will ease nerves from being there the first time."

Manzione hits a 224, but Sharks nip MHS boy's and girl's teams
Oct 23 – PALM COAST – Matanzas boys bowling team lost to Atlantic, Tuesday, 5-2. In Game 2, the Pirates nailed down their second highest game of the season with a 772. That 772 is the teams ninth 700 game of the season. In that second game, the sixth person on the depth chart, freshman Matt Manzione, bowled an incredible 224, his best of the season in league play. The 224 individual game was the team's 14th of the season. Manzione closed nine of the 10 frames with seven strikes spread out with a turkey. "I hope and definitely plan to get Matt into three more games so he will eligible to participate for the districts in two weeks," coach Frank Novak said. In addition, Antonio Palma found his mark bowling a solid 194 game. Palma also had a 190 in Game 1. Rounding out the scoring for the second game was Bryant Summerlot with a 189 and Ted Brand with a 161.

MHS girl's roll over Pine Ridge, take total pins
Oct 16 – Girl's Bowling MHS 7 Pine Ridge 0 MHS 504, 450 Baker 146, 136, 134 Total Pins: 1370 Pine 487, 442 Baker 151, 107 124 Total Pins: 1311 The Matanzas girl's bowling beat Pine Ridge 7-0 at Deltona Lanes Wednesday. It is the first time the Lady Pirates have shut a team out. Standouts for Matanzas were Amber Willoughby (156) and Jenny Grimm (110). Katie Luker of Pine Ridge tossed a 164. During the first game Willoughby lead the Pirates with 156. Katie Luker lead her team with a 164. In the Pirates Game 2 win, Willoughby led again with 142.

Matanzas girls record largest pin drop of the season against Mainland
Oct 13 – PALM COAST — The Matanzas Lady Pirates bowling team (4-5) lost to the Seabreeze Sandcrabs 7-0 Thursday at Coquina Lanes. While the Pirates gave it their all with the talents of Jenny Grimm 159 and Megan Saltmarsh 158 in the first game, a win was not to be had. Seabreeze is known for the powerhouse bowlers and Kayli Cantrell and Erin Charlick proved it by bowling 177 and 157 respectively.

MHS bowler nails down second 200 game in one week
Oct 10 – PALM COAST – Matanzas boy's bowling showed up in style scoring their season’s best scratch-pins game (775), and one more Baker game Thursday, but the Pirates ended up losing the match to Seabreeze 4-3. The Pirates even outscored the 'Crabs 1930 -1878 in total pins. "They bowled as well as I could ask today. Ted Brand stepped up and bowled a nice 198 game, just two points shy of a second 200 game. The team recorded it’s tenth and eleventh 200-or-better game today. Bryant Summerlot bowled his fourth 200 game with a 222," MHS coach Frank Novak said. "Michael Brooks did very well in which he bowled another 200 game – his third of the season, a 201, and that was his second one this week. In that second game, Bryant Summerlot bowled a pair of turkey’s (3 strikes in a row). I would definitely have to say he got that monkey off his back today."

FPC nips Matanzas after winning last three sets
Oct 3 – PALM COAST — The FPC boy's bowling team edged out Matanzas Thursday at Coquina Lanes, 5-2, by sweeping all three Baker games at the end to win the match. FPC won the first 10-pin game 699-562, led by Jake Titone (224) and Ronnie Pannullo (210). Matanzas won the second 10-pin game 732-708. The high bowlers for Matanzas were Michael Brooks (213) and Antonio Palma (221). Pannullo (222) was the high bowler for FPC in the second game. It then came down to the Baker games to see which team could win 2-of-3 games, and the Bulldogs took all three.

FPC boys bowling stops Mainland 4-3 in Coquina Lanes thriller
Sep 27 – PALM COAST – The FPC boys (3-3) faced off with second-place and last year's district champs, Mainland, Thursday at Coquina Lanes. It was also FPC’s first home conference match and they made the most of it winning a thrilling 4-3 matchup. "There was a lot of excitement as the teams went back-and-fourth splitting the first two 10-pin games," FPC Head Coach Mike Screder said.

Willoughby rolls 185 in loss to Panthers
Sep 27 – PALM COAST – Matanzas Lady Pirates (2-2) once again gave it their all, but with two bowlers ill, they lost to Pine Ridge 5-2 Tuesday afternoon at Coquina Lanes. MHS beat PRHS by only one pin during the first game with Amber Willoughby (185) standing out for the girls. Amber continued to play well during the second game with a pin drop of 159. "A win was not to be had as two of Matanzas’s seniors were not bowling to their potential because they are ill," MHS Head Coach Kim Saltmarsh said.

Pirates face off against Pine Ridge bowling tandem
Sep 25 – PALM COAST – Matanzas boys bowlers once again gave it their all and despite that, they lost to a powerful Pine Ridge team 7-0 and 2,252-1,730 in total pins. If their was a bright moment for the boys they won their second Baker game, but a team must win two-of-three Baker games to receive any points in the match. Ted Brand bowled a 198 game, along with Antonio Palma bowling a 179 and Bryant Summerlot bowled a 171 in the loss.

Summerlot scored a season first-game high in loss to Seabreeze
Sep 17 – DAYTONA BEACH – The Matanzas boy's bowling team invaded Bellair Lanes Tuesday and bowled their best game of the season but still lost to Seabreeze 7-0. However, MHS won their first Baker game (193-167) though Seabreeze took the total-pins count 2292-1944. "All in all, I see this as continued improvement from my team," MHS Coach Frank Novak said. Bryant Summerlot scored a season first-game high of 264 (MHS's 4th 200 game). "He was on the mark totally and at one time bowled eight-consecutive strikes. Bryant should have a very successful season and I look forward to him breaking more records," Novak said

MHS girls win Baker series, score highest in Game 2
Sep 17 – DAYTONA BEACH – The Matanzas girl's bowling team lost to Seabreeze 5-2 at Bellair Lanes Tuesday. However, outstanding bowling performances were turned in by seniors Megan Saltmarsh (166) and Jenny Grimm (143) in the first game. During the second game, junior Amber Willoughby had her highest pin drop (180) of the season, and sophomore Rachel Suleski broke her record with a 137 game.

Matazanas looks for third-straight win at Seabreeze tonight
Sep 16 – ORMOND BEACH – The Matanzas Lady Pirate bowlers beat Mainland last Thursday at Ormond Lanes to improve their record to 2-0. They will look for their third-straight win tonight when they face Seabreeze at Bellaire Lanes. Standouts for the Lady Pirates were seniors Megan Saltmarsh, with highs of 157 and 161, and Jenny Grimm, with highs of 141 and 142. Junior Amber Willougby had a high game of 146.

Matanzas girls, FPC boys win Opening Day match
Sep 12 – PALM COAST — It's important to pick up the splits in bowling. And the MHS-FPC bowling opening-day bout turned into a split decision with the Lady Pirates and the FPC boys picking up a wins at Coquina Lanes Wednesday evening. The MHS girls took Game 2, 533-499, the Baker series 388-377 and total pins 1432-1429, to capture a 5-2 win. FPC won Game 1, 553-511. "After five games and two hours of bowling, a miniscule three pins separted the two teams total-pin count with Matanzas edging out FPC, 1432-1329. This was a totally riveting way to open the 2008 high school bowling season," FPC Head Coach Michael Screder said.

High School Cheerleading

MHS cheerleaders win multiple awards
Sep 5 – PALM COAST — MHS cheerleaders had a strong summer learning experience attending the famous UCF camp in Orlando last June. "We did a great job... We had a great team bonding experience," MHS Cheer Coach Kellie Doucette said. "In evaluations we placed second in the home pom division, third in the cheer division, second in the extreme routine, and we were recognized as a superior squad. The award I am most proud of is the Traditions award. The Traditions Award is given to the team that best exemplifies what traditional cheerleading should be both on and off the mat."

FPC 2008 cheer squad named
Aug 27 – DAYTONA BEACH – FPC finished second at the pep rally at Stetson's cheerleading camp last summer and this year they have followed up by taking second place at the pep rally at the Embry Riddle camp. The Bulldogs' second place performance was in the Home Pom Division.

High School Cross Country

Matanzas boys XC qualifies for 2A state meet, finishes 4th at regional
Nov 18 – JACKSONVILLE – Flagler County Schools may be watching their budget this year, but they'll have to spend some extra dollars on gas next weekend – the MHS boy's cross country team is headed to Dade City for the 2A state finals. The Pirates qualified for the first time in school history this weekend, placing fourth out of 14 teams at the 2A Region 1 meet held at Jacksonville Bartram Trail High. Only the top 6 teams were awarded state berths. Bishop Kenny (31) won the meet, Jacksonville Bolles (99) finished second, Pensacola Catholic (106) was third followed by Matanzas (122) and Tallahassee Godby (189) to round out the top five.

FPC qualfiies both cross country teams for Region of Death meet, Saturday
Nov 12 – DeLAND – In the movie 'City Slickers' Curly said, "There's nothing like bringing in the herd." But as far as FPC cross country coach David Halliday is concerned, there's nothing like moving his teams onto the state finals. That's where one can find 'Curly's Gold!' But to get there, both the FPC boy's and girl's cross country teams will have to cross through the notorious Region of Death (Region 4A-1) this coming Saturday at Bartram Trail High School and finish among the top 6 teams. Both Bulldogs teams took the first step, Saturday, at the 4A-1 District showdown at DeLand's Sperling Sports Complex by finishing among the top 8 teams.

MHS boys finish third at district XC meet, girls finish up season
Nov 8 – JACKSONVILLE – If a cross country team wants to succeed they usually have to run right through a few obstacles – and they're not all on the course. The MHS Pirates entered their 2A District 2 meet Thursday evening without two runners that have been major cogs in the team's success and recent No. 7 ranking this season. And after they ran through that obstacle and the course, the Pirates found themselves advancing to the regional meet with a third-place finish. MHS has now qualified for the regional meet two-straight seasons. "Two years in a row, the boys are pretty excited and confident. They could get to state despite our unexpected losses (runners) that every team goes through," MHS head coach Chris Feist said.

