Week 8 Roundup: Merritt Island beats Eau Gallie in OT thriller

MELBOURNE — Brevard County’s biggest match of the 2026 high school football season commenced on Oct. 9 with Merritt Island playing at Eau Gallie for sole possession of District 8-3A.

It was a back-and-forth affair with each team trading blows in the second half and eventually overtime. In a game that combined for 71 points, it was the Mustangs defense who sealed the game with a tackle on the 1-yard line on an Eau Gallie two-point conversion to clinch a 36-35 win in overtime.

“I’m just proud of our guys,” Merritt Island head coach Tyler Murray said. “We dug ourselves a little hole where we had to do the same thing over again and now get a two-point conversion versus just kicking the field goal for the win. I’m happy for our guys. They had resilience. I’m just excited for our group. They fought their butts off.”

Merritt Island showed its resolve

Merritt Island possessed the ball with 2:09 remaining in regulation trailing 23-21 after a 28-yard field goal by Eau Gallie junior Preston Kennedy.

On the next play from scrimmage, Mustangs senior Kevin Verpaele threw an interception to Commodores junior Gabriel Player who returned it for 24-yard pick six.

A blocked PAT kept it a one-possession game and provided Verpaele another opportunity to put together a signature drive right down the field.

The senior hit senior DeShaun Thomas for a 46-yard gain in addition to a 15-yard penalty by the Commodores. On 3rd-and-10, Verpaele found senior Keith Hamilton for a 14-yard gain. Two plays later, Verpaele rushed 1 yard for the touchdown.

“Stuff happens. It’s football. There’s going to be ups and downs,” Verpaele said. “I’m going to try as hard as I can to stay neutral through it all. I love my O-line.”

The Mustangs had to score the two-point conversion to tie the game. Verpaele, after surveying the field, found senior Kamar Fielder in between numerous Eau Gallie defenders in the end zone for the game-tying score with 41 seconds left.

“It was a pressure moment. I got to feed on pressure. That’s the stuff I live for,” Verpaele said. “This game has been marked on our calendar. In a moment like that, that’s a blessed opportunity we had and we persevered through it and we got it done.”

In overtime, Merritt Island possessed the ball first and scored on third down on another Verpaele touchdown run.

After a penalty on the PAT, Eau Gallie began its overtime possession at the 25-yard line and immediately erased the penalty on a 22-yard completion by senior Joseph Allen to junior Zay Hawkins. Commodores senior Donovan Richardson punched the ball into the end zone two plays later.

Eau Gallie opted to go for the win. In a run-pass option, Allen tucked the ball and ran but he was tackled 1 yard shot by senior Alain Adams and Fielder.

“They went with the pass, so we had it there. We got to make it not so close,” Eau Gallie head coach Chris Sands said. “I was proud of the way he (Allen) competed on that play. Hopefully we can learn from it and try to do better next time.”

Murray said it was reminiscent of Merritt Island’s last win over Eau Gallie on Oct. 3, 2022. The Mustangs won that game 14-13 in overtime with Eau Gallie attempting a two-point conversion for the win.

“Same end zone in overtime, same kind of play. We stopped them on the 1-yard line,” Murray said. “That was exactly what we knew they were going to do. They did the same thing to us four years ago. I’m just happy our guys got the win.”

Frustrating penalties sink Eau Gallie

The Commodores played good enough to win on Oct. 9, but they were negatively impacted by penalties. Eau Gallie finished the game with 19 penalties for 171 penalty yards.

None were more critical than the three excessive celebration penalties after Player’s pick six that resulted in the second blocked PAT of the game. The kick was from 55 yards away in an attempt to put Eau Gallie up nine.

“It’s hard because it wasn’t on the field. They were 40 yards off the field,” Sands said. “It’s hard to tell a 16, 17, 18-year-old to not be with their teammates and celebrate, but at the end of the day we’ll learn from it and try to grow. We just got to find ways to not get the game that close. I feel like we had some moments that we could have opened it up a little bit more.”

Eau Gallie limited a big-play Merritt Island offense to just four plays of more than 20 yards. However, the Commodores committed seven 15-yard penalties.

