SWFL Preseason Football: Barron Collier, Naples, Bishop Verot, ECS, Fort Myers score wins
A roundup of preseason Southwest Florida high school football games from Thursday, Aug. 17, and Friday, Aug. 18.
Barron Collier 38, Estero 14
For two and a half quarters, the Barron Collier football team was trying to find its footing against a stingy Estero squad that wasn’t letting the Cougars have anything easy.
Then, the second half finally made way for the home team.
The Cougars’ run game came alive as the game progressed, rushing for 221 yards in a 38-14 win over the Wildcats, which finished 8-2 last season with a regional quarterfinal appearance in Class 2S.
The Barron defense slowly started to have its way up front after initially struggling to contain running back Malik Allen, who finished with 36 yards on 16 attempts. Matt Wilson was sacked twice and picked off once by the Cougars, but completed 17 of 29 passes for 206 yards with a touchdown through the air and on the ground.
Barron Collier takeaways
1. In their own way. The Cougars struggled to sustain drives early on, with drives either stalling or resulting in turnovers. The Wildcats held their own in certain situations, but a few key penalties plagued the Cougars, most notably when Niko Boyce extended a play that should've resulted in a rushing touchdown. However, Barron’s defense rose to the occasion, taking advantage of Estero miscues and turning them into quick points. “I thought our defense played well for a majority of the night,” Barron Collier coach Mark Jackson said. “We had a couple of silly plays we gave up, but I think our defense swarmed to the ball well. We were physical. I think that was probably the most physical defense that played since I’ve played here. We’ve got to continue to do that.”
2. Spreading it around. While Boyce’s top target was Brody Graham, who caught nine passes for 174 yards and a score, he incorporated more than just his top target. The junior quarterback completed passes to seven different receivers on Friday. “Caden Hudson (6 receptions, 45 yards) gave us a spark,” Jackson said. “We woke up. We started playing like we were capable of playing. It’s hard not coming out in full pads and pants. This is the first time we’ve put pants on all week.”
3. Balanced attack. As much as Jackson likes having Boyce at quarterback, he expressed a desire to run the football effectively. That was the case as the passing/rushing split was 263-221. Jackson Polly, Juan Acuna, Braden Johnson, and Will Branscum had one house call apiece. “If we can run the ball, we can play with anybody,” Jackson said. “That’s always a key. We’ve got to be physical up front.”
Estero takeaways
1. Working with 34. Between the inability to practice outside for much of preseason camp and lacking depth, that certainly showed as the game inched closer to triple zeros in the fourth quarter. Darren Nelson has just 34 varsity players this season, with many going both ways. “I think it all starts with the players believing,” Nelson said. “I was really proud of how we hung in there. We got a lot of guys going both ways, and they’re hanging in there. They battled. I love them. It starts with them believing and their want to. If we’ve got a dirty 30 out there, we’re going to give you everything we’ve got. We’re not gonna quit.”
2. Have a night, Drew Arrington. Coming off a season in which he caught just two passes for 16 yards, the senior wideout caught seven passes from Wilson for 128 yards with a score and picked off Boyce on the defensive side getting a start at corner. “We were thin at corner, and he stepped up,” Nelson said. “That was his first start at corner and really playing a lot, and I thought he played really well. At receiver, he certainly wasn’t a surprise.”
3. Rapido! That will be a point of emphasis in practice next week before the Wildcats take on First Baptist. Nelson had to burn three of his six total timeouts to avoid delay of game penalties. “Some of that in the second half was making sure we got the right guys off the field and getting the right guys on,” Nelson said. “The first half, we had one that was totally my fault. I was messing around trying to get the punt team guys ready. That’s an area we’ve got to clean up and get better at.”
— Alex Martin
Naples 14, Gulf Coast 7
Although the only thing that counts in preseason games is injuries, Naples coach Rick Martin was nonetheless impressed with the defense his team showed in the Golden Eagles’ preseason game with Gulf Coast Friday night.
Naples held the Sharks to only 115 yards, which left a positive impact on Martin.
