Any beachcomber can tell you — Sandcrabs know how to hide.
Perhaps that’s what some folks think Matt Thompson did during his school’s highly successful 2008 football season. After all, Thompson played in only two games for Daytona Beach Seabreeze, which reached the Class 4A state semifinals before falling 30-12.
It was during that season-finale loss that Thompson peaked his head out of the sand. After missing 12 straight games due to an ankle injury, Thompson reclaimed the quarterback spot from Dominique Roberts, and the results were notable.
Despite being sidelined for more than three months, Thompson threw for 221 yards against a talented Tallahassee Lincoln team. None of his 18 completions, though, resulted in a score, and his late-game rally resulted in a pair of interceptions.
"That loss still lingers, and we want to get back there again," said Thompson, whose father is the athletic director at Bethune-Cookman University.
To make it back to the state playoffs, Thompson spent the offseason working to show the kind of athlete he is.
"I worked twice as hard as everyone else to prepare for this season. I have to have a great year. This is my last shot. It’s my senior year," Thompson said.
The offseason preparation is paying off. Through seven games, Thompson has 1,509 passing yards and 16 passing touchdowns. He also has rushed for 353 yards and five touchdowns. Thompson has completed 69 percent of his passes and has thrown only four interceptions in 153 attempts.
Not bad for a guy with a steel plate and seven pins in his ankle. Perhaps that is why recruiters suddenly are warming to Thompson, who already has offers from BCU, Florida A&M and Wake Forest.
File photo by Kevin White
Through seven games, Seabreeze quarterback Matt Thompson has passed for 1,509 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Recruiters, though, also should have their eyes on Dominique Roberts, a talented senior receiver who excelled last season at the quarterback spot, and fellow receivers John Christopher and Devonte Mack. All three receivers are tall, and Thompson said that helps.
"I feel I can always throw a jump ball, and they can go get it. They make some great plays. Some of the balls I throw aren’t good passes. I get the credit, but they make the plays for me," said Thompson.
While the recruitment buzz creates a bit of a distraction, Thompson, who is 6-foot-2 and about 190 pounds, says he is concentrating only on what’s ahead for Seabreeze.
"After our loss to Fleming, we worked hard to bounce back. During our pregame meal, there was silence. Nobody talked. We were all focused on the game," said Thompson of the team’s preparations for Friday’s game at Deltona High School.
Some bigger games remain. This Friday, Seabreeze hosts Flagler Palm Coast, a rival in the Sandcrabs’ new Class 5A district, which also includes Orange Park Fleming Island, the likely District 2 champion after starting the season 7-0. Only two teams from the six-team district earn a spot in the playoffs. Thus, a win against the Bulldogs is key to the team’s postseason hopes, and a win also serves as payback a season after FPC pulled off a rare win in the matchup.
Seabreeze also ends its regular season with an annual clash against crosstown rival Mainland. The Bucs are strong again this year, and it might take a big game from Thompson to topple Mainland. When it comes to the postseason, the Sandcrabs believe they’ll go far, much farther than their 3-3 start might indicate.
"Sure, we have three losses, but the teams that beat us have a combined 19-1 record right now," Seabreeze coach Marc Beach said after the Sandcrabs defeated Deltona 40-20 to improve to 4-3.
Beach doesn’t need to plead his case. The facts speak for him. Seabreeze lost 49-48 on a last-second play at DeLand on Sept. 18 and lost 21-17 at home to Lake Brantley the following week when a defender leaped to knock down Matt Thompson’s desperation pass as time expired. Both opponents appear primed for a postseason romp. The team’s biggest loss was on Oct. 9, when the Sandcrabs fell 42-21 to Fleming Island.
Week 7 roundup
• Dr. Phillips, still considered Central Florida’s top team by most insiders, defeated Evans 38-9 to improve to 6-0, but it was a costly win for the Panthers. Junior running back Demetrius Hart, who rushed for more than 300 yards in the team’s prior game, suffered a knee injury. According to the Orlando Sentinel, coach Dale Salapa called it a minor knee sprain. DP showcases its offensive weapons. Receiver Kenny Shaw scored three times, including twice on passes from quarterback Nick Patti. The quarterback had his best game of the season. Patti also scored on a 19-yard run in the third quarter.
• After opening the season with five straight wins, Winter Park stumbled Friday against rival Orlando Edgewater. The Eagles won 28-14 after leading 6-0 at the half. Edgewater stretched its lead to 21-7 in the third quarter when quarterback Kent Gainous connected with Tyler Williams for a 72-yard touchdown, and that proved to be too much for a Winter Park offense held at bay for much of the night.
• DeLand improved to 7-0 with a 30-6 win against New Smyrna Beach. DeAnte "Pop" Saunders rushed for 119 yards. He now leads all Central Florida running backs with 994 rushing yards. He’s almost certain to break the century mark Friday, when DeLand hosts Deltona in a huge rivalry game. In fact, a big game from the Bulldogs’ front might allow teammate Shontrelle Johnson to pass the 1,000-yard plateau, too. Johnson enters the game with 890 rushing yards.
• Week 8 brings some big matchups. Edgewater hosts Harmony in a game that might decide a district championship. East Ridge hosts Apopka, and Lake Brantley hosts Seminole.