“If you look at what we gave up, it was dumb penalty stuff. They played great. We made a big play when we were supposed to,” Sands said. “Gabe Player is the best linebacker in the country for a reason. We just didn’t do enough. It’s frustrating to say the least.”

Despite the penalties, Eau Gallie put itself in position to win. It nearly ended the game at the end of the regulation as Verpaele threw a ball across his body to the other side of the end zone that was dropped by sophomore Captain Rolle for what would have been the game-ending takeaway.

Allen played one of his best games of the season, completing 17-of-23 passes for 241 yards and 2 touchdowns. The senior threw both touchdowns to junior Yusef Francis, who entered the game with only 5 receptions for 36 yards this season.

Allen threw a 47-yard score scrambling to his right for the first Eau Gallie touchdown of the night. The senior rushed for a 10-yard score after scrambling to his left before reversing course and finding open field. Allen tossed a 16-yard dime to Francis in the end zone to give Eau Gallie a 20-14 lead early in the fourth quarter.

“He’s (Allen) a tough kid,” Sands said. “He’s been through a lot in his career.”

Eau Gallie dropped to 4-3 overall and 2-1 in district play. It’ll head to Titusville on Oct. 16 for another district battle. The Commodores showed their potential versus Merritt Island as they continue to play without sophomore tailback X’Zavier Corbin, who missed his fourth-straight game.

“The best part this game is it’s not over. We still have a long season ahead of us,” Sands said. “We’ll take that 24-hour rule and kind of let it marinate but at the end of the day, we’re going to move on and get ready for Titusville next week and come back Monday ready to roll.”

A long-awaited breakthrough

Verpaele threw for 162 yards and ran for 72 yards and 3 touchdowns. He scored on two 1-yard runs and on a 4-yard run in overtime. Mustangs junior Zaylan Chapple rushed for 2 touchdowns on a 3-yard run in the first quarter and an 8-yard run late in the third.

After punting twice and missing two long field goals in the first half, Merritt Island scored 4 touchdowns on five drives in the second half and overtime.

“We were kind of tightening up. There’s a lot of juice. We got to do a better job of staying neutral through it all,” Verpaele said. “We got to play with emotion, but not emotionally and we just got to do a better job with that. We’re going to work on that. That’s going to be a big statement for these next few games.”

For Merritt Island’s senior class, it was an elusive win over Eau Gallie. They never defeated the Commodores in five tries, including two losses by one possession.

“It was a crazy game. Eau Gallie is a great team. They got great players,” Verpaele said. “They got a bunch of dudes over there and we just persevered through it all. Our team played amazing. Our O-line played great.”

The Mustangs continued their best start to the season since 2013 by improving to 7-0. They’ll head to Palm Bay on Oct. 16 for their penultimate district game of the season.

Merritt Island checked off its first goal of the season by defeating Eau Gallie. It hopes to cross off more goals in the coming months.

“This is great. I’ve lost to them for the past three years. It was a goal of mine to beat Eau Gallie this year,” Verpaele said. “It’s just one step closer to our next goal and that’s being 1-0. Every single week we’re just trying to go 1-0.”

Oct. 9 scores

FHSAA

Astronaut 35, Palm Bay 0

Astronaut picked up its first district win of the season behind 5 rushing touchdowns and a clean sheet by the defense.

War Eagles sophomore Jayden Brown and senior Jaquan Hagans rushed for 2 touchdowns. Freshman Gus Vanni scored on a 2-yard run.

Brown opened the scoring on a 13-yard run. Hagans followed him with an 11-yard scamper. Brown punched his second touchdown in from 1 yard out. On the final score of the night, Hagans broke a couple tackles along the sideline for a 63-yard touchdown.

Astronaut improved to 4-3 and it’ll host Rockledge on Oct. 16. Palm Bay dropped to 2-5 and it’ll host Merritt Island on Oct. 16.

Cocoa 47, Centennial 0

The Tigers returned to the win column with a 47-0 win over Class 6A Centennial. It’s their largest shutout win since they won 63-0 over Lake Placid in 2024.

Cocoa moved to 2-4 and will head to Space Coast on Oct. 16.

