- April 19, 2024
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Prior to Matanzas' opening playoff game against powerhouse Miami Northwestern, Pirates coach Robert Ripley said the key to a potential upset would be to calm the nerves early.
“It’s going to be about surviving the first quarter and having it still be a football game,” Ripley said. “They won’t be overwhelmed by the 5,000 people or being in the middle of Miami or having all of the pieces of the puzzle that are kind of out of their control.”
But after nearly 12 minutes of action on the night of Friday, Nov. 10, “out of control” was the only way to describe what was happening. The Bulls, the No. 2-ranked team in all of Class 6A, scored 27 unanswered points.
Returning to the playoffs for the second year in a row, the No. 8 seed Pirates (7-3) were blanked by No. 1 seed Miami Northwestern 33-0 in the Region 4-6A quarterfinal at Traz Powell Stadium in Miami.
The Bulls led 20-0 after the first quarter and took a 27-point lead on an 11-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the second quarter. After, however, the Pirates were able to settle in on defense, forcing two fumbles and giving up only one score in the second half.
Quarterback Ryan Thomas led the Pirates with 100 yards passing, including a 36-yarder to junior tight end Jacob Miley.
