Dessent Propels Minutemen To Clutch Win

By  //  May 26, 2012

Tough Physical Matchup

Cocoa Beach wide receivers practice before Friday night’s game with Heritage. From left are Cazo Wilburn, Sergey Poroshin, Jeff Butt and Ashton Esparaza. (Image by Bill Kelly)

BREVARD COUNTY • PALM BAY, FLORIDA – Highly rated Cocoa Beach quarterback David Dessent passed for 329 yards and five touchdown passes Friday night against Heritage but his most important play was a two point quarterback sneak with 3.36 left in the game.

Dessent, a 6-foot-4 and 240-pound senior and a starter last year has attracted the attention of many NCAA Division 1 coaches.

The talented senior had rallied the Minutemen from a 21-12 halftime deficit to an exciting comeback win by completing 28 of 39 passes.

“It was a great game and I feel bad about my first five passes being  uncatchable for my receivers and I need to correct that,” Dessent said. “I think our defense played excellent and never gave up also.”

Heritage punter Trevon Lee gets ready before a spring prep football game against Cocoa Beach on Friday night at the Roberto Clemente Sports Complex. (Image by Bill Kelly)

Heritage scored first on the visitors when Kalil Owens powered in from the 2-yard line with 6:18 left in the opening quarter.

The play was set up on a 30-yard perfectly thrown pass by Heritage quarterback Clinton Moxam to Owens on a slant pattern over the middle.

Cocoa Beach also scored with 1:30 left in the first quarter on a Dessent to Boone Lewis 20-yard touchdown.

Minuteman coach Tony Piccalo told his squad after the game that the win was a total team effort and they never gave up.

“Our defense showed a lot of heart all night long and I think all the players contributed equally,” said Piccalo. “We are young on defense with only three seniors yet they all played hard.”

David Dessent

While Dessent was airing it out for the Minutemen, Heritage running back Owens and Dedric Weatherspoon created havoc for the Cocoa Beach defense in the first half each scoring twice on runs of 20, 12, 13 and 15 yards.

“I think our kids were in pretty good shape as it was a very physical game and they turned it up when they had to,” Piccalo said.

Heritage scored on a touchdown pass with 15 seconds left only to have it nullified by a holding penalty.

Hopefully the win will build some momentum for the Minutemen who open up with the regular season against Melbourne Central Catholic, while the Panthers will travel for their first game in August against Space Coast.