The 15 must-watch Southwest Florida high school football games for the 2023 regular season
Where did the offseason go? High school football practices begin Monday and that means Friday Night Lights are on the horizon.
With that in mind, The News-Press and the Naples Daily News have selected 15 games we think will be among the best matchups in Southwest Florida, one (and in some cases two) for every week of the regular season.
More: 2023 weekly high school football schedule for Collier, Lee and LaBelle
Here's a look at why these are the can't miss games (so far) of the 2023 season.
Week 1 (Aug. 24-25)
Port Charlotte at Bishop Verot: This Thursday night regular-season opener will serve as an early bellwether for two teams that are looking to make deep playoff runs in their respective classes. Last year’s meeting featured plenty of offensive fireworks with Bishop Verot holding on for a 57-49 victory. Junior QB Carter Smith, the reigning Southwest Florida Offensive Player of the Year, will face off against a stout Port Charlotte defensive front led by junior DL Myron Charles.
North Fort Myers at Fort Myers: This year’s Battle of the Caloosahatchee has a little extra juice as it will be the first game for the Green Wave on their new synthetic turf field, part of a $1 million Edison Stadium renovation. This is the 50th consecutive year these teams have squared off and the 56th meeting overall. Fort Myers is 40-15 all-time against the Red Knights, but North has won four of the past six in the series and three in a row, including a 16-10 overtime decision last year. The Green Wave need just three wins to reach the 700-victory plateau. This will be the regular season head coaching debut for North’s David Pasquale, the former Cape Coral High standout, who replaces Dwayne Mack.
Week 2 (Sept. 1)
Immokalee at Golden Gate: This is a matchup of two teams that are poised to take a step forward in 2023. Neither team posted a winning record last season but each lost three games by seven or fewer points. For Golden Gate, that included a 20-17 setback to the Indians. Senior dual-threat QB Trannon Villarreal, who had 200-plus rushing yards in last year’s win, figures to again put plenty of pressure on the Titans’ defense. Golden Gate will counter with a pair of explosive playmakers in 5-foot-11 senior WR John Lee Honorat and 6-foot-3 junior WR/DB Bradley Martino. This will be the 18th all-time meeting between the programs with Immokalee winning 13 of the previous 17 matchups.
Week 3 (Sept. 8)
Bishop Verot at Dunbar: These teams reached the state semifinals in their respective classes last season and are hoping to go further in 2023. The Tigers won last year’s meeting 44-27, scoring 31 unanswered points to wipe out an early deficit. Bishop Verot, which led the area in scoring in 2022, will again boast plenty of offensive firepower led by Smith, senior TE Timmy Lawson, and sophomore RB Deshon Jenkins. Dunbar will counter with a defense that will likely again be one of Southwest Florida’s best, powered by senior DE Vanier Baptiste and senior DB Kelby Tyre. The Tigers also boast two of the area’s best pass catchers in senior WRs T.J. Abrams and Eric Fletcher.
Week 4 (Sept. 15)
Fort Myers at Dunbar: This neighborhood rivalry has produced a number of memorable games including last year’s thrilling 29-27 overtime win by the Tigers. Dunbar scored 14 points in the last three minutes to force the extra session and foiled a 2-point conversion to defeat Fort Myers and capture the District 3S-15 title. The Tigers have won three consecutive games in this series and a talented Green Wave crop of seniors, led by QB Chris McFoley, WR Alex Thelusma and TE Grant Coppens, would like nothing better than to close out their varsity careers with their first victory over Dunbar. The all-time series between these programs is tied 8-8.
First Baptist at Bishop Verot: The defending Class 1S state champion Lions scored a season-high 56 points in last season’s two-touchdown win over the Vikings, their first victory over Bishop Verot. First Baptist graduated a number of key performers from last year’s squad but do return junior QB Ethan Crossan, who passed for nearly 2,000 yards and 25 touchdowns.
Week 5 (Sept. 22)
Fort Myers at Charlotte: This will be the 71st meeting between the Green Wave and the Tarpons with the teams first facing in 1935. Fort Myers, who has played Charlotte more than any other opponent, leads the all-time series 44-25-1. The Green Wave figure to have the most explosive player on the field in junior WR/DB Madrid Tucker, who is a threat to score every time he touches the football. The Tarpons are coming off a 2-7 finish under first-year head coach Cory Mentzer, their worst showing since 2005. Charlotte opened the season with seven consecutive losses, including a 34-23 setback to Fort Myers. In just his second year, Mentzer will be the longest-tenured coach in District 4S-15 with opponents Lehigh, Riverdale and Ida Baker all hiring new coaches.
