Football Week 5: Golden Gate, Estero, Riverdale, Verot, Lely, Mariner, Barron Collier notch wins

A roundup of Week 5 Southwest Florida high school football games from Friday, Sept. 22.

Golden Gate 35, Gulf Coast 7

Golden Gate knew it had to win the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball to come out victorious on the road Friday night.

The Titans successfully did that, rushing for 196 yards as a team on the backs of Trayvon Jean and John Lee Honorat to secure a convincing 35-7, running clock win over Gulf Coast.

“Gulf Coast has kinda been a mental block for Golden Gate for a few years,” Golden Gate coach Nick Bigica said. “It was good to get the victory in this one. We knew coming off the victory last week against Naples, that there would be a bit of a lag. We came out a little slower than we’d like.

“We talked to the kids at halftime, and the message was to finish strong. The kids finished strong and I was proud of that.”

The Titans came out of the locker room in the second half humming, as Gulf Coast’s first snap from scrimmage was a bad snap over the head of Chris Jimenez, who took a 16-yard loss in the end zone for a safety. From there, Golden Gate scored 22 third-quarter points to balloon the lead to 32-0, before a Greg Breston field goal from 25 yards out activated the running clock for the final 11-plus minutes of action.

Jean was bottled up early, but broke off a 20-plus yard run in which he made a total of seven Shark defenders miss. The junior finished the night with 120 yards on 22 attempts with a touchdown.

“We knew their defensive front was going to be good,” Bigica said. “Our main focus all week was, ‘How are we going to get those guys blocked?’ Chris Jimenez and Will Brockmeier, they’re both heckuva good high school football players. They ate us up early on. That was our main focus all week, getting those guys blocked, but we got it done.”

Golden Gate Takeaways

1. Run defense holds up. Last week, the Titans managed to hold Naples to 39 yards rushing, which was an all-time low in the MaxPreps era – 20 years and 229 games. Friday night Golden Gate limited the Sharks to 20 rushing yards on 20 carries, with three bad snaps resulting in close to minus-35 yards rushing.

“We were physically superior,” Bigica said. “Our kids did so well in the weight room. They work their tails off. That was the biggest difference I think in this ball game, physical superiority. The kids executed. I’m never going to be perfectly happy with anything, but we can keep getting better. These kids and this team have a chance to do something special.”

2. Playmakers everywhere. Honorat made contributions as a runner and a pass catcher, rushing for 84 yards on seven attempts while adding three receptions for 61 yards. Bradley Martino had a strong third quarter, forcing a fumble that he recovered before catching a touchdown pass on a fade route on the ensuing possession. Martino then had a loud pass breakup on the next Shark drive on John Ruggiero out of the backfield. Sam Powell completed 7 of 13 passes for 141 with two touchdowns.

“Offensively, we’re trying to become more multiple,” Bigica said. “It makes us hard to defend. If we can get everyone the ball and they start playing to their capabilities, it makes us difficult to defend, and that’s what we’re trying to do.”

3. Happy homecoming. It may not have been Gulf Coast’s homecoming theme of Midnight Magic on Friday, but Jermaine Fabien made a little magic happen early on to set the tone. Fabien, who was on Gulf Coast’s varsity program each of the last two seasons, transferred to Golden Gate in the offseason and forced a fumble on the Sharks’ second offensive possession. Fabien’s forced fumble led to a Sam Powell 30-yard touchdown pass to Javon Pray on the first play of the ensuing drive.

“Jermaine’s such an outstanding kid, I love him to death,” Bigica said. “I was very excited for him.”

Gulf Coast Takeaways

1. Work to do. Todd Nichols and his team will have to go back to the drawing board, having scored just seven points over the last 96 minutes of game action against Port Charlotte and Golden Gate. The offense averaged just 1.87 yards per play (58 yards, 31 plays) Friday night, compared to 2.79 yards per play (82 yards, 29 plays) the week prior against Port Charlotte.

2. Too one dimensional. It’s evident the Sharks miss Konner Barrett, who provided stability at the quarterback position for each of the last four seasons. Not having a bona fide starter in the fold has made the Sharks a run-heavy team, as four different players attempted at least one pass. Jace Seyler went 4-of-7 for 24 yards, while Peyton Hale went 1-of-2 for 14 yards. Chris Jimenez went 1-of-2 for 0 yards, and Robert Hyatt went 0-of-1.

3. Brief spark. Evan Hermanson has made big plays in games before. Hermanson made another big play Friday, picking off Powell to give the Sharks brief momentum before halftime, but couldn’t drive down the field to get within one score.

