Volusia High School Football Preview: 11/4

We made it to the end of the season. Today, all eight teams from the 3S and 4S District 9 divisions will play at 7pm, all versus non-district opponents. This is the culmination of a lot of hard work dedicated to the sport of football and whether or not one’s team makes the playoffs through the FHSAA algorithm, it was a great season, filled with lots of scoring. The game of the week last week was the Mainland Buccaneers technically hosting the Seabreeze Sandcrabs. Mainland QB Demarcus Creecy played lights out football going 15/20, 274 yards, 4 passing touchdowns, with 121 total rushing yards, leading Mainland to a 51-22 win over the Sandcrabs. Despite the drastic differential in points, Mainland was called for sixteen penalties compared to Seabreeze’s five. Despite clinching a playoff berth with that win, the Bucs (7-2) travel to Lake Mary to play the Rams (5-3). The Rams of Lake Mary are currently on a two-game losing streak, both coming from strong programs at home. Mainland however should have no problem as long they can fix the mental mistakes and control some tempers after the whistle. The Seabreeze Sandcrabs, led by brothers Eli and Denali Campbell, were ultimately shut down the entire game. Eli had 2 catches for 27 yards entering the second half before getting 5 catches 68 yards and a touchdown in late parts of the game. Quarterback Sam Gonzalez threw 14/21 and 146 yards, but he also used his legs a lot, racking up 101 yards rushing and a score. Seabreeze (4-5) will now travel to the North Marion Colts (6-3) to potentially keep their playoff hopes alive. Remember, Seabreeze just got off a four-game winning streak, so it isn’t out of the realm of possibilities. The Deltona Wolves (6-3) most recently defeated the Pine Ridge Panthers (0-9) by a score of 69-0. That was a much-needed win for the Wolves who had a lot of rest after losing to the Sandcrabs 28-26. They move onto the University Titans (3-6) to close out their season. University did not report anything on their most recent game versus New Smyrna Beach, so I am unable to report if they are still without their starting Quarterback. New Smyrna Beach (5-4) however did report their statistics for their matchup versus district rival University Titans (3-6). The Barracudas defeated the Titans 7-0, with the only touchdown being scored by athlete Malakai Hudson. Hudson also had 102 rushing yards on 19 carries. The Barracudas look to finish their season strong, hosting the struggling Leon Lions (0-9) from Tallahassee. Leon has the same record as the Pine Ridge Panthers, but the Leon Lions seem to have more defensive problems than offensive problems, scoring about four times more than the Panthers. Despite being a non-district game, no one wants to fall to a trap game in the season finale. The Deland Bulldogs (6-3) recently defeated district rival Spruce Creek Hawks (5-4) by a score of 23-15. This game could have been a huge turning point for either team, as each were 5-3 entering the game. Deland came out with the victory and now host the Flagler Palm Coast Bulldogs (3-6). The FPC Bulldogswere recently found guilty of playing an academically ineligible player, which despite barely playing, still resulted in 3 of their games to be changed from wins to losses. FPC may still be a strong team despite their record, so Deland should not overlook this team. This game is also Bulldogs versus Bulldogsmatchup, a curious occurrence. Lastly, the Spruce Creek Hawks (5-4) travel to Jacksonville to play the Sandalwood Saints (4-5). Mentioned slightly above, the Hawks lost a close game to their rivals in Deland but should feel some relief knowing the Saints are 1-4 at home this season. Surely a win would be beneficial to the playoff hopes of Spruce Creek. Again, this season has been amazing. It has had ups and downs, lots of scoring, blowouts, and nail-biters. Playoffs show us which teams are disciplined enough to prevent the silly mistakes. Silly mistakes including sportsmanship conduct. So before the playoffs start, I’d like to note again, that the refs should be allowed to safely officiate, the spectators remain to spectate, and the players should hold themselves to a standard of clean football.