Two Brevard County teams drew significant attention from Florida sports writers this week, and it was the same two making the deepest trips in last fall’s playoffs.

Cocoa was ranked third in Class 4A and Viera No. 10 in 7A in the preseason Associated Press high school football polls. The Hawks were state finalists in 2015 and debut tonight at Eau Gallie as most Brevard teams play their preseason games.

Football players at Cocoa High School run drills during practice Tuesday afternoon.

Cocoa hosts Clearwater, both games at 7. The Tigers, who bring a nine-year streak of advancing to at least the state semifinal round into the season, were a point behind Jacksonville Bolles, 96-95 in the rankings. Preseason No. 1 Miami Booker T. Washington, the defending 4A champion, received 130 points and all 13 first-place votes.

Class 6A Heritage, Palm Bay in 5A and Holy Trinity (3A) all got votes but did not crack their top 10s.

St. Thomas Aquinas, which defeated Viera in December for the 7A title, debuted at the top of that class poll with 130 points and all first-place votes. The No. 10 Hawks got 27 points.

Jacksonville Trinity Christian was voted No. 1 in 3A and will visit Cocoa for the regular season opener on Aug. 28.

The remaining No. 1 teams were Apopka in Class 8A, Miami Central in 6A, Plantation American Heritage (5A), Jacksonville University Christian (2A) and Trenton (1A).

Contact McCallum at 321-242-3698 or bmccallum@floridatoday.com. Follow facebook.com/FLtoday.brianmccallum and @Brian_McCallum on Twitter.

Florida High School Football Polls

By The Associated Press

The Associated Press Top 10 Florida high school football poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records, rating points and previous rankings:

Others receiving votes: Vero Beach 14, Coral Gables 12, Piper 9, Sandalwood 4, Seminole Ridge 4, South Dade 3, West Orange 3, Miramar 2, Palm Beach Gardens 2.

Others receiving votes: Mater Academy 14, Plant City 10, Tampa Bay Tech 5, Palm Beach Lakes 3, Chiles 3, Kathleen 3, Lincoln 2, Winter Haven 2, Oakleaf 1.

Others receiving votes: Niceville 11, Charlotte 7, Port Charlotte 7, Escambia 4, Nease 3, Tate 3, North Fort Myers 2, Lake Gibson 2, Boynton Beach 2, Heritage 1, Matanzas 1, Miami Northwestern 1, Sunlake 1.

Heritage football working harder, playing faster

Others receiving votes: West Florida 22, Dunbar 20, Ribault 12, Bishop Kenny 8, Hallandale 7, Palm Bay 6, Pensacola 2, Miami Jackson 1, Godby 1.

Palm Bay football depth on upswing again

Others receiving votes: Glades Central 26, Avon Park 19, Clewiston 9, Fort Lauderdale University 6.

Q&A: Cocoa football QB Bruce Judson

Others receiving votes: Lakeland Christian 30, Oxbridge Academy 14, Calvary Christian-Clearwater 9, Holy Trinity 6.

Holy Trinity football talent has Tigers eager

Others receiving votes: Community School of Naples 14, Admiral Farragut 7, Champagnat Catholic 7, Foundation Academy 6, Moore Haven 6.

Others receiving votes: Fort White 27, Union County 23, Baker School 15, Liberty County 7, South Walton 7, Blountstown 6, Vernon 6.

High school sports | floridatoday.com/sports/high-school-sports/

PALM BAY Even when the Palm Bay defense made mistakes, it eventually corrected for them.

The pursuing Pirates defense gave visiting Santaluces nary a moment to breathe on Thursday as it won its preseason game, 47-0. One of several big moments came late in the first half, when the home team held the Chiefs out of the end zone on four attempts from inside the 3.

Palm Bay’s Shavaughnie Robinson (10) pursues Santaluces QB Arthur Grey during their preseason game Thursday at Panther Stadium.

“We had to pick up our motors,” junior T.J. Robinson said. “We wanted the goose egg.”

On the other side of the ball, Palm Bay used seven ball carriers, each of them effective in their own way. B.J. Daniels got the most work and piled up the most yardage, gaining 114 yards before retiring late in the game with a running clock brought about by the quickly changing scoreboard.

GAME DETAILS: Check out stats from this and other games

Daniels scored on a 53-yarder midway through the second period, showing enough patience for his blockers to make a way and then enough of a burst to finish it off. His 30-yarder in the third set up a 9-yard scoring pass from Stuart Brown to Dez Arthur that meant the clock would not stop again.

Tigers, Hawks ranked in preseason football polls

Arthur had opened the scoring with a 22-yard run in the first and added a 4-yarder in the second. Tyshaun Rolle powered up the middle behind an effective Pirates line for a 5-yard touchdown midway through the third, and Ken McKay ran in the last from the 7 in the final minutes.

Brown threw one other touchdown pass, zipping the ball 16 yards to a wide open A.J. Dotti 89 seconds into the second half for a 26-0 lead, just in case the visitors had any plans for a comeback. That followed a forced fumble by Ian Telpha, which Shavaughnie Robinson recovered and ran to the Santaluces 22.

Palm Bay’s defense made another big stand when the Chiefs second-half kickoff return put the team near midfield. By the time Santaluces sent out its punter, he was backed up enough that that a bad snap led the a Pirates drive starting at the 6.

“The goal today was to get everybody flowing to the ball,” senior defender Mitchell Cook said, “but everything can be improved. We’ve got so many games to go. We’ve just got to keep working.”

The Pirates will play again on Thursday, taking on Columbine (Colo.) at Disney’s Wide World of Sports in the regular season opener. The other 16 Brevard high school football teams play preseason games Friday night.

Palm Bay football depth on upswing again

Top performers: Palm Bay: B.J. Daniels rushed for 114 yards, scoring on a 53-yarder. He had a 6-yard score called back on a penalty. Dez Arthur scored on two runs and a pass, one of Stuart Brown’s two scoring tosses; Santaluces: It was a rough night for the Chiefs, whose initial first down on a play from scrimmage came at 4:57 of the second period.

Key play: With Santaluces threatening to score in the final seconds of the second quarter, the Pirates defense held four times inside the 3. Then, as the clock ran out following a Palm Bay turnover, Jalen Shelton blocked a Chiefs field goal attempt from 32 yards out.

Next week: Columbine (Colo.) vs. Palm Bay at Disney’s Wide World of Sports (Thursday) 7 p.m.; Santaluces at Vero Beach, 7 p.m.

Contact McCallum at 321-242-3698 or bmccallum@floridatoday.com. Follow facebook.com/FLtoday.brianmccallum and @Brian_McCallum on Twitter.

High school sports | floridatoday.com/sports/high-school-sports/

Heritage visited Vero Beach High on Friday night.

VERO BEACH — Any major concerns about Vero Beach High School’s offense after the spring should be put to rest after Friday’s Kickoff Classic game.

The Fighting Indians’ balanced attacked racked up 442 yards of total offense and four different players scored in Vero Beach’s 31-13 win over Heritage in the Citrus Bowl.

“I thought we were flying around pretty well, moving around pretty well,” Vero Beach coach Lenny Jankowski said. “We have a lot of things to clean up, but I’m fairly pleased for this point in the season. I thought the offensive line played really well.”

Vero Beach lost to state-ranked W.T. Dwyer 26-7 in the spring game, turning the ball over five times and struggling with blocking assignments.

It was a different story Friday.

“This was a lot better than the spring game,” said Vero Beach senior quarterback Mike Dean, who threw for 189 yards and a touchdown. “The offensive line played outstanding. I can’t give enough credit to those guys They worked so hard during the summer and came together They were so mad. This was a prove it game for them and they definitely did that.”

Vero Beach running back Akeem Dixon capped the opening drive of the game with a 17-yard run and Jeremiah Pearson added a 9-yard scoring run midway through the first quarter. Pearson finished with 98 rushing ayards and 67 receiving yards.

The Fighting Indians were pushing for another score late in the first quarter, but fumbled and Heritage’s Rashard Farmer took it 95 yard for a touchdown. It was as close as Heritage would get though.

Vero Beach added two second-quarter touchdowns and a field goal before Heritage running back Aramion Gaines scored on a 27-yard run.

“We’re just trying to get some confidence,” Heritage coach Mark Ainsley said of his young team. “As we play we’re just going to get better. Going from playing Saturday morning to Friday night is a big jump, but we don’t have time for them to learn how to swim. We threw them in a big pool. Vero Beach is a good team.”