— Alex Martin

Estero 38, Cape Coral 0

The Wildcats recorded their second consecutive shutout against the Seahawks.

But Friday night at Jeff Sommer Stadium was very different from last year’s defensive battle, which Estero won 3-0.

The Wildcats fired on all cylinders, particularly in the second half, to hand Cape Coral a lopsided loss, their first of the season.

“We finally just executed on all three phases,” Estero head coach Darren Nelson said. “We took care of the football. We finished when we got down there. We won on third down. We just put it all together finally. That’s what we’re capable of doing.”

Estero got on the board in the first quarter with a 4-yard touchdown pass from Matt Wilson to Luke Ghannam.

The start had an appearance of another defensive dogfight with each team wrestling for control. The Seahawks failed on two attempted field goal attempts.

It wasn’t until a well-executed 2-minute drill by the Wildcats, capped by a Carter Finley field goal, that the offense was able to get into a groove that lasted for the rest of the game

Estero quarterback Matt Wilson threw three touchdown passes – two to Ghannam and one perfectly placed into the arms of Kegan Kreuscher, who made some nice moves by the goal line to compete the 38-yard score. Running back Malik Allen also rushed for two scores.

“We have to take this game and learn from it and work on North Fort Myers,” Cape Coral head coach Larry Gary said. “That’s our money game. That’s our district game. We didn’t come ready tonight.”Estero Takeaways

1. The Wildcat offense was humming. Outside of an errant deep ball, intercepted by Cape's Ta’Darien Green, Wilson had a strong night, connecting on 13-of-18 passes for close to 200 yards and three scores. Freshman Fletcher Kean, who was celebrating a birthday, led the team in catches. Malik Allen and the offensive line shined, with Allen going for 125 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries.

Nelson credited offensive coordinator Ryan O’Rourke for the gameplan.

“I thought Malik ran well and was productive,” he said. "Offensive line played their best game probably of the year, so I was really happy overall offensively, anytime you score 38 points.”

2. The defense got their second shutout of the season. It’s the third straight game the unit has held their opponent to 6 points or less, reminiscent of the team’s strong start on defense a season ago.

Both Justin Trometer and Drew Arrington intercepted Cape quarterback Ivan Harvin, with Arrington’s grab being the one to put the game away.

“It’s not just one person here, one person there,” Nelson said. “It’s just everybody kind of fitting in their piece, doing their job, knowing their assignment and then executing it. And we’re playing at a nice, high level right now.”

3. It was such a complete performance, even the kicker made a crowd-pleasing play. Late in the fourth quarter with a 38-0 lead, Finley didn’t kick it deep enough, and it looked for all the world that the Cape Coral return man was going to get his team on the board. With one man to beat, Finley made the touchdown-saving tackle that also saved the shutout.

“I don’t want to see him have to do that too often,” Nelson said.

Cape Coral Takeaways

1. A lack of discipline cost the team, according to Gary. The Seahawks were able to hold the Wildcats to 10 points at halftime, but they allowed things to snowball in the second half – giving up big plays, turning the ball over and getting penalized in key moments.

“We just got to be a little more disciplined, mentally and physically,” Gary said. “Estero’s a good ball team and they showed it tonight.”

2. Harvin and the offense moved the ball, but not consistently enough. Harvin threw for 64 yards in the first half, and the team’s stable of running backs were capable of moving the chains. But time and again, the Wildcats were able to get off the field on third down or force turnovers.

The two missed field goals didn’t help matters.

“We moved the ball, but we just couldn’t cash in,” Gary said.

3. The team’s 4-0 start ended with a thud. It was the Seahawks best start since the Dale More-helmed team in 2018, but they came one game shy of matching that team’s 5-0 streak.

Gary said the team will be looking internally to fix some issues ahead of their game against North.

“In order to change the outside, you have to change the inside,” he said.

— Dustin Levy

Riverdale 43, Cypress Lake 29

With his first win as a varsity head coach within reach, Riverdale coach Kendoll Gibson put the game in the hands of his workhorse.

Cole Hayes did not disappoint. The junior running back carried the ball 32 times for 291 yards and five touchdowns, the last one from 9 yards out with 1:20 left sealed the win.

“I told everybody from the beginning, he's awesome,” said Gibson, whose team is now 1-4. “And he's just getting better and better as the weeks go on. He's amazing. He's our go-to guy. He knows that.”

Hayes entered the game as the area’s leading rusher with 652 yards but was happy he could help carry his team and coach to first wins.

“I don't even know how to explain it, but that was huge,” Hayes said. “We got our first district game (next week), we really needed that. It's amazing for (coach), this team, we needed that for sure.”

