Week 10 SWFL football: Gulf Coast captures district title; Fort Myers, Dunbar, Lehigh win
Here's a roundup of Week 10 high school football games played on Thursday, Oct. 27 and Friday, Oct. 28.
More: Listen to Season 5, Episode 8 of the Inside Southwest Florida Football Podcast
More: High school football: Week 10 previews, predictions for all Southwest Florida games
FRIDAY
Gulf Coast 27, Immokalee 21 (OT)
For about 90 seconds, it looked as if the Gulf Coast football team was dead to rights.
With the game tied at 21 late in the fourth quarter, quarterback Konner Barrett threw his second interception of the season on a potential game-winning drive. With Immokalee at their own 5-yard line, the Indians broke a few big plays and went deep into Sharks territory thanks to a 54-yard catch from Ted Blanchard. A fourth quarter comeback felt imminent.
Gulf Coast’s Evan Hermanson didn’t let that catch by Blanchard (5 receptions, 125 yards, 2 TDs) phase him. The junior linebacker came up with the biggest defensive play of the year for Gulf Coast – a forced fumble by quarterback Trannon Villarreal inside the 10-yard line that Jacob Reyes recovered with less than 30 seconds remaining to preserve the tie.
That recovered fumble eventually led to Joe Miller’s eventual game-winning 2-yard touchdown in overtime, sending the Sharks (7-2, 2-0) to the postseason and giving them their first district championship since 2016 in a 27-21 thriller.
“I was just in shock,” Hermanson said. “I actually thought we were going to lose that game. It was an unbelievable game.”
Immokalee (4-4, 1-1) opened the overtime period sloppy, with their final play on offense perhaps carrying over in some players’ heads. A holding call on first down wiped away a touchdown run from Kenneth Frazier. That resulted in linebacker Chris Jimenez to put pressure on Villarreal, as a swarm of Gulf Coast defenders got to him in the backfield. Jimenez had a sack and an interception on the night, upping his total to five picks this season.
“This is our third overtime win we’ve had at Immokalee in school history,” Gulf Coast coach Todd Nichols said. “Coach (Steve) Hartz has been a part of all three of them, I’ve been a part of two. It was the same end zone, same situation. It was exciting. I’m happy for our school, for our administration, our students, our players, and the parents in our program.”
Immokalee coach James Delgado spoke highly of his team and his quarterback in Villarreal, who completed 13-of-21 passes for 236 yards with three touchdowns, while adding 83 rushing yards (including sack yardage). Immokalee outgained Gulf Coast, 385-327.
“It doesn’t define them,” Delgado said. “Watching them (Gulf Coast) hoist a trophy doesn’t change the way I feel about them, or the progress this group has made as a team. I told them before the game how I felt about every single one of them. It still holds true… We felt like we could’ve scored (at the end). On second down, when he did fumble it, I wouldn’t change that call. I believe in our kids. I believe in what they’re capable of doing.
“I told coach Nichols that Trannon should’ve been the FACA (District 18) 4S quarterback, and he didn’t disagree. He’s outperformed all year long. Not to take away from the other young man (Barrett). He’s had a great high school career, and it isn’t over. But No. 12 is special, and I’ve been saying it all year. He is special.”
Miller, who had 56 receptions for 883 yards last season, hasn’t been able to replicate those numbers in 2022, but has been willing to put himself in positions to help the team. His involvement running the Wildcat formation has played a role, as he’s up to 288 receiving yards and 198 rushing yards with one regular season game remaining.
“I was just in shock,” Miller said of scoring the game-winner. “It’s one of things where I got hit by their two linebackers, and didn’t know if I was able to push through. I got low, drove my legs, and it was one of the best feelings ever.
“The difference between this year and last year was a lot more running (the ball), but at the end of the day, you’ve got to do what you coaches tell you, to adjust to a change in environment. That’s what we did tonight.”
