WATCH REPLAY ON SPACE COAST DAILY TV! Merritt Island Defeats Melbourne 36-31 in Kickoff Classic Shootout

By  //  August 18, 2019

THE SPACE COAST DAILY – FRIDAY NIGHT LOCKER ROOM TEAM IS BREVARD'S #1 SPORTS SOURCE

SPACE COAST DAILY TV: The Merritt Island Mustangs came from behind to defeat the Melbourne High School Bulldogs 36-31 in the teams’ Kickoff Classic contest on Friday night. Merritt Island head coach Hurlie Brown spoke to Space Coast Daily’s Chris Bonanno about his team’s win.

KICKOFF CLASSIC SCOREBOARD

• Merritt Island 36, Melbourne 31: WATCH REPLAY ON SPACE COAST DAILY TV
• Heritage 35, Palm Bay 0: WATCH REPLAY ON SPACE COAST DAILY TV
• Centennial 27, Astronaut 0
• Cocoa 37, Bayside 7
• Pine Ridge 40, Cocoa Beach 6
• Fort Pierce Westwood 20, Eau Gallie 14
• Melbourne Central Catholic 14, Holy Trinity 13 
• Rockledge 44, Palm Beach Lakes 0 
• Satellite 21, St. Joseph Academy 14
• Space Coast 35, Trinity Prep 17
• Titusville @ Windermere
• Viera 35, Liberty 0

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WATCH REPLAY ON SPACE COAST DAILY TV: Heritage Shuts Out Palm Bay 35-0 in Kickoff Classic Action Friday Night

SPACE COAST DAILY TV: Merritt Island High School hosts Melbourne in the team’s’ Kickoff Classic. Space Coast Daily’s Matt O’Hern, Jordan Rocco and Chris Bonanno have the call.

The Space Coast Daily – Friday Night Locker Room team of Chris Bonanno, Jordan Rocco and Matt O’Hern will bring you all the action LIVE between the Melbourne Bulldogs and Merritt Island Mustangs in Kickoff Classic action. Pregame starts at 6:45 p.m. and kickoff is at 7 p.m. Mike Erdman Automotive will once again present the Space Coast Daily – Friday Night prep sports coverage on Space Coast Daily TV. SEE THE TEAM PROFILES BELOW

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Welcome to the Space Coast Daily/Friday Night Locker preview edition of Brevard County high school football for the 2019 season.

This is the 25th season of high school football coverage for the principals of Space Coast Daily and the Friday Night Locker Room – brought you by Erdman Automotive.

The 2019 season is filled with talented student-athletes all across Brevard County and many are being sought after some of the best college football teams across the country.

With many decisions to be made by numerous athletes on where to pursue their college dreams, the Space Coast Daily – Friday Night Locker Room team is your go-to source for the latest announcements and commitments made by the athletes.

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Last year, nine Brevard County teams received bids to the postseason, which is the highest number of Brevard County teams to make the playoffs in one season.

This season, local teams are looking for another record year. Teams are not only looking to make the playoffs but win championships.

With high school football season upon us, excitement for football can be felt across Brevard County as teams prepare for 2019, season which gets underway August 16 with the Kickoff Classics:

• Melbourne @ Merritt Island: WATCH LIVE ON SPACE COAST DAILY TV
• Heritage @ Palm Bay: WATCH LIVE ON SPACE COAST DAILY TV
• Centennial @ Astronaut
• Cocoa @ Bayside
• Cocoa Beach @ Pine Ridge
• Fort Pierce Westwood @ Eau Gallie
• Holy Trinity @ Melbourne Central Catholic
• Palm Beach Lakes @ Rockledge
• Satellite @ St. Joseph Academy
• Trinity Prep @ Space Coast
• Titusville @ Windermere
• Liberty @ Viera

This year’s coverage on Space Coast Daily TV will feature a dynamic broadcast lineup that was the first official media entity to bring prep football play-by-play coverage on radio and TV to Brevard County.

Space Coast Sports Hall of Famers Steve Wilson and Orville Susong of the Friday Night Locker Room will once again bring you all the live action from the broadcast booth.

In addition, Chris Bonanno, Jordan Rocco, Matt O’Hern and Zach Clark will anchor play-by-play broadcasts this season.

The broadcast teams have a total of more than 100 years of covering high school football in Brevard.

These Live broadcasts will feature cutting edge coverage on Space Coast Daily TV, featuring player interviews, replays, highlights, pre-game and post-game analysis and much more.