The Raiders looked like they could run away with the game, scoring on their first two drives as Hayes scored his first touchdown on fourth-and-goal from the 1 and Nickardo Dunkelly-Allen scored on a 15-yard run and a Cypress intentional grounding in its own end zone made it 15-0 with 5:37 left in the second quarter.

But the Panthers found some life with a pair of 30-yard runs by E.J. Codie, including one for a touchdown to make it 15-6 at the break.

The second half was an explosion of big plays. Hayes scored all four of Riverdale’s touchdowns 39, 25, 4 and the final game clincher from 9 yards.

The Panthers would not go away however, getting a 29-yard field goal from Zeke Dube-Garrett, a 93-yard kick return for a touchdown by Codie, a 4-yard run by Deveon Simmons, and a Tyrese Nelson 2-yard keeper to make it 35-29 with 3:33 left in the game.

Riverdale Takeaways

1. Hayes doesn’t dance. Riverdale’s go-to back finds the hole and hits it hard. Of his 32 carries only one was for no gain and one for negative yards when he fumbled but the Raiders recovered the ball. His biggest play may have been protecting his own end zone.

With the game still 15-6 early in the third quarter, Cypress Lake’s Zayne Kimpland sacked Riverdale quarterback Brody Fizer and caused him to fumble. Teammate Corey Jenkins scooped the ball and looked like he would race 65 yards to the end zone but Hayes caught Jenkins from behind at the Riverdale 5. The Raiders’ defense held and the Panthers had to settle for the field goal to make it 15-9 so Hayes saved points. He also ended each of the next four drives with touchdown runs and added a two-point run after the last one.

2. Defense makes plays. The Raiders did not have a single senior play on defense Friday night. They held the Panthers to just 77 yards rushing in the first half and most of that came on two big runs, and just 1-of-8 passing for 5 yards. Although Cypress scored 23 points in the second half, Riverdale allowed only 77 yards rushing again and only one pass completion. The Raiders’ biggest stand came after the big fumble return with the Panthers set up at the 5-yard line early in the third quarter. On three runs the Panthers gained 1 yard then lost 1 and 2 yards before a false start on fourth down had them settle for a field goal.

“We're extremely young,” Gibson said. “Everybody will be back for years to come and we're excited. Every week they're getting better.”

3. A solid second option. Lovensky Blanchard ran hard as a backup to Hayes. He finished with 15 carries for 96 yards and he helped close the game out on the final drive with 6- and 10-yard runs to move the chains twice as the Raiders bled the clock.

Cypress Lake Takeaways

1. No Quit. The Panthers were down 15-0 late in the second quarter before starting to make things happen. In the second half, Cypress Lake got big plays from its offense, defense, and special teams as it traded scores with the Raiders. Seeing his team never give up was a positive Panthers coach Joey Mendes took from the game.

“They definitely fought to the end and that was one of our first positives that we talked about for the night,” said Mendes, whose team slipped to 2-3. “We just got to build off of it and carry it into next week (Dunbar).”

2. Big plays. Codie jumpstarted his team twice. With his team facing second-and-15 from its own 27 late in the first half the senior running back broke a 30-yard run to get the drive moving and then capped it by bouncing out to the sideline, breaking a tackle and racing 30 yards for a score. Then after a Hayes TD run made it 21-9, Codie took the ensuing extra point and raced 93 yards to pull his team back within 5 points at 21-16.

Nelson only completed 2-of 13 passes but the second one was a thing of beauty. Facing fourth-and-11 at the Riverdale 37, he dropped a perfect 29-yard pass to Al’Marian Thomas for a first down. Two plays later Nelson ran in a keeper to make it 35-29 with 3:33 left in the game.

“The offense really took it serious this week and I challenged them at the beginning of the week,” said Mendes, whose team only scored 6 points the previous two games. “We got to get better and put some points on the board and use our athletes and they did that tonight and we had a good kick return so just you know, we still got to keep on playing better. Now we got to get all three phases together.”

3. Self-inflicted wounds lead to scores. Cypress still has areas to clean up. A roughing the kicker penalty on Riverdale’s first drive put the Raiders offense back on the field, leading to a touchdown. Two high snaps led to a safety late in the second quarter as the second in three plays ended in the end zone with Nelson trying to throw the ball away but was called for intentional grounding and a safety.

− Ed Reed

Bishop Verot 42, Sarasota 14

SARASOTA − The Bishop Verot offense has gotten most of the headlines, and the improved defense has gotten its share, as well.

But Friday night in Sarasota, Verot's special teams took center stage.