AJ Lubin gave the Sharks a huge spark in the second quarter, as his first touch from scrimmage went 87 yards for a touchdown to stretch the Gulf Coast lead to 14-7. Lubin finished with a game-high 118 yards on seven rushes, while Will Pasternak added 58 yards on 13 attempts with a score of his own. Miller caught Barrett’s lone touchdown pass.
Aside from Blanchard, Kenneth Frazier had three receptions for 65 yards with a touchdown for the Indians, while rushing once for 24 yards. Immokalee’s two starting running backs, Luck Jean-Baptiste and Justin Compere, combined for 31 yards on 13 rushes.
With the loss, Immokalee will still be on the outside looking in, as a playoff spot appears to have come and gone with just one regular season game remaining. Gulf Coast has punched their ticket, but with a big rivalry game still on tap against Barron Collier, the Sharks will look to move to 8-2. The Indians can finish above .500 next week with a win over a red-hot Lely team.
— Alex Martin
ECS 57, SFCA 14
Let it fly won out over dink and dunk as the ECS passing attack proved too much for SFCA as the Sentinels won the District 1S-7 title with the win over the King's.
ECS improved to 7-0 and a perfect 2-0 in the three-team district while SFCA fell to 2-5 and 1-1 in the district.
The Sentinels broke the game open with 1:05 in the first half when Tanner Helton let it fly, hitting receiver Timothy Miller on a 73-yard touchdown pass that put ECS up by 24.
It was a reversal from the start of the game when on the first play Helton zipped a pass directly to SFCA cornerback Shaedon Cardore. Despite good field position the King's couldn’t convert on a 32-field goal attempt.
ECS capitalized behind the running of LJ Blackwell (18 carries, 144 yards) and the passing of Helton (17-24-1, 318 yards) moving the ball quickly into the Kings’ red zone where Blackwell scored on a 5-yard run.
Miller (7 catches, 159 yards) would get his first of his three touchdown receptions on a 23-yard strike from Helton at the 10:46 mark of the second quarter. Helton ended the night with five touchdown passes.
SFCA woke up and put together a solid drive that ended with an 18-yard touchdown pass from Eli Moore to Cole Ingole a little more than two minutes later.
The Sentinels came back with two quick scores thanks in part to a long Trae Guttery inception return. The pick resulted in a 34-yard Blackwell touchdown run.
Helton followed that score up with a 26-yard touchdown pass to Seven Bullock.
The King's refused to go away and put together a late first-half drive that ended with Cadore scoring on a 7-yard pass from Moore.
But the Miller and Helton show took over and by the end of the third quarter. From there the game got chippy.
ECS was flagged for six major penalties including 30 yards worth of penalties on a block in the back followed by an unsportsmanlike call bringing back what would have been a 53-yard touchdown pass from Helton to Miller.
Facing a first-and-21 from the King's 36, Miller and Helton hooked up on the very next play for a 36-yard touchdown.
The post-game huddle between the two teams sought to do a lot of fence-mending.
ECS head coach Mack Mitchell said, “We teach not to make it personal,” going on to praise SFCA for their grit and determination.
The King's head coach Bill Moore echoed those sentiments. “It’s always an emotional game. My second and third year this game wasn’t even on the schedule and I’m glad it’s back and I hope it’s here to stay."
— John Rinkenbaugh
Lehigh 35, Riverdale 0
Don’t look now, but just two weeks before the start of the FHSAA state playoffs, the Lehigh Senior High School football team may finally be finding its groove.
The Lightning (3-3, 2-0) put together their most complete performance of the season in Friday’s Battle for the Bell at District 4S-15 rival Riverdale (4-2, 1-1). Lehigh held the Raiders to less than 100 total yards of offense while getting a flawless performance from sophomore quarterback Dorian Mallory, who was selected as the team’s Offensive MVP for the game.
Mallory, like many of his teammates, struggled in the early part of the season as Lehigh lost three of its first four games. But he was outstanding against Riverdale, rushing for 73 yards and two touchdowns and completing 9 of 17 passes for 166 yards.
“He showed some maturity,” Lightning coach James Chaney said of Mallory. “He’s showed some flashes of greatness throughout the year but tonight, it really seemed complete. He was patient and he waited for his receivers to get open.”
