Palatka Fl- It’s been a rebound type of year for Menendez as the Falcons have played tough football all season despite major adversity. After losing All-area Quarterback King Benford to injury before the start of the regular season, Head Coach Matt Potak and company had to rebound and rebound quickly. The Falcons last three games have come down to the final play of the game. Menendez defeated a playoff bound Terry Parker team, in overtime, on October 8th. The following two contests the Falcons lost close games to District winner North Marion (17-10) and playoff contender Clay (21-16). Yet as they have done all year, the Menendez Falcons got back in the win column with a big 28-24 win over rival Palatka on Friday night.
“I am very proud of our team,” said Falcons first year coach Matt Potak. “The kids have faced a lot of adversity this season but they keep showing up and working hard. I am extremely grateful for the kids, families, and coaching staff”.
Menendez jumped out with a 14-6 halftime lead over Palatka. QB Noah Lawless and Running back Tabias Brown scored on short touchdown runs. The first touchdown was setup by big runs from Christian Coleman and Zhaki James. The second score was setup by a 26 yard Lawless pass to Julian Quintero. Defensively the Falcons relied on stringy defensive line play from Seth Stamps (2 sacks), Jake Orr, and Moses King. Linebackers Joseph Soto (6 tackles) and Ryon Pickles (7 tackles) also contributed. “We came out ready to play,” said Potak. “We ignored the distractions and played with our hearts.”
The second half started with Palatka and Menendez both struggling to find offensive rythim. Defensively, the Falcon secondary came to life with big pass breakups from Tomas Jones, Julian Quintero, and Terrell Newsome. Tabias Brown also had an incredible pass breakup late in the third quarter that could have resulted in a Panther first down. Brown finished with over 100 all purpose yards and three pass breakups. Eventually the Falcons were able to grab the momentum when Stamps and Kani Harris forced a panther fumble. Lawless scored a few plays later on a short quarterback sneak run. Lawless following the blocking of Michael Boccio (TE) ,Cam Cooper, Jymbo Dickerson, Patrick Buckley, Ethan Carr and Wes Herndon. Lawless finished with three rushing touchdowns.
On the next series, Brown gashed the panther defense for a 34-yard run, leading to another short lawless touchdown run on a QB sneak. Menendez took a 28-6 lead midway through the fourth quarter. However, the Panthers never gave up. Jamarrie McKinnon threw a 60 yard touchdown pass to Lane Sheffield to cut the deficit. Trailing 28-18, McKinnon completed another long touchdown pass to Dumas with ten seconds left in the game. “It got a little interesting at the end, but I was proud of how we stayed composed and won the game,” said Potak. Menendez will conclude the regular season next week at Tocoi Creek (3-4).