Week 6 (Sept. 29)
Naples at Barron Collier: The Golden Eagles have won 25 consecutive games against the Cougars, including a 41-23 decision last season. Barron Collier, which is 10-33 all-time versus its Collier rival, last defeated the Golden Eagles in 1998, the first of Hall of Fame coach Bill Kramer’s 22 seasons with Naples. That was also the last season the Golden Eagles finished with a losing record. Junior QB Niko Boyce, who played at Naples last season, is back with the Cougars and will lead their pass-heavy attack. Barron Collier will have a veteran-laden team this fall, especially on defense where senior LB Josh Guitard and senior DB Alec Garcia will be keys to slowing down the Golden Eagles’ explosive offensive attack.
Week 7 (Oct. 6)
Bishop Verot at Tampa Jesuit: The Vikings, who are gunning for their second consecutive regional title, will get the opportunity to test themselves against a perennial state power. The host Tigers, who won a state title in 2021, have advanced to the final four in seven of the previous eight seasons, including last year where they lost to eventual Class 3M champ St. Thomas Aquinas. Jesuit sophomore QB Will Griffin has an impressive varsity debut, throwing for 1,600-plus yards and 18 touchdowns as a freshman. Defensively, the Tigers return a slew of talent, led by senior LB Drew Woodaz (Clemson commit) and senior DE Peter Pesansky (North Carolina), that will look to slow down Bishop Verot’s high-powered offense
Week 8 (Oct. 13)
Mariner at North Fort Myers: The Tritons, fresh off a 5-3 finish, their first winning season since 2007, are serious contenders for the District 3S-14 title. To earn that, they’ll have to find a way to get past the Red Knights, who have beaten Mariner seven consecutive times, outscoring the Tritons by a combined 289-69. However, the Tritons bring back a number of key players on both sides of the ball, led by senior QB/LB Noah Tolbert, senior ATH/DB Justin Lewis, senior WR/DE Kelvin Jimenez and senior TE/LB Denis Schmidt. North meanwhile lost a number of key performers, especially on the offensive and defensive lines, but do return senior QB Bryce Duross and RB Andre Devine.
Week 9 (Oct. 20)
Naples at Plantation American Heritage: The Golden Eagles lost two regular season games last season, both to eventual state runners-up in Venice and the Patriots, who defeated Naples 35-17. American Heritage, which fell 38-31 to state power Miami Central in the Class 2M title game, lost 27 seniors from last year’s team. Naples brings back one of the area’s top recruits in senior DB Kensley Faustin, an Auburn commit, along with fellow senior DB Ben Bouzi and senior DL Luke Walker.
IMG at Ida Baker: The game offers the opportunity for Southwest Florida high school football fans to see one of the nation’s best teams in action. IMG features seven of the state’s top 25 recruits according to 247Sports, including senior DB Ellis Robinson IV (Georgia commit), senior DL David Stone, senior WR NiTareon Tuggle (Georgia) and senior RB Jerrick Gibson (Texas). While it is unknown how many of these stars will make the trip to Ida Baker, the game will give the Bulldogs an opportunity to measure themselves against the best of the best in new coach Steve Howard’s first season.
Week 10 (Oct. 27)
Riverdale at Lehigh: This 27th annual Battle for the Bell will also play a role in determining the District 4S-15 playoff race. The Lightning lead the all-time series 14-12 and have beaten Riverdale four years in a row, including last year’s 35-0 shutout which saw the Raiders muster less than 100 yards of offense. Both teams will have new coaches this fall with Kendoll Gibson taking over at Riverdale and Antwan Dixon leading Lehigh. The Raiders have a huge anchor up front in 6-foot-8, 285-pound junior OL Cole Cooke while the Lightning return junior dual-threat QB Dorian Mallory.
Cape Coral at Mariner: These neighborhood rivals are also District 3S-14 foes and this game known as the Black and Blue Bowl will have serious postseason implications. Mariner pulled out a 19-12 win on a go-ahead 55-yard touchdown pass with less than a minute remaining, its fourth win in its last five meetings with Cape Coral. The Seahawks are coming off a 2-6 finish last year, but four of its six losses came by eight or fewer points.
Week 11 (Nov. 3)
Barron Collier at Gulf Coast: The 26th annual Catfish Bowl has been one of the area’s most competitive rivalry games in recent years, with the teams splitting the last eight meetings. Gulf Coast has won two in a row in the series, including last year’s 24-7 decision. The Sharks are coming off an 8-3 finish and their first district title in six years but lost leading passer and rusher Konner Barrett and their top four pass catchers to graduation.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Best games of the 2023 high school football season in Lee, Collier
