Top Brevard County high school sports stories of 2023
Only a couple of days remain in 2023, and it's been another busy year for high school sports in Brevard County, with championships, honors and controversy.
Let's take a look back.
FEBRUARY
Brevard grad plays in Super Bowl
Cocoa High and University of Florida product Chauncey Gardner-Johnson played for the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII against the Kansas City Chiefs, who won the game Feb. 12 by the score of 38-35.
Gardner-Johnson, from his starting safety position, recorded two tackles for the Eagles. He signed with the Detroit Lions in the following off-season.
Viera boys win state soccer championship
Viera High's boys soccer team defeated Fort Myers in the FHSAA Class 6A championship game on Feb. 25 at Spec Martin Stadium in DeLand, 4-2.
Viera finished its season with a 21-0-1 record, winning the school’s sixth FHSAA team championship of any kind and the first for the boys soccer program. It completed a thrilling end to the season. In the 6A semifinal round, the team trailed St. Thomas Aquinas with less than two minutes to play but scored twice for the 2-1 win.
For the Hawks, Yordan Torres scored twice and Max May once. A May free kick headed into the goal by Alex Canlas completed the Viera scoring.
See more photos: Viera wins FHSAA Class 6A boys soccer championship
MARCH
Emma Risch plays in McDonald's All-America Game
The selection of Emma Risch of Palm Bay girls basketball to play in the McDonald's All-America Game was an eruption heard 'round Brevard.
She was the first Brevard County high school basketball player chosen for the game, one of 24 girls named to the team. In the March 28 game in Houston, Risch connected on a 3-pointer, grabbed six rebounds and recorded three steals with one assist.
After the season, Risch was named the FLORIDA TODAY Girls Basketball Player of the Year for the second time. She graduated and moved on to play for Notre Dame.
APRIL
Cocoa fields record-setting girls track relay
The 2023 season was another one to remember for Cocoa High's girls 4x100 relay team. The relay team of Trinity Parham, Liana Tyson, Angel Parham, and Shaunteria Thomas previously held the county record for the race, but at the Florida Relays the relay team set a new county record after running a time of :45.88.
Cocoa's success did not end there in 2023. They went on to place first in the 4x100 at the Class 2A state championship meet and the girls team posted second at the meet.
Lianna Tyson was named FLORIDA TODAY All-Space Girls Track Athlete of the Year.
Satellite boys tennis again state runner-up
The Satellite High boys tennis team made its third consecutive runner-up finish in FHSAA Class 2A competition during the last week of the month at Red Bug Lake Park in Seminole County.
The Scorps fell to Plantation American Heritage in the final, 5-0.
Satellite, which won 17 matches against three losses in 2023, came into the season after back-to-back championship appearances, but the Scorps returned without their top two players of last season, who graduated. Instead, Caleb Domkowki took over the leadership role and became the FLORIDA TODAY Boys Tennis Player of the Year.
Rockledge grad taken in NFL Draft
Former Rockledge High receiver Antoine Greene was chosen by the Detroit Lions in the seventh round of the NFL Draft.
Green made 43 catches for 798 yards and 3 touchdowns as a senior at the University of North Carolina, his college choice after completing his career with the Raiders. He signed in 2018 to play for the Tar Heels.
Track coach ousted after dispute with runner
A disagreement between a Viera High distance runner and his coach eventually led to the removal of the coach following the District 10-4A meet at the end of the month.
Coach Kerron Greaves scratched senior Aedan Rendek from the 1,600 meters after an apparent dispute over whether Rendek gave his best effort in the 800 run earlier in the day. A video posted by flrunners.com showed the two arguing before the start of the 1,600, which Rendek went on to run.
The athlete was reinstated to run in later meets by the FHSAA, and Reaves was removed from his coaching position.
MAY
Viera baseball to state final
A talented Viera High baseball team proved to be the most successful in Brevard during the spring, and the Hawks made a state championship game appearance to prove it.
After defeating Doral Academy, 3-0 in a Class 6A semifinal game, Viera went to to the final. There, Tampa Sickles prevailed, 4-2. After trailing by three runs going to the second inning, the Hawks quickly scored a couple of their own but couldn't catch the Firebirds.
Viera finished the season 24-6, having won District 8-6A and Region 2-6A. Among the 12 seniors was senior catcher Alex Sosa, the FLORIDA TODAY Baseball Player of the Year who signed with North Carolina State.
AUGUST
Viera football season postponed by hazing video
A video that depicted what Brevard superintentent of schools Mark Rendell described as hazing came to light online in August before the regular high school football season began, and the uproar over its contents disrupted the season for the Hawks.
Team activities were suspended long enough for the team to open the season a week late, and head coach Shane Staples was suspended indefinitely. Assistant Anthony Gulla was installed on an interim basis.
More about the controversy: Viera football coach Shane Staples suspended along with team activities in 'hazing' incident
Photos of Hawks' return: Viera travels to Satellite for first game of the season after hazing incident
OCTOBER
Viera and MI both make volleyball final four
In the FHSAA volleyball state final four, Brevard had two high schools representing the county after Viera and Merritt Island both advanced in the tournaments.
Merritt Island advanced to the Class 5A state semifinals, but ultimately fell to Middleburg in the game. The Mustangs finished the season with a record of 23-7 and as regional champions. They also won their 19th straight district championship this season.
The Hawks faced Chiles in the Class 6A state final four. They won the game and claimed a spot in the state championship game. In the championship game Viera came up short and lost to St. Thomas Aquinas. Viera ended the season with a 27-5 record and winner of the Cape Coast Conference, District 8-6A, and regional championships.
DECEMBER
Cocoa football wins state
Cocoa High won the FHSAA Class 2S state football championship at Bragg Memorial Stadium on the campus of Florida A&M, 20-6, on Dec. 8. It was the school's sixth football title, all coming since 2008.
After spotting Bradford the first touchdown, the Tigers' defense shut down the Tornadoes the rest of the way. Nicholas Teeter broke open and scored from 36 yards to start the Cocoa onslaught, and Gunnar Trout's extra point put the Brevard County representative ahead for good.
Class 2S football State Championship: Bradford vs. Cocoa live scoring updates
Latrison Lane scored on a 10-yard run at 3:33 of the second quarter. Trout kicked field goals of 25 and 23 yards. Davi-yon Hawkins-Ingram led the Cocoa defense with seven tackles, three behind the line of scrimmage, and he forced a fumble. Samadrae Hawkins added six stops and another forced fumble, which he returned 23 yards.
It was the second title under head coach Ryan Schneider and completed a back-to-back campaign to win state trophies. Cocoa finished 14-1.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Top Brevard County high school sports stories of 2023
