The Matanzas Pirates had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 32 points), and they went ahead and made it three on Friday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 24-21 victory over Clay. For Matanzas, this counts as revenge for the 28-23 defeat Clay walked away with the last time they faced one another back in October of 2022.
Matanzas' success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Dakwon Evans led the charge by throwing for 169 yards and two touchdowns. Andre Andrews was another key contributor, picking up 94 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Clay's loss came despite strong showings from Merrick Rapoza and Payton Dykas. Rapoza rushed for 18 yards and three touchdowns, while Dykas picked up 123 receiving yards.
Matanzas' win was their third straight at home, bumping their overall record up to 6-2. Admittedly, the team didn't face the toughest opposition across those games, namely Clay, Gainesville, and Atlantic. As for Clay, they are on a three-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 4-4.
Matanzas will head out on the road to face off against Menendez at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. As for Clay, they will be playing in front of their home fans against St. Augustine at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. St. Augustine knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with flashy point totals in its past seven matches -- so hopefully Clay likes a good challenge.