The Vikings returned a pair of kicks for touchdowns in Friday's 42-14 victory over Sarasota and had a third touchdown set up by a booming punt. The Vikings increased their running clock streak to four, taking a 42-7 lead before the Sailors scored a late touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Verot never trailed in their first game outside Lee County this season, taking a 7-0 lead less than 15 seconds into the game when Leroy Roker took the opening kickoff 87 yards for a score. The Vikings added to their lead on a 21-yard run from Deshon Jenkins, scoring on a short field after a Carter Smith punt pinned the Sailors at the one, and Parker Turner picked off a Sarasota pass deep in Sailor territory.

Verot's second special teams touchdown came less than three minutes after Jenkins' first score. After forcing Sarasota to punt, Ryan Gadson took the kick 52 yards for a touchdown, opening up the Viking lead to 21-0.

Leading 28-7 at halftime, the Vikings would enact the running clock with two scores in the third quarter, thanks to a touchdown run from Carter Smith and a pass from Smith to Matthew Turner.

Bishop Verot Takeaways

1. Zero the hero. Verot's offensive standout Friday night was indisputably sophomore tailback Deshon Jenkins. Jenkins carried the ball 16 times for 171 yards against the Sailors defense. Jenkins scored one of Verot's four offensive touchdowns of the night, and almost never went down on first contact.

2. Salute to Turner. Air Force commit Parker Turner came up big for the Verot defense Friday night. The senior intercepted a pass to set up Verot's second touchdown, then recovered a fumble late in the second quarter when Sarasota was driving to cut the Verot lead to two scores.

3. Superman things. Quarterback Carter Smith didn't have a statistically impressive night, completing 11-of-23 passes for 155 yards. But the reigning Southwest Florida Player of the Year still made his presence felt, running for a ridiculous 20-yard touchdown and tossing a dime to Matthew Turner to enact the running clock.

Sarasota Takeaways

1. Passing game success. Sarasota’s quarterback had success against Verot's defense, completing 17 of his 27 passes for 234 yards. The Sailors especially had success in the RPO game, consistently finding open receivers on short routes.

2. Defensive stops. The Sailors defense held its own against the Viking offense for much of the first half, surrendering just two offensive touchdowns in the first half before the Vikings found their footing in the third quarter.

3. No rest for the weary.  Sarasota is a better team than their 0-5 record indicates, but the schedule does not get easier for the Sailors. Sarasota's next two games are also against state title contenders in Venice and Sarasota Cardinal Mooney.

− Ryan Murphy

Lely 20, Palmetto Ridge 6

Lely running back Nino Joseph did all the scoring the Trojans needed Friday night against Palmetto Ridge.

Joseph scored two touchdowns in the first seven minutes on the way to a 263-yard rushing effort as Lely topped the Bears for its second-straight victory.

Palmetto Ridge amassed 254 yards rushing. Outside of Joseph, the Trojan offense didn’t gain much, but an able Lely defense kept the Bears in check.

Mark Whalen led Palmetto Ridge (0-5) with 106 yards rushing.

The Bears’ only score came on a 5-yard run by Whalen midway through the second period. It was a 13-6 Lely advantage at halftime.

Both defenses dug in deep in the second half, part of a stretch where 22 minutes elapsed on the scoreboard without any points. The Bears had some scoring opportunities but missed out due to turnovers, dropped passes and penalties.

The Trojans put things to rest when Colin Raymond fired up a 39-yard touchdown pass to Maksim Noel with nine minutes left in the game.

Lely Takeaways

1. Lely’s defense has held opponents to only 19 points in the last eight quarters, including the triumph over the Bears and a win against Bradenton Southeast on Sept. 15. The Trojans defense has bought into the concept of teamwork head coach Ben Hammer has preached all season. “We played team defense,” Hammer said. “We ran to the ball very well tonight, and it was all about being physical.

2. The Trojans were missing about nine starters for the game against the Bears. “We are happy and excited that we found a way to win,” Hammer said. “We were missing a lot of starters, so we had youth all over the place. I am proud of the fact we faced adversity and shut them out in the second half.”

3. The Trojans will play four straight District 3S-16 opponents in the next month, and Hammer feels his team must be focused. “We have to give 100 percent.”

Palmetto Ridge Takeaways

1. The Bears' defense kept it interesting thanks to a goal-line stand on the Trojans running backs late in the first half.