SEE THE COCOA TIGERS PREVIEW BELOW

BEST IN THE BUSINESS: This is the 25th season of high school football coverage for the principals of Space Coast Daily and the Friday Night Locker Room. Space Coast Sports Hall of Famers Steve Wilson and Orville Susong of the Friday Night Locker Room will once again bring you all the live action from the broadcast booth. In addition, Chris Bonanno, Jordan Rocco, Matt O’Hern and Zach Clark, Giles Malone and Tom Palermo will anchor play-by-play broadcasts this season. All the action is brought to you by Erdman Automotive.
Mike Erdman Automotive will once again present the Space Coast Daily – Friday Night prep sports coverage on Space Coast Daily TV.

SPACE COAST DAILY TV: Merritt Island High football preparing for 2019 season, which opens Friday with the Mustangs taking on the Melbourne High School Bulldogs.

SPACE COAST DAILY TV: Space Coast Daily’s Chris Bonanno talks with Melbourne High School football’s Jabarie Simmons, a defensive end, and Antonio Wright Jr., a running back about the Bulldog’s upcoming season.

MERRITT ISLAND MUSTANGS

– 2018 Record: 5-6
– Head Coach: Hurley Brown (2nd year)

2019 Schedule:

August 16 – vs. Melbourne
August 23 – @ Gateway Charter
August 30 – vs. Astronaut
Sept. 6 – vs. Menendez
Sept. 13 – @ Palm Bay
Sept. 20 – @ Vero Beach
Sept. 27 – vs. Miami Christian
Oct. 11. – vs. Rockledge
Oct. 18 – @ Atlantic
Oct. 25 – vs. Eau Gallie
Nov. 1 – @ Westwood

2019 Merritt Island Mustangs Outlook 

Chris: Death, taxes and Merritt Island football making the postseason. Merritt Island continued its impressive run of postseason appearances last year despite finishing the regular season with just a 5-5 record.

Now, second-year head coach Hurlie Brown will look to develop playmakers on both sides of the ball as Merritt Island attempts to make it back to another postseason bid.

The road to a district title appears rugged with powerful Rockledge including the new Class 5A, District 9 with Merritt Island, Palm Bay, Eau Gallie and Port Orange Atlantic. Still, the Mustangs have a lot of what appear to be winnable games on their schedule, so winning a majority of those would likely lead to Merritt Island making another playoff appearance.

Zach: The schedule lines up for the Mustangs to have a bounce-back season this year. Year 1 to Year 2 is where teams make their biggest jump when a new coach and a new scheme is implemented.

Head coach Hurley Brown has the senior leadership in place to make some noise in the district with Rockledge, Palm Bay and Eau Gallie.

If Merritt Island wants to win the district, the Mustangs defense has to improve significantly from last year after giving up an average of 25-points a game while only averaging 16-points game on offense.

MELBOURNE BULLDOGS

– 2018 Record: 5-5
– Head Coach: Tony Rowell (1st year)

2019 Schedule:

August 16 – @ Merritt Island
August 23 – @ Palm Bay
August 30 – @ Space Coast
Sept. 6 – @ Bayside
Sept. 13 – @ Harmony
Sept. 20 – vs. Titusville
Sept. 27 – @ Tohopekaliga (Kissimmee)
Oct. 4. @ Satellite
Oct. 11 – vs. St. Cloud
Oct. 18 – vs. Viera
Oct. 25 – vs. Eau Gallie

– 2019 Outlook – 

Chris: The Bulldogs ended their 2018 campaign on a high note, upsetting rival Eau Gallie with a resounding 41-30 victory helping to pull Melbourne up to a 5-5 finish.

They’ll look to continue that momentum under first-year head coach Tony Rowell. To do so, they’ll need to improve an offense that scored more than 21 points just three times last year.

That fact is also of importance given that Melbourne still shares a district with perennial power Viera, not to mention Harmony which finished 9-2 a year ago. St. Cloud and Tohopekaliga round out the district.

Zach: First-year head coach Tony Rowell is hoping to take Melbourne football to the next level. With a notable college career at Florida  and a 6th round draft pick in the 1992 NFL draft, Rowell brings has the resume that could translate to success for the Bulldogs.

Keep an eye out for running back Antonio Wright, who amassed over 1200 rushing yards last year and 13 touchdowns. The 5-foot-10 junior is a three-sport athlete and will turn some heads in the recruiting sphere this year. At only 155-pounds, Wright has been captured on social media squatting 315 pounds earlier this spring.

The Bulldogs schedule is brutal to start with as their first four regular-season games are on the road before their home opener on Sept. 20 vs. Titusville.

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