3 takeaways: TJ Moore sets DeLand record in Battle for the Bone victory over Deltona

DELTONA — The DeLand Bulldogs came down Howland Boulevard on a mission in the "Battle for the Bone."

And after senior quarterback TJ Moore threw for a school-record seven touchdown passes and rushed for another, it was mission accomplished for coach Rick Darlington's team. It rolled over host Deltona 70-12 Friday night.

Moore came out firing on the first drive, completing three passes and rushing for 17 yards before hitting tight end Wyatt Darlington for a 29-yard touchdown pass and a 7-0 lead.

"I just want to thank my O-lineman and my defense," Moore said. "I also want to thank my coach for calling good plays, letting me pass the ball and my receivers for making some great catches tonight."

On the first play of the next possession, Moore took the snap off left tackle and flew 58 yards down the sideline for a quick 14-0 advantage.

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Trailing 21-0, Deltona finally answered with a score of its own when sophomore wide receiver Desean Fludd took the snap and ran to his right, weaving through the DeLand defense for a 90-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to 15.

However, it did not take Moore long to find Darlington again — this time from 5 yards out — and extend the Bulldogs' lead to 35-6 with 8:54 left in the second quarter. Darlington caught three touchdowns. His final score was a 6-yarder that gave DeLand a 56-12 lead.

The Bulldogs' defense kept the door shut most of the night, including a second-half shutout to close the victory.

Here are three takeaways:

TJ Moore breaks a DeLand school record

TJ Moore was a man on fire. The only thing that stopped him from chasing the state of Florida record for single-game touchdown passes (Tucker Israel, 10) was the hook from Rick Darlington after the third quarter.

Darlington's son, Zach, is the QB coach for DeLand. A state champion in his own right, Zach Darlington was a standout signal-caller for the 2012 Apopka Blue Darters.

"Zach has been a great influence on TJ," Rick Darlington said. "He has a great calming presence and is doing an exceptional job helping develop TJ into a more accurate passer."

Darlington's offense usually favors the run. But on this night, he let his quarterback air it out.

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"I felt like our receivers, with their talent and speed, would overmatch their defensive backs," Darlington said.

Senior Javon Ross had two touchdown receptions, including one for 53 yards on a post route. Junior Jonathan Baker added two of his own, the second of which set up a running clock for the second half as DeLand had a 49-12 lead.

Deltona's Matt Martin is a familiar face for the Bulldogs

Friday marked Deltona head coach Matt Martin's first matchup against his former team. He served as DeLand's defensive line coach last season before taking over at his alma mater in late February.

Martin took over for Jeff Smothers, who departed for Georgia, and was tasked with overseeing a roster overhaul. The Wolves ended the 2022 season 7-3, just outside the playoffs due to two close district losses. Martin's coaching tenure is off to an 0-6 start.

"We want Matt to be successful over here," Darlington said. "We know it is definitely harder to do that these days with kids leaving and the way things are nowadays. It is just difficult to get the kids to stay and believe."

On Thursday, the state's second-ranked team, Mainland, pays the Wolves a visit.

DeLand faces a tough road ahead

At 5-1, DeLand knows the challenges it will face in the coming weeks, starting with the "Battle of the Bridge" next Friday at Seminole. The 'Noles lost to Cocoa 28-3 on Friday, so they will be looking to rebound against this confident group of Bulldogs.

"We are well aware that, in the next four games, we could quickly go from 5-1 to 5-5," Darlington said. "We play state-caliber teams. It's about to get ramped up a whole lot, and we know that. We have to keep getting better every week and shore up some areas that those teams will be good enough to expose if we don't get them corrected."

Darlington also said Friday's game plan was to build Moore's confidence, and that seems to have paid off in the "Battle for the Bone," which DeLand has won 23 times in 26 all-time meetings.

DeLand's total of 70 points is also a school record.

"I'm trying to win a ring this year," Moore said. "I think we're going to have a good week of preparation and we can win."

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: High school football: DeLand routs Deltona in 2023 Battle for the Bone