2. Palmetto Ridge mounted a few decent drives but failed to capitalize. The Bears moved 50 yards on their first possession of the second half but missed on a fourth-down try at the Trojan 30-yard line. They were also in position for a game-tying score in the fourth with the ball deep in Lely territory, but Loveguns Avena came up with a huge interception on Bears’ quarterback Demetri Zertopoulis. Edwoun Octa also had a big pickoff with 5:07 left for the Trojans. “We were two plays from being right back in it,” Palmetto Ridge coach Zach Yates said. “The mistakes we made are something we’ve got to clean up.”

3. Palmetto Ridge had about 60 yards in penalties against Lely. Yates said the penalties couldn’t have come at worse times. “It wasn’t the penalties that hurt, but the timing of the penalties,” Yates said. “We built some momentum, but the penalties killed the momentum. We had a few first down-and-25 plays, and that’s not something our program is all about.”  

— Tom Corwin

Barron Collier 28, Immokalee 21

Barron Collier quarterback Niko Boyce showed off his full array of skills in the Cougars' 28-21 win over Immokalee, throwing the ball all over the yard and breaking a few big runs along the way as Barron Collier held off a spirited effort from the Indians on Friday night.

Boyce’s 65-yard touchdown run late in a wild third quarter gave the Cougars a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

Boyce also had two short touchdown runs and a long 47-yard touchdown strike to Caden Hudson.

Immokalee stayed in the game with a few big plays of their own, with Jontay Hais electrifying the crowd on a 72-yard third-quarter touchdown run to briefly tie the score at 14.

Juan Cuevas’ interception and return to the Barron Collier four-yard line set up a short Jayden Mixon touchdown run, again briefly tying the score at 21 in the third quarter.

Barron Collier remains unbeaten at 4-0, while the Indians slip to 2-3.

— Andrew Sodergren

Naples 52, Miami Killian 14

Speed kills, and Naples delivered that message in the form of running back Jamar Jerome and return specialist Kensley Faustin Friday night at Staver Field.

Jerome reeled off touchdown runs of 78 and 72 yards in the first half while Faustin returned the opening second half kickoff 78 yards for another score to put to bed any hope Miami Killian had of an upset.

Those hopes were alive and well in the first half, thanks in large part to the passing duo of Cougars quarterback Jorge Rodriguez and wide receiver D’vionne Wright.

Naples appeared to have Miami Killian on the ropes when Korben Parish intercepted a tipped pass which gave the Golden Eagles great field position. Naples took advantage of the turnover with quarterback Jack Melton capping the drive with a touchdown run from the two

Then, Miami Killian woke up after Rodriguez found Wright on a 73-yard touchdown bomb.

It took two massive Golden Eagle goal-line stands in the second quarter to preserve their 21-6 halftime lead.

Faustin’s touchdown to open the second half gave Naples much needed momentum and the Golden Eagles ground game began to wear down the Cougars.

Jerome put the nail in the Cougars' coffin with a third touchdown run from the 16-yard line and Naples was closing in on a running clock.

It came at the 4:40 mark in the fourth quarter when backup quarterback Carter Quinn took the ball into the end zone from the 3-yard line to seal the Naples victory.

Naples Takeaways

1. The running back room is deep. Naples running game needed to look for answers after last week’s injury to star running back Shawn Simeon. They found it in the form of Jerome the sophomore, who ended the night with 215 yards on 12 carries and three touchdowns. Naples ended the game with 411 yards on the ground. “We challenged those backs, we challenged the offensive line, we challenged the quarterback, we challenged our whole offense after the low last week to just get better,” said Naples head coach Rick Martin.

2. The Golden Eagle defense played with a red zone toughness that turned the game in their favor. Miami Killian was denied touchdowns on two different drives with the Cougars on the Naples 1-yard line. Both times Naples pushed Killian back to the 10-yard line with the Cougars turning the ball over on downs. In fact, Miami Killian ended the night with minus-34 yards on the ground. The only flaw in the Golden Eagles defense was its inability to contain wideout D’vionne Wright, who ended the night with 16 catches for 211 yards, two touchdowns and a two-point conversion.

3. A bounce-back performance. After last week’s loss to Golden Gate, Martin was hoping that Naples would go back to being Naples. The Golden Eagles delivered on both sides of the ball and Martin urged his players to enjoy the win. “I’m just happy we got the win, after last week I think you learn to enjoy these moments a lot more with the people you grind with and the people you love,” said Martin.

− John Rinkenbaugh

Mariner 46, Bonita Springs 7

After a scoreless first quarter, Justin Lewis used his speed on a 68-yard punt return for a touchdown to get Mariner on the board. Over the next seven and a half minutes, Lewis would throw for three touchdowns. He found Marcus Kelley Jr. from 27 yards and Kelvin Jimenez twice, once from 6 yards and another from 45 yards.

