One of the most intriguing matchups in the Sunshine State for the 2024 high school football regular season is inching closer.
On Friday night, arguably two of the best programs in the state of Florida will go head-to-head as the No. 2 Cocoa Tigers (2-0) travel to Bradenton to take on national powerhouse and the No. 1 IMG Academy Ascenders (1-1).
The Ascenders got their first win of the 2024 season in their last game that featured a 27-14 win over Bergen Catholic (NJ) on August 29.
The visiting Tigers are also coming off a win in their last game which was a 51-0 thumping win over Mainland, who won the Class 3S Championship in 2023.
Both teams have combined to lose a total of just two games since October 2022, where the Tigers lost in controversial fashion back on September 8, 2023 (37-36 to St. Thomas Aquinas) and the Ascenders dropped their 2024 season opener (35-34 to Corner Canyon), who came in ranked No. 16 in the MaxPreps’ National Rankings.
The Ascenders are led by senior quarterback Ty Hawkins (SMU commit) who has thrown for 448 yards and four touchdown passes, while also rushing for 113 yards and four rushing touchdowns. Another name to keep an eye on will be junior running back Tyson Park who has 20 carries for 139 rushing yards in the first two games of the season.
The Ascenders will look to extend their current home winning streak to 11 games dating back to August 26, 2022 where they lost 20-14 to Miami Central.
The visiting Tigers also have an impressive streak they would like to keep alive as they have scored 20 or more points in 29 consecutive games dating back to October 7, 2021 where they won 19-15 at Dr. Phillips.
The Tigers are led by junior quarterback Brady Hart (Michigan commit) who has accounted for 601 passing yards and seven touchdown passes through the first two games of the season. Also keep an eye on senior wide receiver Jayvan Boggs (UCF commit) who can be a key weapon in helping lead the Tigers to back-to-back state championships this season.
Keep an eye on both teams’ secondaries as Cocoa will look to turn to three-star junior safety CJ Hester who has recorded seven pass breakups and two interceptions since the start of the 2023 season. IMG Academy has reinforcements as well where they will be led by three-star defensive back Major Preston (Ole Miss commit) who will also get some snaps at safety.
Another name to keep an eye on for IMG Academy will be four-star linebacker Gavin Nix (Miami commit) who is the No. 11 ranked linebacker in the nation, according to 247Sports.