The victory, Lehigh’s fourth straight over the Raiders, gave the Lightning a 14-12 lead in their all-time series with Riverdale, which began in 1997. More importantly, however, it kept Lehigh unbeaten in district play and with a win over Ida Baker next week, the Lightning would clinch the 4S-15 championship and a playoff berth.
During its bye week last week, Chaney said the team had its most physical practices of the season, which paid off against Riverdale.
“We’ve had a tough season,” Chaney said. “We’ve had our ups and downs. But tonight, we executed, and the kids came to play.”
Lehigh grabbed control of the game in the second quarter, scoring three touchdowns, two in the final five minutes of the first half, to take a commanding lead. Mallory opened the scoring early in the quarter, rushing around the end for a 7-yard touchdown to put Lehigh up 6-0. On Lehigh’s next offensive series, he connected with senior wide receiver Darrel Rowe on a 41-yard catch and run down to the Riverdale 31. On the next play, Mallary raced down the left sideline for his second touchdown run, putting the Lightning up 13-0.
On the next drive, it was senior running back Richard Young’s turn to find the end zone. The Alabama commit bulled into the end zone from four yards to give Lehigh a 20-0 advantage heading into halftime.
Meanwhile, the Raiders were struggling to get anything going on offense against Lehigh’s dominating defensive line. Riverdale managed just 30 yards and four first downs in the opening two quarters, three of which came via Lehigh penalties.
“Our program’s not there yet; we’ve got a ways to go,” Raiders coach Frank Hepler said. “But that’s what we want to work toward. We want to get to where Lehigh is physically.”
Despite the loss, Helper said he was proud of how his players battled the Lightning for 48 minutes.
“I tell them all the time, I don’t care what the scoreboard says as long as you give us a great effort,” he said. “We didn’t have some of the results that we wanted but we did give a great effort.”
Young finished the game with just over 100 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries.
Senior linebacker Tyre Cunningham was named Lehigh’s Defensive MVP. For Riverdale, senior offensive lineman Gavin Weygant and senior linebacker Colton Flint were named the team’s MYVs for the game.
— Dan DeLuca
Dunbar 39, South Fort Myers 12
A combination of South Fort Myers’ youth and Dunbar’s explosiveness combined to give the Tigers a comfortable 39-12 victory and set up next week’s District 3S-15 championship game against Fort Myers.
“We're going to go to Fort Myers, those guys are great over there,” said Dunbar coach Sammy Brown, whose team improved to 6-1 and 3-0 in the district. “And the staff is good. I mean, the kids are hungry over there, they understand what's at stake, there’s going to be a district championship on the line and we better be ready, so I gotta do a better job this week. I’ll have my guys ready.”
After forcing a three-and-out on South’s first drive, Dunbar’s Shawn Russ caught the ensuing punt on one bounce, reversed fields and raced down the right sideline for a 55-yard score and a 6-0 edge.
The Wolfpack relied on junior running back Victor Jenkins on its next drive as he carried five times for 46 yards including a 17-yard score up the middle untouched to tie the game as they held the ball for the first 8 ½ minutes of the game.
“We're young, but we're gonna have a good football team in the future,” said South Fort Myers coach Willis May, whose team fell to 2-5, 2-2 in district. “We just got to keep learning, gotta keep growing, keep working on on our game. And, you know, I have no doubt like that first drive. I've seen us play like that and take it down on people all year. That's the kind of team, you know, that’s the potential we got when we execute.”
It stayed tied until the beginning of the second quarter when South punted out of its own end zone and the ball landed at the 20. Dunbar’s David Perkins took the next play in from 20 yards. After another South three-and-out, the Tigers needed just four plays to score again as quarterback Landon Winterbottom hot Eric Fletcher on a 45-yard touchdown pass.
Russ recovered a fumble ending South’s next drive and a combination of Perkins runs and Winterbottom passes drove the Tigers to the South 14, from where Perkins ran in his second score for a 26-6 lead. After another Dunbar interception with under a minute left in the half, Winterbottom would hit Fletcher again from 29 yards out as the halftime buzzer sounded for a 33-6 lead at the break.
