Cocoa football wins 17th region final; one win away from Class 2S state championship game
After winning its 17th consecutive regional championship, Cocoa (12-1) is the last Brevard County team remaining in the FHSAA football playoffs and one win away from making yet another appearance in Class 2S state championship game.
The Tigers defeated South Sumter to claim the region 3-2S championship. Cocoa won the game, 34-14, over the Raiders after being down two points at halftime.
It should not have been a surprise that the second half was dominated by the Tigers as the team went on to score 22 points and hold South Sumter's offense to zero.
"We played the hardest schedule in the state, we've been in probably seven or eight of these games," Cocoa head coach Ryan Schneider said after Friday's game. "You know it's funny at halftime, there was no one going nuts. We've been here before, let's keep playing the game and if we make enough plays, we'll pull it off."
More: Cocoa advances to 2S state semifinals with 34-14 win over South Sumter
Cocoa entered the playoffs with the highest power rating in the entire state after playing and winning against teams known for being tough competitions throughout the state.
In their first game of the year, The Tigers went on the road and defeated Orlando Jones, 22-20. They followed that with a 31-21 win over Venice at home. Cocoa also defeated Treasure Coast, 38-0, and Seminole, 28-3, in back-to-back weeks.
Their only loss of the season came from a close 37-36 game against St. Thomas Aquinas on the road, and this result was shrouded in controversy. Referees in this game botched what should have been a running clock for Cocoa with less than a minute in the game and a Tigers lead. When Schneider argued, they penalized him and Cocoa had to punt the ball. It gave Aquinas another shot and they quickly moved down field and got to their kicker's range as he booted home the game winner.
After Friday's game, Schneider acknowledged South Sumter as another strong opponent and said he was proud of his team for coming out on top in the game.
"They're 11-1, they beat Vanguard and they did a great job," Schneider said of South Sumter. "We will take the victory, I don't care if it's by one point or 100 points, it doesn't matter."
The Tigers appear to be the team to beat in Class 2S after winning last year's state championship game over Florida High, 38-31, in overtime.
Florida high school football playoffs: State semifinal pairings
In this year's state semifinals Cocoa will host Booker on Dec. 1 at 7:30 p.m. In region 4 of the Class 2S playoff, Booker (9-4) was the No. 7 seed and went on to defeat Bishop Verot, who was the top seed, in the region final.
With teams being reseeded for the state semifinals, Cocoa is the top seed and Booker is the No. 4 seed. If Cocoa wins, it will play the winner of the No. 2 Bradford (13-0) vs. No.3 Pensacola Catholic (11-2) for the state championship on Dec. 8.
Cocoa is seeking its sixth state title. The Tigers won three in a row from 2008-10, 2016 and 2022.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Cocoa won 17th region final; one win away from 2S state championship game