FPC Boy's XC wins Conference title, Lady Bulldogs are runners-up
Nov 1 – DeLAND – Looking like the Bulldogs of old, FPC (31 points) turned on the juice and won the Five Star Conference title Wednesday afternoon at Sperling Sports Complex. And the Lady Bulldogs looked like the FPC of new, finishing as Five Star Girl's Runners-up. Anchoring the boy's return to Five Star supremacy were: Willie Williams (16:44.61) finishing third, Brandon Earle (17:03.92) fourth, Matt Howes (17:04.63) fifth, C.J. Lockhart (17:33.87) seventh (17:33.87) and Jason Lust (17:58.47) 12th. "We won in '06, but our streak was broke last year by Creek. That makes nine Five Star Titles. FPC is the winningest Five Star team dating back to 1976," FPC head coach David Halliday said. Williams, Howes and Lockhart all recorded personal bests in the race. And Lockhart may be peaking at just the right time for the Bulldogs.

Matanzas runners sweep St. Joes, boys win third meet of the season
Oct 25 – PALM COAST – There at it again. The No. 14 ranked Matanzas Pirates cross country team won their third meet of the season, Tuesday, at Princess Place Park – this time over St. Joseph's Academy, 20-42. And now the Lady Pirates are joining in on the recent MHS XC success, winning their leg of the dual meet 23-36. On the individual front, St. Joseph's Marc Akbar (17.08) won the meet for the boys while the Pirates Krickstien Torres (17.33) was second. Matanzas runner Akeda Marcano (23.16) was first overall for the girls. In the girl's race, ITMS runner Kristein Marcano finished first, but was only pacing the race and her time was included in the team scoring.

No. 14 Pirates pick up another win at Mt. Dora Invitational
Oct 22 – MOUNT DORA – No one is going to question the Matanzas Pirates recent No. 14 cross country ranking, at least none of the teams that competed at the Mount Dora Bible School Invitational, Saturday. The Pirates, officially on a roll, took first place out of a 23-team field with 57 points, easily besting runners-up Coco Beach (97 points). "On the bus back they were all smiles. They are just loving it right now. It's great to see something like that.They have the confidence now," MHS head coach Chris Feist. The overall event winner was Tyler Davidson (Coco Beach), running a blistering 17:12. The Lady Pirates (224 points) placed eighth out of 21 teams. The overall event winner was Christina McKinney of Mount Dora, who ran a blistering time of 21:12.

FPC boys finish second at Pre-State meet, clocks go on the blink
Oct 20 – LITTLE EVERGLADES PARK – Forget the times, all that matters is the final score. Whether anyone agrees with that philosophy or not, that's exactly what happened at the Pre-State Cross Country meet, Saturday, when the timing system briefly failed. Due to the mishap, officials were forced to adjust the final times in the boy's race. After the confusion was cleared, the FPC boys (157) finished second overall in the large school race behind meet champion Timber Creek (99). "Everyone agreed the clock was not correct so they added 45 seconds to everyone's time. In 2001, at state, they messed up the scoring. They gave Winter Park the state title and they had to go back and give it to Atlantic," FPC head coach David Halliday said.

Pirates crack FACA cross country rankings for 1st time, host meet Tuesday
Oct 19 – PALM COAST – While people are running around trying to figure a way out of their economic problems, the MHS boy's cross country team has gone out and proved downturns came be overcome with good old-fashion hard work. The Pirates accomplished that Wednesday when the team cracked the FACA 2A Cross Country Rankings for the first time in school history. The Matanzas boy's team found themselves holding down the No. 14 poll position this week after several strong showings on their fall schedule. "In one word, I think I would say the team felt confident. I feel this ranking confirmed our belief in ourselves that as athletes we can be state level competitors. All season the boys have been focused, and doing what they need to do, and we are seeing the benefits from this all over," MHS head coach Chris Feist said, who vowed to turn last year's mishap into a 2008 positive.

Collision and recount factors in XC Fr.-So. 5-Star, FPC boys and girls finish 2nd
Oct 16 – PORT ORANGE – They don't call it a "chute" for nothing. In cross country a lot of things can happen coming through the final 20 yards of roped-off area in front of the finish line. And Tuesday afternoon, a collision between FPC's Alex Giorgianni and Spruce Creek's Brian Bartleson might have been costed FPC a last-second chance to snatch sole possession of second place at the Freshmen-Sophomore Five Star Meet – shoot! As it turned out, the Bulldogs (72) tied for second place with NSB (72). Bartleson (21st) was leading Giorgianni (22nd) coming through the shoot when the Creek runner stumbled forward and tripped up Giorgianni (21:11). Though no one can really speculate whether or not Giorgianni could have overtaken Bartleson (21:01) had the collision not taken place, it was definitely a possibility. It took Bartleson a few seconds to recover and then he finished the race.

Runners turn in wrong direction at Ridgeview, FPC boys finish 2nd
Oct 16 – ORANGE PARK – It wasn't exactly like Lou Costello asking, "Who's on First?" It was more like dozens of people asking "Where is the guy in first?" FPC (114) finished a distant second to Jacksonville Mandarin (49) after some major confusion occurred among the leaders of the pack last Saturday at the Ridgeview Invitational. "The top 20 kids, approximately, turned the wrong way. They didn't have a lead vehicle. The No.1 guy turned, and there was a clump of them and they all followed. It took them 50 to 100 meters off course, and they had to be diverted. It cost themselves anywhere from 15 to 30 seconds," FPC head coach David Halliday said, who had his top four runners effected by the mishap. "From us, it was Willie (Williams), C.J. (Lockhart), Matt Howes and Ashdon Mills; they were all in that group. And the girls JV meet went off course in another spot," Halliday said

MHS boy's XC finishes 6th at Disney Cross Country Invitational Classic
Oct 14 – ORLANDO — MHS runners faced some extreme hit and an huge field Friday at the Walt Disney World Wide World of Sports Complex for the Disney Cross Country Invitational Classic. The heat continued until the girl's varsity race rounded the two-mile mark, then subsided for the remainder of the day. The well celebrated break was taken advantage of by Akeda Marcano (24:17) leading the Lady Pirates to a 27th-place finish out of 47 teams from across the state.

FPC XC girls win their first meet in four seasons, boys take 1st
Oct 11 – LAKE CITY – David Halliday's return to his old coaching roots might have also marked the FPC girls cross country team's return to championship contention. The team won their first meet since the fall of 2004. "That's pretty significant even though it was a small meet. For our girls to win (was huge), if you could have seen the relief and excitement on their face, just giving them the hope that they can be winners. That was a big victory for them," Halliday said, who had coached meet-host Columbia to a state championship before coming to FPC.

FPC boys XC returns to FACA poll for the first time in 21 months
Oct 4 – PALM COAST – While the nation was busy watching Presidential polls and Wall Street stock exchange numbers today, FPC coach David Halliday was waiting for the FACA Cross Country rankings to be released. And when they did, his FPC Bulldogs had slipped into the No. 15 position in Class 4A. It was the first time the Bulldogs have been ranked since November 2006.

Matanzas runners set school and individual records at Tallahassee
Oct 1 – TALLAHASSEE – The Matanzas cross country program had another great race today at the FSU Invitational Saturday at Miccosukkee Greenway Park, going against of the six of the top 10 fastest times in the state. And out of a field of 42, the MHS boys finished 19th overall and the Lady Pirates were 35th.

Matanzas boys win at Embry Riddle
Sep 21 – DAYTONA BEACH – The Matanzas Pirates have been waiting for the start of the 2008 cross country season to begin every since the end of last season. And they made the most of their opportunity, taking first in the Small School Division of the Ascics Embry Riddle Classic Saturday. The MHS boys (25) easily out-shined second place Pedro Menendez (87) by 62 points. Justin Bartusek of West Shore won the race (18:46.76).

FPC boys finish 2nd, girls 3rd, both JV teams sparkle
Sep 21 – MT. DORA – Try saying 'Unique New York' three times fast.. Give up? Well, just be glad that's not the name of the Melbourne boy's cross country team. After their runners finished the Mt. Dora Invitational taking the top-five positions, Saturday, people would have been tongue-tied for a week calling out the finish. The defending state champions were led by junior sensation Brian Atkinson, followed by James Post, Erik Fagan, Dillion McGee and Marc Gold. Needless to say, Melbourne won the meet with a miniscule 15 points. And local cross country power FPC finished second with 101 points, beating out third-place Winter Springs (106). The Bulldogs were led by junior Brandon Earle, who finished sixth with an 18:20 time on a extremely slow course.

Daytona Beach Half Marathon is scheduled for Oct. 26
Sep 9 – DAYTONA BEACH — Daytona International Speedway is joining forces with the Central Florida Sports Commission, the Daytona Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Daytona Beach Sports Council of Volusia County to host the inaugural Daytona Beach Half Marathon on Sunday, Oct. 26 at 7 a.m.

MHS boy's cross country team seeks a state-berth season
Sep 1 – PALM COAST – The Matanzas boy's cross country team has been waiting to step up to the starting line for the 2008 season ever since last year's post-season run to state meet was cut short due to a minor infraction. "I've been waiting for this season to start for a long time. When you fall off a horse, you just have to get back on it," FPC boy's cross country coach Chris Feist said. "The big goal is to qualify for states. Yes, we want to qualify for regionals again, but we don't want to keep our eyes focused too low. I honestly believe we could have made it last year; I believe we could have squeaked in."

FPC Girl's Cross Country gets new coach
Aug 27 – PALM COAST – With the departure of Coach Gretchen Meyer coupled with several cutbacks in the budget, FPC boy's cross country coach David Halliday will be blowing two whistles this fall. The Lady Bulldogs cross country team will now be under his direction as well.

Halliday sets the goal at Top 5 for FPC Boys
Aug 27 – PALM COAST – FPC Cross Country Coach David Halliday has been known to use every motivational trick in the book to spark a team to postseason success. But don't look for him to hand out little brown bags as a reminder of last year's hiccup that broke a string of nine-straight state meet appearances. Halliday wants his team back at the state meet this fall, but he plans on getting them there by leaving nothing to chance.

High School Football

MHS will have to wait until 2009 to expand on win streak
Nov 17 – PONTE VEDRA – The good news is: MHS football is on a two-game winning streak. The bad new is: The Pirates won't get a chance to expand on it until next season. But with that said, head coach Keith Lagocki can't wait for that opportunity after the Pirates knocked off Ponte Vedra 28-7 in the season finale Friday night. "I think we're slowly seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. The kids are already talking about next year. Our JV had a great year and ITMS had a great year, so we are looking forward to next season. But defensively, we are going to have to replace the secondary," Lagocki said.