Vero Beach hosts Santaluces in the regular season opener next week; Heritage plays Merritt Island at home in their first game.

Vero Beach 31, Heritage 13

Top performers: Heritage: Rashard Farmer returned a fumble 95 yards for a touchdown; Vero Beach: Three different players rushed for touchdowns including Akeem Dixon (17 yards), Jeremiah Pearson (9 yards) and Devonte Jones (5 yards).

Key play: Devonte Jones’ 5-yard TD run just before the half gave Vero Beach an insurmountable 28-6 lead at the break.

Next week: Merritt Island at Heritage 7 p.m.; Santaluces at Vero Beach, 7 p.m.

Box Score

Heritage        6     0   0  7  –  13

Vero Beach  14  14  0  3  –   31

VB: Akeem Dixon 17 run (Adam Yurigan kick), 10:161st Quarter

VB: Jeremiah Pearson 9 run (Adam Yurigan kick), 7:37
H: Rashard Farmer 95 fumble return (kick blocked), :38

2nd Quarter

VB: Ian Peterson 8 pass from Mike Dean (Adam Yurigan kick), 2:47
VB: Devonte Jones 5 run (Adam Yurigan kick), 1:50

4th Quarter

VB: Adam Yurigan 21 FG, 4:39
H: Amarion Gaines 27 run (Aiden Clark kick), 2:52

TC Palm

Cocoa Beach hosted Winter Park’s Trinity Prep on Friday night.

Cocoa Beach held tough, but couldn’t come up with a win against Triumph Christian from Auburndale.

The Minutemen defense grabbed two interceptions, from Steven Walker and Skyler Hester. Hester also led the team in tackles with four, and Darren Durkin, Kai Gilmore, and Steven Walker all had three.

David Demeter led the offense with 17 carries for 82 yards and two touchdowns. Keifer Hudson added 38 yards, and Felipe Pires had 30.

In the second quarter, Walker had a leaping interception at the 10-yard line stopping a Trinity Prep scoring opportunity.

Cocoa Beach had their first scoring drive with three carries for 30 yards by David Demeter, and a 30-yard pass to Andrew Hammock by Mitch Mahock for the first touchdown.

Cocoa Beach scored their final touchdown with a QB sneak by Machock late in the fourth quarter, but they came up just short in a 6-point loss.

Top performers: Cocoa Beach: David Demeter had 17 carries for 82 yards and 2 TDs; the defense had 2 interceptions.

Next week: Trinity Prep at Calvary Christian 7 p.m.; Cocoa Beach at Deltona Trinity Christian 7 p.m.

David Demeter, For FLORIDA TODAY

Bayside High players run through some plays during practice Wednesday in Palm Bay.

Astronaut played at Bayside in Palm Bay on Friday night,

Kamauri Johnson ran for two touchdowns and registered a huge sack on defense to help lift visiting Astronaut past Bayside 22-20 in their Kickoff Classic matchup on Friday night.

The sack, which forced a 20-yard loss for Bayside, eventually set up a punt deep in Bears territory. When the punt snap was errant, that led to a safety.

His touchdowns were crucial, as his first, a 1-yard plunge that followed the safety, put Astronaut up 16-14 right before the half. His second, a 24-yard scamper, would help give his team the necessary cushion to hang on.

“Coach told me he needed me in the drought so I came in, came through,” Johnson said. “My teammates came through and I thank them.”

Bayside was able to get on the board first in the contest.

After a bit of a feeling out process, Bayside took advantage of a fumble recovery in Astronaut territory as Jordan McIlvain found Johnny Poret for a 22-yard touchdown pass to put the Bears up 7-0.

High School football preseason roundup

After being held completely in check in the first quarter offensively, Astronaut’s offense responded as Trevor Susie found Terrell Watkins on a 74-yard touchdown pass to even the score at 7-7.

It didn’t take long for Bayside to regain their advantage, however, as Sheridon Archer’s 83-yard return of the ensuing kickoff put the Bears back ahead 14-7.

The rest of the half belonged to the War Eagles as the safety and Johnson’s first run put Astronaut up 16-14 at the half.

Johnson’s second scoring run in the third quarter put the War Eagles up eight, after a failed two-point conversation attempt.

“I just think the offensive line,” Hallock said as to what turned the game around. “We’re pretty good up front and the offensive line kind of took control.”

Bayside’s offense, which had been held down after the first quarter, found some success on the ground in the fourth quarter.

The Bears’ defense held twice in their own territory in the fourth quarter to give the offense in opportunity to win it, but two drives came up short, including one that ended with an incompletion that was tantalizingly close to being a long pass play to put the Bears in Astronaut territory.

Still, for Bayside, there was a lot of reason for optimism from this performance after what was a difficult winless season a year ago.

“I give Bayside credit, Coach (Mike) Nahl,” Hallock said. “That’s a much improved football team over last year. They’re going to have some wins this year. They did a good job. I give them all the credit in the world.”

They’ll travel to Lowndes High School in Georgia next week to begin their regular season.

Astronaut, which had a winning season and earned a playoff berth in 2015, begins its season on Friday hosting New Smyrna Beach.

“We’re still 0-0. We’ve got to come back, we’ve got to work and we’ve got to work hard,” Johnson added.

Top performers: Astronaut’s Kamauri Johnson ran for two touchdowns on offense and recorded a huge sack on defense. For Bayside, Sheridon Archer returned a kickoff for a touchdown and ran one in offensively.

Key play:  A snap over the punter’s head before the half helped pull the War Eagles to within 14-9. They then would march down the field after receiving a free kick, scoring when Johnson scored from a yard out with 13 seconds left to give the War Eagles a 16-14 lead at the half.

Next week: New Smyrna Beach at Astronaut 7 p.m.; Bayside at Lowndes (Ga.) 7 p.m.

Contact Bonanno at 321-242-3662, cbonanno@floridatoday.com or follow Chris on Twitter @FTChrisBonanno.

Box Score

Astronaut   0   16   6   0  –  22

Bayside     7    7    0   6  –  20

B: Johnny Poret 22 pass from Jordan McIlvain (Rachel Van Mier kick), 1:051st Quarter

2nd Quarter

A: Terrell Watkins 74 pass from Trevor Susie (Jason Heath kick), 11:47
B: Sheridon Archer 83 kickoff return (Rachel Van Mier kick), 11:32
A: Safety (Ball snapped out of end zone), 1:33
A: Kamauri Johnson 1 run (Kevin Wright kick), :13

3rd Quarter

A: Kamauri Johnson 24 run (pass failed), 5:23

4th Quarter

B: Sheridon Archer 3 run (run failed), 8:51

Cocoa hosted Clearwater on Friday night in Cocoa.

Though there was some rust to shake off – it is preseason after all – the Cocoa Tigers were able to take care of business Friday night, easily defeating the Clearwater Tornadoes 34-7 in their 2016 season debut.

“I just thought we didn’t play real well,” Cocoa head coach John Wilkinson said. “I think we need to get better, especially offensively.”

Clearwater running back Adarius Lemons helped give the visitors an immediate lead with a 57-yard gallop on the Tornadoes’ first play of the game which set up a 4-yard touchdown pass from Austin Day to Tramar Reece.

Two drives and two Tiger scores, a 29-yard field goal by Alex Petruzzello and a 15-yard touchdown run by Timmy Pratt, would quickly erase the Tornadoes only lead of the game and set the tone for rest of the night.

High School football preseason roundup

“There was just kind of a lapse on that first play, Wilkinson said. “We can’t do that against good football teams. We’ll get better.”

In the second quarter Petruzzello kicked another 17-yard field in the second quarter and a 60-yard run by Cocoa quarterback Bruce Judson set up a one-yard touchdown run by Lasedrick King to put Tigers up 20-7 heading into halftime.

Things remained much the same in the second half with Pratt scoring a second touchdown on a 4-yard run following a Clearwater fumble deep in their own territory and Judson capping the night off by nailing Javian Hawkins on a 32-yard touchdown pass.

Cocoa will stay home to kick off their regular season next week against nationally ranked Trinity Christian Academy.

“We’re playing a team that’s top 25 in the country and it’s going to be on national TV,” Wilkinson said. “If we play like we did today we’re going to get embarrassed.”

