Brevard County Prep Football Season Off And Running
By Ed Pierce // August 24, 2012
Kickoff Classic Week
BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – The 2012 prep football season got off to a rousing start as Melbourne Central Catholic hosted Cypress Creek in a Kickoff Classic scrimmage game at Hustlers Stadium on Thursday night.
Hustlers coach Mike Riazzi said he was disappointed with a 27-14 setback against Class 8A Cypress Creek and a possible concussion sustained by MCC sophomore quarterback Brandon Ziarno, but encouraged by the enthusiasm and desire shown by his team.
“This is a fantastic practice,” Riazzi said. “Not a great game, but it’s a real nice practice against a tough opponent playing for a new coach.”
Afternoon thunderstorms limited the amount of practice the Hustlers were able to fit in this week as MCC prepares to travel to face Cocoa Beach next Friday in the regular-season opener and the renewal of a long-standing rivalry for both teams.
The status of Ziarno, who was a standout in MCC’s spring game in May as a freshman, is a question looming for Riazzi .
Ziarno was shaken up and left the game in the third quarter and was replaced by sophomore Max Erdman.
Earlier in the second quarter, Max Erdman snared a 1-yard touchdown pass from Ziarno for MCC’s first score of the 2012 season.
A former Merritt Island Pop Warner star that led his team to the National Pop Warner championship game in 2010, Max Erdman looked capable of leading MCC after Ziarno went out.
He threw a 69-yard touchdown pass to his brother Will Erdman, a freshman and another star of that sensational 2010 Pop Warner Jr. Midgets division national runner-up squad.
“If we can get in a rhythm out there, we can have some fun,” Riazzi said.
The prep Kickoff Classic schedule features some interesting matchups tonight and Saturday.
Tonight’s games:
Heritage at Viera
Sebastian River at Melbourne
Edgewater at Astronaut
St. Pete Northeast at Palm Bay
Duval Charter at Florida Air Academy
Oak Ridge at Titusville
Merritt Island at New Smyrna Beach
Orlando Christian Prep at Merritt Island Christian
Eau Gallie at Rockledge
Pine Ridge at Space Coast
Holy Trinity at Warner Christian
Bayside at Oviedo
Saturday game:
American Heritage at Cocoa
