High School Football: Week 11 Southwest Florida previews and predictions
Preview capsules and predictions for Southwest Florida high school football games being played on Thursday, Nov. 2 and 3. All games are at 7:30 p.m. unless noted. Rankings are based on The News-Press and Naples Daily News Top 10.
GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 7 Barron Collier (7-2) at No. 9 Gulf Coast (5-3)
Time: 7 p.m.
Radio: 105.9 FM
What to watch for – Barron Collier: The Cougars are continuing to put together solid performances, most recently a 34-7 win over St. Brendan in which the team ran for 204 yards while passing for 143. Brody Graham once again stood out, catching seven passes for 107 yards and two touchdowns from quarterback Niko Boyce, who completed 15 of 28 passes while adding 53 rushing yards and a score. Reese Van Gemert had a strong outing defensively for Barron, finishing with a team-high seven tackles and three for loss. In the Catfish Bowl rivalry between the Cougars and the Sharks, the two teams are tied 3-3 in their last six meetings, with the largest margin of victory in those six games being 33 points in favor of the Cougars in 2017. Gulf Coast: The Sharks will look to turn the page quickly after a 13-10 heartbreaker to Immokalee for the Class 4S-District 16 championship. Gulf Coast played a strong game, but couldn’t get a game-tying field goal to go in the closing stages. Jace Seyler has given this offense some stability at quarterback, as he completed 10 of 16 passes for 116 yards, while leading the ground game with 47 rushing yards. If this is a field position game between the two sides, advantage Sharks, as Alex Ghelman’s average punt is going just under 42 yards, with a long of 61 yards and 18 punts inside the 20-yard line.
The News-Press/Naples Daily News pick: Barron Collier 24, Gulf Coast 20
Palmetto Ridge (1-8) at No. 3 Golden Gate (7-2)
Time: 7 p.m.
What to watch for – Palmetto Ridge: The Bears got their first win of the season under coach Zach Yates, snapping a 15-game losing streak with a 46-7 win over DeSoto County. Demetri Zertopoulis led an offense that saw five different players score touchdowns, as the quarterback threw two touchdowns to Mark Whalen and Julian Corzo, while adding a rushing score. Whalen scored on the ground as well, as did Aiden Passelle. Defensively, the Bears defense got on the board with Owen Pratt's scoop and score. In the Battle of the Gate between these two squads, Golden Gate leads the all-time series, 10-9 winning four of the last six matchups. Golden Gate: The Titans were not going to be stopped Friday, dominating in a 38-7 win over Lely to move to 7-2 on the season, and 3-0 under interim coach Tommy Kleinmeyer. Golden Gate saw its rushing attack go for 262 yards, as Trayvon Jean ran for 171 yards and two scores. Do-it-all offensive star John Lee Honorat added 73 yards rushing and two touchdowns, along with 29 yards receiving. The offense is averaging 35.9 points per game while allowing just 16.7 points per game, compared to Palmetto Ridge, which is scoring 15.3 points and allowing 37.4 points on average.
The News-Press/Naples Daily News pick: Golden Gate 47, Palmetto Ridge 7
No. 5 Dunbar (7-2) at Lehigh (3-6)
What to watch for – Dunbar: The Tigers clinched a district championship for the third consecutive year with a 41-17 win against South Fort Myers last week. The team scored three defensive touchdowns, and Chris Singleton rushed for 115 yards and two touchdowns. Singleton has now gone for more than 100 yards in four of his last six games. The defense is limiting opponents to 18 points a game. The last time the Tigers faced Lehigh, they won 17-0. Lehigh: Lehigh is putting together its best stretch of the season after a pair of dominant wins against North Fort Myers and Riverdale, who they defeated 48-14 last week. In that one, quarterback Dorian Mallary accounted for six touchdowns – four through the air and two on the ground. His favorite target was Terrance Smith Jr., who caught seven passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns in the win. Smith is averaging nearly 100 receiving yards a game.
The News-Press/Naples Daily News pick: Dunbar 28, Lehigh 17
Cape Coral (4-5) at No. 6 Fort Myers (7-2)
Time: 7 p.m. Thursday
What to watch for – Cape Coral: The Seahawks have lost five consecutive games, most recently a 50-34 setback to rival Mariner in the ‘Black and Blue Bowl.’ After allowing an average of fewer than six points per game in its four-game winning streak to open the season, Cape Coral’s defense has allowed nearly 37 points per game during its losing skid. Penalties have also been a season-long issue for the Seahawks, who committed 11 for 100-plus yards in last week’s loss to the Tritons. Fort Myers: The Green Wave are comfortably in the Class 3S playoffs and could solidify their seeding with a strong performance against the Seahawks. Fort Myers is coming off a 38-0 win at Cypress Lake, its largest margin of victory this season. Senior quarterback Chris McFoley passed for 166 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for another score in the victory. The Green Wave are 23-7 all-time against Cape Coral.
