Volleyball ends weekend on a high note, boys runners 4th
DAYTONA BEACH — Jamar Bucker outran the Mainland defense and raced into the end zone, capping a 14-point comeback and a hard-fought Seminole 27-21 victory Friday night in one of the Noles’ biggest tests of the season.
Playing on the road in a hostile environment, Seminole answered adversity with grit and determination, making the plays it needed on both sides of the ball.
“It was just a total team effort by our guys and they showed heart, resilience, and effort,” Seminole coach Karl Calhoun Jr. said.
Seminole finished with 300 total yards, including 170 passing and 130 rushing, without a turnover.
Quarterback Daniel Proenza led the offense, completing 12 of 17 passes for 170 yards while rushing for 65 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries.
“Daniel played great, made the right reads and took care of the football,” Calhoun said. “That’s all you can ask for.”
Da’khi Carr added a rushing touchdown, finishing with 22 yards on three carries and 20 receiving yards. Tyree Howard rushed for 25 yards on seven carries and added 15 receiving yards.
Kadin Flores caught two passes for 45 yards, Cameron Roberts had four receptions for 40 yards, Luis Ojeda added three catches for 35 yards and a two-point conversion, and Ladarian Hill had one reception for 15 yards.
The Seminole defense repeatedly answered with key stops and several critical sacks before sealing the victory with a sack on Mainland’s final possession.
“Defense had key stops when needed and bent but didn’t break,” Calhoun said. “Offense stayed poised throughout the game and delivered a drive at the end that was needed to get back up in the game.”
The comeback was a complete team effort, but for Calhoun, the significance went beyond the final score.
“I’m proud of our guys for coming into a hostile environment on the road and leaving with a quality win over a quality opponent,” he said.
Seminole hosts Apopka in the first District game of the year on Sept. 25. Game time is set for 7 pm.
Cross County: Tyler Clarke-Lowery led Seminole’s to a fourth-place finish with a 17:31.7, good for 10th overall on Saturday in the Coach Joe McKinney Classic.
Seminole finished fourth with 91 points in the, behind winners Boone (53 points), Hagerty with 58 and Tavares with 79.
Jadan Prudot, who finished 20th in 17:56.3, and Akshay Bangalore was 21st in 17:56.4. Giovany Rodriguez finished 29th in 18:11.3, while Oscar Loredo rounded out Seminole’s scoring in 31st at 18:14.1.
On the girls’ side, Vyshnavi Behara was Seminole’s top varsity finisher, placing 73rd in 26:03.3. Estelle Coffee finished 79th in 27:14.5, followed by Nimrah Qureshi in 80th at 27:18.8 and Nina Sucre in 87th at 29:24.0.
Girls Golf: Seminole defeated Lyman, 201-269, on Sept. 17. The Noles won by 68 strokes, with Madison Ehmke shooting a season-best 2-over par.
Girls Volleyball: Seminole competed at the Lake Howell Invitational at Game Point in Orlando on Sept. 19-20, finishing 4-1.
Seminole defeated Florida Christian, 25-13, 25-19. McKaylah Mattis had seven kills and 10 assists, while Lia Hufford added six kills, four aces and 15 digs.
The Noles then defeated Gulf Coast, 25-11, 25-14. Hufford had five kills, three aces and eight digs. Mattis added three kills, nine assists, four aces and seven digs, while Ciara Vazquez had five kills.
Seminole fell to Bishop Moore, 25-8, 26-24. Hufford recorded seven kills and six digs, and Mattis had five kills and 12 assists.
The Noles bounced back with a three-set victory over Brevard Heat Firehawks, 25-18, 22-25, 15-12. Hufford had 15 kills and 10 digs, Vazquez added 14 kills, Mattis contributed five kills, 21 assists and 12 digs, and Sofia Brown and Mia Torres each had 17 digs.
Seminole closed the tournament with a 25-23, 25-13 victory over Lake Howell. Hufford had 10 kills and seven digs, Mattis added seven kills and seven assists, Vazquez had six kills, and Jazleen Irizarry recorded 14 assists.