Winterbottom finished the first half completing 6-of-10 passes for 126 yards with two TDs and an interception while Perkins carried eight times for 79 yards and two scores. Jenkins had 10 carries for 54 yards and South’s only score.
Dunbar had chances to pull away in the third quarter but two big chunk passes by Winterbottom (10-18-2, 172 yards, 2 TDs) were called back due to penalties, and a third TD pass was called back because of holding call. Dunbar’s defense didn’t relent as Kye Garcia and Vanier Baptista kept making plays and Darrion Jones intercepted a pass inside the Dunbar 5 to end South’s first drive of the third quarter.
Byron Harris scored Dunbar’s final touchdown on a 1-yard run with 5:05 to go and South’s Chase Enguita hit Justin White for a 59-yard touchdown pass with 2:29 left to round out the scoring.
“We came out a little flat and May does a great job,” Brown said. “Those guys they hit us in the mouth on the first drive and our defensive coordinator kind of got us regrouped, we got a couple stops and then we started to turn the game around.
“We just got to clean things up and hopefully we get ready for that big one next week.”
— Ed Reed
Bishop Verot 57, Estero 10
A district championship for the Vikings has been more than 30 years in the making.
While the team didn’t outright clinch with their dominant performance against the previously unbeaten Wildcats Friday night, they put themselves in prime position to make history when they travel to play Key West next week.
“It means a lot because, as we know, they were undefeated,” freshman running back Deshon Jenkins said. “We really wanted to bring back a district championship back to Bishop Verot. They haven’t won one in a while, so we had to come out here and handle it. Next week, we’ve got to go down to Key West and finish the deal.”
Jenkins’ performance played a critical part of the Vikings’ success, especially early on. On their first three series, he sprinted through holes opened up by the offensive line to put the team up 21-0 at the end of the first quarter. He scored from 13, 1 and 47 yards out.
It was a perfect start for a team that struggled in coming away with a 27-24 win against rival Cardinal Mooney last week.
“We really challenged the kids this week to be locked in mentally,” Verot head coach Richie Rode said. “It’s a big game. We’re playing a really good team who’s 7-0, hadn’t given up a lot of points, and we knew were going to be here in an environment that was going to be challenging, so we were nervous. And they worked their tails off all week, and it couldn’t have been a better start.”
Some of the nerves came from being down a pair of receivers.
“We knew we had to rely on the running game a little more than we had in the past,” Rode said. “It’s been good for us, but we knew we had to rely on it a little bit more, and what a response by the o-line and by Shon.”
Jenkins finished the game with 151 yards and four touchdowns on 14 carries.
“It was amazing,” the freshman said. “I’m really proud of my o-line.”
"He’s worked extremely hard and he’s going to be a force for the next three years," Rode added.
The Vikings extended their lead with a 55-yard bomb from quarterback Carter Smith to Trevontay Watts, followed by a 19-yard Smith rushing score to make it 36-0.
Estero, who had success moving the ball but couldn’t consistently sustain drives, scored twice in the final two minutes of the half. Nick Van Port Fleet nailed a 27-yard field goal, the team recovered an onside kick and quarterback Matt Wilson found Jason Duclona for a 25-yard score, the team’s only touchdown of the night.
“We needed to get off to a good start, so we really kind of dug ourselves into a big hole,” Estero head coach Darren Nelson said.
Verot came out swinging to start the second half with Smith finding Watts again on their first play for a 45-yard touchdown. Jenkins and Smith each added rushing scores to close out the substantial victory.
Smith went 15-for-21 for 238 yards and two touchdowns in addition to his pair of rushing scores.
“The trigger man does it all,” Nelson said of Smith. “He gets rid of the ball so quick, he makes good decisions, he’s accurate, he’s got a cannon for an arm, he’s a competitor, and then they’ve got weapons all over the place.”
While the Wildcats failed to win a clinch a second consecutive district title, Nelson feels good about their chances to make the playoffs.
