Which Volusia-Flagler area high school football players earned game balls in Week 8?
Week 8 produced some memorable moments for Volusia-Flagler high school football.
Seabreeze dug itself out of a 21-point hole to keep its faint playoff hopes alive. University celebrated homecoming by moving to 7-0 and putting itself within one win of a first district championship. DeLand battled Class 4M title contender Seminole to the final whistle in a 91-point shootout. Atlantic took a leap toward a playoff return with a shutout win over Crescent City.
That is merely a taste of what transpired Thursday and Friday nights. And with so much at stake as it pertains to the playoff race, heroes emerged to lead their teams to victory and secure game balls in the aftermath.
Here are Week 8's top local performers.
Florida high school football: District champions, championship games and playoff scenarios
Denali Campbell, Seabreeze
Pine Ridge and Seabreeze turned in a late submission for the area's Game of the Year with a wild, 85-point shootout in which the Sandcrabs rallied from 21 down in the second half and prevailed on Drew McNerney's field goal just before the buzzer.
While the kicker capped the comeback, it was Campbell who started it with a halfback pass to Landon Smith for 65-yard touchdown. The junior ran for a couple of first-half touchdowns, accounted for more than 200 scrimmage yards and registered eight solo tackles.
Smith produced a healthy stat line — eight catches, 169 yards, two TDs — and Hayden Hayes scrambled for both the game-tying TD and a 27-yard gain to set up McNerney's field goal.
Jaay-R Cook Jr., University
University's 7-0 start has mostly been attributed to its explosive, balanced offense. But its defense came to play Friday as well, with junior safety Cook playing a key role as the Titans snapped a six-year losing streak against Spruce Creek.
Cook thwarted the Hawks' opening drive with a pass breakup and gave his team a jolt by recovering an errant snap near midfield to conclude the second defensive series. University, which committed turnovers on its first two possessions, struck for the night's opening score after Cook's fumble recovery. It came on a 34-yard pass from Malachi Walters to Isaiah Baker.
Nathan Thomas and Javier Figueroa combined for five tackles for loss, with the latter registering a sack. Walters threw three touchdowns, including a pair to junior receiver Jermane Hayes.
Daniel DeFalco, Matanzas
Named among the area's top tight ends prior to the start of the 2023 season, senior DeFalco turned in his best game as a Pirate to keep the team alive in the playoff race.
The 6-foot-3, 225-pound senior caught four balls for 58 yards and three touchdowns as Matanzas hammered District 4-3S foe Gainesville. Senior quarterback Dakwon Evans spread the wealth, hitting Andre Andrews six times for 90 yards and a touchdown and carrying the ball nine times for 70 yards and another score.
Matanzas can finish as high as second in its district, and its spot will be settled after consecutive contests against Clay and Menendez.
Preston Kuznof, Atlantic
No team helped their playoff case more in Week 8 than Atlantic, which seized control of District 8-2S and gained a fair bit of retribution in a dominant 27-0 victory over Crescent City. Should the Sharks take care of undermanned Taylor on Oct. 27, they will go dancing as district champs.
Kuznof, who has missed significant time this fall due to a pair of injuries, was back to his best when it mattered most. The senior was credited with 10 tackles (seven solo), seven tackles for loss, five sacks and three QB hurries; not to mention, he also ran for 41 yards and scored one of Atlantic's four touchdowns.
Kwasie Kwaku had a game-high 141 rushing yards with two touchdowns in his return from a two-game suspension, and Josh Dudley added 102 yards on just 10 carries.
Karl Nelson, Halifax
Halifax matched its all-time, single-season win record by thumping Jordan Christian Prep 46-0 in a game that was even more lopsided than the score indicated. The Knights had 40 points on the board at halftime; the visiting Seahawks accounted for minus-13 yards of total offense.
Nelson tossed five touchdown passes in the opening 24 minutes, connecting on 10 of 20 passes for 264 yards. Omar Calhoun was on the receiving end of three of Nelson's five scores, and both Cameise Sloss and Brandon McMillian had one TD reception apiece.
Halifax, now 6-1, faces slumping Trinity Christian next before a massive showdown at Melbourne Central Catholic that could decide its postseason fate.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Volusia-Flagler high school football: Week 8 game ball winners