Buchholz tops FPC 24-10, Bulldogs' streak ends after 5-year run
Nov 16 – GAINESVILLE – FPC's school record run of five-consecutive non-losing seasons came to a close at Citizen's Field, Thursday night, with a 24-10 loss to 5A playoff-bound Buchholz. The Bulldogs finished out an injury-filled season with a 4-6 record and a schedule that was packed with playoff-bound teams. "I really don't know where to start. This bunch has been through a lot; they've handled adversity. They didn't go through all the lip service that usually surfaces coming into a week like this," FPC head coach Steve Allen said. I'm proud of the seniors. We have a good program and I'm not making excuses, but we went against six playoff teams this year."

DeLand knocks off FPC 15-9
Nov 10 – DeLAND – It didn't matter that both teams are named the Bulldogs. Friday night's FPC-DeLand game was just good old-fashion dog-eat-dog football. There were hammering hits, flubber punts, slingshot kicks, breakout runs, diving catches, interceptions, fumbles, face-masks grabs, roughing flags and a 98-yard fourth-quarter drive that eventually decided the dandy with DeLand (5-4)(4-1) getting 15-9 district win. And to top it all off, the first half was just plain nuts. "Zany? The first half was real zany. We had to bring our "A" game," FPC head coach Steve Allen said, and backed and praised the effort his team put forth the entire game despite being out of the playoff hunt. "Our kids fought their ... off. They are fighters; our coaches are fighters. Tonight they just didn't give up. To play that long against the quality athletes that DeLand has and not to give up a second touchdown until late in the fourth quarter, that says something about our kids. Give them credit."

Matanzas stomps Atlantic and grabs a 36-0 homecoming win
Nov 10 – PALM COAST – The opening drive told the whole story as the Matanzas HIgh school football team used a punishing ground attack to post a solid 36-0 homecoming victory over the Atlantic Sharks Friday night at Pirates Stadium. The first play of the game was an omen for the remainder of the contest as Joe Rivera busted a 47-yard jaunt to the Saints 19-yard line. The quick strike was climaxed with a 10-yard scoring rumble by Elliot Helland. After the kick failed, the Pirates grabbed a 6-0 lead with 9:56 showing in the opening quarter. The PIrates defense stifled the Saints on the next possession and Matanzas took over on their own 46-yard line. It looked like the Pirates were going to add to their lead quickly as the home team drove down to the Saints 7-yard line but a fumble gave the ball back to the visitors at their own 9-yard line.

Matanzas shrugs off loss to St. Augustine, looks to next week's homecoming
Nov 3 – ST. AUGUSTINE – Who needs Halloween? The only holiday that matters in prep football is homecoming, and that's what will be on the Matanzas Pirates' minds for the next seven days as they prepare to host winless Port Orange Atlantic (0-8) (0-4) next week. Normally, the Pirates would be thinking about their 56-0 loss to St. Augustine last night, but right after the game MHS head coach Keith Lagocki looked at his watch and told his team, "Dump it at 9:35 p.m." Looking at the Pirates' schedule in the preseason, most prognosticators figured Matanzas (1-6) (0-3) would lose to St. Augustine (7-0) (3-0) but they would have a solid chance to pick up a win against Atlantic.

Allen's Bulldogs climb back to .500 with 35-7 win over Sandalwood
Nov 3 – PALM COAST – The Flagler Palm Coast High Bulldog football team climbed to the .500 mark this season with a 35-7 taming of Sandalwood Friday at Sal Campanella Stadium. With the easy victory the Bulldogs improved their overall record to 4-4 while also evening up its district mark to 2-2. The Saints fell to 0-8 and 0-4 in the district. The fate of the game was foretold in the beginning with the Saints trying an game opening ill-conceived offside kick that gave the ball to the Bulldogs at the Sandalwood 43-yard line. The Bulldogs wasted little time driving to pay dirt on a five-play drive on the ground. The scoring thrust came on a 24-yard jaunt by Fritz Jean up the middle. After a successful kick by Kenlee Critcher the Bulldogs had a 7-0 lead at the 12:24 mark.

Bowen, Jean bust loose for huge scores, FPC postseason hopes still alive in 17-9 win
Oct 27 – PALM COAST – The girls running for FPC homecoming queen might have been nervous wrecks Friday night at Sal Campanella Stadium, but they probably couldn't compare to Bulldogs head coach Steve Allen, whose team came away with a 17-9 win over Deltona. The Bulldogs (3-4) (1-2) still have an outside shot at a 6A playoff spot. But coming into the game, FPC had only been averaging a little over eight points per game in their district matchups. And with the rain pouring down through the first quarter, it didn't look like the field conditions were going to be an offense's best friend. "I was nervous when we were playing Atlantic and we were up to 52-0," Allen said after his team hung on to win a game that was in question until the very end.

Pirates prove fumble bug is gone in 21-12 loss to Clay
Oct 26 – PALM COAST – After coaching for many years, a famous mentor once said he found more pleasure in leading a developing team that made errors of youthful enthusiasm. Such could be the case of the Matanzas Pirates as the local football team shows improvements each week as evidenced Friday night at Pirates Stadium in a ground-game slugfest. But the visiting Clay Blue Devils had a tad more humph in their punch to post a 21-12 triumph. On the improvement graph for the local team is in the error department. After being plagued in the early part of the season with the fumble bug the Pirates seemed to have taken the right miscue vaccination as the local team didn't cough up the ball one time.

Pirates freshmen blast Bishop Kenny 36-14, improve to 5-2
Oct 25 – PALM COAST – They may be freshmen but Matanzas' Shaun White and Casey Kronemeyer played like NFL players in the Pirates 36-14 win over Bishop Kenny, Tuesday evening. White gave would-be tacklers fits as he reversed his field and picked up huge chunks of yardage throughout the game. He also scored on a 45-yard touchdown run (Tyler Cotner kick) to give MHS a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. "He (White) moved down to us from New York, and he will do great things at the varsity level," Matanzas JV head coach Abude Koushakjy said.

Defenses rule JV bowl, Bell's TD proves to be the difference
Oct 19 – PALM COAST – Rivalries are about defense. And though the Potato Bowl hasn't arrived on the Flagler County sports calendar yet, Thursday night's Matanzas-FPC JV football game wasn't exactly played for tater tots. Both JV defenses mashed and smashed away making crucial stops at pivotal moments. In the end, the difference turned out to be a 1-yard touchdown run by FPC QB Jimmy Bell that gave the Bulldogs a 7-0 win. "It was a very good ball game. They fought us hard, but our guys just fought a little harder. We moved the ball up and down the field. We're the County Champs for the next 365 days," FPC JV coach Travis Lee said. "The game means a whole lot...And we wanted to state our dominance." It seemed every time FPC threatened to score, the Pirate's defense made a big play to keep the game in question until the very end.

FPC playoff hopes fade in 15-6 loss to Spruce Creek
Oct 15 – NEW SMYRNA BEACH – If you love offense, then the second quarter of Monday night's FPC-Spruce Creek matchup was for you. That's when all 21 points of the game were scored as the Hawks (5-1) (2-0) knocked of the Bulldogs (2-4) (0-2) in a critical 6A-1 district showdown at NSB's Airport Field. If you love great defense, than the rest of the game was for you. "I feel like that is the best football team in our district. And I feel that is the best defensive front that we've faced," FPC head coach Steve Allen said.

MHS JV improves to 4-1 with second win over Menendez
Oct 13 – PALM COAST — If the Pedro Menendez JV football team wants revenge for their September loss to Matanzas, they'll have to wait until next season. The Pirates made a clean sweep of the Falcons with a 14-12 home win last Thursday night. In the first quarter, Matanzas jumped on Menendez with a touchdown run from Sal Infante (Cotner kick) to take a 7-0 lead.

Menendez gets better of turnover tradeoff in 24-3 win over MHS
Oct 13 – ST. AUGUSTINE – Never eat Ying-Yang ice cream; it just leaves a bad taste in your mouth. Just ask the Matanzas Pirates who traded scoops with Pedro Menendez Friday night only to find out it's not as even as advertised. Trailing Menendez 7-3 with less than a minute to go in the first half, the Pirates traded fumbles with the Falcons. But somehow the Matanzas' miscue was returned 97 yards for a touchdown, which propelled Menendez to a 24-3 win.

Matanzas picks up first win against Umatilla 28-8
Oct 8 – UMATILLA – Mark it down. Matanzas's 28-8 win over Umatilla was definitely one for 'the Hooks.' The Pirates had been plagued by fumbles during their first four outings, but they dug their hooks deep into the pigskin and hung on tight Friday night, limiting themselves to just one lost fumble. And in the end, the Pirates won the turnover ratio, the battle of field position and the game on the scoreboard – their first of the season.

Bulldogs dominate Atlantic with a 52-0 non-district win
Oct 6 – PALM COAST – There is nothing that can soothe a football team after a rough patch like posting a solid win. In fact, the Flalger Palm Coast Bulldogs football team garnered more like a lopsided victory as they literally ran over the Atlantic Sharks 52-0 Friday night at Sam Campanella Stadium. The home team used a wide range of runners from seniors to freshmen and the Sharks were not able to find the answer.

Matanzas JV crushes University Christian, 48-22, improves to 3-1
Oct 4 – PALM COAST – Don't be alarmed if you see three judges sitting around a table at the next Matanzas Pirates JV game, they've probably just rolled in from 'American Idol' to figure out who's 'Da Man.' After Thursday night's 48-22 hammering of University Christian, half of the Matanzas JV roster stepped into the spotlight for a moment or two of glory. Even after MHS had rolled up a solid 28-0 lead in the second quarter, the defense continued to pressure and produce sacks, fumble recoveries and several interceptions.

Pirates defense plays stronger in district loss
Sep 28 – PALM COAST – The momentum in a game can change in a blink of an eye. The Palatka Panthers had controlled the first half of the game, taking a 21-0 lead into halftime Friday at the Pirates Field but Matanzas came out of the locker room with a roar. On the opening third quarter kickoff, Josh Russell, who had good night on the return ledger, scrambled to the Panther 47-yard line on a 36-yard return. The Pirates then used a little trickery as back Jarockeis Jones hit end Kendrick Robertson, who had slipped by the Panther defense, for a touchdown on an option pass.. It looked like the extra point by Christian Benvenuto was good, but a illegal motion call against the Pirates nullified the kick.

