Brevard teams should get questions answered in three Friday games

Merritt Island and Palm Bay have two of the stronger high school football traditions in a tradition-rich county and have yet to lose a regular-season game this year.

Holy Trinity had a historic season a year ago and is unbeaten in 2019, while Eau Gallie is also unbeaten and coming off what has typically been a rarity for the program: a postseason appearance.

But how good are these teams this year?

Their Week 4 matchups would indicate they are about to learn more about themselves, as each Friday the 13th opponent brings a challenge to the meeting.

Two of them play each other.

"They're going to test our discipline based on their offense," said Dwayne Byrd, the coach of a Palm Bay team ready to host the Mustangs in one of these three games being played locally. "They'll test our defensive discipline, covering jet sweeps as well as the read option."

The Pirates won, 35-30, at Melbourne but haven't played since, having a pair of games canceled by the approach of Hurricane Dorian. Byrd said he already had one question answered against the Bulldogs, when his team nearly lost a 22-point lead but didn't wilt under the pressure on the road.

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"We missed a few opportunities, but our kids stuck tough and had the heart," Byrd said.

Now, the Pirates will face a Mustangs team with two wins by an average of 23.5 points.

For Merritt Island, this game against a formidable district foe follows wins against a Gateway squad that won five games in 2018 and Astronaut, a 10-win team a year ago but off to an 0-2 start. Playing Palm Bay could tell the Mustangs where they stand with upcoming games against Vero Beach and Rockledge. 

Holy Trinity, 3-0 after winning a Monday game at Orangewood Christian, has played all three on the road. While Space Coast has never been a football power, it is a bigger school with a bigger roster and an experienced defense.

The Tigers will try to keep their shorter roster fresh in the midst of playing before a home crowd for the first time in 2019 and for the first time on a new field.

Their opponent, Space Coast, faces its own uncertainty. The Vipers returned eight defensive starters and won at Fort Pierce Central in a season-opening shutout.

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"Our passing game could use some improvement," head coach Matt Diesel said after the 1-0 start. "Defensively, we could be a little bit more sure in our tackling, clean some stuff up."

Then, they lost their home opener to Melbourne but without their regular starting quarterback. Holy Trinity, with recruited skill athletes Kevin Chandler and Larry Hill, will provide a new test for the Vipers.

Perhaps Eau Gallie has the most to learn. The Commodores' regional-qualifying team of a year ago graduated some key skill talent, but with a 2-0 start, this group may or may not have what it takes for a program first: qualifying for the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.

If the Commodores can be competitive with Rockledge, the state's No. 3 Class 5A team, they could be headed for another good year.

"We can learn how we do in big games," second-year Eau Gallie coach Chris Sands said this week. "We haven't faced a game like this since I've been here. We're going into a tough environment, and we know we're going to be going against a good team with good coaching."

Contact McCallum at 321-242-3698 or bmccallum@floridatoday.com. Follow @Brian_McCallum on Twitter and @321preps on Instagram and Twitter. Check out our new podcast, 321 Overtime, on any major platform.

Friday's Brevard high school football games

Eau Gallie at Rockledge, 7 p.m.

Merritt Island at Palm Bay, 7

Space Coast at Holy Trinity, 7

Lyman at Astronaut, 7

Cocoa at Sebastian River, 7

Melbourne at Harmony, 7:30

MCC at Pt. Orange Atlantic, 7

Titusville at Sarasota, 7:30

Cocoa Beach at Father Lopez, 7

Heritage at Gateway, 7

Halifax Academy at MIC, 7