University forces 5 turnovers, blanks New Smyrna Beach in Region 3-4S quarterfinal

DELTONA — University cruised in one Volusia County rematch Friday night, setting up another with arguably its biggest rival for a spot in the Region 3-4S final.

The second-seeded Titans forced five turnovers, leading to 21 points, and Malachi Walters threw three touchdowns in a 42-0 victory over New Smyrna Beach. University (10-1) advances to the regional semifinal round of the FHSAA playoffs for the second time in three seasons, and picked up its first home playoff win.

Home, of course, is a relative term for the Titans. University relocated down the road to nearby Deltona High due to FHSAA rules regarding minimum attendance. Class 4M and 4S host sites must have a capacity of at least 2,500 fans.

Final scores: Volusia-Flagler high school football playoff games

A venue for next week's anticipated clash with DeLand, a 35-25 winner over Spruce Creek in another quarterfinal contest, will be determined this weekend.

"It's close enough, right? Obviously, it means a lot. I'm happy for the kids and the coaches," Titans coach Justin Roberts said. "They put in a lot of work and a lot of time, and New Smyrna is really good team and really well-coached. It's tough to beat a good team twice."

University made the tricky task appear rather simple with a dominant display on both sides of the ball. The Titans outgained the Barracudas 349-73, delivering quick haymakers on each of their first two drives.

Beechie Morris shouldered the load on the first possession, gaining 58 yards on just five attempts to bring the Titans down near the goal line. Walters polished it off with a 6-yard toss to Barrett Schulz, with the 6-foot-4 sophomore securing the catch at its highest point.

University needed just two plays to cash in a fumble, which came immediately after the 'Cudas successfully rolled the dice on a fourth-down conversion in their own half. Anthony May busted through several tackles on a 30-yard gallop, and Isaiah Baker scored on a 15-yard quick screen.

"We knew we had to start fast," Roberts said. "We were able to start fast when we played them the previous (time), so that was the goal again."

Walters made it a 21-0 halftime advantage when he delivered a 19-yard touchdown pass to Jermane Hayes. Morris tacked on a 51-yard TD run early in the third quarter, and Hayes secured another running clock with a 52-yard interception return for a score on the period's final play.

"Everything starts at practice. We can't slack no more," Hayes said. "From here on out, we've just never gave up, and we're going to keep on pushing."

The territorial advantage told the whole story, in addition to New Smyrna's five giveaways. University ran eight of its 13 first-quarter snaps on the plus side of the 50; the 'Cudas never crossed midfield.

New Smyrna Beach (6-5) snatched the last wild card in the region despite losing its final three games of the regular season. Offensively, the 'Cudas rushed for a season-high 383 yards and five touchdowns in last week's 45-41 shootout defeat at Leon.

"They're a good football team," New Smyrna Beach coach John Wilkinson said. "Arrogant as hell, but they're a good football team.

"Since I've been here, we've gone to the playoffs three times. Getting to the playoffs, that's not the goal. We want to win football games in the playoffs and make some noise. Getting here is a great step, but we're not finished."

University spread the wealth offensively; three players caught Walters' touchdowns, and the team's four running backs each got their turn in the backfield. Morris led the way with 116 yards, May had 44 and Demontay Johnson contributed 38 with the evening's final score.

But, the Titans quickly turned their attention toward DeLand following the final whistle. The Bulldogs handed them their only defeat of the fall with the District 9-4S championship on the line, a 14-3 slugfest in Orange City.

DeLand has won each of the six all-time meetings between the two schools.

"We love getting another shot at them," sophomore linebacker Mason Moore, who forced one of the fumbles and recovered another, said. "We're going to come back, get back, and it's going to be a great game."

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: FHSAA football playoffs: University defeats New Smyrna Beach, 42-0