Top performers: Cocoa: Timmy Pratt, nine carriers, 48 yards, 2 TD; Clearwater: Adarius Lemons, 11 carries, 121 yards

Key play: 60-year run by Cocoa’s Bruce Judson sets up one-yard TD run by Lasedrick King to put Cocoa up 20-7 heading into halftime.

Q&A: Cocoa football QB Bruce Judson

Next week: Clearwater at Tarpon Springs 7:30 p.m. Aug. 26; Jacksonville Trinity Christian at Cocoa, 2 p.m. Aug. 28

Full game report: http://on.flatoday.com/2b6xM03

Box Score

Clearwater   7    0   0   0  –  7

Cocoa        10   10  7   7  –  34

First Quarter

CW: Tramar Reece 4 pass from Austin Day (Shane McDonough kick), 8:401st Quarter

CO: Alex Petruzzello 29 FG, 6:48
CO: Timmy Pratt 15 run (Alex Petruzzello kick), 3:26

2nd Quarter

CO: Alex Petruzzello 17 FG, 6:27
CO: Lasedrick King 1 run (Alex Petruzzello kick), 3:07

3rd Quarter

CO: Timmy Pratt 4 run (Alex Petruzzello kick), 2:39

4th Quarter

CO: Javian Hawkins 32 pass from Bruce Judson (Judson Petruzzello kick), 9:36

David Barkholz, For FLORIDA TODAY

High school sports | floridatoday.com/sports/high-school-sports/

Titusville High senior Mason Jones crossed the first line first early Saturday in the Wickham Park Jamboree, a high school 5K contested by 460 runners.

Jones ran a 15:51, 15 seconds faster than runner-up Troy Smith of Rockledge. Satellite’s Egan Kattenberg (16:06) and John Cacciatore (16:09) followed.

Samantha Folio of Holy Trinity finished before the rest of the girls’ field. Her time was 19:29, and Dominique Coriell of Rockledge followed at 20:17. Marie Groppel (20:29), Anique Kattenberg (20:33) and Lana Rukab (20:35) of Satellite placed fourth through sixth.

Heritage High’s ‘Sandlot’ baby, Benjamin Smalls, enters world

Wickham Park Jamboree, Saturday

Top 25 Boys

1  Mason Jones (Titusville) 15:51; 2 Troy Smith (Rockledge) 16:06; 3 Egan Kattenberg (Satellite) 16:06; 4 John Cacciatore (S) 16:09; 5 Joshua Skielnik (Jupiter Christian) 16:12; 6 Austin Camps (West Shore) 16:24; 7 Chase Hyland (Pine) 16:30; 8 Matt Doyle (Winter Spgs) 16:34; 9 Trevor Kattenberg (S) 16:36; 10 Justin Czurak (WSpr) 16:48; 11 Michael Wilson (S) 16:52; 12 Charlie Dickinson (S) 17:12; 13 Dennis McCheskey (A) 17:16; 14 Noah Van der Buigt (Father Lopez) 17:31; 15 Uriah Washington (R) 17:35; 16 Bailey Yoerin (Vero Beach) 17:38; 17 Jaymes Cole 17:46; 18 Christian Camps (WS) 17:50; 19 John Padilla (S) 17:54;  20 Tanner Rosolino (FL)  17:56;  21 Luke Blanchard (BH) 17:57; 22. Trevor Denson (T) 17:59; 23 Jimmy Granberg (VB) 18:00; 24 Michael Hurt (MC) 18:04; 25 Dylan Johnson (E) 18:04.

Top 25 Girls

1 Samantha Folio (Holy Trinity) 19:29; 2 Dominique Coriell (R) 20:17; 3 Claire Barber (P) 20:24; 4 Marie Groppel (S) 20:29;  5 Anique Kattenberg (S) 20:33;  6 Lana Rukab (S) 20:35; 7 Elayna Bahr (WSpr) 20:44; 8 Ciara Golliher (Seb River) 20:48;  9 Jaina Hawkins (WSpr) 20:54; 10 Autumn Schutt (VB) 20:57; 11 Mackenzie Czurak (WSpr) 21:06; 12 Kamryn Folger (T) 21:07; 13 Sara Towers (S) 21:17; 14 Grace Gumpel (VB) 21:27; 15 Brianna Basford (S) 21:42; 16 Sadie McLaughlin (R) 21:45; 17 Haley Higginbotham (E) 21:52; 18 Bryanna Pado (FL) 22:05; 19 Mia Taylor (JC) 22:06; 20 Jessica O’Bryan (T) 22:15; 21 Billie Castillo (T) 22:24; 22 Annie Morejon (FL) 22:24; 23 Kaylee Kraver (E) 22:39; 24 Margaret Ward (R) 22:45; 25 Brooke Siviter (HT) 22:47.

High school sports | floridatoday.com/sports/high-school-sports/

Years ago when Kevin Mays was the offensive coordinator for his close friend and then-head coach Derek Smith at Bayside High, Mays felt some lighthearted pressure when Smith publicly predicted their Bears offense would average 40 points.

Now beginning his sixth season as head coach at Viera, Mays has joked in recent years that he someday would return the favor by making a bold prediction, thus putting the pressure on his friend Smith, now the Hawks defensive coordinator.

Viera High players and coach go over some offensive and defensive plays during Monday’s practice as they get ready for the upcoming season.

Someday came Wednesday afternoon.

“I expect the defense to lead us until the offense can catch up. Coach Smith says this could be the best defense he’s been around,” Mays said after the midweek practice. “We definitely have better depth on defense than we do on offense.”

Viera 57, Eau Gallie 0

For most opponents, it was the Viera offense striking fear last season. It certainly was good enough to get the Hawks to the Class 7A state final, where they ran into one of the few teams that had little reason to fear anything: St. Thomas Aquinas.

From that Viera squad, quarterback Hayden Kingston and SEC-bound receiver Tre Nixon graduated. Nixon and four other graduating receivers had accounted for 70 percent of the 2015 receptions.

Following Friday’s 57-0 win at Eau Gallie, the team’s defense has done its job thus far. Maybe, like Mays turning the tables on Smith, the Viera defense will do the same to the offense.

The Hawks returned five of their best defensive weapons. They are aggressive end Miguel Rodriguez, technique-whiz Justin Harrison at tackle, saavy linebacker Brandon Mays, top back Will Champion and also Marco Foreman, who produced 19 sacks a year ago from his spot on the end of the line.

“We have all the pieces to the puzzle,” Foreman said. “We just have to make it work, and we could be a great team this year.”

And Kevin Mays won’t count out the offense, not by a long shot. Brennen Deplancke averaged 5.7 yards per carry and is back at running back, while Quinton Richard (37 catches) and Don Jackson (34) are returning receivers.

“Granted, those were big-time guys that we lost,” Mays said, “but I expect us to come in and be able to move the ball.”

He expects something else, too, and he has preached it to his players,

“I think they realize now that we’re not going to sneak up on anybody at this point.”

Rockledge 41, Melbourne 28

It’s something they seem to embrace.

“We have a little bit of a target, so we have to come out here and work hard every day,” Harrison said. “We used to be the joke of the county, and now we’re one of the best teams.”

Contact McCallum at 321-242-3698 or bmccallum@floridatoday.com.  Follow facebook.com/FLtoday.brianmccallum and @Brian_McCallum on Twitter.

2016 Hawks Schedule

Aug. 26 Viera at Rockledge, 7

Sept. 3 Washington D.C. Gonzaga at Viera, 7

Sept. 9 Viera at Merritt Island, 7

Sept. 16 Kathleen at Viera, 7

Sept. 23 Cocoa at Viera, 7

Sept. 30 Melbourne at Viera, 7

Oct. 7 Viera at Palm Bay, 7

Oct. 14 Martin County at Viera, 7

Oct. 28 Viera at South Fork, 7

Nov. 4 Viera at Winter Springs, 7

High school sports | floridatoday.com/sports/high-school-sports/

Monday was the first day of practice for the new prep football season at Astronaut High.

Last season, Astronaut High School football enjoyed a bit of a renaissance of sorts under longtime head coach Randy Hallock.

After a couple of losing seasons, the War Eagles rebounded in a big way in 2015, earning a playoff berth by finishing as the runner-up in District 5-4A.

So given that, Astronaut’s goal is simple in 2016: return to the playoffs.

“Returning to the playoffs, that’s a goal of ours every year,” said head coach Randy Hallock. “We want to be a district champ. We want to return to the playoffs, do those things.”

