- April 16, 2024
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FPC's Dakoda Wagner (1) looks for running room. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Linebacker Ashton Bracewell (9) gets a bead on Spruce Creek quarterback Damarcus Creecy (2). Photo by Brent Woronoff
Quarterback D.J. Murray goes through his RPO progressions. Photo by Brent Woronoff
FPC coach Robert Paxia watches warmups. Photo by Brent Woronoff
FPC's Jarius Reddings tries to take down Kevin Minckler. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Dakoda Wagner (1) barrels forward for yards. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Spruce Creek's Kevin Minckler runs upfield. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Spruce Creek's Kevin Minckler breaks a tackle. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Spruce Creek's Kevin Minckler runs past the defense. Photo by Brent Woronoff
FPC's Rodney Hill (5) looks for running room. Photo by Brent Woronoff
FPC's Dakoda Wagner runs away from defenders. Photo by Brent Woronoff
FPC students cheer on their team during the 2021 Homecoming game. Photo by Brent Woronoff
FPC's band performs at halftime. Photo by Brent Woronoff
FPC's halftime show. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Nehemiah Gilyard's jersey is draped over the FPC bench. Gilyard died in a car crash in February. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Flagler Palm Coast's football team is the latest to learn that Spruce Creek is no fluke.
The Hawks exploded for 26 third-quarter points Sept. 24 to hand the Bulldogs a 40-7 Homecoming loss and improve to 5-0.
"It's not an accident," Spruce Creek coach Andy Price said of his team's perfect record. "We've worked hard to get to this point."
It was the second straight week FPC (2-2) fell victim to an undefeated team and the second straight week the Bulldogs' opponent put the game away in the third quarter.
"We just didn't play well," said Robert Paxia, the Bulldogs' first-year coach. "We have to learn how to practice. We have to learn how to prepare. We didn't handle adversity very well. It was the second consecutive week we lost the first five minutes of the second half."
The Hawks opened the third quarter with three key special teams plays that turned a 7-0 Creek lead into a rout. Kevin Minckler returned the second-half kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown. The Hawks then stunned FPC with an onside kick, recovering the ball at midfeld. That led to Damarcus Creecy's second of four touchdown passes.
Maverick Baranowski's blocked punt and return for a touchdown made it 26-0. Creek added a fourth TD in the quarter with 2:06 left.
Creecy's final touchdown pass made it 40-0 early in the fourth quarter before the Bulldogs avoided the shutout as a long pass from Preston Roberts to Landon Gonzalez set up Rodney Hill's 2-yard TD run with 1:12 left.
"We just didn't execute on plays," said FPC outside linebacker Ashton Bracewell. "We blew coverage right away and they scored (on the Hawks' opening possession of the game). "We were focused on their running game. We just got to work on our coverage."
Other than Dakoda Wagner's 60-yard run in the first quarter, the Hawks became the first team this season to contain FPC's running game.
"We have a district game (Oct. 1 at Oviedo). We have to try to get better," Paxia said.
Oviedo (3-1) is coming off its first loss, 31-14 to Timber Creek.