Although the game was hardly a big show of offensive fireworks, Naples had some players that appeared to be in midseason form, such as Shawn Simeon, who ran for 127 yards and two scores.
Peyton Hale led Gulf Coast with 84 yards rushing while scrambling at quarterback.
Simeon scored on a 7-yard run with seven minutes left in the second. Then Naples recovered a Gulf Coast fumble on the ensuing kickoff, and Simeon plunged in again three minutes later to put the home team up 14-0.
The Sharks kept it interesting in the second half when Oliver Price returned a fumble for a score, and Gulf Coast also lucked out when the Golden Eagles missed a field goal. But Gulf Coast could get no closer.
Naples takeaways
1. The Golden Eagles' offense can both pass and throw the ball. On its first possession, Naples handed off to Simeon and Jack Melton exclusively to drive deep into Gulf Coast's end of the field. On Naples' first touchdown, Melton had some quick-strike passes to Evan Odom and Martavion Young to set up the score.
2. Naples can control the ball. By churning out the yards on the ground and forcing a turnover, the Golden Eagles held the Sharks to only 42 yards in the first half. “Defense is something we hang our hat on,” said Naples coach Rick Martin. “We put our best guys back there, and we let those guys run around. They did exactly what we thought they’d do. We know we have a good defense.”
3. Korben Parish led the Naples linebacking corps with an interception in the third quarter.
Gulf Coast takeaways
1. The Shark defense was solid in limiting Naples to only 14 points and came up big on a few plays. They stuffed the Eagles on a fourth-and-1 call deep in their own end of the field to deny Naples a score. The Sharks would also deny a fourth down try by the Golden Eagles in the third quarter.
2. Turnovers worked against Gulf Coast. “We gave up the ball twice, and one led to a (Naples) score. We got a score on a turnover,” Gulf Coast coach Todd Nichols said. “That was the biggest thing football-wise we took away from this game. Defensively, I thought we played really well,” Nichols said. “Defense is usually always ahead of offense this time of year. We played hard, and the coaches did a great job of preparing the players.”
3. Nichols was probably most thankful that Gulf Coast survived the game without significant injury. “We came out of this pretty clean,” Nichols said. “Naples is a physical team, but we’re pretty physical too. You saw that out here tonight. We’ve got some young bodies, and we’ll be ready to go next week.”
— Tom Corwin
Immokalee 48, North Miami 15
It wasn’t always pretty, but the Indians earned the preseason victory over the visiting Pioneers.
Immokalee often shot itself in the foot with penalties and mishandled snaps, but it used a dominant performance from its offensive line and several big plays to pull out the victory.
Senior quarterback Trannon Villarreal threw two first-half touchdown passes – including a 45-yard strike to junior receiver Omarion Carter to open the scoring. Chris Germinal’s 70-yard pick-six in the third quarter brought the crowd to its feet, as Germinal was greeted by virtually the entire Immokalee team running down the sideline alongside him.
The Indians briefly trailed 8-7 when a busted coverage resulted in a long Pioneers touchdown pass to Nick Valbrun but took control in the second quarter. Sophomore running back Justin Compere’s 9-yard scamper put the Indians up to stay, and Villarreal found Chandron Pierre for a 17-yard score to extend the lead.
Immokalee takeaways
1. The Indians racked up 17 penalties, but they got huge plays in all three phases of the game to pull away. Immokalee’s defense forced four turnovers and the offense moved the ball at will, capped off by a dazzling 90-yard touchdown run by Compere in the fourth quarter.
2. The Indians’ offensive and defensive fronts looked outstanding. The group of Jordan Martinez, Jamesly Jean-Louis, Izzy Lobe, Gus Rios, Isaiah Martinez, Isaac Martinez and Aidan Soto combined to control things up front on both sides of the ball. Jean-Louis recorded a big sack to get the Indians off the field during a second-quarter possession.