Mandarin rallies to beat FPC in final two minutes for district win
Sep 28 – JACKSONVILLE – It was there and then suddenly it wasn't. Three plays into the fourth quarter, FPC had Mandarin backed up to their own 4-yard line on third down. Suddenly a Mustang's fumble was there and picked up by Bulldogs defensive lineman Zack Sohns, who ushered it straight into the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown. Kenlee Critcher's kick was good and the Bulldogs had a 14-10 lead. It looked like FPC's first district win was there, and then suddenly it was a 20-14 loss.

MHS Pirates upend University Christian, top Menendez
Sep 27 – JACKSONVILLE – Though both of the county's varsity football teams are struggling this season, the JV's and junior high teams are all rolling. And the Matanzas Pirates JV team affirmed that Thursday night winning a huge game at University Christian, 22-10.

Yulee takes 14-6 win over Matanzas, Pirates play well in second half
Sep 24 – PALM COAST – With the fate of the tightly contested game hanging in the fourth quarter, the Yulee Hornets escaped with a 14-6 victory over the Matanzas High football team Friday night at the Pirates Field. It looked like the visitors were going to put in the killing blow with a 14-6 lead and a drive to the Pirates' 6-yard line in the final quarter, but a series of penalties along with a stingy defense pushed the Yulee team back to the Hornets' 45-yard line.

St. Thomas Aquinas remains state's No.1 ranked team
Sep 24 – FORT MYERS – The following is Beef 'O¹Brady¹s Top 25 high school football poll. First place votes are in parentheses, followed by classification, record and points. 1. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale) (12) 5A 2-0 321 2. Armwood (Seffner) 4A 3-0 311 3. Pahokee (1) 2B 3-0 299 4. Deerfield Beach 6A 3-0 280 5. Madison County 2A 1-0 276

Pine Ridge quarterback foils FPC's bid for second-straight win, 24-6
Sep 23 – DELTONA - It's not hard to figure out why the Pine Ridge defense has only allowed six total points so far this season – their offense is always on the field. At least it was Friday night during a 24-6 win over FPC. The Panthers (3-0) veer attack was literally on 'Cruz' control as quarterback Ben De La Cruz ran the offense to perfection with some slight-of-hand deception. Play after play, the senior shoved the ball into the guts of running back candidates before yanking it back out and keeping it for consistent gains. Cruz almost appeared to have the ball on a yo-yo string as he rushed 21 times for 117 yards, while his running back Bradly Lundguist broke free for 92 yards on just eight carries with one touchdown.

On the surface, MHS and Friday's opponent Yulee have a lot in common
Sep 20 – PALM COAST — It's not a match made in heaven, but it sure looks like one. Back in July, neither Matanzas (3A-4) nor Yulee (2A-3) were on each others radar maps. But due to some scheduling obstacles both teams found themselves looking for an opponent for Sept. 19. The FHSAA forced the Pirates' original adversary, Potter's House, to scratch their entire season from the 2008 books. And Yulee's original Friday night date, Ft. Lauderdale University (2B), ran into some travel issues which forced them to bump the Hornet's game from their schedule.

FPC gets ready to meet undefeated Pine Ridge tonight
Sep 20 – PALM COAST — As tonight's Pine Ridge game approaches in Deltona, FPC football fans can almost picture that old 'Lost in Space' robot flailing his arms up-and-down yelling "Danger, danger, danger!" Forget the fact the Panthers haven't been in the playoffs the past few years (and at 6-4, they were close last season). This Pine Ridge team is 2-0 and they've won both their games by a combined score of 68-0.

FPC freshmen destroy Crescent City 48-0, improve to 2-0
Sep 19 – PALM COAST – Jesse Sink returned the opening kickoff 62 yards down to the 18-yard line against Crescent City Wednesday night, and then rambled the next 18 yards into the end zone for the touchdown to set the tone for the FPC freshmen's 48-0 win. Sink also added a 7-yard TD run in the first quarter and a 25-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Quarterback Jimmy Bell tossed two touchdowns passes, a 30-yarder to Kamal McCall and a 20-yarder to Jake Feldman. Justin Phillips scored on a 10-yard run off the toss-sweep and a 23-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Feldman kicked six extra points in the Bulldogs rout at Sal Campanella Stadium.

FPC gets monkey off their backs, routs Seabreeze 37-14
Sep 19 – PALM COAST – If you want something bad enough, just take it. The FPC Bulldogs wanted their first win over Seabreeze badly, and they delivered it in furry fashion Friday night with a 37-14 defensive grab bag. Over the past few seasons, FPC had dropped their opening games to both St. Augustine and Seabreeze before making their now annual run to the playoffs. But the 0-2 starts were becoming burdensome to the Bulldogs, which prompted FPC Head Coach Steve Allen to speak earlier in the week about getting the 0-2 monkey off his back. Just a few days earlier, FPC had lost a 14-13 overtime thriller to St. Augustine, and the monkey was growing into a beast.

MHS picks up second loss of the season, backup QB gets some action
Sep 16 – PALM COAST — There is nothing that matures a quarterback more then to be thrown into the line of fire. Matanzas sophomore signal caller Austin Regeci got his chance to start a game when starting quarterback Elliott Helland had to sit out because of dehydration problems from the first season game against HIlliard last week.

St. Augustine edges FPC 14-13 in overtime thriller
Sep 9 – PALM COAST — The Yellow Jackets got the win, but FPC proved to be anything but yellow when it came down to crunch time. The Bulldogs showed the guts, they just didn't get the glory as St. Augustine hung on to get a dramatic 14-13 overtime win at Sal Campanella Stadium, Thursday night, in the season opener for both teams. FPC had tied the game at 14-14 in overtime after a 2-yard TD run by Fritz Jean and a Kenlee Critcher extra-point kick split the uprights. But suddenly, a St. Augustine penalty flag on the point-after attempt gave the Bulldogs a few added options, and FPC Head Coach Steve Allen decided to see what was behind Door No.2. The Bulldog's skipper, now in his seventh season as head coach, elected to take the tying points off the board and go for the two-point conversion and a sudden-death win.

Hilliard proves too much for Pirates in season opener
Sep 9 – PALM COAST — Miscues proved costly as the Matanzas High football team sputtered to a 34-0 loss to Hilliard in season-opening games for both teams Thursday night at the Pirates Field. The Flashes played over their Class 1A status as they grabbed a lead early in the first period and never looked back and controlled the Class 3A Pirates most of the evening.

FPC proves to be tops at Jacksonville Jam
Sep 5 – JACKSONVILLE – Some would call it a jamboree; and others would call it preseason, but FPC head coach Steve Allen just called Thursday night's trip to Andrew Jackson Stadium a "great start." The Bulldogs swept three teams in one-quarter apiece scrimmages at the jamboree; they knocked off Jacksonville Wolfson 19-6, Trinity Christian 14-6 and host Andrew Jackson High 6-0.

Pirates to start season at home
Sep 3 – PALM COAST — The Matanzas Pirates football team will be getting a new field house this season and they'll also be getting a new quarterback as senior Elliot Helland takes over the signal calling duties. Helland, who has been a rugged-runner in the Pirates' offensive scheme for the past three years, shows the promise of being the strongest ground threat they've ever had at the quarterback position. "Now instead of having three backs that can run at you, they'll (opposition) have to defend all four. It helps when we have probably our most athletic quarterback that we've had in the past. He's able to do a lot more things. He's a little behind in the passing aspect of it but he is such a good athlete that he is picking it up rather quickly," MHS head coach Keith Lagocki said.

Yellow Jackets ranked No. 4 in 3A, visit FPC this Friday
Sep 1 – The following is the FSWA preseason high school football poll. Class 6A 1. Deerfield Beach (18) 223 2. Apopka (3) 196 3. North Miami Beach 181 4. Miami Northwestern (2) 158 5. Boone 131 6. Cypress Bay 109 7. Miami Central 83 8. Miramar 51 9. Christopher Columbus Catholic 39 10. Edgewater 26 Others receiving votes: Timber Creek 22, Vero Beach 12, South Dade 6, Spruce Creek 5, Park Vista Community 5, Dr. Phillips 4, Boyd Anderson 4, Flagler Palm Coast 3, Sanford Seminole 3, Homestead 2, Lake Brantley 1, Royal Palm Beach 1.

Critcher era begins at FPC
Aug 29 – PALM COAST — Seven is usually considered the number of completion. But for FPC head coach Steve Allen, his seventh Bulldogs football season marks the beginning of a new era at the school – the Kenlee Critcher quarterback era. "Kenlee is the best athlete that has played at FPC. I know people like to talk about this guy and that guy throughout the years, but I would say he rivals any athlete. And in the next two years that will bear itself out," Allen said.

High School Golf

Three prep golfers compete at Regionals, none advance
Oct 22 – PALM COAST – Don't expect MHS freshman golf sensation Mary Rodgers to sit around in the offseason reflecting on her 2008 accomplishments. According to Matanzas coach Louise Wolfe, less than 24 hours after falling short of a state tournament at-large berth, Rodgers was out on the links refining her game for the 2009 season. Rodgers was one of three local prep golfers (Julia Moody and Priscillia Pisipia, FPC) that had worked their way into Monday's regional rounds. However, none were able to advance to their respective state tournaments. The top two teams in each regional advance to the states. But in order to gain an individual player state berth, golfers had to come within seven shots of the tournament champion and not be connected to one of the two advancing teams. Only two individual golfers are eligible for at-large berths.

MHS freshman golfer qualifies for regional tournament in Alachua
Oct 15 – Mary Rodgers shot an 83 over 18 holes and will be advancing to the regional tournament next week at Turkey Creek in Alachua. The surprise freshman of the year finished in second place overall facing a field of 55 golfers at the 1A-5 District tournament yesterday.

FPC girls finish 4th at 2A-5 district meet, Halifax next for duo
Oct 15 – NEW SMYRNA BEACH — Every little bit counts, and two strokes out of several hundred were enough to keep the FPC girl's golf team from advancing out of their 2A-5 District meet at NSB Golf Course, Monday. The Lady Bulldogs shot a 379, which was two strokes off the landing one of the top 3 qualifying positions. NSB (377) was able to secure the last spot, a team FPC had beaten three times earlier this year. "We shot what we normally shot and NSB just played a whole lot better than they normally do," FPC head coach Doug Shott said.

