Football Story: St. Edward 24, Cocoa (FL) 14

[Michael Deneen]

The Cocoa High School football team, currently ranked #4 in Class 4A in Florida, was able to bring its marching band to Lakewood for Saturday's game at First Federal Lakewood Stadium. Unfortunately they were unable to bring their hometown weather to Northeast Ohio. While it was 84 degrees and sunny in Cocoa, most of this game was played in a cold, dreary rain along Madison Avenue. St. Edward prevailed 24-14 in a matchup that was much closer than the final score indicated.

Weather was a factor throughout most of the game, which was played at 45 degrees and rain. Winds were steady from the north, affecting passing and kicking all afternoon. Only five passes were completed in the entire game, as both teams stuck to a ground game to minimize the impact of weather. St. Edward had the wind advantage in the first quarter, and used it to take a 3-0 lead. The key play on the field goal drive was a 64 yard run by Eagle running back Cole Gest.

The Eagles extended the lead to 10-0 with a 20 yard touchdown pass from Jimmy Keefe to Matthew Gonzalez with 8:42 left in the second quarter. Strong Eagle defense and special team play held that score into halftime. Cocoa turned the ball over on its first drive of the second half, a fumble that was recovered by Michael O'Malley. St. Edward took possession at the Tigers 43 yard line, and quickly cashed in the turnover for another touchdown. Keefe hit Gest with a screen pass, which Gest ran in 28 yards to make it a 17-0 game. As the rain continued to pour down, the game seemed to be safely in the win column for St. Edward. However, Cocoa had other ideas.

On its next possession, Cocoa used a series of running plays to take the ball into St. Edward territory. Then, on a play worthy of a Sportscenter highlight, Chauncey Gardner ran 42 yards for a Tiger touchdown. Gardner, a University of Florida recruit, was seemingly trapped behind the line of scrimmage by multiple Eagle defenders. However, he evaded them by going backwards, made numerous moves, and broke free to run the ball into the endzone. The play, which happened with 5:22 left in the third quarter, changed the momentum of the game.

St. Edward went "three and out" on its next drive, and punted back to Cocoa. On its third play from scrimmage, Tiger quarterback Bruce Judson ran 61 yards for a touchdown, making the score 17-14 with 3:01 left in the third quarter. Judson, an Ohio State recruit, used his evasiveness and strength to break through the first line of defenders, then outrun the defense to the endzone.

The 17-14 score held for almost the entire rest of the game. Cocoa got the ball back midway through the fourth quarter on its own 20 yard line. They marched into Eagle territory with less than two minutes left on the clock. The drive ended when Eagle DB Kyle Fallon broke up a fourth down pass with 1:28 left in the game. On the next play, the Eagles handed off to Gest, who broke free for a 54 yard touchdown run that made the final score 24-14. Gest finished the game with 204 rushing yards on 14 carries, one catch for 27 yards, and two touchdowns.

With the win, St. Edward is now 5-1 on the season, with a home game next Saturday against another Florida team, Mainland. Let's hope Mainland brings some of their weather.

NOTES:

HOW DID THE OSU RECRUIT LOOK?

As mentioned, Cocoa QB Bruce Judson is verbally committed to attend Ohio State next season. He has incredible athleticism, and ran for 203 yards on 31 carries. He single-handedly kept his team in the game throughout the afternoon. He only completed one of seven passes, a play that actually lost ten yards. The combination of Cocoa's running emphasis and the weather conditions dampened fans' ability to measure his arm.

ST. EDWARD BAND ABSENT AGAIN

For the second straight week, the St. Edward Marching Band was out of town attending a band competition. Cocoa brought its band from Florida, but they did not march at halftime. Rather, they stayed in the stands and played for the hearty, rain-soaked crowd. The band is expected back for next week's game. If not, perhaps St. Ed should ask the LHS band to fill in.