PREP FOOTBALL RESULTS & COVERAGE
By Space Coast Daily // October 6, 2012
Week 6
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Week 6 of the 2012 prep football season was played Friday evening with a slate of nine games.
There were a few surprises and plenty of action as some squads met district foes in annual rivalries.
To make matters even more interesting, many games were played in steady rain and drizzle, so wet fields and soggy conditions posed a challenge to area teams all night.
FRIDAY, Oct. 5 PREP GAMES
• COCOA 40, COCOA BEACH 6
BREVARD COUNTY • COCOA BEACH, FLORIDA – During Cocoa Beach’s first possession on Friday night, David Dessent gave a passing clinic and showed why he’s the best quarterback on the Space Coast. After that, Cocoa showed why it’s the best football team in the area as it rolled to a 40-6 road victory in the Class 4A, District 5 opener for both schools.
Dessent completed 6 of 9 passes for 63 yards and added a 2-yard gain on a crucial fourth-down-and-2 from the Cocoa 35-yard line as the Minutemen stormed 68 yards on 12 plays to take a 6-0 lead on Dessent’s 8-yard scoring pass to Boone Lewis. A penalty on the ensuing extra-point attempt moved the ball half the distance to the goal, but Chandler Myron’s extra-point attempt was blocked.
The Tigers took possession at their own 35 after Myron’s kickoff went out of bounds. Then, they quickly took the lead as Antwan Lee ran to the left and sped down the sideline for a 65-yard touchdown run on first down. Matt Adams kicked the extra point as Cocoa took a 7-6 advantage with 8 minutes, 18 seconds to play in the first quarter.
“When we scored on that first play, that was the answer we needed,” Cocoa coach John Wilkinson said. “A lot of people don’t understand the types of teams we’ve been playing. St. Joseph’s Prep of Philadelphia is the top team in Pennsylvania and University (Fort Lauderdale) play at a different level of competition.”
The Tigers won three consecutive state titles in 2008, 2009 and 2010 before being eliminated in the state semifinals a year ago.
Cocoa (3-2) limited Cocoa Beach (5-1) to just one first down and forced the Minutemen to punt on fourth-and-5 from the Tigers’ 49. Myron had trouble fielding a bad snap and his sideway punt was blocked. Lee scooped up the ball and was only prevented from scoring his second touchdown when he had trouble cradling the ball into his stomach as he was caught from behind at the Cocoa Beach 5.
Three plays later, Tarean Folston sprinted to the left and dived into the pylon at the goal line for a 2-yard touchdown on fourth down. Adams converted the extra point as the Tigers took a 14-6 lead with 3:46 to play in the first quarter.
“We got the momentum on that first drive with the best crowd I’ve ever seen in our stadium,” Cocoa Beach coach Tony Piccalo said. “I can’t say enough about that. I’m sorry we didn’t give them a better showing.”
After taking possession at its own 22 after Myron’s 41-yard punt, Folston capped a seven-play, 78-yard scoring drive in the rain for Cocoa with a 46-yard touchdown run as time elapsed in the first quarter. Folston ran to the left and broke two tackles as he avoided going out of bounds, including a last-second shoestring effort. Adams added the extra point to extend the margin to 21-6.
“Cocoa did what they always do – they ran the football and played great defense,” Piccalo said. “That’s Cocoa. We needed our butts kicked to see what playoff football is all about. We made too many mistakes; you can’t do that against a program like Cocoa. We need to go back to work and get back to fundamentals and special teams.”
Dessent completed consecutive passes of 23 yards over the middle to Antoine Griffin and a screen pass to Jamaal Eveillard on the left side for a 20-yard gain to the Cocoa 21.
Eveillard was tossed back for a 3-yard loss on first down and two passes into the end zone fell incomplete. On fourth down, after a timeout, Cocoa’s hard rush forced Dessent to throw another incomplete pass.
The Minutemen forced the Tigers to punt for the only time of the night after three consecutive running plays netted 7 yards. Folston’s 39-yard punt was fumbled by Cocoa Beach as the Tigers took over at the Cocoa Beach 30. Three plays later, Folston faked his way past three defenders on the right side to score from 18 yards out. Adams kicked the extra point to extend the Tigers’ lead to 28-6 with 5:37 remaining in the second quarter.
Folston, who scored three touchdowns in the first half, finished with 142 yards on 17 carries. He rushed for 109 of those yards in the first half on 10 carries. Cocoa finished with 408 yards rushing on 50 carries. Lee had 163 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries. Lorrenzo Pratt added 104 yards on 18 carries.
