2015 Preview Guide: East Coast Region notebook

From Cocoa all the way down to Stuart and as far west to Okeechobee, a lot of exciting football can be found at high school stadiums along the East Coast.

In fact, the East Coast has been home to some of the most memorial teams to have claimed state championship over the last few decades and the mentality to win it all has not died at all despite the fact no team from the region has played in a state championship game since Cocoa did in 2010.

Will this be the year someone finally breaks through the barrier to play in Orlando come December? We will find out for sure starting next month.

Chasing History

The five county area encompassing the East Coast Region, has had its fair share of teams that have either won a state championship or has played in one over the last 50-plus years. Some of them such as Merritt Island, Cocoa, Rockledge, Titusville and Palm Bay have gone on to win multiple state championships over the course of the years.

In the 50-plus year stretch the FHSAA has conducted the State Series in football, there have been 15 state championship and 6 state runner-ups finishes by teams in the East Coast Region.

Here is a list of the area’s state champions and state runner-ups.

State Champions

• Cocoa (2008, 2009, 2010)
• Fort Pierce Central (1971)
• Melbourne (1966)
• Merritt Island (1972, 1978, 1979)
• Palm Bay (2000, 2002)
• Rockledge (2001, 2002)
• Titusville (1982, 1983)
• Vero Beach (1981)

State Runner-Ups

• Astronaut (2000)
• Fort Pierce Central (1970)
• Melbourne (1965)
• Merritt Island (1989)
• St. Edward’s (1989)
• Titusville (1980)

Coaching Changes

Over 100-plus coaching changes have taken place across the state this offseason, however only three programs across the entire East Coast Region saw a change.

What is very interesting is that three out of the four schools stayed within inside their programs to find their next head coach.

For Cocoa Beach, their new head coach will be entering his second stint as the head coach, while South Fork promoted the son of their former head coach to lead the program.

• Cocoa Beach: Billy Huthman, Dave Lowe
• Melbourne: Todd Wilson, Scott Grish
• Rockledge: Larry Laskowski, Wayne Younger
• South Fork: Dennis Lavelle, Mike Lavelle

Flying High In The Skies

Several teams along the East Coast this year will be packing their bags and hoping on the airplane (although one will likely take the bus instead) to travel out-of-state to take on some very well-worthy opponents.

For Cocoa, they will host one of their two out-of-state opponents early in the season as Western Branch, VA comes to Florida. Western Branch which had a 19-2 run in the two season prior to the 2014 season will be making their first out-of-state trip within the last 10 years. The Bruins, as Western Branch is called, was knocked out in the first round of Virginia’s Class 6A VHSL state playoffs finishing with a 7-4 record.

However, Western Branch might not be the toughest out-of-state opponent for the Tigers.

St. Edward, OH, located near Cleveland, offered a deal for both Cocoa and Mainland to come up to play, could give the Tigers its biggest test of the season. Because of the offer to both schools to be able to travel to St. Edward on back-to-back weekends in October, allowed them to scuttle the planned game to be hosted by Cocoa this season.

Over at Viera, they will be playing in their first out-of-state game in school history, flying out to Texas to take on the defending Class 6A Division I State Champion, the Allen Eagles.

Allen, which finished the 2014 season, undefeated (16-0) and national ranked by multiple national ranking services, will be the early favorite in this one. However, Viera has been a team on the rise having compiled a 17-3 record in the last two seasons. That includes a 9-0 overall record in the regular season as well as the Hawks’ first district championship and playoff appearance in school history.

At the southern end of Brevard County, Bayside will start the 2015 season by making a trip up to Lowndes just over the state line in Valdosta, GA. Lowndes, which went 6-4 last season and missed the playoffs will be looking to rebound this season. For Bayside, they are coming another season where they reached the playoffs, but will continue to learn and grow under second-year head coach Bobby Willcox.

Okeechobee, will also play an out-of-state opponent as well in Amherst County, VA, but will make the trek up to Disney World to take on the Lancers in Week 2 of the season.

Games Featuring Out-of-State Teams:

August 28
Bayside at Lowndes (GA)

September 4
Amherst County (VA) vs. Okeechobee at ESPN Wide World of Sports / Disney World
Western Branch (VA) at Cocoa
Viera at Allen (TX)

October 3
Cocoa at St. Edward (OH)

Bryan Stork’s Jersey Is Retired

Bryan Stork always had wanted to know what it would be like to have his jersey retired and sitting next other great Vero Beach players who have had their jersey’s retired when he was playing for the Indians.

For Stork, he finally got that chance back in May, when the school retired his No. 44 jersey he had worn as a player under former head coach Gary Coggin.

Stork, who is the starting center for the New England Patriots, has compiled a very special resume across his football career that includes winning the 2013 national championship with Florida State as a senior, while helping the Patriots win Super Bowl XLIX just 13 months later.

While at Vero Beach, Stork primarily played tight end and went on to becoming and All-State and All-American high school football player.

Watch the video below of Stork’s interview after his jersey was retired during the spring football game against Dwyer.

St. Edward’s rejoins the Sunshine State Athletic Conference

After making the FHSAA playoffs the last two seasons, the St. Edward’s Pirates are heading back to the Sunshine State Athletic Conference.

The Pirates, coached by Bill Motta, won the Sunshine State Athletic Conference championship in 2010 before returning to FHSAA district play the next year. However, since that time, the Sunshine State Athletic Conference has doubled in the amount of football teams in the conference and includes teams from Jacksonville all the way down to South Florida.

St. Edward’s will compete in the Gulf-Atlantic Division with Boca Raton Christian, Jupiter Christian, Zion Lutheran and Berean Christian this coming season.