Tigers, Hawks ranked in preseason football polls

Last season, the War Eagles earned a playoff berth essentially thanks to tough, hard-fought wins over two district rivals, as they edged Orlando Jones by a 15-14 score and downed Lake Highland Prep by an 18-12 count.

Their best path to winning those hotly-contested district games likely will come by winning the battle up front, with Hallock stating that the coaching staff thinks the team’s strength lies along both lines with experience in the form of players that includes three seniors in guard/tackle Kenny Willoughby, defensive tackle/tight end Norman Glasco and guard/tackle Dakota Withers.

Who will lead them under center offensively in the upcoming season is still an open question, Hallock said, with a three-way competition underway between Trevor Susie, Tommy Waldron and Chace Gadapee underway.

The offense, Hallock said, would remain largely the same regardless of who wins the competition.

“They’re all working real hard. We’ve kind of revolved our offense more around the running game and a little bit of play action stuff with those guys,” Hallock said. “The three of them are battling, and we’ll figure it out here pretty quick.”

Junior wide receiver-linebacker Cameron Ockerman has an end goal in mind regardless of whatever the offense does schematically.

“Score more than the other team, you know, win games,” Ockerman.

Astronaut 22, Bayside 20

Hallock adds that the keys to whether they do win in 2016 come down to things that go beyond the Xs and Os.

“These kids have got to have a great attitude. They’ve got to play with great discipline,” he said. “We’ve got to avoid the mistakes…We can’t do the things that we did in the spring game. We can’t turn the ball over, all those things, typical coach things.”

Contact Bonanno at 321-242-3662, cbonanno@floridatoday.com or follow Chris on Twitter @FTChrisBonanno. 

2016 War Eagles Schedule

Aug. 26 New Smyrna Beach at Astronaut, 7

Sept. 2 Astronaut at Eau Gallie, 7

Sept. 9 Satellite at Astronaut, 7

Sept. 15 Astronaut at Atlantic, 7

Sept. 23 Astronaut at Titusville, 7

Sept. 30 Astronaut at Orlando Jones, 7

Oct. 7 Rockledge at Astronaut, 7

Oct. 14 Lake Highland Prep at Astronaut, 7

Nov. 4 Space Coast vs. Astronaut, 7

High school sports | floridatoday.com/sports/high-school-sports/

Playing teams from other states has become a trend among Brevard County programs, and Palm Bay will open the area’s high school football season with a game against a team from Colorado on Thursday at ESPN Wide World of Sports at Disney World.

Palm Bay QB Stuart Brown drops back to pass during a preseason game.

The game against the Columbine Rebels will kick off at 6 p.m. on field 17 of the complex.

For the Pirates, it will mark another regular-season opener against a challenging opponent. Palm Bay faced Cocoa last year and Heritage the year before. Despite a 24-7 loss to the Tigers last August, head coach Dan Burke said the game contributed to the team’s progress.

“We turned the ball over twice early but in the end found out some things about our team, and it was then we settled on Stuart Brown as our quarterback,” he said. “You always learn more from playing a good opponent. Win or lose, they will expose you.”

MORE: Improved depth boosts Palm Bay football

MORE: See Pirates hold on 4th-and-goal against Santaluces

MORE: Palm Bay, Cocoa, Viera, Heritage, Holy Trinity get preseason poll votes

Preseason rankings paint Columbine, a 2011 state champion, as a good opponent. The Rebels were state semifinalists in Colorado’s largest class (5A) last year, going 12-1 and losing on a missed extra point. In a recent article, the Denver Post referred to quarterback Mikey Griebel as “one of the best playmakers in the state.”

As a running back last year, he rushed for 1,480 yards and 22 touchdowns.

The Disney facility is hosting several early season games. On Sept. 2, Heritage will play Dakota Ridge of Littleton, Colo.

Palm Bay shuts out Santaluces in preseason football

Last week, Palm Bay faced Santaluces in its preseason game. The Pirates won, 47-0. B.J. Daniels rushed for 114 yards, scoring on a 53-yard run. Brown completed touchdown passes of 9 yards to Dez Arthur and 16 to A.J. Dotti.

Contact McCallum at 321-242-3698 or bmccallum@floridatoday.com. Follow facebook.com/FLtoday.brianmccallum and @Brian_McCallum on Twitter.

Thursday’s game

Columbine, Colo., vs. Palm Bay

ESPN Wide World of Sports at Walt Disney World

6 p.m.

Tickets $17.50 adults; $12.50 ages 3-9

Last year: Columbine went 12-1, nine wins coming by more than 20 points. The Rebels lost in the state semifinal round, 21-20. Palm Bay qualified for the Class 5A playoffs and finished 8-3. It was the program’s 19th postseason appearance in 20 years.

Game note: Regular-season opener for both teams. Eagles coach Andy Lowry has led the team to double-digit wins in three of the last five seasons.

High school sports | floridatoday.com/sports/high-school-sports/

Friday’s games

Merritt Island at Heritage, 7

Viera at Rockledge, 7

Satellite at Eau Gallie, 7

New Smyrna Beach at Astronaut, 7

Sebastian River at Titusville, 7

(Eureka, Calif.) St. Bernard’s at Holy Trinity, 7

Melbourne at Centennial, 7

Space Coast at Tavares, 7

Cocoa Beach at Deltona Trinity Christian, 7

Melbourne CC at Father Lopez, 7

Merritt Island Christian at Warner Christian, 7

Bayside at Lowndes, Ga., 8

Sunday’s game

Jacksonville Trinity Christian at Cocoa, 2

Holy Trinity’s Jashaun Corbin is swarmed by the Satellite defense during the preseason meeting.

Friday’s games

Merritt Island at Heritage

7 p.m.

Last year: The Mustangs were 8-4 and Class 5A regional semifinalists. The Panthers advanced to the 6A regional semifinals and finished 9-3.

Game note: Heritage opened the season at Merritt Island last year, winning 29-6. Merritt Island enters this season with five straight unbeaten district titles.

Viera at Rockledge

7

Last year: The Hawks, 10-5 and state runners-up in 7A last year, beat Rockledge in the 2015 season opener, 38-0. Rockledge went on to finish 4-6.

Game note: Viera has made its only two playoff appearances in the last two seasons, while the Raiders’ most recent of 15 trips came in 2012. Wayne Younger begins his second season as Rockledge head coach.

Satellite at Eau Gallie

7

Last year: The Scorpions finished 2-7 a year ago. The Commodores were 5-5.

Game note: Eau Gallie won last year’s season-opening meeting between the two, 24-14, on the way to its third consecutive non-losing season. Mark Carstens marks his third season as Satellite head coach.

Brevard high school footbal schedule, 2016

New Smyrna Beach at Astronaut

7

Last year: The Barracudas were 5-5 in 2016. The War Eagles went 6-5 and returned to the playoffs after a three-year absence.

Game note: NSB lost to Port Orange Atlantic in its preseason game, 13-7, committing four turnovers. Astronaut won its preseason game at Bayside, 22-20. Kamauri Johnson scored twice and recorded a key sack.

Sebastian River at Titusville

7

Last year: The Sharks were 6-4 and 6A regional quarterfinalists. Titusville finished 4-6, though that included a forfeit loss.

Game note: These two met to open last season, and Titusville won in Sebastian, 10-9. The Terriers won their last three games in 2015. Titusville won its preseason game last week over Lake Highland Prep, 21-8.

St. Bernard’s at Holy Trinity

7

Last year: The Crusaders went 14-1, winning the CIF Division V-A championship. The Tigers were 8-4, finished as District 6-3A runners-up and lost in the regional playoffs.

Game note: St. Bernard’s is from Eureka, Calif. Holy Trinity has advanced to the regional playoffs twice in the last three years. Jashaun Corbin led Brevard running backs with 1,865 yards last season.

Melbourne at Centennial

7, Port St. Lucie

Last year: The Bulldogs went 1-9 a year ago. The Eagles were 2-7.

Game note: Melbourne lost its preseason game to Rockledge, 41-28. Coach Scott Grish begins his second season as head coach. Centennial lost its preseason game to Fort Pierce Westwood last week, 33-6.

Space Coast at Tavares

7

Last year: The Vipers are coming off a 5-4 season. The Bulldogs went 1-9.

Game note: In last year’s season opener in Port. St. John, Space Coast won, 24-14. The Vipers play three of their first four on the road.

