Football Recap: First Coast Comes Up Short

Buccaneers

Previous 5 Games

09/26/25 vs Mandarin	13-34
09/19/25 vs Clay	49-7
09/12/25 @ Baker County	25-20
08/29/25 vs KIPP Bold City	55-6
08/22/25 @ Tocoi Creek	0-24

First Coast dropped down to 3-2 on Friday, ending the team's three-game streak of wins. They came up short against the Mandarin Mustangs, falling 34-13. While losing is never fun, the Buccaneers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Florida football rankings (they are ranked 168th, while the Mustangs are ranked 25th).

When it comes to explaining why First Coast lost, don't look at David Hunter. Despite the final result, he rushed for 70 yards and one touchdown, and also threw for 145 yards and a pair of TDs.

As for Mandarin, their victory was their fifth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 5-1. Those road wins came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 8.0 points on average over those games.

A big part of Mandarin's victory came down to the chemistry between Knox Annis and his top target Tian Wyche. Annis threw for 234 yards and four touchdowns while completing 72.7% of his passes while Wyche picked up 117 receiving yards and three scores. Those 117 receiving yards gave Wyche a new career-high.

First Coast has already played their next matchup, a 35-25 win against Sandalwood on the 3rd. As for Mandarin, they also didn't take long to hit the field again: they've already played their next contest, a 38-10 victory against Rockledge on the 3rd.