Jensen Beach 27, Heritage 3

Jensen Beach beat Heritage in Palm Bay to take hold of District 13-4A. The Falcons are the last team perfect in district play with home games versus 4-3 Fort Pierce Westwood and 3-4 Legacy upcoming the next two weeks.

Heritage dropped to 4-4 and 3-1 in district play. The Panthers’ final district game is Oct. 15 at Port St. Lucie.

Holy Trinity 50, The Master’s Academy (Oviedo) 0

Holy Trinity dominated the Eagles in their first home game in nearly a month. The Tigers scored 17 points in the first quarter and 33 points in the fourth quarter to put the game away.

Holy Trinity improved its record to 5-2 and it’ll host Centennial on Oct. 16.

Melbourne 42, Lake Howell 35

Melbourne picked up a crucial district win over Lake Howell to take over second place behind unbeaten Oviedo.

The Bulldogs broke a 28-28 tie in the fourth quarter on a 21-yard touchdown run by senior Howard Dewitt and a 79-yard punt return for a touchdown by sophomore Tyrese Jefferson.

Both players finished the game with multiple touchdowns. Dewitt scored on an 84-yard touchdown run. Jefferson scored touchdown runs of 13 and 41 yards. Junior Will Reinhold threw a 61-yard touchdown to senior Jeremiah Thomas.

Melbourne moved to 5-2 and 2-1 in district play. It’ll head to East River on Oct. 16.

Titusville 41, Rockledge 13

The Terriers picked up their second district win of the season with a 41-13 win at Rockledge. They scored over 40 points for the fifth time this season. It was the second-most points allowed this season by the Raiders.

Titusville goes to 6-2 and it’ll host Eau Gallie on Oct. 16 in its final home game of the regular season. Rockledge fell to 1-6 and it’ll head to Astronaut on Oct. 16.

Oviedo 44, Viera 6

Viera lost its third-straight game and its second district game in a row. It’s the worst defeat the Hawks have suffered since last year’s state playoff defeat to Armwood.

Viera’s lone touchdown was a completion from sophomore Jaamal Crittington to senior Mason Strater. Oviedo put the game away early scoring the first 38 points.

The Hawks fall to 3-4 and they’ll head to Lake Howell on Oct. 16.

SSAA

Satellite 35, Bayside 0

Satellite recorded its fourth shutout win of the season as it defeated Bayside on the road behind 4 rushing touchdowns. Scorpions senior Tristan Sejeck scored 2 touchdowns of 1 and 3 yards. Senior Anthony Romero scored on a 28-yard run. Senior Liam Nolte rushed for a 39-yard touchdown and recovered a high snap on a punt in the end zone for a touchdown.

The Scorpions moved to 8-0 heading into their bye week. Bayside saw its record move to 3-5 and it’ll host Okeechobee on Oct. 16.

Space Coast 35, Cocoa Beach 0

The Vipers bounced back from their road loss at Astronaut with their fourth shutout win.

Space Coast freshman Charlie Williams scored 2 rushing touchdowns. Sophomore Austin Andersen threw 3 touchdowns to senior Kadyn Thomas, junior Zion Sandy and senior Dylan Eckler.

The Vipers improved to 6-2 and they’ll host Cocoa on Oct. 16. Cocoa Beach suffered its third loss in a row to drop to 5-3 and it’ll host Legacy Charter on Oct. 16.

SSAA, 8-man

Merritt Island Christian 22, Calvary Chapel 12

In a matchup of undefeated teams, Merritt Island Christian kept its perfect record intact with a 10-point home win over Calvary Chapel.

Cougars senior Maddux Martinson threw 2 touchdown passes to senior John Hey and one to senior Micah Branch. The Eagles scored on a Jacob Nere scoop and score and a touchdown completion from freshman Chayse Lickert to senior Carter Follrod.

Merritt Island Christian improved to 8-0 and it’ll head to Four Corners on Oct. 16. Calvary Chapel fell to 6-1 and it’ll host Saint Francis Catholic Academy on Oct. 16.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Week 8 Roundup: Merritt Island beats Eau Gallie in OT thriller