Naples' Rick Martin, Lely's Ben Hammer set to square off for first time in Coconut Bowl

Close to a dozen years ago, Ben Hammer took a trip to Florida.

Hammer, then an assistant at Pinecrest (N.C.), wasn't down in the state to vacation.

He and other assistants on staff were with Chris Metzger, who served as head coach at Lely from 2003-06 and was in his third season with Pinecrest at the time. The purpose of the trip? To learn and gain a better understanding of the split back veer, which Naples successfully ran under Bill Kramer in the 2000s, winning two state titles.

Hammer stayed with one of Kramer's proteges at the time -- Rick Martin.

A mere decade-plus after that encounter, Martin and Hammer are set to meet for the first time as head coaches in the 50th annual Coconut Bowl between Naples and Lely, set for Friday night at Trojan Stadium.

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“I was an assistant coach, and we didn’t run the same concept, but we ran a similar split back veer,” Hammer said. “At the time, Paul Horne was recognized as the offensive line guy to talk to for the split back veer when he was working with coach Kramer. I’d come down and study with them because we didn’t have spring ball. I’d come down and watch, and be around for whatever I could and study. We’d also go to Carson Newman, as they ran split back veer as well.”

Martin recounted the time when he hosted Hammer, describing the fact that the two will get to coach against each other as unique. Naples will look to extend its win streak in the rivalry to 14 consecutive wins, which already serves as the longest winning streak for either side. The Golden Eagles lead the all-time series, 34-15.

“I was young, but I remember those guys coming down and doing things with us,” Martin said. “Whether it was weight room, whether it was offense or defense. Coach Horne had a lot to do with a lot of the stuff he did at the time and giving whatever advice he needed to give those guys.

"I respect the heck out of Lely, I respect the heck out of coach Hammer. It’s cool that me and him get to do this thing together. It’s really cool for that to happen.”

This year's Lely team has found its footing under Hammer, off to a 4-2 start in his first season. The Trojans have found success in the backfield, whether it be sophomore Jayvian Tanelus (76 carries, 454 yards, 6 TDs), or freshman Nino Joseph (49 carries, 408 yards, 3 TDs).

Tanelus will be unavailable Friday for the Trojans, but Joseph has filled the void well, with three straight 100-plus yard games along with a 200-yard effort. In just three games as a full-time starter, Joseph is up to 557 yards rushing.

"Nino's done a great job of being tough and running in between the tackles," Hammer said. "He's got a great running backs coach. Coach (Ross) Baker has done a great job as the offensive coordinator, setting him up for success. It's been good. Nino's done an awesome job."

As for the Golden Eagles, Martin and company enter with a talented stable of backs, headlined by Shawn Simeon, who leads the team with 713 rushing yards and 9 touchdowns on 70 carries. Five Naples players have over 30 carries on the season, as the unit is averaging 9.5 yards per carry with 29 touchdowns.

This year's 9.5 yards per carry is an uptick from last year's 8.5 yards per carry for a Naples backfield that featured a pair of 1,000-yard rushers in Kendrick Raphael (N.C. State) and Isaiah Augustave (Arkansas) as the primary ball handlers a season ago. Four players have four or more touchdowns thus far, as Jamar Jerome (70 carries, 629 yards) has seven touchdowns, followed by quarterbacks Jack Melton (43 carries, 232 yards, 6 TDs) and Carter Quinn (35 carries, 258 yards, 4 TDs).

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"Our offensive line coach, Bronze Bruland, who had to replace at least at Naples High School, the legendary figure of coach Horne, has done an amazing job of stepping into that role," Martin said. "Our guys have really been internally motivated to work extremely hard every single day.

"All the credit goes to them, getting better every single day. I think we just continue to take a step in the right direction at every practice, and every game, and hopefully continue to do that."

For either side to win on Friday, they know winning the line of scrimmage will be critical. The Trojans are averaging just over four tackles per loss per game, compared to Naples' 11 tackles for loss per game. Defending Khari Bendolph has been a challenge for every offense thus far, as the defensive lineman has 32 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, and 12 sacks.

"We just try to worry about ourselves," Martin said. "If we prepare the way we know how to, and we execute the way we know how to and play our game, no matter what happens, I'm going to be satisfied. Like I said before, I have a tremendous amount of respect for Lely. I'm looking forward to a good game on Friday."

Hammer knows to expect a healthy dose of running the football and hopes that those days studying with Martin, Horne, Kramer, and others come to fruition to snap a 13-year drought. Lely's defense has allowed just one game over 30 points this season, while the Naples offense has eclipsed that mark in five of its seven games.

"It doesn't take studying with Naples' staff to have to know that they're going to run the football," Hammer said. "Obviously they're going to run the football. They're very, very talented on defense this year. They have a bunch of good players. But, we're still going to do everything in our power to try and kick their butts."

Follow Southwest Florida Sports Reporter Alex Martin on X: @NP_AlexMartin. For the best sports coverage in Southwest Florida, follow @newspresssports and @ndnprepzone on Instagram.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Naples Golden Eagles and Lely Trojans set to meet in 50th Coconut Bowl