3. Immokalee features one of the area’s best kickers in senior Julian Saldana. The Indians’ starting soccer goaltender came out for the team last year and consistently booms deep He showed a deft touch in the first half, pinning the Pioneers at their own 1. He also booted field goals of 41 and 28 yards while nailing all six extra-point attempts.
— Andrew Sodergren
Fort Myers 41, Ida Baker 6
Ida Baker’s first home football game since Hurricane Ian ravaged Southwest Florida and the facilities at the high school had another layer of significance on Friday night.
For the first time in the 51-year history of the South Gulf Football Officials Association, a crew of all-African American referees officiated a varsity football game.
The game’s head referee, Ed Young, said it marked a change from when he began officiating more than 20 years ago.
“When I started, there were few of us,” he said.
Young said he felt proud and even had family coming from Tampa to watch the historic moment.
It also resonated with official Jamal Crawford.
“We’ve seen it in the NFL back in 2020 and it’s great,” he said. “It’s a beautiful thing to see come to fruition.”
On the field, the Greenies took care of business, scoring six touchdowns in the first half.
“Obviously next week’s a totally different animal in terms of opener, all the rigmarole with the field and of course it’s Fort Myers-North,” head coacm Sam Sirianni said. “It doesn’t get any better.”
The Bulldogs scored in the second half on a 22-yard rushing touchdown by Jesiah McKnight.
“I was proud of my guys, and it was good to put something on the board,” head coach Steve Howard said. “And hat’s off to Fort Myers – they’re a great football team.”
Fort Myers takeaways
1. Jyden German’s first play as a Greenie was a memorable one. The son of Jammi German, former USA Today Defensive Player of the Year with Fort Myers, caught a 58-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Chris McFoley on the first play from scrimmage.
Sirianni said it wasn’t a designed play.
“It’s a bunch route and Chris made the right read. … Like I told him, 'You’ll remember this the rest of your life. Now let’s score a bunch of them.'”
2. Several Green Wave playmakers shined. Alex Thelusma returned a punt 75 yards for a touchdown. Running backs Frank Starks, John Holcy and Trevon Moate all got in the end zone, and McFoley bought time to connect with Keiland Terrell for a 23-yard touchdown.
“We’ve got to become a little bit more efficient because you’re not going to live on the big play,” Sirianni said.
3. The defense forced three turnovers. The Greenies recovered two Ida Baker fumbles, and linebacker Bryan Fitzgerald came up with an interception to end the first half. That unit will be in for a steeper challenge against the Red Knights next week.
Ida Baker takeaways
1. Getting on the board was an encouraging sign. McKnight’s touchdown run was the culmination an efficient drive after receiving the second half kickoff. “Our guys didn’t quit,” Howard said. “That’s one of the things I really harp on is their effort.”
2. The offense had plenty of bright spots. McKnight improved with each carry to finish with 70 yards. Quarterback Adrian Scott was accurate and decisive, especially with freshman receiver Nathan Ogerodzinski, who caught 5 passes for 48 yards.
3. The game was solid preparation for the team’s Week 1 road game against Cape Coral. “It was hard work tonight,” Howard said. “We’ve got a long way, and the guys know it. I know it. They know it. We know it, and it’s about us moving forward, getting better one game at a time.”
— Dustin Levy
Gateway Charter 15, Aubrey Rogers 7
Gateway Charter spoiled Aubrey Rogers' first game as a program with Friday’s 15-7 win in their fall kickoff classic.
The Griffins’ veteran experience proved too much for the young Patriots. Gateway Charter has plenty of firepower, and it was on full display in the opening quarter. Marco Tomas and Najeh White were a forceful duo in the backfield and attacked the Patriots defense early.
Junior Juan Ibarra, playing in his first competitive football game, had great pocket presence and turned botched plays into meaningful gains. Whenever the Griffins needed to gain traction, Ibarra was able to make something happen. He finished 5-of-11 with 101 passing yards and one rushing touchdown.
