First Baptist falls to Miami Killian and Treasure Coast in spring football jamboree

First Baptist made a trip over to the east coast Saturday afternoon and took on Killian and Treasure Coast in a jamboree on the campus of Palm Beach Lakes.

The Lions fell 17-6 to Killian in the opening game, and lost 21-0 to Treasure Coast, which finished 10-1 last season in Class 8A.

Each game was only one half long.

What 3 Things Did First Baptist Learn?

1. The defense was put in some tough positions during the two games, and FBA head coach Billy Sparacio was pleased with the outcomes of some drives, including a pick-six by rising junior cornerback Kevin Nelson. "I thought our defense did really good in the first quarter of the first game (against Killian)," Sparacio said. "We had three drives in a row where we stopped them. Offensively, we threw a pick and put our defense in a bad spot, but we still got a stop. We looked good in that regard."

2. Game speed and fatigue got the best of First Baptist during some portions of the game, mostly towards the end. "From sheer football X's and O's, our kids did a pretty decent job," Sparacio said. "Game speed is something we have to get better at in practice. We've got to create an atmosphere in practice where we get as close to simulating game speed as best as we can."

3. The inability to finish drives on offense was something that needed to be improved on, per Sparacio. "We drove the ball at times, and we just kind of floundered. Some of it was execution, some of it might've been mental focus. I'll have to rewatch the film to see why. We played some very good teams today. I think we have a ways to go in getting better, but I think it was a good day. We challenged our kids, and they stepped up in some areas. In some areas, we just got to to get better and play more as a team and play with more energy, and passion. The offense was a little behind, but some things were clicking."

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