The News-Press/Naples Daily News pick: Fort Myers 42, Cape Coral 14
No. 8 Immokalee (5-4) at Lely (4-5)
What to watch for – Immokalee: The Indians are carrying a lot of momentum into this game, having come off a 13-10 win on the road over Gulf Coast last week for the Class 4S-District 16 championship. Immokalee was scoreless in the second half, but a methodical score from Jayden Mixon and a big screen pass to Justin Compere gave Redwood enough to score. Two years after playing as an FHSAA independent, Immokalee is trending in the right direction, and will look to secure its first winning season since 2017, when the program went 13-1 and lost in the Class 5A state semifinals. None of Immokalee’s seniors have beaten the Trojans, having gone 0-3 with an average loss margin of 16.3 points in each of those games. Lely: The Trojans were unable to get off the schneid last week, as the losing streak went to three with a 38-7 loss to rival Golden Gate. It’s been a rough stretch for Lely, having lost their last three games by 37, 18, and 31 points to Naples, Barron Collier, and the Titans. Nino Joseph had his moments against Golden Gate, capitalizing on tempo and rushing for 125 yards and a score, although he was held to 11 rushes for 25 yards in the second half. Gage Rice led the receiving corps with four catches for 22 yards, and will need to likely double that stat line should the Trojans get into a shootout with Immokalee. This game has no playoff implications for either side, as Lely is mathematically out, while Immokalee is playing for seeding before the postseason next week.
The News-Press/Naples Daily News pick: Immokalee 28, Lely 14
Bonita Springs (1-8) at No. 10 Estero (7-2)
What to watch for – Bonita Springs: Despite their 1-8 record, expect the Bull Sharks to get up for the Jaws vs. Claws rivalry game against the Wildcats. Last week, they fell to Naples 41-6. The offense has struggled to get going this year and has only topped 10 points once this season. Chase Garcia is the team’s leading rusher, averaging 58 rushing yards a game and scoring two touchdowns. Last year, the Bull Sharks lost this game 35-17 to the Wildcats. Estero: The Wildcats fell to Bishop Verot in the Class 2S-District 16 title game last week. The team was shut out 52-0, snapping a seven-game winning streak. Running back Malik Allen passed the 1,000-yard benchmark this season and scored seven touchdowns. The defense has played a crucial role in the team’s success, coming up with 29 takeaways so far this season. Though a playoff berth looks likely, don’t expect the Wildcats to rest any starters in this rivalry game.
The News-Press/Naples Daily News pick: Estero 30, Bonita Springs 10
Mariner (8-1) at South Fort Myers (5-4)
What to watch for – Mariner: The Tritons are coming off a 50-34 win over Cape Coral in the 37th annual Black and Blue Bowl, a victory that gives them a 19-18 series lead. Senior Kelvin Jimenez had three touchdowns (two receiving, one rushing) and on the defensive side of the ball racked up four sacks. Senior Justin Lewis stepped in at quarterback for an injured Noah Tolbert and completed 8-of-13 passes for 146 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 36 yards and another score. As the District 3S-14 champions, Mariner has already clinched a state playoff berth but a win over the Wolfpack could improve their postseason seed. South Fort Myers: The Wolfpack’s postseason hopes took a hit last week with a 41-17 loss at District 3S-15 rival Dunbar. Turnovers doomed South against the Tigers, who scored three defensive touchdowns. Senior wide receiver Justin White provided one of the lone offensive highlights with a 16-yard touchdown catch, his eighth receiving touchdown of the season. Depending upon other results in Class 3S, a win over Mariner may not be enough to get the Wolfpack into the state playoffs but it would allow South to finish with its fourth winning record in head coach Willis May’s five seasons.
The News-Press/Naples Daily News pick: South Fort Myers 24, Mariner 21
Community School (8-1) at Evangelical Christian (6-3)
Time: 7:15 p.m.
