- April 24, 2024
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Bentlee Critcher completed seven passes for more than 100 yards; he also nailed a school-record 47-yard field goal. Dustin Bowens caught four catches for 50 yards.
Playing state powerhouse Bartram Trail wasn’t going to be an easy task for the younger Flagler Palm Coast Bulldogs football team, but coach Caesar Campana knew scheduling a tougher spring game could only help prepare his team for next season.
The Bulldogs lost May 27 to Bartram Trail, 48-10, but all wasn’t lost for Campana’s Bulldogs.
“I knew that we would have our hands full playing one of the top Class 7A teams in the state,” Campana said. “But I also knew that this game would be a great measuring stick for how well some of our young players could compete on the varsity level.”
According to Campana, Bartram Trail has four Division I recruits, and several scouts were at Sal Campanella Memorial Stadium watching the game and assessing the talent.
There were some offensive bright spots for the Bulldogs despite the lopsided loss.
Wide receiver Dustin Bowens had four catches for more than 50 yards. Quarterback Bentlee Critcher completed seven passes for more than 100 yards, and the Bulldogs had 200 total offensive yards. Critcher also nailed a school-record 47-yard field goal. Turrel Matthews was FPC’s leading rusher with 71 yards and fullback Xanthus Santana scored FPC’s only touchdown.
Campana said six starters weren’t in action for a variety of reasons, but he hopes to get those players back for the beginning of the regular season in August.
Going forward, Campana said there’s still a lot of work to be done.
“We will give (the players) two weeks off to work on their grades and exams and then start an intense summer of workouts,” he said. “In the fall, we expect to have more than 110 athletes in our program with only 12 of them seniors. We will be young, but we will work hard.”