MHS boy's golf team finishes in 8th place at districts, no qualifiers
Oct 14 – Facing a massive field of 16 teams in one of the toughest district tournaments in the state, the MHS boys were eliminated from regional contention at the 1A-5 golf tournament held at the Magnolia Point G.C., Monday. The Pirates finished in eighth place with a 351 score. Pirates golf ace Alex Toupin finished just one spot away from picking up an at-large berth, shooting a round of 79. Fred Ferrara shot an 87, Alec Bolla 95, Tom Fallon 90, and Shane Dennis 106.

FPC girls improve to 12-1, go to sudden death with Spruce Creek
Oct 10 – DAYTONA BEACH – Forget that 'seeing is believing' stuff. FPC girl's golf coach Doug Shott can testify that 'hearing is believing.' After Tuesday's tri-match sweep of Atlantic and Father Lopez, the Lady Bulldogs are now off to a 12-1 start – an impressive record for any team in any sport. But did anyone see the Lady Bulldogs coming? "I didn't see it. But it was really strange though. When we first got out to the range, and I was just hearing the balls get hit, the sound was so much better than it was a year before. It was a pleasant surprise," Shott said.

Matanzas boys golf picks up 2nd win against FPC
Oct 3 – PALM COAST – The Matanzas boy's golf team won their second-straight match over FPC Thursday at the Cypress Course, 188-186. "Shane Kelley turned in a pretty good round, everyone else struggled. MHS had taken two steps forward and now we have taken one step back. We were due for a little let down, and I glad it happened now. Better now, then in districts, and a win is a win," Ray Sykes said, MHS head coach.

Matanzas boy's golf finishes 3 strokes away from second place
Oct 1 – PALM COAST – There's no secret formula. A coaches focus is to get their players to peak at the right time. And after yesterday's fifth-place finish at the Volusia-Flagler tournament, Matanzas boy's Coach Ray Sykes feels his team is right on track. The Pirates (322) were only three strokes away from forcing a four-way tie for second place with Spruce Creek, Seabreeze and Father Lopez. All three of those schools shot 319, and MHS was just 10 strokes away from Five-Star Champion DeLand (312).

Matanzas golfer shoots a pair of 42s
Sep 30 – PALM COAST – Matanzas girl's golfer Mary Rodgers continues to amaze onlookers after just a few appearances against varsity competition. Rodgers shot a nifty 42 at the Conservatory last week in a dual-meet loss to Spruce Creek. It was her second round of 42 for the week. The Lady Hawks took the team competition 252-183.

Rogers backs up conference outing with solid 45
Sep 23 – DeBARY – The MHS Lady Pirates golfer Mary Rogers shot a nice round of 40 last Wednesday, following up her stellar performance at the Volusia-Flagler Tournnament. Despite the effort, DeLand won the dual-match 199-244.

FPC, Moody finish second at Volusia-Flagler, MHS's Rogers is All-Conference
Sep 18 – VICTORIA HILLS – It was just a few years ago that FPC's Julia Moody was the youngest member of the Lady Bulldog's golf team that finished third in the state. And that experience definitely showed Monday as the senior took Atlantic's Kayla DeSouza into two rounds of sudden-death golf to determine the Individual Five Star Champion. DeSouza emerged the victor after parring the 11th hole, and Moody came out with a bogie after missing a close pu

MHS boys drop match to Deltona
Sep 17 – DELTONA – The MHS boys (186) lost a golf match with Deltona (164) Tuesday afternoon at the Deltona Hills C.C, dropping their season record to 4-5-1. Matanzas was led by Alex Toupin (40) and Alec Bolla with a round of 41. Fred Ferarra shot a 47; Shane Dennis was next at 58 and Justin Stone finished with a 59. Deltona (3-3-1) scores were: Greene 34, Slobodnik 44, Kerns 45, Koerner 51 , Ortiz 56 and DeSilva 41.

FPC girl's golf is off to a perfect 6-0 start
Sep 13 – PALM COAST – If early indications mean anything, the FPC girls may be the team to watch at Monday's Volusia-Flagler golf tournament. The Lady Bulldogs (199) are off to a sizzling 6-0 start after winning a four-team match against Mainland (no score), DeLand (206) and NSB (207) Wednesday. Senior Julia Moody led the way shooting a round of 40 over nine holes for FPC. Melody Hopkins was next at 49 followed by Kacie Johnston (54), Priscilla Pisapia (56) and Ashley Dudak (64).

MHS boys sweep tri-match
Sep 12 – PALM COURSE — The MHS boy's golf team (4-4-1) retooled this week and picked up a tri-match win with a combined round of 168 over Father Lopez (4-2) 172 and St. Joseph’s Academy (4-3) 175 at the Pine Course at the Grand Club Thursday afternoon. "Our back-to-the-basics paid off and brought our scores back to a semi-reasonable level. We have a lot more work to do in order to compete in our district, which has some of the best teams in the state. Tom Fallon and Fred Ferrara seem to be ready to break out of the funk they have been in, and with the steady scores of Toupin and Bolla, we could make a run. Time will tell," MHS Head Coach Ray Sykes said.

Toupin shoots a round of 38
Sep 10 – PALM COAST — The MHS boy's golf team (190) dropped a tri-match with Ponte Vedra (155) and Bishop Kenny (177) Tuesday afternoon at Sawgrass Country Club. Matanzas scores were: Toupin 38, Bolla 49, Ferrara 51, Fallon 52, Stone 65 and Goehring 62. Ponte Vedra scores were: Waller 36, Zevske 42, McManamon 41, Hughes 36, Freeman 43 and Novakoski 43.Bishop Kenney scores: Karn 44, Kinh 43, Kipta 44, Wit 46, Perkins 50 and Shadburn 49.

FPC girls start 3-0
Sep 5 – DAYTONA BEACH — The FPC girl's golf team is off to a sizzling 3-0 start after knocking off Seabreeze 205-249 Thursday night. Julia Moody led the Lady Bulldogs with a round of 44. Next was Kacie Johnston (51), Melody Hopkins (55), Priscilla Pisapia (55), and Ashley Dudak (56). Earlier in the week on Tuesday, FPC beat NSB and Father Lopez. Moody led again with a 38. Hopkins and Dudak both shot 50s; Pisapia finished with a 52 and Johnson shot a 56.

Toupin leads Matanzas to win over FPC
Sep 5 – PALM COAST — The Matanzas Pirates boy's golf team evened their record to 1-1 with a 177-186 non-district win over FPC (0-1) at the Pine Lakes Course, Tuesday afternoon. The Pirates had lost their season opener to Spruce Creek, 145-165, earlier last week. Leading the way for MHS Tuesday were Alex Toupin (40) and Tommy Fallon (44). "Toupin could be a great player down the line," MHS Head Coach Ray Sykes said, whose team finished third at regionals last year in Class 1A.

High School Swimming

FPC swimmer qualifies for 3A state finals in two events
Nov 11 – ORLANDO – Here's the 'Lowe' down: FPC's Jaron Lowe has qualified for the FHSAA 3A swimming state finals in both the 50- and 100-yard freestyles. Lowe qualified at Saturday's 3A-1 regional meet at Dr. Phillips High School by finishing seventh in the 50 (22.13) and fifth in the 100 (48.28). "He really swam well but the times are getting so fast, I was worried that he might not get in," FPC head coach Tom Gillin said.

Marquart, FPC and MHS swimmers qualify for regionals
Nov 1 – JACKSONVILLE – It's been said the true test of an athlete is how they perform in the postseason. And FPC swimmer Maverick Marquart proved he has the right stuff by qualifying for the 3A regionals in the 50 freestyle yesterday at the Cecil Aquatics Center in Neptune Beach. Marquart was an unexpected seventh-place finisher in the 50-free (22.89) race and will join teammate Jaron Lowe, who finished second (22.60) at districts and was expected to advance to the 3A-1 Regional at the Orlando YMCA, Nov. 8. "Maverick just swam out of his mind. He's a racer. If you put him in a pool with a faster swimmer then he will go faster," FPC head coach Tom Gillin said.

Vasconcellos, Lowe win sprints, FPC teams finish 5th at conference
Oct 22 – PORT ORANGE – Take the Bulldogs logo off Carolyne Vasconcellos swim suit and replace it with a Bullseye. The FPC freshman swimmer shocked the field at the Five Star Conference meet Saturday, winning the 50 freestyle (25.82) despite racing with an injured leg. Vasconcellos can now expect to be the targeted sprint swimmer-to-beat at the upcoming 3A-1 district and possibly regional meets. "My heartbeat started to race on the blocks. I have some tendanitis in my left knee and I could barely lift my leg. It was just pure adrenaline. I just gave it all I had, and God was next to me the whole time and gave me that extra boost," Vasconcellos said. "I didn't know I would do that well. I saw the Seabreeze swimmer in Lane 2 and that helped me go extra hard." Both short sprint races belonged to FPC. Jaron Lowe (jr.) came back and defended his 50-freestyle crown, winning it (22.59) yesterday at the Port Orange YMCA.

Lady Pirates swamp Buccaneers
Oct 17 – PALM COAST — The Matanzas Lady Pirates (6-3) are back to their swashbuckling moves after a week off. The girls took first place against the Mainland, 109-58, Tuesday, while the Mainland boy’s team defeated Matanzas 126-20. “We thought it was going to be a challenging year for the team since it was a new team this year that is made up of mostly freshmen, but we are surprising everyone,” MHS head coach Corinne LaFountain said, about girl's success. The MHS girl’s took first place in all but two events. The girls also swept all three places in the 100 IM, Julia D’Angelo took first place (2:46.89), Brittany Rogers took second place (2:49.43), and freshman Christen Clark took third place (2:51.19) and it was Clark's first time swimming the event.

