RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Bayside High football didn’t light up the scoreboard on Aug. 14 in its season opener versus Crescent City, but the Bears made enough plays in the end to come out victorious.
Despite numerous drives that stalled out inside Raiders territory, Bayside scored the decisive touchdown in the third quarter for a 6-0 win.
“Tough, but satisfying. We talked about being consistent. We kept pounding, kept finding a way. That’s a tough, physical bunch and we knew that coming in. Too many penalties (tonight),” Bayside head coach Billy Miller said. “Kind of shot ourselves in the foot a couple times on offense. Defense we’ll be real pleased. We only had 31 defensive snaps. As ugly as a victory is, we’ll take them every time because they’re hard to come by.”
Bayside senior quarterback Joey Costa broke the scoreless deadlock in the third quarter on a 1-yard touchdown run on 3rd and goal. The score capped a 16-play drive that took nearly the first 10 minutes off the clock to start the second half.
“It felt amazing. They kept hitting me late. They kept hitting me in the back and I was like if they want to hit me in the back, I want them to hit me head up," Costa said. "I want to see how much they really want to play football. I feel like I’m one of the most physical quarterbacks in Florida and I want to show that.”
The score with a sigh of relief for Bayside after four trips inside the Raiders 30-yard line in the first half resulted in no points. It was 0-for-3 on fourth down with halftime ending a drive in the red zone. Despite that, the Bears stay composed.
“Every one of these guys want to finish. I feel like we were able to keep our composure well, especially on these longer drives,” Costa said. “I think we’ve gone through one of the hardest summers coming in at 7 (a.m.), getting out 10, 11 (a.m.). We come in at 6 a.m. every morning. We run every day. I feel like we were made for a special run this season.”
The Bears showed their offensive potential with Costa under center. They featured a balanced running game of sophomore Zion Jones and senior Carter Westrum. In the passing game, senior Evan Sherburne and junior Malachi Barrett-Timmons led the targets.
“We have a lot of weapons here. I feel like we already used every single one in the game,” Costa said. “Our offense was explosive at times and at times we struggled. That’s how football goes. We got ups and we got downs.”
Bayside pitched a shutout for the first time since Sept. 6, 2024. The Bears forced six turnovers on the night, recovering four fumbles and intercepting Crescent City quarterback Marcus Pates twice.
“Those guys were relentless just flying around the ball,” Miller said. “We made a ton of mistakes, but we made up for it by how we just got after the ball. Our tackle greatly improved and that’s something we did every day in the fall camp.”
Bears junior linebacker Tyler Camby comprised a third of the takeaways with a second-quarter interception and a fumble recovery in the fourth quarter.
Senior Logan Norris picked off Pates on a deep ball to end the third quarter. After three consecutive fumbles by both teams, Bayside sealed the victory with 2:58 left on the clock on a strip sack by senior Elijah Randall that led to a fumble recovery by senior Gage Campbell.
“(Camby’s) got a great instinct for the ball,” Miller said. “He’s undersized, hadn’t played a lot of ball but every time you put on the tape, that dude’s around the ball somewhere. He’s got a nose for it. That’s why he’s on the field for us.”
Bayside begins the season on a winning note. It’ll begin a stretch of three consecutive road games starting on Aug. 21 at Holy Trinity.
Costa said he believes this win sets the tone for a big season.
“I think it says this is a different Bayside and a different mindset this year,” Costa said. “We want it this year.”
Calvary Chapel def. Cornerstone Academy 32-6
Calvary Chapel cruised to a comfortable win in its season opener behind a balanced rushing attack by sophomore Chace Evans and senior Caleb Dillard.
Evans rushed for 86 yards, threw for 38 yards and scored 2 touchdowns. Dillard gained 82 yards and reached the end zone once. Sophomore Zach Wolfe rushed for a score and sophomore Micah Lee caught a 22-yard touchdown pass. Junior Jacob Nere intercepted one pass on defense.
Calvary Chapel begins the season 1-0 and will hit the road to face Geneva Classical Academy on Aug. 21.
Melbourne def. Cocoa 47-16
Melbourne led by as many as 41-3 behind a 3-touchdown performance by running back Tyrese Jefferson. Cocoa wide receiver Tank White scored both Tiger touchdowns in the second half.
On Aug. 21, Melbourne kicks off the season at Heritage and Cocoa hosts Merritt Island.
Eau Gallie def. Jensen Beach 16-9
The Commodores prevailed on a 60-yard touchdown run by running back X’Zavier Corbin and a touchdown pass by Joseph Allen to Zay Hawkins.
Eau Gallie begins the regular season at Class 1A state semifinalist Carrollwood Day on Aug. 21.
Heritage def. Rockledge 28-20
Heritage’s Alex Fralin caught 2 touchdown passes as Heritage led the remainder of the game after falling behind 6-0 to Rockledge. The Panthers host Melbourne on Aug. 21. The Raiders host Viera in the season opener on Aug. 21.
Melbourne Central Catholic def. Holy Trinity 46-27
It was nearly a wire-to-wire win for the Hustlers. After trailing 7-6, Melbourne Central Catholic scored 32 of the next 39 points to pull away.
MCC plays Victory Christian Academy on Aug. 21 at home. Holy Trinity welcomes in 1-0 Bayside on Aug. 21.
Cardinal Gibbons def. Titusville 24-14
In a matchup featuring playoff teams from last year, Cardinal Gibbons prevailed on the road at Titusville. The Terriers open the season at Oviedo on Aug. 21.
Cypress Bay def. Merritt Island 35-21
The Mustangs dropped its Kickoff Classic at home to Class 6A Cypress Bay. Merritt Island starts the regular season at Cocoa on Aug. 21.
Viera def. South Lake 35-15
In a matchup of teams that advanced dee...
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