“Our offensive line was great,” said Folston, who switched jerseys from No. 10 to No. 12 in the second half because of blood on his uniform. “We’ve still got some work to do, but I would not have been able to do that without them. Our defense made some adjustments, and we were able to get a hand on their receivers. I think this team prepared us for our next opponent. We never got down when they scored; we never let our heads get down. We just got out there and played football.’
Next Saturday, Cocoa will travel to Oradell, N.J. to face national powerhouse Bergen Catholic.
The Tigers extended their lead to 30-6 midway through the third quarter on a safety when Myron was forced to fling the ball out the back of the end zone after another bad snap on a punt attempt.
Folston fielded a fine free kick from Myron on the right side at the Cocoa 26 and ran completely across the field to the left side and ended up at the Minutemen 34. Three plays later, Lee scored his second touchdown of the night on a 13-yard run to the right. Adams, who later booted a 25-yard field goal to cap the scoring with 1:43 to play in the third quarter, added the PAT.
Dessent completed 14 of 36 passes for 156 yards and no interceptions. He was limited to 3 of 13 in the second half for 40 yards.
“Dessent is a great football player,” Wilkinson said. “Some college is going to be lucky to have him at quarterback. Any college that doesn’t want him is crazy.’
Cocoa began its first drive of the contest at its own 32. Dessent’s first pass was dropped on first down, but he completed consecutive passses on the left side to Griffin for 3 yards and to Matt Riley for 6 yards. After Eveillard’s 1-yard run up the middle on first down, Dessent threw a 9-yard pass to Lewis in the middle of the field for a first down.
Another strike to Riley went for a 9-yard gain on the left side, but a second-down run went for no gain and Dessent’s third-down pass fell incomplete on the left side.
Dessent powered up the middle for 2 yards on fourth down to keep the drive going. He then lofted a 25-yard pass down the right sideline to Griffin and, after a pass fell incomplete in the end zone, Dessent found Lewis open just inside the back of the end zone on the right side for an 8-yard scoring pass.
In two weeks, Cocoa will host Orlando Jones in another district contest. The Tigers will play their third and final district game of the season on Nov. 2 at Lake Highland Prep.
Cocoa Beach, which will have a bye next week, will host Lake Highland Prep in a district game on Oct. 19. On Nov. 2 in Orlando, Cocoa Beach likely will have to defeat Jones in order to advance to the state playoffs.
– Jeff Navin
• HERITAGE 27, EAU GALLIE 7
Heritage moving in first series against Commodores defense. Key third down play coming up for Panthers.
Jordan Benton scores to draw Eau Gallie even with unbeaten Heritage.
Clinton Moxam runs 20 yards for TD to put Panthers up 14-7.
Josh Gaines scores on 42-yard run for unbeaten Panthers, who have grabbed a 21-7 lead
– Wayne Bowser
• BAYSIDE 21, MELBOURNE 7
BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – Halfway through the District 13 2012 prep football season, fans know what they can expect— the unexpected.
Bayside (2-3) used big plays on both offense and defense in defeating Melbourne High (3-3) 21-7 last night in Melbourne.
Both teams played stellar defense in the first half, exchanging two punts and two fumbles playing to a scoreless tie at 0-0
Neither team wasted anytime gaining momentum in the second half as Melbourne recovered a muffed second half Bayside kickoff return at the Bayside eight yard line.
Three plays later Bulldog running back Cooper Christiano scored from the two yard line Pat Bush’s PAT was good giving the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead.
Bayside then grabbed the momentum back with the ensuing kickoff things started to roll their way and put a together a 65 yard drive with Roger Bush scoring from the two yard line. The Garrett Baron PAT was good tying the game at 7-7.
Bayside quarterback Lucious McKay and running back Roger Bush were not running down hill but it appeared that way in putting together the drive.
McKay picked up 30 yards with end runs while Bush powered up the middle for another 30 yards.
McKay ended up with 88 yards for the night.
Both teams exchanged punts in the third quarter before Bayside engineered another 60-yard drive in the fourth quarter and Bush again carried it in from the two yard line with 5.29 left in the game.
Bayside led 14-7.
Bears defensive back D. .J. Johnson then picked off his second interception of the night and returned in 40 yards for a touchdown and sealing the Bears second win of the season.
Bayside coach Derek Smith thought his defense played good.
“We shot ourselves in the foot too many times in the first half especially going 80 yards then fumbling on the goal line,” said Smith. “Coach Wilson had his team ready to play and did a good job preparing as the half time score was 0-0. We played well on both sides of the ball in the second half especially DJ Johnson with his two interceptions.”
DJ Johnson said, “It was my best game this year and I saw the tight end looking towards the middle of the field and was ready.”
It was the fifth win for Bayside against the Bulldogs in six games.
