A big road win over Eustis, followed by a 36-0 win over Celebration, finds the Harmony Longhorns at 2-0 this week as they play their first home game of the season against Palm Bay, also 2-0, Friday. The game at “The Ranch” kicks off at 7 p.m. — weather permitting, of course.
Although not a district game, the teams have met several times during recent years with Harmony losing a 20-16 decision last year and winning a 15-14 contest a year earlier. Longhorns Coach Don Simon says it will be both a challenge for his team, as well as an important game for potential playoff rankings.
“This is one of those games where you have to make sure your shoes are laced up tight and you make sure you are ready for a battle,” Simon said. “When I started watching their game Saturday morning I realized that they had big, fast athletes on both sides of the ball. Although this is not a district game, it is one of those contests that can certainly help your rating come playoff time.”
Palm Bay, behind senior quarterback Jayden Mobley, is off to a great start—having outscored its opposition 62-22 – with wins over Bayside (41-14) and Hagerty (21-8). Meanwhile, the Longhorns have also been impressive. In Friday’s win, senior running back Tyler Emans rushed 24 times for 177 yards and two touchdowns; while backfield mate Cooper Richards had a score and more than 100 yards of total offense.
Aiden Parks completed 7of 11 passes for 100 yards and two scores – including a 12-yard scoring strike to senior tight end Reid Fitzgerald that gave Harmony a 7-0 lead. Defensively, the Longhorns recorded their first shutout since a 49-0 win over Celebration in 2020. Sophomore linebacker Dalten Phelan led the way with 10 tackles.
Celebration will look for its first win of the season on Friday, when it travels to Haines City. The Hornets beat Davenport, 38-0, in its opener but saw it’s Week 2 game with Auburndale cancelled by weather.
Poinciana (1-1) will host Labelle (0-1) at 7 p.m. on Friday and should be favored to win its second game of the season. Coach Randy Beeken’s Eagles had a record-breaking night on Thursday with a 50-0 win over Discovery. It was the second most points scored in school history by an Eagles team. It was also the largest margin of victory and also just the third shutout in the school’s 22-year history. Senior quarterback Dekwan Bradley completed 11 of 12 passes for 215 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran for two more scores. A pair of transfers from Osceola High – receivers Donald Cummings and Perry Garrett – led the way with Cummings catching four passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns and Garrett nabbing two for 28 and a score. Sophomore Wil Nezius had a big night with 83 yards rushing and a touchdown.
“After not playing our best in the season opener, this was a real confidence booster for our team,” Beeken said. “I thought we played really well in all three phases and hopefully we can use this win as a springboard to get on a run.”
Mother Nature nearly forced Tohopekaliga to play two games in four days. Last week’s game against Friday was postponed to Tuesday at Austin Tindall, Park, then canceled when heavy storms brought lightning and lingered into the night. The Tigers host Winter Haven Ambassadors Christian Academy Friday.
“I really think it is going to be tougher on the coaches than the kids,” Toho coach Anthony Paradiso noted. “The players are resilient.”
Gateway is scheduled for a bye in Week 3 and will not return to the field until Sept. 16 when it hosts Auburndale in a district game.
With Osceola (1-1) also having a bye this week, the only other action in Week 3 involving county teams happens when St. Cloud (1-1) travels to Liberty (0-2) for a 7 p.m. kickoff. The Bulldogs got on track last week with an impressive 47-7 win over Pine Ridge.
The Bulldogs were dominant on both sides of the ball as sophomore quarterback Logan King threw three touchdown passes and running backs T.J. Griffin and Owen Conner scored three more touchdowns and combined for 200 yards rushing on offense; while the defense forced five turnovers in the game – including three interceptions.
“I told our players that the biggest improvement in the season usually happens between week one and two and that was certainly the case tonight,” Coach Mike Short said. “I really felt the cancellation of our kickoff classic exhibition game really set us back and it showed in the loss to Central Florida Christian Academy. The Pine Ridge game will do a lot for our confidence.”
Liberty has struggled this season with back-to-back shutout losses to Tohopekaliga and last week to Eau Gallie.