The Tritons defense would hold the Bull Sharks' offense to 50 yards while forcing three fumbles and two punts in the first half.

After the break, it only took Mariner three plays to find the end zone again. Two rushes of 19-plus yards set up the Tritons on Bonita’s 26-yard line. On the next snap, Lewis found Kelley Jr. near the front left pylon.

After forcing a punt, the Tritons were set up at the Sharks 23-yard line and their final offensive play would end with Jimenez catching his seventh reception and third touchdown.

On Bonita Springs' final drive, they were able to move the ball 80 yards led by the running of Riley DeRemer, who carried the ball 26 times, along with the help of defensive miscues. The final play of the game was a fullback rush from 2 yards out where Fredys Chavez-Gonzalez broke the plane to get the Bull Sharks on the board.

Mariner Takeaways

1. Defense continues its physical play. Over the last three games, the Tritons have been able to hold their opponents to 13 points combined. Against Bonita Springs they forced three turnovers while also forcing three punts.

2. Special teams play helped to create a cushion. Along with the punt return for six, the Tritons went 4 for 4 on two-point conversions, got multiple touchbacks, and provided pressure on other punts that set them up with good field position. Mariner’s ability to dominate this phase proves why they are outscoring opponents 207- 50 this season.

3. 0-0 Mindset. Head coach Josh Nicholson emphasized the mindset the team will have going into their first district matchup against Island Coast next week. “Everything up to this point was to get ready for that. Records don’t matter, scores don’t matter, nothing matters except for winning every single game like it’s the playoffs. Back to 0-0.”

Bonita Springs Takeaways

1. The defense’s ability to contain high-power offenses is there. On Mariner’s first two offensive drives, the Bull Sharks defense was able to make a fourth down stand in their own red zone, then go on to force a turnover on a fumble in their red zone. The pass rush proved to be effective at times too, but they couldn’t match the same intensity all four quarters.

2. Limit the Flags. The Bullsharks were called for eight different penalties totaling 45 yards. Encroachment and offsides that were called against Bonita Springs continued to add snaps to already lengthy Mariner drives.

3. Ball security, job security. The three lost fumbles provided Mariner with the opportunity to put the game away. In what was a close first half, the turnovers shifted the momentum. The offense is built on a strong ground attack that slowly moves the ball down the field so it's tough for Bonita to rally from big deficits.

− Ty Maranzatto

North Port 29, Gateway 15

It wasn't pretty, but North Port head coach Garon Belser will take it.

"That was ugly," the North Port High School football coach said following Friday night's win.

The North Port offense was dormant for most of the first half, but never strayed from Beslers’ ground-and-pound game plan. The Bobcats (3-1) eventually wore down the Eagles defense and finished the night with 163 rushing yards. Most of those were courtesy of senior Zeke Baez, who had 116 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries. North Port attempted just one pass, a 5-yard completion to Tommy Bowdre from Giovanni Dibene.

Gateway jumped out to a 5-0 lead with a 27-yard Aidan Morgan field goal and a safety after a high snap went over the head of North Port punter Caidan Thomas. It looked as if the Eagles would pitch a shutout in the first half, but that changed with 2:37 remaining when North Port sophomore intercepted a Ty Williams pass and returned it for a touchdown to give the Bobcats their first lead.

North Port Takeaways

1. Defense provided momentum swing before halftime. While the North Port offense struggled for most of the first half, the Bobcats defense picked up the slack. Belser cited the Palmer pick as a turning point in the game.

"That was huge," Belser said. "I'm glad our offense woke up in the second half, but we really had to lean on our defense there. They bailed us out."

The Bobcats stopped Gateway on the next series and John Yahara blocked the punt to give his team the ball at the Eagles 6-yard line. Baez took it in from there with 47 seconds remaining in the half.

2. Grind 'em down: The Bobcats kept pounding the ball, no matter how many tackles were made at or behind the line of scrimmage. Peter Kalphat finally broke off a 23-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to give North Port a 21-15 lead. Baez followed midway through the fourth with a 28-yard touchdown run.

"That's what we do," Belser said. "We grind and grind until we get that burst. It's frustrating as hell sometimes, but you've just got to trust it."

3. On to next week: After rattling off three straight wins, Belser won't celebrate Friday's win too long. "Wake up and get ready for next week," he said. The Bobcats travel to LaBelle next Friday.

Gateway Takeaways

1. Defense is stout: The Gateway defense kept North Port in check for most of the game. They sacked Dibene four times and had seven other tackles for loss. Three of those sacks came from senior Tavian Cook, a standout basketball player who is trying his hand at football for the first time. Cook also had five receptions for 64 yards.

