Five Brevard County Teams Ranked In Bright House Sports Top 20 High School Football Poll

Merritt Island joins Viera, Palm Bay, Cocoa and MCC

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – As we head into Week 8 of the high school football schedule and following a week of washed out contests due to Hurricane Matthew, the number of Brevard County teams ranked in the Bright House Sports Network Top 20 has increased by one.

Thanks to three straight wins by a combined score of 132-21, the Merritt Island Mustangs cracked the BHSN Top 20 this week at No.20.

Head Coach Jeff McClain and his team began the season in the Top 20 but after losing two of their first three (three of four counting kickoff classic) they fell out of the poll.

With four district games to play, including the all-important big contest with the ninth ranked Palm Bay Pirates, the Mustangs are hoping they are peaking at the right time as they try to win their sixth straight District 5A-14 title.

Hurricane Matthew robbed high school football fans of two top 10 matchups last Friday night, including a No.1 vs. No.2 matchup.

The Cocoa Tigers remain on top of the poll where they have been since its release back in August but were scheduled to play the second ranked Mainland Buccaneers last week.

This week in Cocoa it will be the battle of the Tigers and another Top 10 opponent for Cocoa head coach John Wilkinson’s team. Unbeaten at 6-0 and ranked seventh in the BHSN Top 20, Orlando’s Jones Fightin Tigers travel to the Space Coast to take on the top ranked Cocoa Tigers.

This contest will be pivotal in the outcome of District 4A-5, as Cocoa and Jones are both 1-0 in league play. This is a strength on strength matchup, as Jones brings their high scoring offense to the Space Cost which has scored 303 points on the season and is averaging 50.5 points per game.

Cocoa will counter with a very stingy defense, which is allowing just 15 points to Florida schools this season.

Steve Wilson and Orville Susong will have the call streaming on Space Coast Daily.

ABOVE VIDEO: Back on September 16, The Space Coast Daily – Friday Night Locker Room’s Alan Zlotorzynski and Zach Clark brought you the play-by-play of the Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy Tigers vs. Melbourne Central Catholic High School Hustlers contest. The duo will do the same on Friday night as MCC looks to wrap up a district title Vs. the John Carroll Rams. All of the action will be live on Space Coast Daily’s Facebook page. 

The Viera Hawks and Palm Bay Pirates were supposed to play last Friday in the areas other Top 10 matchup.

The eighth ranked Hawks (4-2) will not host Martin County (5-1) in what many are calling the battle for district 7A-6. Viera and Martin County are both 1-0 in league play with the winner will have a very strong inside track to the district championship.

Viera has won five straight vs. the Tigers, including a pair of games last season. The Hawks managed a three-point road win over Martin County during the regular season but dominated their district rivals 47-20 in the playoffs on their way to the state championship game.  Viera is 5-1 all-time vs. their district foes.

While much is made and deservedly so of the Cocoa Tigers and Viera each week, the team that is quietly dominating the Brevard County high school football landscape is the ninth ranked Palm Bay Pirates.

Dan Burke’s squad is deep, well rounded and beating up on opponents in every phase of the game. The Pirates defense has three shutouts on the season and is allowing just five points per game. Led by senior running back B.J. Daniels, the offense is doing their part scoring 30 points per game, 152 total on the season.

Daniels currently has offers from five colleges including BIG 10 member, the Maryland Terrapins.

This week the Pirates have a great shot to move to 6-0, as they play the young Space Coast Vipers. Head coach Jake Owens’ Vipers was one of the last two Brevard County teams to play before hurricane Matthew struck the region last week, falling to Rockledge 37-6 on the Monday night before the storm forced the Friday cancellations.

The final ranked Brevard County team is also involved in a contest on Friday that could decide a district championship. The 14^th ranked Melbourne Central Catholic Hustlers host district rival, John Carroll.

The game features the County’s leading passer in MCC signal caller Joaquin Collazo. The junior is averaging 325 passing yards per game with 1,629 total passing yards. Even more impressive is his touchdown to interception ratio. Collazo has 21 TD passes and just three interceptions.

Having won their past two games, one by way of forfeit over Aukela Christian Military Academy and the other, a 52-14 thrashing of Father Lopez, the Rams are 4-2. With only MCC, Melbourne’s Holy Trinity and John Carroll, district 3A-6 is only a three team league.

By virtue of having dispatched Holy Trinity, 54-14 earlier this season, a Melbourne Central Catholic win over John Carroll would give the Hustlers the district championship.

Last season John Carroll halted an MCC seven game winning streak in the series with a dominating 37-3 victory.

Can’t make it to Babcock street to check this one out, The Friday Night Locker Room and Space Coast Daily has you covered. You can watch the contest in its entirety live on Space Cost DAILY’S Facebook page. Starting at 6:30 p.m. with a special 30-minute pregame show followed by a 7:00 p.m. kickoff, Alan Zlotorzynski and Zach Cark will be on the call.

Here are the Top 20 teams in the Bright House Sports Network high school football poll. (Brevard County teams in bold)

1. Cocoa (3-1) – Hurricane Matthew erased Friday’s showdown with Mainland, meaning the Tigers will only play eight regular season games.

2. Mainland (6-0) – Bucs focus their attention back on district play this week and a matchup with undefeated Matanzas.

3. Apopka (6-0) – Blue Darters will not have a Homecoming game after Olympia declined Apopka’s offer to reschedule Friday’s game.

4. Seminole (6-0) – ‘Noles needed a late comeback against Lyman and scored twice in the final two minutes for a 22-12 victory.

5. Osceola (7-0) – Kowboys raced to a 21-0 halftime lead against St. Cloud and handed the Bulldogs their first loss with a 34-18 win.

6. Dr. Phillips (4-2) – 12 different players have found the end zone through six games for the Panthers.

7. Bishop Moore (5-1) – Hornets took advantage of three first half South Sumter turnovers to run away from the Raiders 56-23 in a Monday makeup game.

8. Viera (4-2) – Hawks host Martin County this week in a matchup that should decide the 7A, District 6 title.

9. Palm Bay (5-0) – Hurricane Matthew erased a game against Viera, one of the toughest opponents on the Pirates schedule.

10. Jones (6-0) – Undefeated Tigers head to the Space Coast this week for a showdown with 4A’s No. 1 team, Cocoa.

11. Wekiva (4-2) – Improved Mustangs will see how far they’ve come Thursday night in a district matchup with rival Apopka.

12. Hagerty (5-1) – Travis Thompson returned the opening kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown as the Huskies scored 35 first half points en route to a 38-14 district win against East Ridge on Monday.

13. Matanzas (5-0) – Phillip Moultrie torched the New Smyrna Beach defense for 340 rushing yards and six touchdowns in a 58-28 win last Monday.

14. Melbourne Central Catholic (5-0) – Hustlers can lock up the 3A, District 6 championship with a win against Fort Pierce John Carroll this week.

15. Orange City University (4-2) – Lake Mary’s Monday loss to Winter Springs dealt a huge blow to the Titans hopes of reaching the postseason.

16. Winter Park (4-2) – Senior Jonathan Griffin-Heard has five takeaways (four interceptions, one fumble recovery) for the Wildcats.

17. Timber Creek (4-2) – Playoff chances for the Wolves rest on Thursday’s home game against Boone.

18. Deltona (4-2) – Wolves had their scheduled bye week last Friday so they are still slated to play 10 games.

19. Ocoee (4-2) – Monday’s 30-7 win at Ocala West Port keeps the Knights firmly in control of the 7A, District 4 race.

20. Merritt Island (4-2) – Mustangs have won three straight while scoring 40 or more points in every game

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