Cocoa Beach at Trinity Christian

7, Deltona

Last year: The Minutemen went 2-8 in David Lowe’s first season back as head coach following a 17-year absence. The Eagles went 6-5, losing in the Class 2A playoffs.

Game note: David Demeter carried for 82 yards and two TDs last week in a 27-21 preseason loss to Trinity Prep. Trinity Christian won its first district title last year since 2007.

Melbourne CC at Father Lopez

7, Daytona Beach

Last year: The Hustlers went 5-5 in 2015. The Green Wave was 4-6.

Game note: The Hustlers make their regular-season debut under new head coach Stacy Sizemore, who led Delray Beach American Heritage to a Class 3A runner-up finish in 2014. Last week, MCC won its preseason game, 34-28 over St. Pete Northside. Josh Spencer passed for 2,134 yards for Father Lopez last year.

Merritt Island Christian at Warner Christian

7, Daytona Beach

Last year: The Cougars went 3-6, while the Eagles were 2-8.

Game note: Jamie Bopp makes his regular-season debut as MIC coach following a 40-0 preseason loss to Triumph Christian. Warner Christian RB Marvin Scott rushed for 265 yards against Canterbury in last week’s preseason game.

Bayside at Lowndes, Ga.

8, Valdosta

Last year: The Bears went 0-10. The Vikings went 6-4, losing in the 6A playoffs of the GHSA.

Game note: This is a repeat season opener. Lowndes won a year ago, also in Georgia, 49-0. Bayside lost its preseason game to Astronaut last week, 22-20. This is head coach Mike Nahl’s second season at the school.

High school sports | floridatoday.com/sports/high-school-sports/

Sunday’s game

Jacksonville Trinity Christian at Cocoa

2

Last year: Trinity Christian won the Class 3A title, completing a 13-0 season. Cocoa went 10-3, advancing to at least the state semifinal round for the ninth consecutive season.

Game note: Trinity Christian, which debuted at No. 1 in 3A, has won the last three state titles and has six titles in its history. Cocoa has three championships, won in 2008, ’09 and ’10. The Tigers were ranked third in preseason voting released by the Associated Press.

LAKE BUENA VISTA

Palm Bay High football players listen to coach Dan Burke during practice Wednesday.

Big responses and big plays were the difference for Palm Bay on Thursday night at the ESPN Wide World of Sports in a 25-20 win over Columbine, Colo.

It was the season opener for both teams. The rest of Brevard County’s high school football teams open their regular seasons on Friday.

“We got our nose bloodied a little bit,” Pirates coach Dan Burke said. “That was definitely a physical football team.”

And the Rebels made no secret of their plans, lining up nearly the entire game with no split receivers and running an attack heavy on ball fakes and misdirection.

Still, it was the 89 yards of B.J. Daniels, including a pair of 5-yard touchdown runs, that sparked the Palm Bay (1-0) attack. Also important was the quick response of the Palm Bay offense each time Columbine drew within striking distance.

The first was a 35-yard run by Daniels midway through the second period. Columbine had cut it to a point, 7-6, on a Ted Mullin 2-yard run before Daniels put his team quickly back near the red zone.

He scored the second of his 5-yard runs minutes later for a 15-6 lead with help from a Dez Arthur 2-point run.

Week 1 Brevard high school football capsules

After the Rebels cut the Palm Bay lead to 15-13 on the opening drive of the second half, the Pirates struck quickly again. Stuart Brown found Dez Arthur for a 43-yard pass play. That led to a 28-yard Justin Bellows field goal.

Perhaps the biggest moments of the game came with the Pirates defense standing in the end zone in the fourth quarter. Columbine ran three plays from inside the 5 but failed to score. On third-and-goal from the 1, Mateo Rodriguez sprinted left and took a pitch for what looked like an easy run to the pylon.

Jalen Shelton closed on him and pushed Rodriguez out at the 2.

“We were expecting them to either option and go inside or pitch,” Shelton said. “I saw the running back come out, so I knew it was a screen or a pitch. I just stayed home and came off a block.”

Brown delived the back breaker minutes later, connecting with Tyrese Lyons uncovered at about the 5. Lyons had to twist his body but drew in the ball and fell into the end zone.

Columbine was 14-1 last season, advancing to the state semifinals in Colorado’s highest classification, 5A.

Contact McCallum at 321-242-3698 or bmccallum@floridatoday.com. Follow facebook.com/FLtoday.brianmccallum and @Brian_McCallum on Twitter.

Palm Bay up for run at district title, more

Top performers: Columbine – Ted Mullins 7 carries for 62 yards, 2 catches for 45 yards, scored twice. Palm Bay – B.J. Daniels rushed 16 times for 89 yards and two touchdowns.

Key play: Palm Bay held the Rebels three times inside the 3-yard line, leading 18-13 in the fourth. Jalen Shelton made a solo tackle for a 1-yard loss on third-and-1, and several defenders covered Columbine quarterback Mike Griebel for a 2-yard loss on fourth-and-2.

Next week: Columbine hosts Fort Collins Rocky Mountain. The Pirates host Bayside.

Palm Bay 25, Columbine 20

Columbine, Colorado (0-1)067720Palm Bay (1-0)783725

1st Quarter

PB: B.J. Daniels 5 run (Justin Bellows kick), 3:52

2nd Quarter

C: Ted Mulliin 2 run (kick failed), 6:13
PB: B.J. Daniels 5 run (Dez Arthur run), 1:34

3rd Quarter

C: Tim Mullin 1 run (Logan Dearment kick), 7:34
PB: Justin Bellows 28 FG, 3:11

4th Quarter

PB: Tyrese Lyons 41 pass from Stuart Brown (Justin Bellows kick), 2:59
C: Ted Mullin 17 pass from Mike Griebel (Logan Dearment kick), 1:10

Individual leaders

Rushing: C – Griebel 8-34, Ted Mullin 7-62, Tim Mullin 10-30, Conner Snow 3-19, Mateo Rodriguez 4-12, Russell Cruz 1-17; PB – Daniels 16-89, Arthur 6-50, Ken McKay 2-3, Brown 2-8.

Passing: C – Griebel 6-11-0 67; PB – Brown 7-14-0 134.

Receiving: C – Rodriguez 3-37, Ted Mullin 2-45, Tim Mullen 1-9; PB – Arthur 5-84, Lyons 1-41, McKay 1-8.

Friday’s games

Merritt Island at Heritage, 7

Viera at Rockledge, 7

Satellite at Eau Gallie, 7

New Smyrna Beach at Astronaut, 7

Sebastian River at Titusville, 7

(Eureka, Calif.) St. Bernard’s at Holy Trinity, 7

Melbourne at Centennial, 7

Space Coast at Tavares, 7

Cocoa Beach at Deltona Trinity Christian, 7

Melbourne CC at Father Lopez, 7

Merritt Island Christian at Warner Christian, 7

Bayside at Lowndes, Ga., 8

Sunday’s game

Jacksonville Trinity Christian at Cocoa, 2

Merritt Island’s Jeffrey Freels works to take down Heritage ballcarrier Avery Oates during Friday’s game in Palm Bay.

PALM BAY Call the play whatever you want; it worked.

Heritage coach Mark Ainsley and senior Brian Nieves were mum as to the actual name of the play that won Friday night’s regular-season opener over visiting Merritt Island, but it resulted in a game-winning touchdown pass in the final minute on fourth-and-7 at the Mustangs 10.

Nieves lined up as a slot receiver, and when quarterback Willie Gaines headed his direction with an apparent option to pitch to a trailing back, Nieves crossed their paths and took the ball from Gaines. With the other 20 players on the field flowing left while Nieves went right, he passed to an uncovered Trevor Phillips for the 28-21 win.

“There was just one blue jersey out there, and I trusted him,” Nieves said. “When adversity comes, you’ve just got to pull through.”

Jayquan Martin had apparently scored on a run just seconds earlier, but a penalty moved the ball back and forced the Panthers to look elsewhere to break the tie at 21.

Week 1: Palm Bay 25, Columbine 20

For Merritt Island, it was the result of a third costly fumble.

An Avery Oates run had given the Panthers (1-0) a 21-14 lead early in the fourth period after a Nieves fumble return to the Merritt Island 7. The Mustangs had led, 14-7, in the final minutes of the third before Isaiah Gamble scored for Heritage on a 20-yard fumble return.

