- April 25, 2024
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The first play of Flagler Palm Coast's kickoff classic played out just the way it was drawn up as D.J. Murray connected with D.Z. Steward on a 75-yard touchdown pass.
"It was something we talked about during the week. We were going to take a shot on the first play."
— ROBERT PAXIA, FPC football coach
"It was something we talked about during the week. We were going to take a shot on the first play," Bulldogs coach Robert Paxia said. "They went out and executed. It was a read by the receiver. He ran a go-route. That was the first read."
FPC went on to dominate Jacksonville Atlantic Coast, 27-0, and appears to be ready for the start of the season. Murray passed for nearly 200 yards and added a 53-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Gales. Marcus Mitchell ran for over 100 yards and a touchdown. And Mareon Walker intercepted two passes and nearly picked off a third.
"It was a good start for us, so we can continue to build," Paxia said. "We have high expectations this season. We started the right way."
The Bulldogs host Live Oak Suwannee in their season opener Friday, Aug. 26. Kickoff is 7 p.m.
The kickoff classic was delayed for over an hour because of lightning in the area. Despite the late start, Paxia said the team's energy level was phenomenal.
"I thought D.J. played fantastic. He commanded the offense. We had a couple of drops, but that's to be expected with a young receiving corps," Paxia said. "Marcus did a lot of work between the tackles. He ran through a bunch of arm tackles. After the first quarter I think they were tired of tackling him."
While the Bulldogs produced several video highlights, the play that might receive the most attention by the coaching staff in the weeks to come was the interception that Walker did not grab.
"He had two nice interceptions," Paxia said. "He could have had a third one, and that was the best break on a ball all night. He dropped it, but it was an outstanding play, something we'll use to teach as an example of what we're looking for. The break on the ball was phenomenal."