The team will have no problem getting amped for their Jaws vs. Claws rivalry game against Bonita Springs next week, but the loss – their first of the regular season since Week 5 last year – still stings.
“We went into this – no moral victories,” he said. “We really believed we could play with them and give them a lot of credit – they came out start to finish and really played really well. They’re a good football team.”
For Verot, there is no motivation necessary for the chance to become the school’s first team to win a district title winner since 1991.
“That would mean a lot to the school, to the tradition and to the seniors’ legacy,” Rode said. “To do something that hadn’t been done in 31 years, with all the history and the players that have been there, it would mean a lot. It would mean a lot to those kids.”
— Dustin Levy
First Baptist 42, CSN 0
The Lions’ committee of offensive weapons was firing on all cylinders in their shutout win over the Seahawks, led by quarterback Ethan Crossan. Crossan threw for an efficient 14-of-18 passing for 216 yards. He threw for three touchdowns and scored on a one-yard keeper as well.
“I think our quarterback did a really good job of taking what they gave us,” said head coach Billy Sparacio. “He was very, very efficient.”
Five different Lions found the end zone in the win tonight. On the ground, Sam Sparacio had 72 rushing yards on eight touches and one touchdown, and tallied 58 receiving yards with one touchdown reception. Clemson commit Olsen Henry went for 85 receiving yards and one touchdown on 7 catches and tacked on 42 rushing yards as well.
Rich Mellien reeled in a 23-yard touchdown pass from Crossan, while back-up quarterback Ty Kelly converted on a one-yard keeper.
“It was awesome, really really happy for everyone,” Billy Sparacio said. “Big game in week ten, you know, so just excited. We’ve had some tough ones, but this was a good one.”
On the other side of the ball, the Lions’ defense held their own, forcing consistent three-and-outs while keeping big gains to a minimum. They held CSN quarterback Decker Crosby to 6-of-16 passing for 51 yards, while limiting Tariq Morame to 24 rushing yards on nine touches.
The Seahawks put up a fight throughout the contest, highlighted by an efficient last-minute drive led by freshman quarterback Cal Austin. Austin went 5-of-6 passing for 37 yards on the drive, setting his squad up for a field goal attempt that ended up being blocked as time expired.
“We’ve just got to finish,” said Seahawk head coach Paul Sevidio. “We played great in the first quarter, and just got outmatched in certain situations."
— Nick Wilson
Charlotte 21, Ida Baker 3
PUNTA GORDA — Connor Trim rushed for 111 yards and two touchdowns and the Charlotte High School football team's defense bent but didn't break as the Tarpons finally earned their first victory of the season, 21-3 over Ida Baker on Senior Night.
The Bulldogs made four trips into the red zone and scored a grand total of three points. Two drives ended with turnovers and another on downs that was converted into Charlotte's final touchdown moments later.
"It's not about me. It's about the kids. We wanted the seniors to go out on their home field a winner," Charlotte coach Cory Mentzer said. "To compete like we did and finally come up with a victory is great for the seniors."
Charlotte (1-7) overcame two early turnovers to get on the board late in the first quarter, taking advantage of a short punt to drive 50 yards, with Trim scoring on a 12-yard run to give them a 7-0 lead.
Baker cut the lead to 7-3 on a 30-yard Jaden Denis field goal and was quickly able to get the ball back. However, a Mike McDonald fumble was scooped up by Amir Delcin, who rambled 40 yards for a score and a 14-3 lead.
An interesting turn of events helped Charlotte in the second half. Baker drove into the Charlotte red zone before stalling. Denis was going to attempt his second field goal, but Charlotte was called for offside.
With it fourth-and-2 at Charlotte's 7, Baker eschewed the field goal, went for it and was stuffed. Charlotte took over and quickly turned the break into Trim's second touchdown to make it 21-3.
Baker's last chance to get back in the game ended at the Charlotte one, with a fumble and recovery by Brayan Augustin.