“What a great game,” Ainsley said. “If you like football, this was a great game. For as young as we are, I’m just so proud of how we finished.”

Merritt Island had its own big plays. Deben Peterson tied the game at 21 in the fourth on an 85-yard kickoff return following Oates’ touchdown.

A 7-yard keeper by quarterback Jimmy Batch got the Mustangs on the board midway through the third, and Sayvion Peterson returned a Panthers fumble 18 yards two minutes later for a 14-7 lead.

Heritage’s first score came on a 2-yard Negail Wright run set up by Willie Gaines’ 16-yard run on third-and-long. That 7-0 lead early in the second quarter held up through the opening half.

Contact McCallum at 321-242-3698 or bmccallum@floridatoday.com.

Heritage’s top challenge: keep rolling on

Top performers: Merritt Island: Batch completed 5-of-6 passes for 66 yards and scored on a 7-yard run, Deben Peterson scored on an 85-yard kickoff return; Heritage: Gaines carried 22 times for 67 yards.

Key play: Facing fourth-and-7 from the 10, Gaines went left with an option look but pitched the ball to Nieves. He found Phillips alone in the end zone for a touchdown with 29 seconds to play. That gave Heritage the lead, 28-21.

Record: Merritt Island (0-1); Heritage (1-0)

Next week: Merritt Island at Lake Wales, 7:30 p.m.; Dakota Ridge (Colo) vs. Heritage at Disney’s Wide WOrld of Sports, 8 p.m.

Brian McCallum, FLORIDA TODAY

Heritage 28, Merritt Island 21

MI     0  0  14  7  – 21
H       0  7  6  15  – 28

2nd Quarter

H: Negail Wright 2 run (kick good), 8:13

3rd Quarter

MI: Jimmy Batch 7 run (run failed), 7:03
MI: Sayvion Peterson 18 fumble return (Jake Martin pass from Jimmy Batch), 5:30
H: Fabian Wayne 25 fumble return (kick failed), 1:39

4th Quarter

H: Avery Oates 2 run (Willie Gaines run), 9:50
MI: Deben Peterson 85 kickoff return (Mason Denaburg kick), 9:36
H: Trevor Phillips 10 pass from Brian Nieves (Aiden Clark kick), :29

Individual leaders

Rushing: MI – Mason Denaburg 4-12, Rydell Peterson 8-31, Batch 6-32; H – Oates 12-73, Gaines 22-67, Jayquan Martin 6-38, Matt Allaire 4-22, Amarion Gaines 8-30, Wright 3-9.

Passing: MI – Denaburg 2-3-0 3, Batch 5-7-1 66; H – Gaines 2-6-0 20, Nieves 1-1-0 10.

Receiving: MI – Jake Martin 3-34, Deben Peterson 3-7, Denaburg 1-23; H – Phillips 2-22, Oakes 1-8.

CHECK OUT MORE HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS HERE

MELBOURNE- Friday night’s matchup between Eau Gallie and Satellite had a little bit of everything.

There were big plays on offense and defense from both teams, sloppiness, a bevy of penalties and both very nice and very poor weather conditions.

But after all that, it was Eau Gallie that emerged with the win as they slipped past visiting Satellite 28-22 in both teams’ regular season openers.

“It means a lot,” said Eau Gallie head coach Tim Powers on the win. “Half the teams in the country are going to be 0-1, the other half are going to be 1-0. Fortunately for us, we’re on the 1-0 side.”

ICYMI: Roundup of Brevard high school football: Week 1

Eau Gallie got to 1-0 in large part due to its running game, with a variety of players pitching in, including Keith Headd, whose 63-yard touchdown run with just under three minutes to go effectively salted the game away for his team.

“All props go to the offensive line. Without them I’m nothing,” Headd said. “I just saw the hole open, they gave it to me, I took and end of story right there.”

“It was tough in the first half throwing the ball. Satellite did a good job. We came in thinking we could pass the ball on them,” said Eau Gallie quarterback Jack Gallo. “Played a great defense but you know, Keith (Headd), Cameron Noel, Nate McRae and Mario Harris just came out. They ran the ball so hard and I’m so proud of that offensive line.”

The first half was sloppy in spurts and a big miscue led to Eau Gallie’s first touchdown as a bad snap on a Satellite punt attempt set up Gallo’s 1-yard scoring run that gave the Commodores a 7-0 lead.

Another Satellite miscue –a lost fumble on the Eau Gallie 2-yard line- ironically helped them take the lead.

Eau Gallie hosted Satellite on Friday night.

On the ensuing play after losing a fumble, Satellite’s Caden Larkin tackled a ball carrier in the end zone to force a safety. That play gave the Scorpions the ball back, which set up a picture perfect 14-yard pitch-and-catch from quarterback Noah Mumme to Alex Nicks that put Satellite up 8-7.

After that, Eau Gallie’s rushing attack really got going, as they methodically drove down the field before the end of the half with Mario Harris punching it in from two yards out to give the Commodores a halftime advantage.

Following a third quarter dominated by defenses, Eau Gallie gave itself a bit of a cushion by way of a 13-yard run by the 6’3” 215 pound Gallo that gave the Commodores a 21-8 lead.

Satellite stunned Eau Gallie late in the fourth quarter as Erik Askeland’s 90-yard interception return gave the Scorpions new life, pulling to within a score at 21-16.

But on the next play, Headd’s scamper ended Scorpion hopes.

Still, Satellite never quit with Beau Cole catching a 14-yard pass from Mumme to cut it to a 6-point deficit at 28-22 but Eau Gallie was able to recover the subsequent onside kick to end the Satellite comeback attempt.

Eau Gallie’s defense forced three turnovers and was stout throughout the evening.

“Just reading the offense,” said Eau Gallie defensive back Cordell Dzara, who recorded an interception on the unit’s success. “We go over, I mean Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, we just read the offense and hard work pays off.”

Powers also praised his team’s defensive overall defensive effort, which he said included fine play from the secondary.

“Those guys were phenomenal. Cordell Dzara did a great job, had the young puppy Mike (Walker, who also recorded an interception) out there doing his thing and we’re just real excited for those guys,” Powers added. “They were able to play loose, they were able to play fast, they played confident and those guys, they’re going to continue to get better too which is the exciting part.”

Next week, Eau Gallie will host Astronaut while Satellite will travel to Melbourne Central Catholic.

“We’ve got a lot of juniors playing. We just gotta keep playing,” Powers added. “We gotta keep getting better. We get better ever rep in practice. Obviously there’s nothing like simulating game reps so we take that game experience.”

Contact Bonanno at 321-242-3662, cbonanno@floridatoday.com or follow Chris on Twitter @FTChrisBonanno.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Passing:Satellite- Noah Mumme 10-23-143 yards-2 TD-2 INT; Eau Gallie- Jack Gallo 6-13-77-yards-2 INT; Darin Garland 0-1-0. Rushing: Zachary Switzer 12-102, Mumme 14-50, Erik Askeland 2-15, Alex Nicks 6-10, Luis Morris 1-4; Eau Gallie- Keith Headd 8-84 (TD), Garland 5-27, Mario Harris 9-26 (TD), Jack Gallo 13-19 (2 TD), Nate McRae 2-16, Cam Noel 2-(-5). Receiving:Satellite- Eskeland 2-54, Nicks 2-45 (TD), Morris 4-29, Beau Cole 1-14 (TD), Switzer 1-1; Eau Gallie- Austin Johnson 3-32, Garland 2-29, Cordell Dzara 1-16

Top performers: Satellite: Caden Larkin had INT and tackled ball carrier in end zone for safety; Erik Askeland 90-yard INT return for TD. Eau Gallie: Jack Gallo, 2 TD on ground; Keith Headd, 63 yard TD run.

Key play: Eau Gallie’s Mario Harris scored on a 2-yard run to help put his team back on top at 14-8 in the second quarter.

Record: Eau Gallie 1-0, Satellite 0-1

Next week: Satellite at MCC, 7 p.m.; Astronaut at Eau Gallie, 7 p.m.

Full game report: http://on.flatoday.com/2bMY1M3

Chris Bonanno, FLORIDA TODAY

Trinity Christian Academy of Jacksonville and Cocoa High both do a lot of winning on the football field.

Football players at Cocoa High School work on their technique during practice.

Sunday at 2 p.m., they’ll meet at Cocoa Stadium in the regular-season opener for both teams.

