Our guest for this week’s ITG Next Florida “4 Questions with the Coach” spotlight is Matanzas High School’s Matt Forrest, who is heading into his fourth season as the Pirates’ head football coach after coming over from Creekside in 2019. The Matanzas football program has shown improvement in all areas under Forrest, with an offense that likes to throw the football and an aggressive style of defense. Since taking over a program that had won three games the year before his arrival, Forrest has led the Pirates to 15 wins over the past three seasons, and he is looking to take the team to even greater heights this season.
Q. Coach Forrest, thanks for joining us! Let’s start off by asking you about how things have been in your three seasons there at Matanzas. This has been your first head coaching opportunity, and I know you are wanting to take this Pirates football program to new heights. Can you fill us in on the things you’ve been able to accomplish in your first three seasons?
A. We are very excited about the football program we are building at Matanzas High School. I cannot say enough about our players, coaches, administration, and community who have helped us climb to where we are now.
2020 wasn’t a great time to become a first-time head coach, let alone take any other position – there was just so much uncertainty at the time. The players were able to rally around our coaches and we had to do a lot of online install meetings. To our players’ and coaches’ credit, we were able to go 6-4 and win the first playoff game in school history with a team that had back-to-back 3-7 seasons the two years prior.
In 2022 we had 11 starters go down to season-ending injuries from weeks 2-7 and were still about to finish with a 5-5 record. Just a lot to be proud of, and it starts with the guys we have in the locker room – they believe and strive to be the best version of themselves every day.
Q. As I mentioned in the introduction, you like to throw the ball around a little bit, and I guess that stems from your days as a college quarterback. Speaking of QBs, let’s talk about Dakwon Evans, who is heading into his final season there with you at Matanzas. I’m sure as a former quarterback yourself, I’s only natural that you spend time with him. What’s that dynamic like? Do you find yourself more demanding or understanding?
A. I love coaching him, along with all of our QBs. I’m sure they would tell you I’m very demanding, and that’s because, like you said, I understand the importance of that spot. You have to have a QB who can make good decisions, who knows the offense inside and out, and most importantly one you, the staff, and the guys in the locker room can trust. Because of that bond with those guys, I still coach the QBs and call the offense. I just like being in the fox hole with those guys and helping develop them into leaders on our football team. I do put a lot of pressure on them, on and off the field, because I know, like it or not, they have to live up to that spotlight of high expectations.
Q. Coach, at the time of this writing, you and your staff are ready to take the team into spring practice, followed by summer workouts. What are some of the things you hope to to work on this offseason?
A. In the spring it’s simple. I only have two goals: 1) Establish our 2-Deep; and 2) Make sure we do our absolute best to take care of our guys and get out as healthy as possible. We will tinker with some sets that we would like to take a look at on film as well. Summer is all about the Climb. Just trying to empty the tank, every single rep 100 percent. Getting as many as we can in there to work with each other and build that trust and relationship that championship programs have day in and day out. We are most certainly climbing in the right direction.
Q. Tell us about the overall state of the 2023 Pirates. I know you have some key seniors returning along with Dakwon, but how does the rest of this Matanzas football team look in terms of personnel in all three phases?
A. That’s a very loaded question and I know it’ll take far too long to type. I’ll say this is a great time to be a part of Matanzas football. In a world now of NIL/transfer portal (in college) and open enrollment (in Florida), we have a group of young men who have been through a lot together, hills and valleys, and they continue to climb together. They don’t quit, they don’t transfer, they don’t make excuses, they just keep trying to climb a little bit every day. Every day isn’t perfect, I have bad days myself, but from our administration to our staff to our players, we all try to be the be the best versions of ourselves every day, and that is something I’m very proud that we have been able to build and maintain in my three short years at Matanzas.