"He's a dog," Eagles coach Cullen O'Brien said of Cook. "He's got the athleticism, but he's still got some learning to do."

The defensive effort was without Gateway's best player, Division I prospect Curtis Hood, who missed the game with the flu. He was sent home from school earlier in the day after vomiting and had a fever of 102 degrees, according to O'Brien.

2. Drive-killing mistakes: The Eagles were their own worst enemy on Friday. The first field goal came after a high snap stalled a drive at the North Port 10-yard line. Another high snap killed a later drive. A fumble on a long catch-and-run by Cook thwarted another potential scoring drive. And then there were the penalties. Gateway had 13 penalties for 146 yards while North Port was flagged just twice for 20 yards.

Gateway also turned the ball over three times, including a pair of interceptions. The first was the pick-six. The second came late in the fourth quarter inside the red zone when Bobcats defensive lineman Patrick White snagged a screen pass at the line of scrimmage to seal the win.

"A young quarterback made a couple of poor decisions," O'Brien said of Ty Williams, who was 17 of 30 for 218 yards. His favorite receiver was Kameron Carroll, who caught seven passes for 119 yards.

"But he had his best game. One of the things I've never seen him do is extend plays like he did (Friday)," O'Brien said of Williams. "I'm very excited about his maturation."

3. Still work to do: The Eagles are still winless through four weeks, but O'Brien is confident his team can turn things around.

"We're just gonna keep grinding," said O'Brien, who takes his team to Estero next week. "We've got kids who are doing the right things. We've got some pieces on offense. We've just got to get reps in."

− Ron Clements

Evangelical Christian 35, Aubrey Rogers 0

Despite a slow start due to early penalties, Evangelical Christian rolled to a 35-0 road victory over Aubrey Rogers 35-0. With the win, the Sentinels improve to 3-2 while the Patriots fall to 0-5 in their first year as a football program.

It took only six plays in the first quarter for the Sentinels to get on the scoreboard with a tough 12-yard touchdown run for junior J.J. McElroy, who finished the game with six rushes for 42 yards and two touchdowns.

After forcing a three-and-out to start the second quarter, ECS senior quarterback Tanner Helton connected with wideout Jack Shuker who shook a couple of Patriot defenders to scamper in the end zone for a 35-yard touchdown score that gave the Sentinels a 14-0 lead midway through the first half of the game.

Later in the half, Helton picked on the young and inexperienced Aubrey Rogers secondary again, and this time he found junior Seven Bullock for a 30-yard strike. Helton finished the night going 13-of-18 with 242 passing yards and two touchdowns. After McElroy’s second touchdown to close out the first half, and a 95-yard touchdown run by senior Jordan Rizzo on the Sentinels’ first play of the second half, ECS allowed a running clock to expedite the game and secure its third victory of the season.

Evangelical Christian Takeaways

1.  Helton has strong outing. Last year due to limited options at backup, ECS head coach Mack Mitchell stated about Helton that he “was reluctant to call running plays for Tanner at that time, but with J.J. stepping in as a solid backup this year, it gives Tanner more confidence to show his mobility.” In addition to passing for 242 yards, Helton displayed his mobility with several throws on the run and rushing the ball 5 times for 42 yards.

2.  Penalties must be addressed before next week. The Sentinels could have gained control of the contest earlier had it not been for several miscues by the offensive line and a few pass-interference calls committed by the defense to keep the Patriots contending early in the game. Mitchell recognized their penalty troubles as being “sloppy” and “needing to clean up” before they host Lakeland Christian, however, Mitchell was pleased with his team’s “determination as a program” as something he believes will continue as the season progresses.

3.  J.J. McElroy is a Valuable Asset to Have for the Sentinels. McElroy did a little bit of everything for ECS, and in addition to his two touchdowns, the starting running back, who is also the backup quarterback, went 3 for 5 for 22 yards in the air to close out the game for the Sentinels.

Aubrey Rogers Takeaways

1.  A great atmosphere to grow a strong program. Despite Aubrey Rogers being in their first year of varsity football, the crowd for the contest rivaled some of the more established schools in Collier and Lee County.

2. Head Coach J.J. Everage is a realist with this program in its infancy phase. “The main thing is our kids keep fighting,” Everage said. “We know it's going to take time but as a coach, all I can do is appreciate the effort the kids give each week.”

3. Competitive enough to win this year. It’s difficult for a new program to compete against a veteran team like ECS with one of the best quarterbacks in the area. However, The Patriots will not face an offense of the Sentinels’ caliber every week and have some games on the schedule where they could secure their program’s first win.