TCA went 14-0 and won the Class 3A championship last year. It was the team’s third consecutive title. Cocoa, 10-3 last year, won three state titles from 2008-10.

Both teams were ranked by Florida sports writers in last week’s preseason voting, Trinity Christian at the top of the 3A poll and the Tigers third in 4A.

The Conquerors come into this meeting with a 21-game winning streak. The last team to beat them was Bradenton’s IMG Academy, 28-7, on Oct. 16, 2014.

Trinity Christian has won 32 of its last 33 and 45 of its last 48 games. Although it didn’t count as an official game, TCA lost its preseason meeting with North Marion last week, 22-20. Cocoa defeated Clearwater, 34-7.

Leading Cocoa into its season debut is senior quarterback Bruce Judson, who accounted for 2,104 yards of total offense last year. He has committed to sign with the University of South Florida.

Q&A: Cocoa football QB Bruce Judson

Pirates tough on the goal line

The Palm Bay defense has made an early-season habit of stiffening with its back to the end zone. In its preseason game against Santaluces and in Thursday’s regular-season opener against Columbine (Colo.), the Pirates made goal-line stands.

While the preseason stand didn’t affect the outcome, stopping Columbine from scoring in the fourth quarter Thursday at the ESPN Wide World of Sports at Walt Disney World may have saved the game. Jalen Shelton made a particularly key play on third-and-goal from the 1, when he was the only player close enough to prevent a Rebels scoring sprint to the left pylon. Not only did he make the play, but he dropped the runner for a 1-yard loss.

MORE: Palm Bay defeats Columbine

MORE: See Pirates defense hold on 4th down

MORE: Palm Bay shuts out Santaluces

The Pirates then stuffed the middle on fourth down, forcing another loss and a change of possession with an 18-13 lead.

“I just think it shows what kind of guts our defense has,” Pirates head coach Dan Burke said. “They can play undisciplined at times, but when their backs are against the wall, they rise up.”

Palm Bay got the win, 25-20.

Panthers looking to varied attack

After the first five offensive plays by the Heritage Panthers on Friday, four running backs had carried the ball. With heavy losses from last year’s team, expect the team to throw runner after runner at opponents in 2016.

“That’s what I’d like to do,” head coach Mark Ainsley said. “We’ve got about six or seven guys we can run.”

Six players finished with rushing yards in the 28-21 win over Merritt Island. Avery Oates led the way with 73 yards on 12 attempts. He scored the game’s first touchdown on a 2-yard run.

Week 1: Heritage 28, Merritt Island 21

Looking ahead to next week

Three Brevard County teams will play out-of-state opponents in Week 2, including Cocoa making a trip west to play Las Vegas Bishop Gorman.

Heritage will follow rival Palm Bay with a game at the ESPN Wide World of Sports at Walt Disney. The Panthers will face Dakota Ridge of Littleton, Colo., on Friday. On Saturday, Viera will host Gonzaga of Washington, D.C.

Contact McCallum at 321-242-3698 or bmccallum@floridatoday.com. Follow facebook.com/FLtoday.brianmccallum and @Brian_McCallum on Twitter.

Week 2 Brevard high school football schedule

Thursday’s games

Space Coast at Lake Howell, 7 p.m.

Orlando Christian Prep at MIC, 7

Friday’s games

Astronaut at Eau Gallie, 7

Bayside at Palm Bay, 7

Dakota Ridge (Littleton, Colo.) vs. Heritage at Wide World of Sports, 8

Cocoa at Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.)

Lake Brantley at Titusville, 7

Spruce Creek at Melbourne, 7

Pine Ridge vs. Cocoa Beach, 7

Jacksonville Harvest Comm. at Holy Trinity, 7

Satellite at MCC, 7

Merritt Island at Lake Wales, 7:30

High school sports | floridatoday.com/sports/high-school-sports/

COCOA It took overtime, but Cocoa High started its regular season with a Sunday afternoon win, 26-23 over Trinity Christian Academy of Jacksonville, the Class 3A champion for the last three years.

The Tigers, who have finished in the state semifinal round of the 4A playoffs the last five years, got their first indication of whether they can again break through to the championship game. Having now beaten a team on a 21-game winning streak with just one loss in its last 33 outings, Cocoa appears to have pointed itself in the right direction.

Cocoa High School football head coach John Wilkinson instructs his players during practice Tuesday afternoon.

Bruce Judson ran in from the 7 on the final play of overtime, ending the game and the Conquerors’ chances of completing a late comeback.

Cocoa led, 20-12, following an Alex Petruzello 32-yard field goal with 2:16 to play in the third period, but TCA moved down the field quickly on its final fourth-quarter drive, a 36-yard chunk of it coming on a pass from quarterback Legend Brumbaugh to D.J. Matthews. On the play, Cocoa’s Josh Ramirez made it downfield first and was waiting with a shot at an interception, but a two-handed shove put him on the ground.

Cocoa High plans to challenge for state again

The Conquerors then scored on a 5-yard pass to Shaun Wade and tied the game on a 2-point pass back to the quarterback.

Cocoa coach John Wilkinson opted to have his team kneel with the ball to run out the final 32 seconds of regulation.

“There was no doubt,” he said. “We hadn’t had an explosive play all day, and there was no reason to take a chance when their kicker can kick from 50.”

Indeed, TCA kicker Frankie Onate connected on a 49-yarder in the second period.

While defense traditionally has taken the lead in the Cocoa football attack, this early 2016 version had pursuit speed and athleticism not seen from the group in a few years.

“We’re built around our defense,” Wilkinson said. “We feel like we can pretty much shut down anybody if we play well and take care of our assignments. I think it’s going to be tough to run on us.”

It certainly was for TCA. The Conquerors ran 14 times for a net of 3 yards. At the end of regulation, it was 12 runs for -3.

Cocoa’s offense was boosted by two newcomers. Former Astronaut running back Javian Hawkins took Judson’s first completion of the season 60 yards for a touchdown. He finished with four catches for 131 yards.

Defensively, he intercepted a TCA pass thrown well short of a receiver and played a role in breaking up what would have been an overtime touchdown for the Conquerors. That forced a 27-yard field goal and left the Tigers in position to win with a touchdown.

Former Heritage back Lasedrick King sparked the Cocoa running game, carrying 13 times for 58 yards.

Judson completed 9 of 15 passes for 173 yards and ran 15 times for 82 yards. Starting back Timmy Pratt electrified the home crowd with a 25-yard run on a fake punt in the third quarter.

Contact McCallum at 321-242-3698 or bmccallum@floridatoday.com. Follow facebook.com/FLtoday.brianmccallum and @Brian_McCallum on Twitter.

Cocoa 26, Jacksonville Trinity Christian 23 (OT)

TC  3  9  0  8  3  –  23

Co  7  10  3  0  6  – 26

1st Quarter

C: Javian Hawkins 60 pass from Bruce Judson (Alex Petruzello kick) 9:41
TC: Frankie Onate 41 FG, 7:03

2nd Quarter

C: Timmy Pratt 4 run (Alex Petruzello kick) 9:50
TC: Frankie Onate 49 FG, 7:52
C: Alex Petruzello FG, 1:15
TC: D.J. Matthews 80 kickoff return (pass failed), 1:05

3rd Quarter

C: Alex Petruzello 32 FG, 2:16

4th Quarter

TC: Shaun Wade 5 pass from Legend Brumbaugh (Brumbaugh pass from Matthews), 0:32

Overtime

TC: Frankie Onate 28 FG
C: Judson 7 run

Individual statistics

Rushing: TC – Rasheed Martin 6-(-9), Brumbaugh 1-(-9), Matthews 3-12, Farell Turner 1-3, Tyreke Johnson 1-0; C – Pratt 16-53, Judson 15-82, Lasedrick King 13-58, Hawkins 2-11.

Passing: TC – Brumbaugh 12-22-1 110, Matthews 1-1-0 57; C – Judson 9-15-0 173.

Receiving: TC – Matthews 6-80, Wade 2-62, Martin 1-4, Turner 4-21; C – Hawkins 4-131, Juwan Armstrong 2-25, Javon Spencer 1-10, Dezmond Morgan 1-6, Pratt 1-1.

