Week 3 HS football: Cocoa loses shocker as five Brevard teams get to 3-0 for 2023 season
Thunderstorms cleared just in time across Brevard County, and high scoring was the theme of Week 3.
In Ft. Lauderdale, Cocoa High suffered its first loss, in controversial fashion.
Meanwhile, Eau Gallie, Heritage, Merritt Island, Holy Trinity and Titusville all moved to 3-0. The Terriers, Panthers, Mustangs and Palm Bay all shut out their opponents.
Final results: Brevard high school football, Week 3
St. Thomas Aquinas 37, Cocoa 36
The Tigers were set to celebrate a two-point win over Class 3M No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas Friday before a controversial finish allowed the home Raiders to kick a winning field goal with six seconds on the clock in Ft. Lauderdale.
Santucci Aquinas' 37-36 stunning win over Cocoa marred by bizarre ending
Jayvan Boggs caught three of Brady Hart's five touchdown passes in the game. It was the first loss of the season for the Tigers, who came in ranked first in 2S.
Cocoa's next game is at home against Eau Gallie on Sept. 22.
Eau Gallie 35, Winter Haven 0
In Melbourne, Xavier Lherisse returned the kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown, and the Commodores rolled.
Delvonte Williams scored twice on the ground and Tay Welch once. Mari Crooms completed a pass to D.J. Maultsby 55 yards for the other touchdown in the game, Eau Gallie's third win to open the season.
Eau Gallie hosts Satellite in Week 4.
Heritage 23, Centennial 0
Still no points given up by the Panthers' defense through Week 3. Meanwhile, Tayshawn Benson ran, and ran and ran.
It took Heritage more than a quarter to get on the scoreboard, but the Panthers got a 1-yard run from Benson at 9:23 of the second and went on to another shutout. He later broke runs of 47 and 63 yards.
Heritage, now 3-0, will play at Oviedo on Thursday.
Week by week: 2023 Brevard HS football schedule
Satellite 25, Melbourne 8
The Scorpions improve to 2-1 for the season with the road win over Melbourne.
Satellite scored its first points of the game in the second quarter on an Ethan Raffaele touchdown pass to Eric Weeza, followed by a successful 2-point conversion. Seth Hufty returned an interception and Caleb Garner made the extra point to give the Scorpions a 15-0 lead at halftime.
In the fourth quarter, Garner knocked in a field goal, and Tristin White caught a 27-yard touchdown pass from Raffaele. Jaylen Daley scored Melbourne's touchdown on a 30-yard run.
Satellite plays at Eau Gallie next, while Melbourne hosts Orange Park.
Palm Bay 47, Harmony 0
The Pirates (2-1) were dominant in the first half in the home victory.
Big plays did more than enough to guarantee victory. Larry Johnson returned the kickoff 99 yards to put Palm Bay permanently in front just 16 seconds into the game. Byron Thompson threw a touchdown pass to Zach Emery-Foster that covered 45 yards, and Raymen Jackson intercepted a pass and went 75 yards for another score.
Palm Bay hosts Titusville next.
Rockledge 59, Viera 21
The Raiders rebounded from their 0-2 start in a big way.
Jaylen Heyward rushed for scores of 53, 49 and 79 yards before halftime. Rockledge quarterback Traven Green rushed for two more touchdowns, one going 67 yards in the third. Jamarcus Giscombe closed out the night's scoring, running for three touchdowns.
More: Brevard school board rejects Jenkins' call for Viera football season suspension
For the Hawks, Chase Cromartie threw three touchdown passes, including a pair to Zack Pillow, one for 68 yards in the second quarter.
Rockledge hosts Bayside in a week, and Viera stays home to meet MCC.
Titusville 49, Celebration 0
The Terriers improved to 3-0 with a home win jumpstarted by a Dwight Jenkins strip of a Celebration ball carrier. That led to a Nate Lopez 32-yard touchdown run, and then a short visitors punt set up a Josiah Allen 1-yard keeper that built a two-touchdown lead by the end of the first period.
Three Terriers intercepted passes, and Camari Johnson returned his 37 yards for a score just 20 seconds into the second.
Titusville quarterback Josiah Allen ran for a touchdown and threw for another, and Jaden Brown took a run 60 yards down the visitor sideline for the final points of the night.
Titusville visits Palm Bay for Week 4.
Merritt Island 54, Astronaut 0
The Mustangs rolled at home as Shaun Hartman threw four touchdown passes.
Two of them went to Ryder Varis, who has seven for the year. Merritt Island improved to 3-0 for the season.
Astronaut hosts New Smyrna Beach on Friday, while Merritt Island hosts Holy Trinity.
Cypress Creek 48, MCC 27
In Melbourne, the Hustlers opened at home with their first loss of the season, dropping to 2-1.
MCC visits Viera on Friday.
Where we ranked them: 321preps Top 10 entering Week 3
Holy Trinity 42, Palm Beach Christian 6
It was Friday night, so it was Brogan McNab time. The Tigers' quarterback ran for three touchdowns and threw for a fourth in Melbourne as Holy Trinity improved to 3-0.
Jaden McMillan added his own excitement, with one rushing touchdown and a 35-yard punt return to the end zone. Dylan Jenson was on the end of McNab's scoring pass, taking it for 34 yards.
Holy Trinity visits Merritt Island next.
Cocoa Beach 36, Pierson Taylor 6
The Minutemen got their first regular-season victory as Logan Silvia passed twice to Kyler Coe for scores. Silva also scored on a first-quarter run.
Cocoa Beach plays again on Sept. 22 at home against Halifax Academy.
Pine Ridge 35, Space Coast 0
The Vipers fell to 0-3 with a road loss in Deltona.
The Panthers built a 27-0 lead in the first quarter, finishing with a blocked punt for a touchdown.
Space Coast visits Celebration in Week 4.
Ft. Pierce Central 41, Bayside 7
The Bears lost their third. Malik Cruz got them on the board first, returning an interception 15 yards to the end zone.
Bayside visits Rockledge next week.
Merritt Island Christian 62, Geneva Classical 22
The Cougars improved to 3-1 with the win in Lakeland.
Calvary Chapel 14, Eastland Christian 12
The Eagles improved to 2-1 with the home victory, setting up next week's Brevard 8-man showdown with Merritt Island Christian.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Week 3 Brevard County high school football roundup