"I'm at a loss. It's the same thing every week. The defense played great, but we can't get out of our own way," Baker coach Chuck Faucette said. "We moved the ball and had 300 yards, but we can't finish."
Cael Newton recovered a fumble and Santino Trina added a pick for Charlotte. Shy Goudette rushed for 97 yards, mostly in the second half for the Tarpons.
Joshua Geerson recovered a fumble and had an interception for the Bulldogs. Cason Humble led Baker with 77 yards.
— Chuck Ballaro
Naples 49, Bonita Springs 7
You wouldn’t know it by the score, but when asked about his team’s performance against Bonita Springs, Naples coach Rick Martin described it as “loose” and not the brand of football they want to be known for.
“It wasn’t Naples High School football, and every single one of us knows it,” Martin said. “You reap what you sow. Practice was loose all week. Coming off a big game against American Heritage, we needed to decompress a little and get everybody healthy. I’m just happy we ended up getting a win.”
Martin gave a fiery speech to his team after the game, challenging them to re-focus after this week as they prepare for the playoffs and a chance to compete for the state championship.
Senior running back Kendrick Raphael seemed pretty focused to start this game, as he took the Golden Eagles’ first play from scrimmage 85 yards to the house. Raphael would rack up 147 rushing yards and three touchdowns in the first half on just three carries.
The other half of Naples’ two-headed monster in the backfield, Arkansas-bound senior Isaiah Augusta had a quiet night on offense, but he blocked a punt in the second quarter that led to a touchdown and a 28-0 lead for the Golden Eagles.
The Bull Sharks got their first and only touchdown of the game with 24 seconds to go in the first half. Senior defensive back Josh Johnson intercepted Naples QB Niko Boyce and returned it 50 yards to the end zone. The play seemed like it would give Bonita Springs some momentum going into halftime, but Raphael stole back any momentum with a 58-yard touchdown as time expired to make it 35-7 at the half.
“We didn’t lay down. When you play Naples, a team of that caliber, it’s easy for a team to just tuck tail and run, but we didn’t,” Bonita Springs coach Rich Dombroski said. “I just told my kids, whatever you do, just fight for 48 minutes tonight. Whether it’s a running clock or not, give them everything you can, and earn their respect. We did what we needed to do.”
In the second half, with the game well in hand, Martin decided to reward some of his younger players with some playing time. Freshman QB Carter Quinn started the second half and three new running backs saw extended action – sophomores Caleb Dume and Vlad Raphael (Kendrick’s younger brother), and freshman Ty Collins. Collins made the most of his opportunities, racking up 112 yards including a 70-yard run and a 41-yard touchdown as the final seconds ticked off the clock.
“That’s really important to me, to not only dress those guys, but if it’s possible to get them in the game,” Martin said. “Not only to see what they can do but to reward them for having a great season and working their butts off and letting them come out here and have some fun.”
Quinn had one of his passes picked off by Johnson, who stood out for Bonita Springs with two interceptions. Bull Sharks RB Josiah Sessler entered the night with a 9-game streak of 100+ yard rushing performances, but Naples’ stout defense held him to just 70 yards.
— Noah Rosenstein
Barron Collier 33, East Lee County 0
The Cougars went on the road to face the winless Jaguars, and came up with a shutout win with an early rhythm on offense.
Barron Collier quarterback Tommy Mooncotch found Brody Graham on a 34-yard strike down to the Jaguar six-yard line. Two plays later, Jackson Polly found the endzone on a two-yard carry, making the score 7-0 with the ensuing extra point. Brody Graham added a 27-yard rushing touchdown to the win as well.
After a quick three-and-out by East Lee and a short punt, the Cougars struck again. This time, Bryan Daniels scored from eight yards out making the score 14-0. After another quick three-and-out, the Jaguars found themselves punting from their own endzone.
The Cougars brought pressure on the punt, tackling the punter in the endzone for a safety, making the score 16-0.
Early in the second quarter, East Lee found momentum on offense, as they put together an efficient drive down to Barron Collier’s 17-yard line, but would settle for a field goal attempt that the Cougars blocked.