After the first quarter, the game turned into a defensive slugfest. The Griffins’ linebacker core, led by Tavian Villareal and Clifton Hood Jr., was stifling. The Patriots never found their rhythm on offense, which is to be expected for such a young team. But Gateway Charter never allowed any breathing room, with most of Aubrey Roger’s forward progression coming from Griffin penalties.
The Griffins could’ve easily eclipsed 35 points, with two touchdowns being called back and several more drives being killed by penalties in the red zone.
There were some bright spots in the loss for the Patriots, like when Jack Naples scored the first touchdown in school history with his scoop-and-score in the first quarter. And in a game where they could’ve laid down at several points, Aubrey Rogers kept taking the fight to the Griffins.
Gateway Charter takeaways
1. Ibarra has what it takes to run the offense. With a young offensive line protecting him, Ibarra found himself having to make something out of nothing. He was fluid with his passes and overall has a strong game sense. “He’s just so smart,” Griffins head coach Ben Daly said. “He’s running for his life and still keeps his eyes downfield, and he commands that offense. I commend him 100% for being a captain and being a leader.”
2. The Griffins defense is solid. The linebackers, specifically, wreaked havoc on the Patriots and kept big gains to a minimum. With Villareal and Hood Jr. in the mix, opposing offenses will have their hands full.
3. Gateway Charter is experienced. And not just in their play, but in between the whistles as well. There was ample opportunity for the Griffins to lose their cool with the officials, but they continued to battle and used the frustrations as fuel. More often than not, the defense responded to an unfavorable call with a big stop. “We have a lot of hustle and heart, but also need to capitalize on discipline and execution,” Daly said. “We can’t shoot ourselves in the foot in those situations. With referees, that comes with the territory. We’re going to have good games, we’re going to have bad games, but this one was very weird. I’m not going to blame it on the refs or say they were one-sided, but it seemed very one-sided.”
Aubrey Rogers takeaways
1. The Patriots will benefit from in-game reps like tonight. A lot of the team is still simply learning the sport, and will grow as they get more snaps together. “It’s going to take us a few games to get in sync, and a few years before we’re going to be something special, I feel that in my heart,” said head coach J.J. Everage
2. The defense has the raw talent. Aubrey Rogers is still feeling things out, but there are some bright spots against a balanced Griffin offense. A lot of young players have issues with physicality, but the Patriots answered each blow with a swing of their own. “We were kind of deer in the headlights out here in the first half,” Everage said. “I’m really proud of the defense, the way they came back and got a couple turnovers for us and put us in a good position to make that little rally at the end.”
3. The Patriots are still looking for their quarterback. Sophomore Dom Ardezzone got the starting nod, but Everage’s staff wanted to throw freshman Cade DiLoreto into the fire as well. Both had successful flashes, but for the most part struggled with ball security with the duo combining for three interceptions.
— Nick Wilson
Bishop Verot 60, Lely 27
The Bishop Verot Vikings come into 2023 with state championship-level expectations, while the Lely Trojans are in their first year under head coach Ben Hammer.
That expectation difference was on display for much of Friday's kickoff classic, as the Vikings rolled to a victory over the Trojans at Viking Stadium. Verot racked up 54 points in the first half, scoring seven touchdowns in the first 24 minutes.
The Vikings took full control of the game in the first quarter, scoring 16 points in the span of 83 seconds to turn a 7-7 game into a 23-7 Vikings lead. Verot put up 30 points in the first quarter, then added another 24 in the second frame to hold a 54-20 lead at halftime.
Bishop Verot takeaways
1. Verot's high-powered offense very much looked the part in the Kickoff Classic. The Vikings neared 500 yards of total offense and scored on seven of eight drives in the first half. Carter Smith completed seven passes for 141 yards and added another 82 yards on the ground on six carries.
2. Using a stable of running backs, the Vikings racked up almost 300 yards on the ground, averaging almost eight yards per carry. Deshon Jenkins led the way with 130 yards on 16 carries, while Macrae Thompson ran for 43 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Newcomer Leroy Roker added another 36 yards on just six carries.
