Palm Bay High's football team concluded its spring program with a 24-14 loss to Sebastian River on Tuesday, May 19, but head coach Kevin Mays said the Pirates showed enough promise to keep fans optimistic. The game was tied 14-14 entering the fourth quarter before Sebastian River scored late to secure the win. 'I saw some really good things and then I saw some things that we need to fix,' Mays said. 'I should have kicked. I should have taken the two field goals early to get some points on the board.'
The Pirates struggled offensively early, turning the ball over on downs on their first two possessions. But rising junior quarterback Mik Zades, who missed most of the 2025 season with an injury, led a strong third-quarter drive that ended with a 75-yard touchdown screen pass to rising junior Tim Sedaros. 'We’ve got some good players,' Mays said. 'I felt like we kind of moved the ball pretty good between the 20s and then it kind of stalled with penalties, a bad snap, a turnover, but that was good.'
Zades completed 12 of 16 passes for 234 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He admitted he was frustrated with the interception but praised his ability to control the offense. 'I think he did good,' Mays said. 'He was really upset about that last ball, but it was a forced ball. I thought he played really well.'
Sedaros, who scored both Palm Bay touchdowns, also made a defensive highlight by recovering a Sebastian River fumble and returning it 60 yards for the game's first points. 'It was good,' Sedaros said. 'I knew we had to score. It was right after I fumbled and I felt like I had to make up for it.'
Mays acknowledged the team needs to improve in several areas but remained confident in the talent. 'I definitely saw some positives, but definitely some things we got to grow from,' he said. The Pirates will return to practice next week as they prepare for the 2026 season.