The Cougars converted on the block, driving down and setting up kicker Rocco D’Angelo for a 35-yard field goal, extending the lead to 26-0.
With less than two minutes left in the first half, Barron Collier struck again. This time in the air, as Mooncotch found Rodney Rogers for a 15-yard touchdown, tacking on the final score of the lopsided win.
East Lee did find a way to stop the bleeding in the second half, keeping the Cougars out of the end zone for the rest of the contest.
After a disappointing loss to Lely last week, Barron Collier head coach Mark Jackson is happy with the bounce-back win. “We responded and played really well in the first half,” Jackson said. “I think we got a little complacent, a mirror image of last week in the second half. We have to relax, we can’t play that way. We’re young, we’ve got to keep our foot on the throttle and keep it going.”
- Ryan Caudill
Key West 27, Gateway 3
Despite what coach Cullen O'Brien called "our best, most complete to date in school history," a 3-0 lead for Gateway didn't hold up for long. Aidan Morgan kicked the 30-yard field goal. The defense and special teams came up with big plays, forcing two fumbles, thwarting a Conchs onside kick, stopping Key West twice on fourth down and blocking two field-goal attempts.
Lake Highland Prep 52, Canterbury 16
The Cougars lost in the first round of the Sunshine State Athletic Conference playoffs. Leroy Roker scored on a 4-yard run, Jerry Shley took an Alex Camarca pass 70 yards for a score, and Chase Alley kicked a 45-yard field goal. Canterbury ended the year 5-2.
LaBelle 61, Jordan Christian Prep 0
Isaac Santamaria scored four Cowboys touchdowns, leading the LaBelle (3-4) onslaught. Hayden Saxton, Maruice McClain Jr. and Wyatt Milks each ran for score, and William Smith caught a TD pass from William Smith.
THURSDAY
Mariner 19, Cape Coral 12
Trickery and perseverance made for a memorable Black and Blue Bowl Thursday night.
The trickery came with :44 seconds left and Mariner trailing 12-11. The Tritons pulled out the Wildcat offensive formation and Justin Lewis took his first snap of the game and tossed a 55-yard bomb to Kaelan Davidson for the go-ahead score. The Tritons managed to convert on a two-point pass despite a fumbled snap.
The Seahawks starting from its 34 with no timeouts went four-and-out allowing Mariner to run out the final second by taking a knee.
“It’s heartbreaking, to have them throw a bomb like that,” said Cape Coral head coach Larry Gary.
Both offenses struggled to start the game. Mariner's Gabriel Chica opened the scoring with a 35-yard field goal with three seconds to go in the first quarter.
Cape Coral’s defense managed the first of its five takeaways when Kalonji Hamilton picked off a Tanner Evey pass.
The next turnover came on a bizarre second-quarter play when the Seahawks stripped the ball from a Mariner lineman who caught it to give the Seahawks the ball at their own 35. An inadvertent whistle stopped Williams from scoring a sure touchdown.
Then insanity reigned with a trio of turnovers. First Cape Coral scooped up a Mariner fumble late in the second quarter and took off for the goal line before getting knocked out of bounds inside the 10.
Then Cape Coral quarterback Blake Thomas threw an interception to Mariner’s Marcus Kelly Jr. who returned the ball 17 yards to the Seahawks 17.
Mariner drove to the 9-yard line where quarterback Tanner Evey hit Davidson who was streaking to the goal line only to have the ball fly out of his hand through the back of the end zone giving the Seahawks the ball back at the 20 on the touchback.
The Cape Coral offense showed signs of life when Daniel Miranda took a handoff and sprinted 66 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter. His premature celebration led to an unsportsmanlike penalty and Thomas was forced to kick the extra point from 34 yards which he missed.
Mariner promptly replied to that score when Bennett hit Kelly for a 39-yard touchdown and Davidson carried the ball in for two for an 11-6 edge at 6:15 of the third quarter.
The Seahawks looked like they had iced the game when Thomas tossed an 8-yard touchdown pass to Maddox Howerton. The two-point attempt failed but Cape Coral led 12-11 with 4:30 left.