Melbourne travels to Viera next Friday night while Bayside hosts always tough Daytona Seabreeze.
– Bill Kelly
• MCC 13, ORANGEWOOD CHRISTIAN 0
Squads complete first quarter without scoring. Brandon Ziarno overthrew Max Erdman resulting in the Hustlers having to give the ball up in one series.
With just under 8 minutes left in half, Will Erdman hauls in 31-yard TD pass from Ziarno.
Cornerback Devin Glass steps in front of pass, picks it off and runs 65 yards for a Huslers TD. PAT fails. 13-0 MCC.
– Larry Brooks
• ASTRONAUT 17, SATELLITE 0
BREVARD COUNTY • SATELLITE BEACH, FLORIDA – Astronaut out-sloshed Satellite 17-0 in the rain Friday night on the strength of a few big plays the home-field Scorpions couldn’t match.
The elements had the upper hand in a first half that saw the War Eagles hanging on to a 3-0 lead, but even as the rain thickened, Brandon Wright took the first hand-off after half-time and scampered 80 yards for a touchdown to put the visitors up 10-0.
Quarterback Tez Keels sealed the win with a Houdini-like escape from his backfield on his way to a 27-yeard scoring run with 6:55 left in the game.
However, it was the sore leg of Astronaut kicker Tyler Sparling that got the War Eagles off on the right foot, so-to-speak. Opening the game with what looked like a squib kick, Sparling left the Scorpions hoping the ball would go out of bounds before it bounced off a Satellite player and Astronaut recovered at the Scorpion 32.
The Scorpion defense held, but the left-footed Sparling connected on a 37-yard field goal to open the scoring.
Astronaut head coach Randy Hallock dismissed the suggestion that Sparling had intentionally kicked off so effectively, however.
“No, he told me he had a sore groin, and that’s why he kicked like that” the entire game, Hallock said.
Hallock would not allow the rain to be an excuse for his team’s sometimes sloppy play that included several fumbles the War Eagles somehow got back and a succession of penalties that slowed both teams.
“We’ve been practicing in (the rain) for two months,” he explained. “Actually, everybody has.”
Having to play catch-up in the second half, Satellite tried to go to the air but quarterback Cole Schell clearly had trouble gripping the ball as he shot-putted many of his passes.
The Scorpions looked like they would erase the shutout in the closing seconds of the contest, but a hard War Eagle hit jarred the ball loose from a Satellite receiver after Schell had connected with him In the end zone.
The win moves Astronaut to 3-2 while Satellite falls to 1-4.
– Robert Hughes
• HOLY TRINITY 16, NAPLES NEUMANN 6
Holy Trinity’s game against Neumann in Naples was supposed to start at 6 p.m., but has been delayed to a 7:15 p.m. kickoff because of heavy rain and thunderstorms.
Lightning has pushed back the start of the game to 8 p.m.
Game still under a delay and kickoff time remains a mystery.
Tigers charge out of lightning delay and score an early TD on Butler’s fumble recovery to lead undefeated Neumann 7-0.
Neumann runs for TD but PAT fails. Holy Trinity ahead 7-6.
Another second half TD and a field goal sent the Tigers home with a win.
– Ron Sharper
• FORT PIERCE CENTRAL 34, VIERA 0
Game is under way right on time.
Both teams sharp early. Fort Pierce scores first on QB keeper from Vaughn on 1 -yard line. 7-0 Fort Pierce.
Vaugh runs 20 yards for another Fort Pierce TD. Now 14-0
Late in Q3, For Pierce punches in TD run. Now ahead 21-0 over Hawks.
– Enrique Apodaca
• MERRITT ISLAND 25, ROCKLEDGE 0
Rockledge goes no where on first series. Meritt Island, howeverm runs two plays and then Tequan Kelly takes handoff and goes 66 yards for a TD. 2[pt conversion good. Mustangs up 8-0 early.
41-yard field goal by Merritt Island. Now 11-0 MI leading Rock.
Just seconds into the third quarter. Rock fumbles and Ty Schwab picks it up and runs it in for Mustangs TD. Merritt island playing like 1972 state title team it’s honoring tonight, now ahead 18-0.
Josh Studstill catches long TD pass from Nic Smith. Mustangs dominant leading 25-0 late in game.
– Irene Troutman
• MI CHRISTIAN 34, INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY 7
Cougars lead after one quarter after recovering a fumble that leads to a short rushing TD.
Turnovers plague International Community and Cougars take advantage with two short TD runs,
At end of third quarter Cougars are rolling big time, ahead 34-7.
– Jan Ehemann
THURSDAY, Oct. 4 PREP GAMES
• FLORIDA AIR 65, CALVARY CHRISTIAN 0
