The time for talking is finally over. Spaces sat vacant for three hours on Friday night as 16 Brevard County teams went to work in search of win number one for high school football. There is always so much optimism going into week one, and some teams came through with flying colors, while others have some things to clean up.

Brevard Sports Network brought you three games in week one, highlighted by the “Battle of the Big Cats,” as coined by our very own Alan Zltorzynski with Cocoa heading to Orlando to take on Jones. In the end, the defending state champion Cocoa Tigers came away with a 22-20 victory as the “Dark Side Defense” led the way.

There was certainly some Tiger on Tiger crime in this one as the two teams battled right down to the final play. Cocoa came away with a 22-20 win, thanks to an interception in the end zone on the final play.

That came after the Cocoa defense knocked down a pass, setting up the final chance for sophomore quarterback Dereon Coleman, who was picked off by Cocoa with three-tenths of a second left.

Coleman was named the offensive player of the game, despite the loss. The young man showed some glimpses of what Jones is getting at the quarterback position. Another sophomore Brady Hart was under center for Cocoa in this one, and although mistakes were part of his night, he led his Tigers to a top-25 win in week one.

Jones had a 59-yard run on their first play from scrimmage, but Cocoa’s defense stiffened. They would get on the board with a Hart to Nicholas Teeter connection to make it 7-0.

After a turnover by Jones later in the quarter, Davi’yon Hawkins-Ingram ran it in from five yards out, making it 14-0 and a safety would put Cocoa up 16-0 after a bad snap went out of the endzone

A pick-6 by George Brown got Jones on the board in the second quarter, cutting the lead to 16-7. Jones would then recover a fumble, but the Cocoa D came up big again and forced a field goal try that was missed. Cocoa would hit a field goal of their own as time expired in the first half and went to the locker room up 19-7.

The defending state champs had a 10-play drive in the third quarter, but came up empty after a 47-yard field goal try by Gunnar Trout wandered just left off the upright. Jones had a golden opportunity early in the fourth as they were driving towards paydirt.

That is until a host of Cocoa Tigers led by linebacker Samadrae Hawkins forced a fumble which Hawkins picked up and returned deep into Jones territory. Cocoa would turn that play into a field goal, and go up 22-14.

Hawkins, Loren Ward, Davion Parham and the Player of the Game Javion Hilson had quite a night but it was Cocoa’s young secondary that provided oustanding coverage allowing the front seven to make some big plays up front.

Jones (0-1) would score again, but the two-point attempt was no good and it was 22-20

Hart would throw an interception with just over four minutes to play putting a tired Cocoa defense back on the field but the Dark Side dug down deep and stepped up again, as Jones went for it on fourth down and was stopped just short.

The officials measured, and the ball was inches short giving the ball back to the Tigers from the Space Coast.

Cocoa was stopped and forced to punt leaving 33 seconds on the clock. The gassed Cocoa defense bent but didn’t break as Jones moved the ball but the secondary who played fantastic all night ended the game as O’kece Battle picked off the final Hail Mary of the night to get the win for Cocoa.

The Tigers offensive line played oustanding as well in the contest as the Tigers rushing attack was extremely effective in the win.

The win is the 12th in 13 tries vs. Jones since 2004 for Cocoa.

In the second BSN game of the night the Heritage Panthers scored 21 points in the second quarter and 13 more in the third, enroute to the shutout running clock win over Satellite.

Senior signal caller Joseph Tenta threw two touchdowns to Axzavian Alexander, who transferred from Rockledge. Tayshawn Benson’s two-yard run made it 21-0 at the half.

Tenta’s third touchdown of the night was caught by T.J. Monroe in the third quarter. Judah Knight’s 24-yard run made it 34-0. Tenta would cap his big night with a fourth-quarter throw to Isaiah Cordero to give the Panthers a big win to start the season.

The final BSN game of the night was a defensive dog-eat-dog battle for the first half, as neither team found the end zone. BSN’s reigning County MVP Jamarion Stephens finally broke the ice in a big way, with a 51-yard jaunt to give the Terriers a 7-0 lead.

Melbourne quarterback Jordan Pidala answered with a pass to Ty Field for a score. The extra point was missed and it was 7-6. After Nate Lopez made it 14-6 in the fourth quarter, Stephens ripped off a 60-yard run to put the icing on the cake and give the Terriers the victory.

The Raiders suffered their first week one loss since falling to Viera, 13-6 in 2017. The defense played well in defeat but Rockledge fell 22-13 to Seminole.

Going back to last season, the Raiders offense has mustered just 45-points in the previous four games including the kickoff classic. Rockledge will look to get back on track in week two as the they travel to face No.8 nationally ranked Duncanville in Texas next Saturday night.

New head coach Nate Hooks didn’t waste any time putting his stamp on the 2023 MCC Hustlers. A team that won two games last season is already halfway to that win total after one game.

Freshman quarterback Joseph Allen threw two touchdowns in the second quarter, connecting with Ramel Hernandez (21 yards) and Justin Woulard (16 yards) to put the Hustlers up 14-0. Astronaut would score their only points of the night in the third quarter when Delvontay Hunter found Mason Gil from four yards out. The two-point conversion was good and it was 14-8.

Day Day Farmer made an immediate impact with his new team, with a 43-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter. Caden Kelley scored on a six-yard run with 39 seconds left in the game, icing the game.

Dan Burke who left Palm Bay in 2019 after a storied career with the program made a triumphant return to the Pirates sideline Friday with a triumphant Dan Burke type victory over the Bayside Bears and new head coach Billy Miller.

Luis Martinez kicked a 30-yard field goal in the second quarter to open the scoring and Jeremy Pittman Jr. scored from four yards out to make it 10-0 late in the half. Bradyn Cook had a third quarter touchdown run and Larry Johnson completed the shutout with a 20-yard run in the fourth.

Hurlie Brown started his second season at Holy Trinity with a bang Friday night as his team dispatched of the Cocoa Beach Minutemen.

Brogan McNab had six touchdowns combined in this one, scampering for a 24-yard touchdown in the first quarter to go with passes of 12 and 61 yards in the second quarter. He would run another one in from 35 yards out and throw a 24-yard pass to Jaeden Parker McMillan. It was the third time in the quarter that McNab and McMillan would connect, combining for 28 points in the quarter. McNab would score again in the third quarter on a 21-yard run.

Logan Silvea had two touchdown passes for the Minutemen in the loss, both to Kyler Coe.

In a low scoring affair, the Commodores started their season off on the right foot as Jamari Crooms found Latavious Welch from 20 yards out in the final seconds of the first quarter.

DJ Maultsby caught the two-point conversion from Crooms and it was 8-0. Delvonte Williams three-yard run made it 14-0 in the third quarter. Springstead scored their only points of the night with 5:28 left.

The Mustangs kicked it into high gear right from the get-go Friday, getting a punt return and a scoop and score as part of a 20-point first quarter. Quarterback Shaun Hartman Jr. would find Deshaun Thomas for a second quarter touchdown and it was 26-0.

Deltona would close out the second quarter and start the third with a touchdown before Hartman found Chris Kelly to make it 34-14. Hartman found Ryder Varis for a fourth quarter touchdown, and they would score one more just for good measure.

** Lake Howell at Space Coast was postponed and will be played September 5.

***Viera at South Fork rescheduled for a later date.

Calvary Chapel 27 Hernando Christian 7

Donahue 40 at MIC 0