3. Despite allowing 27 points, the Verot defense showed signs of improvement from the 2022 season. The Trojans scored just once on offense with Verot's starters in the game and did so on a long third-down touchdown pass. The Verot defense logged three interceptions, including a highlight-reel-worthy play from Roker.
Lely takeaways
1. Three of Lely's four touchdowns came from more than 25 yards out, including a kickoff return for a touchdown in the first quarter from Joshua Philogene. The second touchdown was a 27-yard pass from Colin Raymond to Loveguens Avena, while running back Jayvian Tanelus broke off a 60-yard run for the Trojans' final score of the first half.
2. While the kickoff return from Philogene was a high point on special teams for the Trojans, Lely also had some struggles in the third phase. The Vikings scored on a safety in the first half, then blocked a field goal that was returned by Jeremiah Dean for a touchdown in the second quarter.
3. Ben Hammer unveiled his high-tempo offense in the Kickoff Classic, as the Trojans rarely huddled throughout the evening. Lely's new offense gives the Trojans a new identity with the regular season slated to start next week.
— Ryan Murphy
North Fort Myers 63, Gateway 0
After putting up 49 points in the first half, North Fort Myers relied on their reserve players in the second half to complete the shutout against Gateway and give new Red Knights head coach David Pasquale a convincing victory in his debut.
"We're young, we got a good gritty bunch who will fight for four quarters," Pasquale said.
North Fort Myers senior quarterback Bryce Duross scored the first three touchdowns of the game, with his first play of the game being a quarterback keeper for a 65-yard score down the sideline. Duross would throw two touchdowns, both to his fellow senior Andre Devine including one 60-yard bomb where Devine broke the tackle of an Eagles defender after the catch to scamper into the end zone.
Pasquale praised Duross on how he was able to transition from a defensive back to being a starting quarterback and said "he's grown a lot as a person and as a leader."
North Fort Myers takeaways
1. The Red Knights are still searching to find their true identity, and there is still uncertainty to how well this team responds to adverse situations.
2. Duross and Devine have good chemistry as they connected on three big pass plays, and two of them resulted in a touchdown. The question for Duross and the Knights offense will be if they have any other targets in the air aside from Devine?
3. Defensively, Adrian Stone will be a player to watch this season. The 280-pound defensive lineman who also plays the linebacker position in some packages was a very active presence in the backfield the entire night.
Gateway takeaways
1. The game doesn't count! Coach Cullen O'Brien said he will remind his players that their record is 0-0 heading into their season opener.
2. The offensive line issue must be addressed before the start of their season opener. Sophomore quarterback Ty Williams was sacked three times, one of which came from the blindside and led to a fumble. "We're going to shuffle the cards on the O-line because there seems to be some clear miscommunication on assignments," O'Brien said.3. The Eagles do not have to worry about playing traditionally tough teams like North this in the regular season and with the exception of Lemon Bay and Bishop Verot, the Eagles should have plenty of winnable games this year.
— Melvin Whitlock
Lehigh 26, Cypress Lake 8
The game turned in a four-minute span in which Cypress Lake appeared to be back into the game.
A high snap over the head of Lehigh punter Ladarius Ridley sent the ball through the end zone putting the Panthers back into the game at 13-8 with 3:16 left in the third quarter.
Just as Cypress Lake started its drive on a short field on the following punt, Sean Battle picked up a fumble with 2:56 in the third quarter giving life back to the Lightning.
Lehigh quarterback Dorian Mallary proceeded to take his team on a drive that ended with his second touchdown pass of the game to Marquan Young from the 8-yard line just 52 seconds later.
Panthers quarterback Tyrese Nelson had his team inside the Lehigh 30 when he tossed an interception to Ja’kiee Robinson who returned it 84 yards for a score, ending any drama.
Lehigh snuffed out the Panthers' last drive with a Sean Battle fumble recovery deep in Lightning territory.
Lehigh takeaways
1. Lehigh’s defense is stout. The Lightning defense recovered two fumbles along with the pick-six. The biggest nightmare for Cypress Lake was Harkym Henry. The junior lineman had three sacks and worried the Panthers’ quarterbacks all night.