What to watch for – Community School: The Seahawks fell to First Baptist 42-2 last week in the 1S-District 8 championship for their first loss of the season. The loss marked the first time this year CSN’s defense allowed more than 13 points, as Lions’ quarterback Ethan Crossan went 13-of-20 for 318 passing yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. Jayden Petit tallied six catches for 192 yards and two touchdowns. The Seahawks will face another surgical quarterback in Tanner Helton this week, and how the defense rebounds against the Sentinels will be a deciding factor. Emrhe Pray blocked a punt for the Seahawks that resulted in a safety and CSN’s lone score. Evangelical Christian: The Sentinels made quick work of SFCA in last week’s Class 1S-District 7 title game, winning 63-7. Helton finished 12-of-16 for 258 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions. The run-game balanced out the overwhelming attack, with LJ Blackwell rushing for 173 yards and two touchdowns and Jamarion McElroy rushing for 104 yards and one touchdown on just five carries each. They’ll have to have another efficient night on offense again, as the Seahawk defense allowed just 5.4 points per game before last week’s blowout loss to First Baptist and will be looking to right the ship on that side of the ball.
The News-Press/Naples Daily News pick: Evangelical Christian 32, Community School of Naples 21
Port Charlotte (7-2) at Island Coast (4-5)
Time: 7 p.m.
What to watch for – Port Charlotte: The Pirates defeated Parrish 49-10 last week to win the District 3S-13 championship. Port Charlotte has won four in a row, outscoring its opponents 217-33 during the stretch. The Pirates are holding opponents to an average of 13.3 points per game. Running backs Edd Guerrier and Ike Perry have combined to rush for 1,309 yards and 23 touchdowns this season. Island Coast: The Gators are coming off a 42-0 loss to North Fort Myers which saw them lose leading rusher Gervaris Leaphart after just three carries to an injury. Island Coast has scored seven or fewer points in all five of its losses this season and may struggle to surpass that total against a sturdy Port Charlotte defense.
The News-Press/Naples Daily News pick: Port Charlotte 42, Island Coast 7
North Fort Myers (2-7) at Riverdale (2-7)
What to watch for – North Fort Myers: The Red Knights snapped a three-game winning streak with a decisive 42-0 win at Island Coast. Junior Kirtis Denham rushed for two touchdowns and also returned a kickoff 80 yards for another score. North’s defense limited the Gators to just 47 total yards, forced three turnovers and had seven sacks. Despite being five games under .500, the Red Knights have outscored their opponents 207-200 through nine games, losing four contests by seven or fewer points. Riverdale: The Raiders are coming off a 48-14 loss to neighborhood Lehigh. Riverdale rushed for 300-plus yards against the Lightning, but its defense surrendered nearly 500. For the season, the Raiders’ ground-based attack is averaging 261 rushing yards per game with junior Cole Hayes leading all Southwest Florida rushers with 1,503 yards. He’ll face a stout defensive front for the Red Knights, which features two of the area’s best defensive tackles in senior Adrian Stone and sophomore James Johnson.
The News-Press/Naples Daily News pick: North Fort Myers 38, Riverdale 14
Gateway (1-8) at East Lee County (4-5)
What to watch for – Gateway: This is the Ruler of the Realm rivalry game. Last year, the Eagles came out on top 20-0. The Eagles are 1-8 this year, coming off a 42-0 shutout loss to Key West. The Conchs put up more than 400 yards rushing against Gateway. Justin Jean-Louis led the team with 11 tackles, including three for a loss. Running back Oscar Martinez, who has three rushing scores, is nearing 500 yards on the ground. East Lee County: After a 47-3 win against Aubrey Rogers last week, the Jaguars have a chance to finish the season at .500. Running back Lazaro Rogers had a day against the Patriots, running for 201 yards and four touchdowns. Rogers has carried the ball 187 times for 1,328 yards and 14 touchdowns so far this season. Victor Georges caught his fourth touchdown pass in the game. Georges is also making a big impact on defense at safety with 65 tackles, four interceptions and three forced fumbles. The team has won three of its last four games.
The News-Press/Naples Daily News pick: East Lee County 32, Gateway 15
SFCA (2-7) at IMG Academy Blue (0-5)
Time: 7 p.m. Thursday
What to watch for – SFCA: The King’s fell to Evangelical Christian 63-7, and enter their final regular season game looking to break a three-game skid. Getting healthy will be a priority for SFCA, who were missing six starters in last week’s loss. The defense will likely have a bounce back night after having allowed 542 yards of total offense in the loss to the Sentinels. The Crusaders did rush for 229 yards against a stout Community School of Naples front, and how the King’s contain that run game may be the deciding factor. Senior quarterback Eli Moore will suit up for his final game at SFCA, and will be looking to leave his mark on a defense that is allowing 34 points per game. IMG Blue: The winless Crusaders will shake off the rust for this week’s matchup after falling to Community School of Naples 41-13 in week nine. IMG balanced a tough night in the air (7-for-21 for 44 yards, one touchdown, and one interception) with three ball-carriers combining for 229 rushing yards and one touchdown. If the Crusaders want to find the win column for the first time this year, they’ll have to find a way to build on that ground attack. On the other side of the ball, IMG allowed 430 yards of offense, and will face a skilled quarterback in Moore who will make the most of any Crusader miscues.
