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WATCH REPLAY: Heritage Panthers Defeat Viera Hawks 28-22 After Fourth-Quarter Fumble Return Touchdown

By  //  September 4, 2026

Heritage travels to Viera looking to win their first game of the season

Tune in Friday, September 4 at 7 pm as the Heritage Panthers face off against the Viera Hawks. The game will be broadcasted live on the Space Coast Daily Facebook and Youtube pages. The Hawks enter the contest 2-0 after a 35-8 victory over Sebastian River and Heritage comes in 0-2 after consecutive losses to Melbourne and Eau Gallie.

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Tune in tonight at 7 pm as the Heritage Panthers face off against the Viera Hawks. The game will be broadcast live on the Space Coast Daily Facebook and YouTube pages. The Hawks enter the contest 2-0 after a 35-8 victory over Sebastian River, and Heritage comes in 0-2 after consecutive losses to Melbourne and Eau Gallie.

A tale of two seasons so far

The Viera Hawks have looked good so far through the first couple of weeks of the 2026 campaign, but Heritage, despite their record, will be the hardest test yet.

Heritage defeated the Rockledge Raiders in the Kickoff Classic three weeks ago and opened the season against arguably two of the top three best teams in all of Brevard County, Melbourne and Eau Gallie.

Scheduling difficult games is something head coach Mykel Benson has been doing since he took over the reigns as head coach back in 2022. Heritage has been a competitive team and has reached the playoffs the last three seasons, but just have not been able to get past the first round.

Scheduling difficult games is something head coach Mykel Benson has been doing since he took over the reigns as head coach back in 2022. Heritage has been a competitive team and has reached the playoffs the last three seasons, but just have not been able to get past the first round.

Viera on the other hand is coming off a complete game where they dismantled Sebastian River, 35-8. With two wins under their belt already they are heading in the right direction, but Heritage will give them their first true test of the season.

Keys to Victory – Heritage

  • Find your rhythm early – Quarterback, Christian Borhi and company will need to get the offense moving in the first quarter of this game to stay on track.

  • Turn Viera over – There is no telling what the weather conditions could be like for the game, but the Panther defense needs to come up big when they can.

  • Slow down Butler – Senior Duke Butler is averaging nearly a 100 yards a game on the ground, if they can slow him down that will change the game in a drastic way.

Viera

  • Get the ball to your play makers – Viera probably believes they can beat Heritage on the ground or through the air, but getting their top players involved will lead to success.

  • Protect the ball – Heritage has a very opportunistic defense and is going to try and force the issue if they can, turning the ball over will not help the Hawks chances.

  • Field position matters – Whether it is flipping the field with a good punt or having a good punt return, if the Hawks can start their possession by midfield or even in plus territory, points could come easy.

Players to Watch

Duke Butler had over a thousand yards as a Junior and already has 200 yards through his first two games into his Senior year. The Navy commit has four touchdowns and is featured as both a quarterback and running back.

  • Viera Senior Running back, Duke Butler

  • Viera Sophomore Quarterback, Jaamal Crittington

  • Viera Senior Wide Receiver, Mason Stater

  • Heritage Senior Quarterback, Christian Borhi

  • Heritage Junior Receiver, Alex Fralin

  • Heritage Senior Linebacker, Anthony Hicks