2. Mallory has an arm. While Mallory’s stats (6-14-0, 82 yards) weren’t that impressive, Lightning receivers dropped a half dozen deep balls including a couple of sure touchdown passes. Mallory connected on scoring tosses twice with Young.
3. There were plenty of penalties, 25 for 221 yards total, that was a staggering number of mistakes Lehigh overcame to win the game including three lost fumbles. New head coach Antwan Dixon wasn’t happy. “We were rusty, a lot of penalties, a lot of undisciplined, we’ll get a handle on it,” Dixon said.
Cypress Lake takeaways
1. Cypress Lake has a better defense than last season. Until the wheels came off late in the third quarter, the Panthers had contained the Lightning running game holding Lehigh to just 49 yards rushing for the entire game along with two fumble recoveries. “We played pretty good defensively but we’ve got to figure some things out on offense,” said Panthers head coach Joey Mendes.
2. Cypress Lake has two good-looking quarterbacks. Despite the pick-six senior Tyrese Nelson {5-25-1, 57 yards) looked steady despite the endless pressure from the Lehigh defense. Junior quarterback Joey Zube-Garrett (5-11-0, 62 yards) saw a lot of playing time. “They battled it out tonight and we’ll see where we go from here,” Mendes said..
3. Penalties were just as costly as the three Panther turnovers. Cypress Lake was flagged 15 times for 136 yards. The most staggering statistic is the 14 major penalties rolled up by the two teams of 15 yards or more.
— John Rinkenbaugh
Evangelical Christian 42, Lake Placid 8
ECS got off to a hot start, scoring on its first three drives while the Sentinels' defense stymied the Dragons.
"It was a great evaluation game," Mack Mitchell said. "We got a chance to play a lot of our guys and this gives us the opportunity to see them on film. ... Lake Placid is a big physical team and our boys responded to their physicality. It was a good start."
Tanner Helton threw for 217 yards and two touchdowns and ran 12 yards for a touchdown. L.J. Blackwell ran for 102 yards and a touchdown and Jordan Rizzo had a rushing touchdown and 52 yards receiving. Jamarion McElroy had 18 yards receiving and a touchdown while Seven Bullock and Calvin Kress also found the end zone.
Defensively, Trae Guttery forced a fumble and Rizzo recovered the fumble. Ethan Thomas had seven tackles and a sack, Tyler Edwards eight tackles and a tackle for loss and Derek Washington recorded seven tackles and two tackles for loss.
— Staff Reports
Cape Coral 27, DeSoto County 14
Friday night's football game at Cape Coral High School was exactly what you would expect for a Week 0 game. DeSoto County and Cape Coral combined for 30 penalties for 211 yards and seven turnovers in a contest ultimately won by the Seahawks. The first half alone included 21 flags and took nearly two hours to play.
"That's mental discipline. I hate that," Cape Coral coach Larry Gary said of the penalties, most of which were false starts and delay of game. "I'd rather see a late hit than someone jumping offsides. Those are mental mistakes and we're gonna fix it."
Despite those mistakes, it was a complete team win for the Seahawks, who officially open the 2023 season next week against Ida Baker. Cape Coral scored via special teams, defense, on the ground, and through the air.
DeSoto scored the first touchdown when Bulldogs quarterback Braden Moran ran it in from the 4-yard line late in the first quarter. But Ta'Darien Green returned the ensuing kickoff 89 yards to tie it up.
The teams remained deadlocked until the third quarter when Jermaine Skinner scampered into the end zone from 7 yards out. That was quickly followed by a 60-yard pick-six by Darryl Owens, who was led by a caravan of blockers to paydirt. Cape's final touchdown was early in the fourth quarter when quarterback Ivan Harvin tossed a corner fade to Darrion Jones, who made a juggling catch.
"We're talented. We've just got to put it together," Gary said.
