FHSAA Football Class 2S State Championship Preview: Bradford vs. Cocoa
From meeting in the Class 2S state semifinals in 2022 to the state championship game this season upcoming, both Bradford and Cocoa know each other pretty well.
The Tigers traveled far north for a state semifinal meeting with the Tornadoes in Starke, with the game starting out dominant for the eventual 2S state champions.
Cocoa never trailed in the semifinal from last year, but Bradford did tie things up at 21-21 and the game wasn't decided until the final quarter. Ryan Schnieder's group would score 10 points and pull away to go on and win the state championship.
Now, how about the second time around between the two teams, but this time in a state championship game?
When it comes to the rematch over a year later, Cocoa has a different aura about them compared to last season. The Tigers are a national power and provide plenty of evidence why they could be considered a top five team in the state.
We'd be remiss if we didn't start with the catalyst for the Tigers' offense in sophomore quarterback Brady Hart. The signal caller has been stellar in his first season starting for Cocoa and has been arguably better than advertised. Hart has completed 261-of-399 passes for 3,517 yards and 40 touchdowns.
Hart's favorite target is Ohio State commitment Jayvan Boggs, who has had a tremendous junior season. Boggs has hauled in 86 passes for 1,445 yards and 23 touchdowns. He is joined by CJ Bragg (960 yards, six touchdowns) and Nicholas Teeter (487 yards, seven touchdowns) to make up one of the top wide receiving corps around.
Though running the football isn't something offensive coordinator Adam Franco goes to first, doesn't mean the Tigers are not equipped to. Cocoa leans on running backs Latrison Lane (1,035 yards, 13 touchdowns) and Malachi Coney (543 yards, eight touchdowns) to tout the rock.
A lot of the accolades go to the talented offense, but some may forget how good this Cocoa defense really is. The unit is led up front by hard hitting middle linebacker Samadrae Hawkins, who has tallied a team-high 139 tackles along with 21 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. He is joined by fellow linebacker Dai'veon Parham (124 tackles, 21 for loss) and defensive linemen Javion Hilson (26 tackles for loss, 14 sacks), Da'varrius Robertson (27 tackles for loss, seven sacks).
Beginning to take a look at Bradford's offense and the Tornadoes rely on three players primarily to produce yards and points, with quarterback Daejon Shanks as the proverbial engine to everything. Proof of that was in the 2S state semifinal, with Shanks out the entire first half due to being suspended two quarters, Bradford was scoreless and trailed to Pensacola Catholic by intermission.
When Shanks entered the game in the second half, the Tornadoes got going and the signal caller ended up scoring the game-winning 2-point conversion. Shanks this season has thrown for 1,206 yards, 16 touchdowns to just two interceptions and also has rushed for over 900 on the ground.
The other two players to watch are shifty running back Willie Pollard (558 yards, six touchdowns) and wide receiver Chalil Cummings (701 yards, 10 touchdowns).
On the defensive side of the ball is where the Tornadoes have really made a name for themselves the last two seasons. Bradford has notched over 12 shutouts between 2022-23 and has only allowed more than 10 points three times this season.
Linebacker Chason Clark sets the tone for the Tornadoes on defense, with the senior tallying 107 tackles and 18 tackles for a loss. Defensive end Torin Brazell and outside linebacker Duke Lewis have terrorized opposing quarterbacks, combining for 25 sacks this season.
SBLive Sports Florida staff picks
Andy Villamarzo: Cocoa, 34-12
Gary Adornato: Cocoa, 40-21
Joe Frisaro: Cocoa, 35-7
Adam Fisher: Cocoa, 30-14
Reed Green: Cocoa, 42-27
Alejandro Tamayo: Cocoa, 38-13
Bill Kemp: Cocoa, 29-18
FHSAA 2023 CHAMPIONSHIPS BRACKETS
2023 FHSAA CLASS 4M STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
2023 FHSAA CLASS 4S STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
2023 FHSAA CLASS 3M STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
2023 FHSAA CLASS 3S STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
2023 FHSAA CLASS 2M STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
2023 FHSAA CLASS 2S STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
2023 FHSAA CLASS 1M STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
2023 FHSAA CLASS 1S STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
2023 FHSAA CLASS 1R STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @sblivefl
