Mainland is 7-2 against DeLand since August of 2015 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Buccaneers will head out to challenge the Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. The two teams might be coming in a bit winded given these two teams combined for 845 yards in their previous games.
Mainland is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They strolled past Matanzas with points to spare on Thursday, taking the game 34-17. The win continues a trend for the Buccaneers in their matchups with the Pirates: they've now won seven in a row.
Sebastian Johnson
| 09/25/25 vs Matanzas | 279 |
| 09/19/25 @ Coffee | 275 |
| 08/29/25 @ Cocoa | 270 |
| 09/12/25 vs Spruce Creek | 213 |
| 09/05/25 vs Flagler Palm Coast | 205 |
Mainland's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Josh Dudley, who rushed for 36 yards and one touchdown, and also picked up 35 receiving yards and one score. Sebastian Johnson was another key player, having thrown for 279 yards and two touchdowns.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Mainland proved: they limited Matanzas to a paltry 1.2 yards per carry. The team can thank Dennis King 3Rd for the heroic effort on defense: he. Mainland didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 6.3.
Mainland's defense didn't let Cole Walker, get away unscathed either: they got into the backfield for three sacks. Tamaj Woodard refused to say out of the backfield, picking up 1.5 sacks all by himself.
Meanwhile, DeLand got themselves on the board against Deltona last Friday, but Deltona never followed suit. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Wolves 39-0. Given the Bulldogs' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida football rankings (they are ranked 22nd, while the Wolves are ranked 279th) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.
DeLand's win came from a few key players Mainland will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Marceles Carey, who rushed for 96 yards and one TD on only ten carries, and also caught one score. Taihj Moore was another key player, rushing for 120 yards on only 13 carries.
Mainland's record is now 4-1. As for DeLand, their record now sits at 5-0.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Mainland has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 154.6 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like DeLand struggles in that department as they've been averaging 341.4 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Mainland strolled past DeLand when the teams last played back in October of 2024 by a score of 42-27. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Moore, who rushed for 167 yards and a pair of touchdowns while picking up 7.6 yards per carry. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will the Buccaneers still be able to contain Moore? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