FPC swim team wins at both ends against Deltona
Oct 13 – Boy's Swimming Results FPC (3-3) 62 Deltona 42 200 medley: FPC - Lowe Concannon, Vasconcellosa and Marquardt 2:03.26 200 free: FPC - Vasconcellos 2:11.73 200 IM: FPC - Lowe 2:18.03 50 free: Deltona - Rudolph 23.02 100 fly: FPC Vasconcellos 1:17.31 100 free: FPC Marquardt 55:15 500 free: FPC Concannon 6:43.46 Girl's Swimming Results FPC (4-2) 83 Deltona 21 200 medley relay: FPC - Berry, Kowsh, Cruz an Vasconcellos 2:08.95 200 free: FPC - Watkins 2:25.84 200 IM: FPC - Cruz 2:30.86 50 free: FPC - Vasconcellos 26.93 100 fly: FPC - Cruz 1:09.69 100 free: Vasconcellos 1:00.13 500 free: Watkins 6:46.78

FPC girls are surprising swim teams with a new crop of talent
Oct 3 – DAYTONA BEACH – Every so often in sports, a group of freshmen walk onto a team and suddenly things start happening. And most of the time, no one really sees it coming. That scenario is unfolding right now for the FPC girl's swim team. Freshmen swimmers Margaret Cruz, Melony Watkins and Caroline Vasconcellos are making huge waves midway through the fall season and they're catching a lot of swim teams off guard.

MHS girls win both ends of a three-way swim meet
Oct 1 – PALM COAST — It was an nail biting swim meet with Yulee, Fernandina and Matanzas, Tuesday, at the Frieda Zamba Pool. For the second time this season, the Matanzas girl’s team took first place every event against Yulee, winning 79-12. The girl’s also captured several first-place finishes against Fernandina, winning that meet 57-42.

Lady Pirates sweep all three places in 500 freestyle
Sep 25 – Girls: MHS 122 (3-2) FDBS 38 Girls: 200 IM: Julia D'Angelo 1st, 2:48.55 100 Fly: Brittany Rogers 1st, 1:17.81 500 Free: Christina Orengo 1st, 6:29.09 Victoria Richards 2nd, 7:09.99 (1st time swimming event) Aisling Collins 3rd, 7:24.035

Matanzas girls blank Bladwin, take 1st place in every event, Tarantola has big day
Sep 24 – JACKSONVILLE – Just 48 hours after turning in some their best swim times of their careers against St. Johns C.C., the MHS Lady Pirates placed first in every event against Jacksonville Baldwin last Thursday. And Aisling Collins set a school record in the 100 breast stroke (1:35.07) as the MHS girls easily won their meet 105-49. The MHS boys lost 96-34 to Baldwin despite getting a first-place swim from in the 100 freestyle from Thomas Tarantola. The freshman finished second in the 50 free and set a school record with a 27.79 time.

FPC girls defeat MHS, tie Seabreeze 47-47; FPC boys split
Sep 19 – PALM COAST – The FPC girl's swim team defeated MHS, 65-29, and tied Seabreeze, 47-47, Wednesday at Frieda Zamba Pool. But for a moment or two, FPC thought they taken a sweep at the meet until a missing Seabreeze point was discovered. "Originally we had won by a point, so we went back and checked the score because is was so close. In dual meets, a tie is a tie (no overtime). We joked and said, 'Let's throw in an eight-person relay to decide it,'" FPC Coach Tom Gillin said, who was a little surprised to tie the Sandcrabs.

Lady Pirates rule again, top Father Lopez, Tarantola 1st in boy's 50 free
Sep 17 – PALM COAST — The MHS girl's swim team picked up their second-straight win Tuesday afternoon, sinking Father Lopez 90-69. And the Lady Pirates completely dominated the breaststroke heat with a complete sweep of the first-three places, Aisling Collins (1st), Natalie Tarantola (2) and Rebecca Beaudet (3rd). The MHS girls improved their record to 2-1 with the win. The Pirates boys team was upended by Father Lopez 90-69, though Thomas Tarantola took first place in the 50 free style (28.3).

FPC girls take first place in every swim event against Mainland
Sep 13 – PALM COAST – There's no need for anyone to conjure up any unique story lines to describe the FPC girl's swim meet against Mainland Thursday afternoon. The Lady Bulldogs took care of that by placing first in every single event on their way to a 128-35 win. And just for the record, they won 11 of 11 events. "That was phenomenal; we haven't had that in a long time," FPC Swim Coach Daniel Cruz said, and then added it's been so long no one may know when the last time it actually happened.

Rogers breaks her own 200 IM school record against St. John's C.D.
Sep 12 – PALM COAST — Forget Mr. Roger's neighborhood. Brittany Rogers held down the fort Tuesday at Freida Zamba Pool, winning both the girl's 100 fly (1:16.47) and the 200 IM (2:44.46). The 200 IM time was a new school record, and of course, Rogers owned the old record as well.

High School Volleyball

Lady Bulldogs take Pine Ridge down for third time this season
Oct 30 – DeLAND – Three years ago, the FPC volleyball team could only dream of winning a match against Pine Ridge – especially a playoff match. But after Monday night's 6A district play-in game win that eliminated the Panthers at DeLand High, the Lady Bulldogs have pulled a hattrick on Pine Ridge this season, taking three wins in three attempts. Last night, FPC won in four sets ( 22-25, 25-18, 25-19, 25-18). "We were inspired because we beat them two times already this season and we weren't about to sit down this time," FPC head coach Connie Armstrong said.

Lady Pirates volleyball season ends in 1st round district matchup
Oct 29 – ST. AUGUSTINE – When you draw the No. 1 seed in the first round of a district tournament, be prepared for a rough road. And when that team is undefeated in district play, be prepared for no roads but out. That happened to the Matanzas girl's volleyball team (1-22) Monday as they were knocked out of the 4A-1 district tournament in three straight games by Allen Nease (25-7, 25-9, 25-6) at Pedro Menendez High. "It was very tough. You couldn't get a draw against a better team. They were the No. 1 seed, the best team in the district and quite possibly a Final Four team this year," MHS head coach Rob Roe said.

MHS leaps into the win column with dramatic come-from-behind win over FPC
Oct 11 – PALM COAST – It wasn't districts, but for the Matanzas Lady Pirates volleyball team, coming back from an 0-2 deficit to win their first game of the season against cross-county rival FPC, it was definitely an adrenaline rush. After dropping the first two games, 23-15 and 25-23. Matanzas won Game 3, 25-23 and Game 4, 26-25 to tie the match up before taking the rubber game 15-8. The win gave MHS a 1-13 record.

FPC girls pick up first win, best Pine Ridge in 4 of 5 sets
Sep 19 – PALM COAST – Home sweet home: that's what the FPC girl's volleyball team (1-4) (1-2) must be thinking after picking up their first win of the 2008 season Wednesday afternoon against once unstoppable Pine Ridge. "It feels great the we won our first game at home...Now we know each other more than when we first started playing," FPC's Evette Mayfield said.

Buccaneers best the Pirates
Sep 17 – DAYTONA BEACH – The MHS Lady Pirates volleyball team dropped a match with Mainland Monday, 25-8, 25-11 and 25-8. MHS picked up three aces from Kaley Turner and five assists from Lindsay Fromm. Laurne Mulligan had three digs while Alana Pugliese (3) and Ediana Nascimento (2) led the way with kills.

MHS volleyball to get tested against St. Augustine this week
Sep 9 – PONTE VEDRA — MHS Volleyball Head Coach Rob Roe says his Lady Pirates team is playing tough and he sees the improvements daily despite an 0-3 start. "We're young and we don't play club ball. It will take time with the district we play in, but we will be there sooner or later," Roe said, whose team hosts St. Augustine Wednesday. "They were the district runners-up last year so they will prove to be a good test for us."

FPC volleyball finishes in 8th place
Sep 8 – DAYTONA BEACH – FPC finished in eighth place over the weekend at the Mainland volleyball tournament that was won by Mosley High. Titusville took second place. In the Silver Division semifinals, FPC lost the battle for third place in their division to Taylor 25-19 and 25-13. They were also knocked off by Crescent City 25-23, 18-25 and 15-12. In pool play, FPC lost to Taylor 25-21 and 25-13. The were also knocked off by Ft. Pierce Central 25-23 and 25-17.

Mainland stops FPC girls in volleyball opener
Sep 3 – DAYTONA BEACH – The FPC volleyball team dropped their first match of the season to Mainland 3-0 (9-25, 21-25, 18-25) Tuesday night. "The first game we were very nervous. We have a lot of new players on the team playing for the first time which was a little scary. After the first game, most of the nerves were gone and we played really well. We got our serves in the court, we called the ball and played some good team ball. We just could not hold on to the momentum for 25 points. The last game we also started out well, but serving was a major breakdown for us," Connie Armstrong, FPC head coach said.

Lady Bulldogs power game arrives
Aug 28 – PALM COAST – The first thing one notices when they walk into the 2008 FPC girl's volleyball practice is a bunch of new faces. The second thing one notices is – look out! Duck! Our apologies for that brief interruption, but a line-shot off the hands of volleyball newcomer Yvonne Mayfield nearly took our heads off. By the way, that would the second thing one notices at a Lady Bulldogs practice: Mayfield can smack the air out of a volleyball.

Jaguars

Jaguars offense disappears in 2nd half, Tennessee goes to 10-0 in 24-14 win
Nov 18 – JACKSONVILLE – "Move those chains, move those chains, move those chains!" It's the staple battle cry after a first down by the Jacksonville Jaguars fans. But there were no reasons to chant it in the second half of Jacksonville's 24-14 loss to the undefeated Tennessee Titans (10-0) Sunday night. Jacksonville had the ball eight times in the second half, they punted on their first six possessions, lost the ball on an interception and gave it up on downs on their last drive. The Jaguars (4-6) gained a total of 85 yards in the second half running 29 plays. And now it looks like their playoff berth hopes are all but gone.

Jacksonville starts 2nd half of season with easy win over Detroit, playoff hunt takes shape
Nov 10 – DETROIT – There's only way to get back into a playoff hunt, and that's to win games. And the Jacksonville Jaguars did exactly that Sunday, destroying the NFL's worst team, the Detroit Lions 38-14. Though many Jaguars fans may not get too excited about the win, the fact remains that Jacksonville is still very much alive in the playoff hunt with a 4-5 record. The Jags only trail second-place Indianapolis (5-4) by one game and they currently hold one-half of the head-to-head tie-breaker with the Colts, having beat them in September. The Jaguars will now come home for a two-game home stand with five AFC non first-place teams holding better records, and there only two wild card playoff slots available. Of those non first-place teams, Jacksonville only faces two of them head-ot-head: Indianapolis (Dec. 18) and Baltimore (Dec. 28) with a 6-3 record.