− Melvin Whitlock

Oasis 42, SFCA 0

Oasis improved to 4-1 on the year after a big win over the King’s on Friday. It was also a big night for junior running back Fredrick Harley, who had three touchdowns and 100-plus rushing yards. His teammates, Johnatan Perez and Tommy Murphy, also picked up a touchdown.

“We started off great, and that's what we wanted to do. We are a good team that wants to go from good to great,” Oasis head coach Jason Grain said. “There were things we wanted to build on, work on the fine details, and stay healthy. But, the main thing is fundamentals and details.”

”It’s just disappointing. we expect a lot from our players, but at the end of the day, the team has to decide whether or not they are going to step up,” King’s head coach Roy Stabler said. “Coaches can coach, but the players got to play.”

The King's struggled on offense, thanks in part to plenty of penalties and a lack of focus. ”Going forward, the game plan is all in. We made a lot of mistakes, but we also had a lot of good moments.” Stabler said. “Season’s not over yet.”

Oasis Takeaways

1. Moving the chains. Quarterback Parker Smith threw for over 75 yards. The Sharks played a physical game, executing plays with focus and precision. "I was very, very pleased with tonight,” Grain said.

2. Don’t forget about the defense. Outstanding offense can’t happen without a robust and reliable defense to back you up. With this being the defense's third shoutout, Oasis is building up quite the repertoire as a team with solid fundamentals and drive.

3. Moving forward. The Oasis Sharks are 4-1 going into next week, as they hope to continue their winning streak against Bradenton Christian.

SFCA Takeaways

1. Slow night on both sides of the ball. Problems on both ends deflated any momentum. “We’ve got to find that will and that grit, learn how to finish,” Stabler said.

2. Remaining focused. “Sometimes it feels like we are out here just to hang out with friends,” Stabler said. “So, going forward, our motto will be ‘All In,’ and we will try to finish the season strong.”

3. On to the next one. The work starts early for the King’s. “We are coming here tomorrow morning. We have to recognize our mistakes and learn from them,” Stabler said. “We had those little moments where it looked like we had something, but then we took five steps back. We need to find that heart and passion again.”

− Mario Cordero

Marco Island 32, Warner Christian 20

Marco Island picked up one of the most notable wins of the week, snapping a 35-game losing streak in their 32-20 win over Warner Christian. With the win, head coach Lew Montgomery picks up the first victory of his three-year tenure.

The Manta Rays held a one-score lead at halftime and played with poise for the second half on their way to a big-time win.

“It was a great competition, finally, and we finished the game,” he said. “That’s the best thing, is that we started to put things together and play as a team. We’ve really been focusing these last couple of weeks on this concept of ‘we’. It’s not individual, it’s a group concept. They’ve been buying into that but they weren’t really sure what that meant, and tonight they showed us that it clicked.”

− Staff Report

True North 21, First Baptist 8

First Baptist slipped to 2-2 on the year following their 21-8 loss to True North on Friday.

It was a back-and-forth contest in the first half, with the Lions clinging to an 8-7 lead headed into halftime. A Titan interception early in the third quarter proved to be the momentum-shifter.

“I felt like they capitalized and executed a little bit better than we did in certain parts of the game,” said head coach Billy Sparacio. “When you play a good team like that, it comes back to bite us. We’ve got to learn from that, but I’ll have to watch the film and really evaluate what the film says and not just our feelings because it hurts right now.”

− Staff Report

St. Petersburg Catholic 27, St. John Neumann 15

St. John Neumann was shut out in the second half of their 27-15 loss at St. Petersburg Catholic on Friday.

The Celtics started the contest off strong, holding a high-powered Baron offense to just one score and entering halftime with a 13-7 St. John Neumann lead.

But the Celtics left too many points on the field, including two unsuccessful red zone trips and a costly penalty that brought back a tying touchdown in the third quarter.

Jake Bruni threw two touchdown passes in the loss. Luvinson Pierre reeled in a 75-yard pass for a touchdown, while Decker Crosby converted on a seven-yard catch.

− Staff Report

LaBelle 9, Florida Christian 2

LaBelle came out on top of a rain-delayed slugfest on the road Friday, downing Florida Christian 9-2.

Darian Robinson had the Cowboys' lone touchdown, while Ottis Robinson blocked a punt that resulted in a saftey.

− Staff Report

Other Scores:

Dunbar 35, Clewiston 7

Moore Haven 58, Gateway Charter 0

Community School of Naples 14, Northside Christian 0

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Football Week 5: Bishop Verot, Mariner stay unbeaten, Estero hands Cape Coral first loss