High school sports | floridatoday.com/sports/high-school-sports/

Boys

Cross country runners

1. Mason Jones (T) 15:51

2. Egan Kattenberg (S) 16:06

3. Troy Smith (R) 16:09

(tie) John Cacciatore (S) 16:09

5. Austin Camps (WS) 16:24

6. Trevor Kattenberg (S) 16:26

7. Michael Wilson (S) 16:52

8. Charlie Dickerson (S) 17:12

9. Dennis McCheskey (A) 17:16

10. Bradyn Rica (MI) 17:27

11. Uriah Washington (R) 17:35

12. Christian Camps (WS) 17:43

13. John Padilla (S) 17:54

14. Luke Blanchard (BH) 17:57

15. Trevor Denson (T) 17:59

16. Cameron Klug (MI) 18:01

17. Dylan Johnson (EW) 18:04

18. Matt Lake (MI) 18:05

19. Bill White (MI) 18:06

20. Matthew Cummings (CB) 18:08

Vote for this week’s Athlete of the Week

GIRLS

1. Samantha Folio (HT) 19:04

2. Natalie Bress (M) 19:18

3. Hannah Flemming (A) 20:02

4. Dominique Coriell (R) 20:17

5. Marie Groppel (S) 20:29

6. Anique Kattenberg (S) 20:33

7. Lana Rukab (S) 20:35

8. Victoria Rohloff (MI) 20:54

9. Sara Towers (S) 20:59

10. Kamaryn Folger (T) 21:07

11. Brianna Basford (S) 21:22

12. Jessica O’Bryan (T) 21:26

13. Jonelle Plahuta (WS) 21:27

14. Ashley Basford (S) 21:39

15. Billie Castillo (T) 21:43

16. Sadie McLaughlin (R) 21:45

(tie) Haley Higginbotham (EW) 21:45

18. Hayley Barrett (MI) 21:51

19. Kaylee Kraver (EW) 22:13

20. Jessica Marzano (WS) 22:35

High school sports | floridatoday.com/sports/high-school-sports/

Three Brevard County high school football teams all took a step forward in the minds of Florida sports writers this week, moving higher in the Associated Press football rankings.

Timmy Pratt of Cocoa celebrates a first quarter TD with teammate Naceiya Gilmore during Sunday’s game.

Cocoa, fresh off a win over Class 3A No. 1 Jacksonville Trinity Christian, moved from third to No. 2 in 4A, where Miami Booker T. Washington remained the unanimous No. 1 team.

The Tigers defeated the Rebels, 26-23 in overtime, in Cocoa on Sunday, and drew enough votes for 131 points.That moved them past the 122 of previous No. 2 Jacksonville Bolles.

Week 1: Cocoa 26, Jax Trinity Christian 23 in OT

Palm Bay, previously listed among other teams receiving votes in 5A, moved into the ranked spots at No. 10, with 20 points. The No. 1 team in the Class was Plantation American Heritage.

Viera, 10th in 7A in the preseason poll, moved to No. 9. St. Thomas Aquinas, which lost to Miami Washington last week, fell to second behind Lakeland.

The only other Brevard team getting votes was Heritage, in Class 6A, where the No. 1 team was Miami Central.

Week 1: Palm Bay 25, Columbine 20

The remaining top teams were Apopka in 8A, University Christian in 2A and Madison County in 1A.

Contact McCallum at 321-242-3698 or bmccallum@floridatoday.com. Follow facebook.com/FLtoday.brianmccallum and @Brian_McCallum on Twitter.

High school sports | floridatoday.com/sports/high-school-sports/

Florida High School Football Poll

By The Associated Press

The Associated Press Top 10 Florida high school football poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records, rating points and previous rankings:

Others receiving votes: Mandarin 15, Manatee 15, Coral Gables 14, Miramar 13, Orlando University 7, Sandalwood 4, West Orange 3, Palm Beach Gardens 2.

Others receiving votes: Tampa Bay Tech 8, Palm Beach Lakes 5, Winter Haven 4, McArthur 2, Mater Academy 1, Oakleaf 1.

Others receiving votes: Niceville 10, Lake Gibson 5, Port Charlotte 5, Tate 3, Heritage 3, Matanzas 3, Charlotte 1, Fort Myers 1.

Week 1: Heritage 28, Merritt Island 21

Others receiving votes: Rickards 11, Dunbar 11, Miami Jackson 3, Ribault 1, Suwannee 1, Jefferson 1.

Others receiving votes: Glades Central 21, Clewiston 12.

Others receiving votes: Lakeland Christian 52, Delray American Heritage 46.

Others receiving votes: Champagnat Catholic 32, Northside Christian 27, Admiral Farragut 7.

Others receiving votes: South Walton 12, Fort Meade 12, Blountstown 7, Baker School 6.

Astronaut High announced the hiring of new girls soccer coaches on Tuesday: Diego Perez-Gaitan and Emilee Quinn.

New Astronaut High girls soccer coaches (left to right) Emilee Quinn and Diego Perez-Gaitan

Perez-Gaitan added soccer duties to his job as War Eagles volleyball coach. He brought his own extensive soccer-playing background that included three years on the varsity team at Merritt Island Christian. His under-14 team was a national finalist.

Week 1: Heritage 28, Merritt Island 21

Quinn, who graduated from Astronaut in 2009, was a four-year girls varsity player. She played state cup soccer for a decade and is also employed at Astronaut.

Practice for FHSAA girls soccer begins on Oct. 10, and the regular season opens on Oct. 31.

Scorpions sweep cross country meet

Satellite High swept the boys and girls team titles on Saturday at the Fleet Feet Invitational hosted by South Fork High in Stuart.

Brevard County boys packed the front of their 5,000-meter race, with Scorps Egan Kattenberg (16:20.20) and John Cacciatore (16:20.30) placing second and third. West Shore’s Austin Camps (16:24.70) followed, just ahead of Trevor Kattenberg (16:26.00). Satellite’s Michael Wilson (17:03.50) took ninth.

Week 1: Cocoa 26, Jax Trinity Christian 23 in OT

All five scorers for the Scorps were among the first 12 individual finishers. West Shore finished fifth among boys teams.

Five Satellite girls finished among the top 15 scoring positions in their race. Melbourne’s girls were seventh and West Shore’s 10th.

Melbourne’s Natalie Bress was the girls runner-up with a time of 19:18.10. Satellite’s Lana Rukab (20:43.50) was seventh, Marie Groppel (20:45.50) eighth and Anique Kattenberg (20:49.30) was 10th.

MORE: Top Brevard cross country times

Rockledge seeking baseball assistant

Rockledge High invites applicants for the position of varsity assistant and junior varsity head baseball coach.

[ GOOD GAME!  Pirates defeated Columbine ]

It is a supplemental paid position with the chance of leading to a full-time teaching job. Contact head coach Greg Clayborne at 321-544-8275 or Clayborne.Kenneth@brevardschools.org to inquire about the position.

McCallum is FLORIDA TODAY‘s high school sports reporter.

Contact McCallum at 321-242-3698

or bmccallum@floridatoday.com.

Twitter: @brian_mccallum

Facebook: /fltoday.brianmccallum

High school sports | floridatoday.com/sports/high-school-sports/

Thursday’s games

Space Coast (1-0) at Lake Howell (1-0)

Travious Williams of Space Coast runs the ball during practice Thursday.

7 p.m., Winter Park

Last week: The Vipers won their opener at Tavares, 48-6. The Silver Hawks won at Pine Ridge, 20-7.

Game note: Space Coast won the meeting between these two last year in Port St. John, 10-7. The Vipers play five of their next six games at home.

Orlando Christian Prep (1-0) at Merritt Island Christian (0-1)

7

Last week: The Warriors hosted and defeated Central Florida Christian, 40-12. The Cougars lost at Warner Christian, 35-7.

Game note: This was the season opener for MIC last year, and OCP won in Orlando, 34-8.

Make your football picks for Week 2 2016

Friday’s games

Astronaut at Eau Gallie, 7

Bayside at Palm Bay, 7

Satellite at Melbourne CC, 7

Lake Brantley at Titusville, 7

Spruce Creek at Melbourne, 7

Pine Ridge at Cocoa Beach, 7

Jacksonville Harvest Community at Holy Trinity, 7

Merritt Island at Lake Wales, 7

Dakota Ridge (Colo.) vs. Heritage at ESPN Wide World of Sports, Lake Buena Vista, 8

Cocoa, Viera, Palm Bay jump in state football rankings

Cocoa at Las Vegas Bishop Gorman, 10

Saturday’s game

Washington, D.C., Gonzaga at Viera, 6