Another win slips out of the Jacksonville's hands, Jags fall to 3-4
Oct 28 – JACKSONVILLE – It was like an early cruel Halloween prank. With time running out Sunday, it appeared Matt Jones was about to haul in a breathtaking touchdown catch in the corner of the end zone. But Cleveland Browns defensive back Nick Sorensen created enough havoc to make sure the ball was bobbled, not once, but twice, before it fell to earth and Jacksonville fell 23-17. The Jaguars also fell to 3-4 on the season and 3 1/2 games behind division leader Tennessee, who plays Indianapolis on Monday Night Football tomorrow. "You definitely want to come away with a victory. We had a chance, Dave (Garrard) threw a great ball. As a receiver that is what you want, you want to come down with it with the game on the line. We just got to make that play," Jones said.

Jaguars hit the gas pedal and outscore Denver 24-17
Oct 14 – DENVER – It had to happen eventually, and it did. The Jacksonville Jaguars opened up their offense and let the ball fly downfield. They even aired out, and completed, a long bomb in the first quarter, though it was called back due to a holding call on offensive lineman Khalif Barnes. But the aggressive tempo was set the tone for the day as the Jaguars (3-3) out-flung, out-hit and out-scored the Denver Broncos 24-17, Sunday. Jag's quarterback David Garrard finished the day 25-of-34 for 276 yards pasing with one touchdown. He also threw no interceptions. And the touchdown was a 30-yarder to tight end Marcedes Lewis in the third quarter that put Jacksonville up 24-10 after a Josh Scobee extra-point kick.

Roethlisberger rallies the Steelers to a 26-21 win over Jacksonville
Oct 7 – JACKSONVILLE – For ages defenses have been taught to 'bend and not break.' But what do they do if Ben doesn't break? Most of the Jacksonville Jaguars just gave Ben Roethlisberger his due after he single-handily pulled third-and-8 rabbit out of the hat, getting off an 18-yard pass to Hines Ward with half the Jaguars defense pouncing on him. The play gave the Pittsburgh Steelers a first down at the Jacksonville 13-yard line with just over two minutes remaining in the nationally televised Sunday night game. It also set up the winning touchdown pass when the Roethlisberger-to-Ward connection hooked one more time in the corner of the end zone for the game winner. Pittsburgh left with a 26-20 AFC win, and the Jaguars just left in awe.

Scobee drills walk-off winner in O.T.
Sep 30 – JACKSONVILLE – Note to NFL coaches: Never ice a kicker thinking it will rattle his nerves and make him miss the game-winning field goal. At least don't do it with Jacksonville's Josh Scobee – he likes the extra time. In fact, Sunday he used the added seconds to do a little ground work before kicking a 37-yarder in overtime to beat divisional rival Houston, 30-27.

Blackout lifted for Suday's game against the Texans, tickets available
Sep 27 – While there are tickets remaining for the Jaguars' home game this Sunday against the Houston Texans, enough tickets have been sold in order for the league to lift the blackout for the game. The game will be televised regionally on WTEV CBS47, with kickoff scheduled for 1 p.m. The Jack Del Rio Show will air at 11 a.m. followed by the Coggin Pregame Show, hosted by Brian Sexton and Brent Martineau, at 11:30 a.m.

Taylor, Del Rio nominated for NFL weekly honors
Sep 23 – Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio and running back Fred Taylor have been nominated for NFL weekly honors for their performances in Sunday's win at Indianapolis. Del Rio is one of three finalist for the Motorola NFL Coach of the Week and Taylor is one of three finalist for the FedEx Ground Player of the Week.

Jaguars pull out win over the Colts thanks to 51-yard field goal
Sep 21 – INDIANAPOLIS – Hold the phone, the Jacksonville Jaguars 2008 season is alive and well thanks to a 51-yard field goal by Josh Scobee, with just four seconds left in the game against the Indianapolis Colts (1-2). The kick gave the Jaguars (1-2) new life and a 23-21 win over their divisional foes.

Jag's offense sputters in 20-16 loss to Buffalo, Scobee solid again
Sep 14 – JACKSONVILLE – This isn't your daddy's Jacksonville Jaguars. Actually, they appear to be the same Jacksonville Jaguars team that rarely threw the ball deep down the field last year – and the year before that, too. And when push came to shove Sunday, trailing the Buffalo Bills 20-16, the Jags opted to run the hook-and-ladder (Matt Jones pitching to Maurice Jones-Drew) from their own 31-yard line on the last play of the game. As fate would have it, the play was good for mere 10 yards and the game ended, vaulting the Jaguars to an 0-2 start.

Blackout lifted for Sunday's game against the Bills, tickets available
Sep 11 – JACKSONVILLE — While there are tickets remaining for the Jaguars' home opener this Sunday against the Buffalo Bills, including tickets returned from the Bills, enough tickets have been sold in order for the league to lift the blackout for Sunday's game. The game will be televised regionally on WTEV CBS47.

Jags Bus makes return to Palm Coast starting this weekend
Sep 9 – PALM COAST — Due to popular demand and soaring gasoline prices, the Jag's Bus is back in town. That's right. Catch a ride to any Jaguars' home game beginning with this weekend's clash against the Buffalo Bills – and leave the driving to them. The bus departs from the parking lot of the Palm Coast Wal-Mart three hours before kickoff. The cost is $25 per passenger for the Jag's Bus round-trip experience. And bring along your favorite beverages and tailgating goodies as the Jag's Bus sets up to grill at every game. For reservations call Scott at 386-931-5681

A few tickets remain for Sunday's game against Buffalo
Sep 8 – The Jacksonville Jaguars announced that as of noon today, the team has approximately 1,350 unsold tickets remaining in the general bowl for this Sunday's home opener against the Buffalo Bills. Senior VP of Business Development Tim Connolly indicated that he believes that these tickets will be sold by the Thursday deadline imposed by the NFL. "We believe that our fans understand what a key role they play on game day and how important home field advantage is to the Jaguars. We encourage anyone who wants to attend the game to buy a ticket now. While we look forward to the game being broadcast to all the residents of our community, having a real home-field advantage is what we need," said Connolly.

Titans defense dishes out seven sacks in Jaguars 17-10 loss
Sep 8 – NASHVILLE — If last week wasn't tough enough on the Jacksonville Jaguars, they started out this week with even more heartaches stemming from a 17-10 divisional loss to the Tennessee Titans on the NFL's Kickoff Weekend. It's been said that football is about running the ball and stopping the run, and Tennessee seemed to be able to do both better Sunday holding the Jaguars to just 33 yards on the ground while racking up 137 yards of their own. But the toughest of all those Tennessee runs was just a 1-yard jaunt by Lendale White that went into the end zone and gave the Titans a 17-7 lead with just 3:47 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Saves some gas and headaches, take the shuttle
Sep 8 – JACKSONVILLE — The Jacksonville Transportation Authority and the Jacksonville Jaguars are pleased to announce the return of the Stadium Shuttle Service for this season’s Jaguars games. With limited parking around the stadium, the shuttle is a fast and easy way to get to and from the game. With the increase in fuel costs, there have been some changes this year. The lots in outlying areas (suburban lots) will be Philips Highway at J. Turner Butler Boulevard, Marbon Road and San Jose and the Little League baseball park at Wingate Park on Penman Road south of Beach Boulevard. The downtown lots at the Convention Center and Kings Avenue Parking

Game Capsule: Jags look for Kickoff Weekend win in Tennessee
Sep 8 – JAGUARS: Club leads NFL with .692 win pct. (9-4 record) on Kickoff Weekend…Jax. has won 3 of past 4 at Ten…Since ’06, team is 13-4 (.764) when gaining 150+ rush yards…QB DAVID GARRARD is 2-1 (.667) as starter in September & has completed 48 of 75 (64.0 pct.) for 630 yards with 3 TDs vs. 0 INTs & 103.8 passer rating. Incl. postseason, Garrard aims for 11th consecutive game with TD pass on road…

Smith added as QB to practice squad
Sep 1 – JACKSONVILLE – The Jaguars today signed veteran free agent cornerback William James and waived safety Jamaal Fudge, who had played in 20 games in his two seasons with the Jaguars after signing as an undrafted rookie in 2006. James, 29, signed with the Buffalo Bills as an unrestricted free agent March 25, 2008 before being released on Aug. 30. The 6-0, 200-pound cornerback had played with the New York Giants (2001-05) and the Philadelphia Eagles (2006-07) in his first seven seasons. The Brownsville, Pa. native has started 45 of his 68 career games with 236 tackles, six interceptions and 37 passes defensed. He was originally a third-round draft choice of the Giants in 2001 out of Western Illinois. He will wear jersey No. 22.

Jaguars trim roster to 53
Aug 30 – JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville Jaguars today released 19 players and placed two players on the Physically Unable to Perform list in DB Chad Nkang and DL Jeremy Mincey. DT Jonathan Lewis was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury suffered in the preseason finale at Washington. Included in today’s cuts were six veterans: QB Todd Bouman, RB Ciatrick Fason, LB Tony Gilbert, DT Jesse Mahelona, DE Kenny Pettway and DE Bo Schobel. Also waived was fifth-round draft pick DB Trae Williams and 12 other first-year players: TE Chris Brown, DE Mkristo Bruce, OT Andrew Carnahan, TE Charles Davis, CB Isaiah Gardner, CB Michael Grant, WR Ryan Hoag, G/OT Pete McMahon, C/G Drew Miller, CB Rashod Moulton, LB Lamar Myles and WR D’Juan Woods.

Local Golf

Palmer brushes aside 10th hole winds, rain delay to win Ginn Sur Mer Classic
Nov 4 – PALM COAST – Ryan Palmer made a 9-foot, 10-inch putt on the 18th hole to win the Ginn Sur Mer Classic after an afternoon rain delay Sunday. The putt held off a group of five other players who finished at 6-under par for the tournament. Palmer took home a winner’s check of $828,000 from the $4.6 million purse. George McNeill (T2, 71-71-71-69----282) and Vaughn Taylor (T2, 69-74-69-70----282) tied for second at the tournament. "Unbelievable. What a feeling. What a day. What a week. What a way to cap off a rough year and a half," Palmer said."It's been almost two years now. But today was no exception, the last three days, I just tried to keep the same mentality, the same focus, the same rhythm, the same attitude, and just keep playing like I've been playing."