Late in the game Mariner opted to punt, pinning the Seahawks at their own 15. Unable to move the ball Cape Coral was forced to punt setting up Mariner for its final score.
“This is a true rivalry and probably the best one in Southwest Florida,” said Tritons head coach Josh Nicholson.
Mariner improved to 4-3 and 1-1 in District 3S-14, while Cape Coral falls to 2-4 and 0-2 in district play.
Lely 19, Golden Gate 16
The Trojans came out on top of a rivalry slugfest at home, highlighted by a hard-nosed defensive effort from both sides.
Lely’s secondary was dominant in the win, picking up three interceptions and holding Golden Gate quarterback Brian Bachmann to 7-of-14 passing and 79 passing yards while breaking up multiple big passes on important drives. Bachmann finished with 132 rushing yards on 11 carries with one touchdown.
Defensive back Jayce Cora came up big for the Trojans, reeling in two interceptions. One came from the back of the end zone in the first half, and the other with less than two minutes remaining in a one-score game.
“That was the play of the game,” said Lely head coach JJ Everage.
Guerschom Guerrier had a strong outing on both sides of the ball, notching 127 yards on 26 touches while picking up several tackles for loss and deflections. Quarterback Jakeem Tanelus tallied 153 rushing yards on 16 carries while scoring twice on the ground, and throwing one touchdown pass to Joshua Philogene.
“[Tanelus] takes a beating,” Everage said. “He’s a small kid, with a heart of a lion. He was feeling it, but at the end there, he was like ‘give me the ball and let’s put an end to this.’”
Golden Gate took a beating as well, losing key members of the offensive line in a game where they pieced together big runs. Trayvon Jean tallied 96 rushing yards on 22 touches with one touchdown.
“We sucked it up and made the stops when we needed to there, we just had trouble converting,” said Golden Gate head coach Nick Bigica.
Lely had three touchdowns called back, a number that can frustrate any team in such a heated rivalry game. “Those first couple that got called back, our kids didn’t handle well,” Everage said. “We had to reign them back in, and it took us a while.”
Despite this, the Trojans stepped up when it mattered most. With less than five minutes remaining, the Titans converted on an important fourth-and-short. Two plays later, Cora picked off his second pass of the night. After being forced to punt, Lely came up with a turnover on downs with under a minute remaining to seal a victory.
“Our defensive philosophy was bend, don’t break,” Everage said. “And it worked out to our advantage.”
Gateway Charter 33, Bradenton Christian 14
The Griffins advance to the SSAC Class 4A title game with the win and will host the game at their new field next to their campus. Gateway Charter will play the winner of Lighthouse Private Christian Academy and Harvest Community.
Quarterback Chris Requina had nearly 180 yards passing with three touchdowns and 70 rushing with another score. Walter Tucker (80 yards), Ronaldo Charles (60 yards) and EJ Monteagudo (30 yards) all caught touchdown passes.
Running back Lazaro Rogers had more than 190 yards rushing, 35 receiving 130 yards and a score
"The boys played really, really well," said Griffin coach Ben Daley, whose team improved to 2-5. "The defense played really, really well. They had two big plays, that's how they got both their touchdowns, but otherwise, they played really well. The whole team."
Blane Jaxtheimer (10 tackles), Julio Rodriguez (8 tackles, sack fumble recovery) and Tavian Villarreal (6 tackles) led the way on defense.
Oasis 42, Bell Creek 14
Oasis (2-4) will play the winner of Cornerstone Charter Academy and Trinity Christian Academy next week for the SSAC Class 2A title.
Parker Smith threw for three touchdowns, two to Jaxon McArdle Sykes and a third to Isiah Lozada. Lozada and McArdle Sykes also ran for a touchdown each.
Kyler Pudelski scored a two-point conversion and led Oasis in tackles. Dane Dehany had a big game on defense as well. Joshua Sykes got back from the region cross country meet in Lakeland in time to join the Sharks and kick three extra points.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: SW FL football: Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Naples area results for Week 10
