- May 1, 2024
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We’re about midway through the 2013 high school football season, and there have already been plenty of highs and lows.
For Flagler Palm Coast (2-2), the high was last week’s come-from-behind win at home against New Smyrna Beach — a nondistrict win against a good team that came on Homecoming. It also kept alive coach Caesar Campana’s promise that his team wouldn’t lose again the rest of the season.
For Matanzas (1-3), the high poing might possibly be the way the team has stuck together despite a difficult start to the season under new coach Jeff Nettles. The team’s lone win came in Week 3 against Arlington Country Day.
But what do Campana and Nettles think of their seasons so far? What do they hope to improve upon in the second half as district play begins?
“We will be better at throwing the ball,” Campana said Monday, noting that quarterback Dalton Thomas is getting settled in as the starter. “We are figuring out what he can do with the ball.”
Three of FPC’s final five games are against district opponents. “We have a month of great challenges,” Campana said.
FPC is a young team, with just five seniors starting this Friday night.
Nettles said he wants to see his team get more physical in the second half. The offensive line and quarterback play have improved, but the team still shoots itself in the foot, he said.
“This is an issue because we end up behind the chains and don’t have enough big-play potential to catch up,” Nettles said. “It has continued to thwart long drives.”
Campana said his team’s two losses are games that he thought his team shouldn’t have lost (at University and at Sandalwood). But his team is better because of those losses, adding: “We are now smarter and have some experience to go along with it."
Nettles said he just wants his team to be smarter in the second half of the season.
Despite the losses at Matanzas, Nettles said, his players continue to be positive. “Our kids have played hard no matter the situation,” he said. "Down or up in a game, they have continued to play hard. We just have to teach them how to play a little harder.”
Four of Matanzas’ final six games are district games.
Both FPC and Matanzas will be on the road in district play in Week 5. The Bulldogs will be at Ocala West Port; Matanzas will be at Creekside.