Petrovic group wins morning flight, J.J. Henry's takes afternoon
Oct 31 – Ginn sur Mer Classic Pro-Am Benefitting Desire Street Ministries Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2008 Ginn Hammock Beach Conservatory Course, Palm Coast, Fla. (Low Net, Best Ball. PGA TOUR professional names in bold) Morning Flight Pos. Score Players 1 57 Tim Petrovic, Matt Justine, David Evangelista, Ed Whaley. 2 57 George McNeill, Danny Duncan, Jeffrey Duncan, Chris Horn. 3 58 Nathan Green, Kathy Kahan, Kent Miller, Skip Buchanan.

Duvall commits to Sur Mer Classic
Oct 21 – PALM COAST – – He was once on top of the golfing world before being stricken with a multitude of injuries, illness and personal strife. Determined to forge a successful comeback on the PGA TOUR, it would be fitting if David Duval secured his exempt PGA TOUR status for 2009 near his native Jacksonville at the second-annual Ginn sur Mer Classic. Duval, who was born in Jacksonville and graduated from Jacksonville’s Episcopal High School, has committed to the $4.6 million Ginn Classic, Oct. 27-Nov. 2 at the Ginn Hammock Beach Conservatory Course. The tournament will be his first on the First Coast since the 2006 PLAYERS Championship. “The golf world is aware of David’s compelling story and how important the Ginn sur Mer Classic is to him keeping his exempt status on the PGA TOUR next year. We feel fortunate that David has chosen to join the competitive Ginn Classic field and we are confident he will thrive in a setting close to his hometown, with the backing of the First Coast fans,” Tournament Director John Subers said.

Johnson's victory at Valero gives Ginn Classic 13 PGA tour winners
Oct 16 – PALM COAST – The list of golfers committing to the Ginn sur Mer Classic is giving the feeling that it will be the Fall Classic of the PGA TOUR’s Fall Series. 2008 U.S. Open runner-up and crowd favorite Rocco Mediate and 2008 Top-30 FedExCup players Robert Allenby and Tim Clark are the latest golfers to commit to play in the Ginn Classic, Oct. 27-Nov. 2 at the Ginn Hammock Beach Conservatory Course. The trio joins an already impressive array of competitors that include defending champion Daniel Chopra, 2007 Masters champion Zach Johnson, and undefeated 2008 Ryder Cup hero J.B. Holmes, one of 13 PGA TOUR champions this year in the Ginn sur Mer Classic field. The $4.6 million Ginn sur Mer Classic will be televised all four days on Golf Channel from 1:30 p.m.- 4:30 p.m. ET. This year’s Ginn Classic winner will receive a check for $828,000. “The fantastic commitments we have received from Rocco Mediate, Robert Allenby and Tim Clark only demonstrates that the Ginn sur Mer Classic is an event that is highly sought after by the world’s elite players within the Fall Series,” Tournament Director John Subers said. “Players and golf fans already love Rocco’s personality, and his run at the U.S. Open charmed us all. Robert and Tim are top-30 players on this year’s PGA TOUR and have a desire to play out the entire TOUR season.”

11 PGA Tour champs to headline entries at Ginn sur Mer Classic
Oct 1 – PALM COAST – Among an extensive group of PGA TOUR winners in 2008, past and present Ryder Cup players and household names, there will only be room for one at the top of the second-annual Ginn sur Mer Classic leaderboard. Sweden's Daniel Chopra, last year's inaugural Ginn Classic champion, 2007 Masters champion Zach Johnson and 2008 Ryder Cup champion J.B. Holmes are among the impressive list of players who have already committed to play the Ginn Classic, Oct. 27-Nov. 2 at the Ginn Hammock Beach Conservatory Course.

Chopra heads list of competitive early field commitments for Ginn Classic
Sep 15 – PALM COAST – An extensive group of Ryder Cup players, past and present, will be preparing to displace Sweden’s Daniel Chopra from his Ginn sur Mer Classic throne. Chopra, last year’s inaugural Ginn Classic champion, is among the impressive list of players who have already committed to play the PGA TOUR’s Ginn Classic, Oct. 27-Nov. 2, as it moves to the Ginn Hammock Beach Conservatory Course.

Local golfer takes on PGA Qualfying School
Sep 11 – PALM COAST — It's not easy going-it alone. And it's certainly not easy getting to the top. But that's what new, local, pro golfer Ty Capps is attempting. Capps moved to Palm Coast recently after finishing up his college golfing career at the University of Nebraska. And now he's working feverishly to obtain the coveted PGA Tour Card. "This fall is PGA Qualifying School. That's your step to get to the PGA Tour, and there are several different locations to get to the final stage. Each stage is a different tournament and the final stage is in California. You have to be in the top percentage of each tournament to keep going on. If you don't make that then you're done for the year, and then you start at the bottom again," Capps said. "There are four stages but there are multiple sites where you can do each stage. Guys that finish in the top 125, and that have their Tour Card, don't have to start at the bottom again."

Flagler Chamber to hold golf outing at Conservatory Course
Sep 9 – FLAGLER COUNTY – A fantastic event taking place this week, the Chamber's 21st Annual Golf Tournament. On Saturday, Sept. 13, golfers will tee off at The Ginn Hammock Beach Resort's Conservatory course for the Chamber golf tournament. Teams consist of four players each. Registration will begin at 7:30 a.m. with an 8:45 a.m. shotgun start. To enter, fill out the application at www.flaglerchamber.org or bring it by the Chamber or fax it to us at 437-5700 as soon as possible.

Tommy Bolt played 392 PGA Tour events
Sep 4 – ST. AUGUSTINE – World Golf Hall of Fame member Tommy Bolt died Aug. 29 in Batesville, AR. He was 92. Bolt, who began his PGA TOUR career at age 28 after serving in World War II and working for a decade in the construction industry, played in 392 official TOUR events, winning 15 times. His most memorable victory came at the 1958 U.S. Open, a four-stroke victory over Gary Player at Tulsa’s Southern Hills Country Club in his home state of Oklahoma. Bolt finished in the top 10 on the money list three times (1954, 1955 and 1958), with his best earnings year coming in 1958, when he won $26,941.

World Golf Hall of Fame to showcase hundreds of Bob Hope artifacts in upcoming special exhibition
Sep 2 – ST. AUGUSTINE – World Golf Hall of Fame member Bob Hope shared his love of golf with millions by way of multiple entertainment genres and beginning November 8, the World Golf Hall of Fame in St. Augustine, will pay tribute to his life in a special exhibition, “Bob Hope: Shanks for the Memory.” Set to offer the largest collection of Hope memorabilia ever placed on public display in a single exhibition, “Shanks” will remain on display throughout 2009. “The family is thrilled that the World Golf Hall of Fame is going to exhibit Dad’s golf memorabilia,” said Linda Hope, Bob Hope’s daughter. “Dad would have loved the idea that things he saved and cherished will finally be shared with others who love the game of golf.”

NASCAR

Edwards Wins Race, Johnson Takes Third Straight Title
Nov 17 – HOMESTEAD-MIAMI – Jimmie Johnson has accomplished racing's version of the hat trick.... three championships in a row. He did it with a 15th -place finish in southern Florida's grand finale for the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship. Carl Edwards won the battle, so to speak, but Johnson won the war. On a day when he only needed a 36th-place finish to clinch his third title in a row, Johnson brought his Lowe's Chevrolet into the thick of the battle, steadily clicking off position after position in the 267-lap race.

Edwards wins, cuts Johnson Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup lead
Nov 3 – FORT WORTH, TX. -- "It ain't over til it's over," baseball legend Yogi Berra once said. NASCAR driver Carl Edwards is a believer. The Missouri native, who cut his racing teeth on dirt tracks throughout the Midwest, dominated the field Sunday to win the Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. A huge, sun-baked crowd watched Edwards skillfully cut into Jimmie Johnson's lead in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship with two races to go in the 2008 season.

Johnson makes strong comeback, but Edwards nabs win
Oct 27 – f you didn't know any better, you would think this one-and-a-half mile tri-oval race track was a Saturday night dirt track the way Carl Edwards drove it Sunday. Edwards drove his Roush Ford to victory in unbelievable fashion, slipping and sliding around the paved track like he owned it at speeds reaching 190 miles an hour. Edwards ran in front or near the front all day in spectacular style, doing everything he could to make up some points on championship leader Jimmie Johnson. "Jimmie's magic," said Edwards afterwards, when informed Johnson had raced his way back from oblivion to a runner-up finish.

Johnson dominates Tums QuikPak 500
Oct 20 – MARTINSVILLE, Va. -- At the same track where he started his phenomenal run to the title last year, Jimmie Johnson distanced himself from his closest pursuers on Sunday, winning the Tums QuikPak 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Martinsville Speedway. Johnson won in a cakewalk, leading 339 of 504 laps. His No. 48 Chevrolet was so good on short runs, and so strong off the corners, runner-up Dale Earnhardt Jr. couldn't mount a charge during the green-white-checkered-flag finish that took the race four laps past its scheduled length.

Burton Holds Off Kahne For Win At Lowe's Motor Speedway
Oct 12 – CONCORD, N.C.—Despite Jimmie Johnson’s fast start to the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Jeff Burton hasn’t been willing to concede the trophy to the two-time defending champion. On Saturday night, Burton gave more than lip service to that notion, holding off Kasey Kahne to win the Bank of America 500 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. The victory, Burton’s second of the season and the 21st of his career, vaulted the driver of the No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet into second place in the standings, 69 points behind Johnson with five races left in the Chase.

2009 Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola Tickets on sale Saturday
Oct 10 – DAYTONA BEACH – On Saturday, Oct. 11, at 8 a.m. (ET), fans will have their first opportunity to purchase all remaining tickets for the 51st annual Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on July 4 at Daytona International Speedway. Great seats, including a limited number of premium tower seats, will be available.

Stewart takes AMP Energy 500
Oct 6 – TALLADEGA, ALA-- Tony Stewart survived a couple of huge wrecks and a record number of leaders to win the AMP Energy 500 here Sunday at a track that produces excitement by the barrel. Stewart held off hard-charging rookie Regan Smith, who made a last-lap daredevil pass below the yellow line in trying to beat the two-time champion.

Johnson overcomes Edwards' move to win at Kansas Speedway
Sep 29 – KANSAS CITY-- It was probably one of the most spectacular finishes in NASCAR history. Carl Edwards made a suicide run into the third turn underneath race leader Jimmie Johnson. He was determined to win. Unfortunately, Edwards ran out of track before running into the wall, struggled to maintain control and watched Johnson go back by him for the victory at Kansas Speedway.

Johnson overcomes Edwards' move to win at Kansas Speedway<