The News-Press/Naples Daily News pick: SFCA 28, IMG Blue 21
Ida Baker (0-9) at Palmetto (4-4)
Time: 7 p.m.
What to watch for – Ida Baker: The Bulldogs lost 44-7 to visiting Charlotte last week. Senior Brendon Donnelly scored on an 80-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter to help Ida Baker avoid its third consecutive shutout loss. Palmetto: The Tigers dropped a 38-33 decision to district rival Manatee last week but still appear to be locked in to a state playoff berth. Palmetto has struggled to keep opponents out of the end zone this season, allowing an average of 33.1 points per game. Offensively, Palmetto features a balanced attack, averaging 149 passing yards and 155 rushing yards per game. Senior Davaughn Thomas leads the Tigers with 733 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns.
The News-Press/Naples Daily News pick: Palmetto 42, Ida Baker 7
ABF Academy (0-3-1) at Aubrey Rogers (1-8)
Time: 6 p.m.
What to watch for – ABF Academy: The Cowboys are coming off a 49-22 loss to Florida Christian, as the Patriots ran for 264 yards on 33 attempts on ABF Academy. Florida Christian also played Aubrey Rogers this season and won 14-6 in Week 2. Aubrey Rogers: The Patriots were unable to get much going against East Lee County, falling 47-3 to the Jaguars. Aubrey Rogers failed to get a run game going, rushing for 9 yards on 16 attempts, while completing 6 of 24 passes for 64 yards. The Jaguars totaled 413 yards of offense against Aubrey Rogers, who will look to finish its first season as a program with a 2-8 record.
The News-Press/Naples Daily News Pick: Aubrey Rogers 21, ABF Academy 10
Oasis (6-3) at Saint Stephen's (7-2)
Time: 7 p.m.
What to watch for – Oasis: This is an SSAA 5A semifinal contest between the Sharks and Falcons, also a rematch from two weeks ago. The last time these two teams met, St. Stephen’s won 29-7. Parker Smith finished 7-of-23 for 107 yards in the loss while being sacked eight times, and the run game struggled to find their momentum. The Sharks managed just 69 rushing yards on 29 carries in the loss. They allowed the Falcons to go for 322 yards of total offense in the win, with a near even split on the ground and in the air. For the Sharks to keep their championship aspirations alive, the defense will have to find a way to limit Evan Brown, who scored four touchdowns either in the air or on the ground in their last matchup Saint Stephen's: In the Falcons’ 29-7 win over Oasis two weeks ago, Brown finished an efficient night at 10-of-15 in the air for 154 yards and one touchdown, and 132 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns on 17 carries. How Brown tests the Sharks defense again will be pivotal in this semifinal matchup. The Falcon defense exposed the Sharks offensive line, sacking Smith eight times while tallying 16 tackles for loss.
The News-Press/Naples Daily News pick: Saint Stephen's 32, Oasis 14
Harvest Community (3-6) at Canterbury (3-6)
Time: 6:30 p.m.
What to watch for – Harvest Community: This is the SSAA Class 2A championship between the Cougars and the Warriors. The Warriors downed Duval Charter 41-7 last week. Harvest Community finished the win 10-of-20 in the air for 202 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions as six different ball carriers combined for 131 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 27 carries. On defense, the Warriors tallied two interceptions, two sacks, five tackles for loss, a blocked punt, and five fumble recoveries. Expect a hard-nosed effort on either side of the ball from Harvest Community. Canterbury: The Cougars defeated Santa Fe Catholic 42-13 last week. Joe De La Nuez tallied 118 rushing yards and two touchdowns on just six touches, and also took a kick return 81 yards for a house call. Brenden Daller added 119 rushing yards and two touchdowns on nine carries. Expect the duo to carry the load once again in this championship matchup. Canterbury reeled in three interceptions in the win over the Hawks, and how they build on that success will be key for the Cougars.
The News-Press/Naples Daily News pick: Canterbury 21, Harvest Community 13
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Naples, Cape Coral, Fort Myers area Week 11 high school football previews, predictions