Cape Coral takeaways
1. The Seahawks showed off their speed and had their scoring opportunities, but each first-half possession inside DeSoto territory ended without points. The first red-zone chance came midway through the first quarter when Kalonji Hamilton turned a would-be loss into a huge gain with a nifty spin move and 56-yard sprint to the Bulldogs 6. But a fumble killed the drive.
2. Cape's next drive into DeSoto's half ended with a missed field goal. The Seahawks had the ball once again in the red zone early in the second quarter on a drive kept alive by a pass interference penalty in the end zone, but another fumble squandered the scoring chance. The Seahawks were on the march late in the first half, but that drive ended with an interception by DeSoto's Sam Cuellar.
3. Things changed in the second half as the Seahawks finally found their footing to the tune of 175 rushing yards. "If we can get this thing together, we'll be a pretty dang good football team," Gary said. "We've got the pieces. We've just got to get those pieces in the right place.
— Ron Clements
Port Charlotte 33, Dunbar 14
Ike Perry and Edd Guerrier rushed for two touchdowns and Eli Manley threw for another as the Port Charlotte High School football team cruised to a victory over Dunbar.
It was not a good night for the Tigers as they committed three second-half turnovers and muffed a snap from a punt that led to another touchdown.
Perry set the Pirates up nicely by returning the opening kickoff past midfield. It took them 13 plays to score, with Guerrier punching it in from the one, but it gave Port Charlotte a 7-0 lead.
Dunbar briefly took the lead midway through the first quarter when Florida four-star recruit Tawaski Abrams took a line drive punt and raced 70 yards untouched to give the Tigers an 8-7 lead after the two-point conversion.
After that it was all Pirates. Perry went up the middle for a 40-yard touchdown to give them the lead for good at 13-8 after a missed two-pointer.
After a muffed snap on a punt gave Port Charlotte great field position, Perry scored again from 10 yards out to make it 19-8. The Pirates then recovered a pooch kickoff, after which Manley found Justice Becerril in a 41-yard catch and run to make it 26-8 at the half.
Dunbar came out fast to start the second half, with Austin Price hitting Travaris Schley on a 33-yard touchdown pass, but that was as close as Dunbar got to scoring again as Guerrier added another short TD run late in the third quarter.
Dunbar takeaways
1. Abrams will be a stud this season, but he'll need some help. Freshman receiver Travaris Schley could be that help, as he made two long receptions and had the only offensive touchdown. Against Port Charlotte, other than that, there wasn't much there, and they'll have to find it when they open the season Friday against Charlotte.
2. Dunbar needs to be ready against up-tempo teams. It was obvious that Port Charlotte's pace gave the Tigers fits all night as they had trouble keeping up with the Rugby-style offense the Pirates use.
3. Dunbar is good, but young. Coach Sammy Brown said it will take baby steps to get the team where it needs to be. They have a strong nucleus of players, but they need to teach the young guys how to win.
— Chuck Ballaro
Riverdale 41, Island Coast 33
The game started on time and proceeded without interruption, which has been a change for the coaches.
"That was literally our first time seeing spacing," Riverdale coach Kendoll Gibson said.
Both teams demonstrated their potential for an explosive offense. They also demonstrated that the lack of outdoor practice has produced some sloppiness as there were plenty of penalties and turnovers. And there were plenty of players cramping up, especially with the game running long with the penalties and scoring plays stopping the clock.
Riverdale takeaways
1. The first look at Riverdale's ball-carrying showed that the Raiders have tackle evasion as a strength. Jermaine Redden Jr. took the opening kick 75 yards for a touchdown. On offense, there were multiple threats. Sophomore Lovensky Blanchard was a red-zone specialist, scoring rushing touchdowns of 1 yard to tie the game at 27 and 8 yards late in the fourth quarter to make it 41-27.
Junior Cole Hayes was the outside guy in the red zone, making touchdown runs of 10 and 13 yards. Senior Nickardo Dunkelly-Allen was the distance man, contributing a 35-yard touchdown run.
2. Ball control likely will cost the Raiders games this year if they don't tighten up. Much of Island Coast's 33 points came because of favorable field position due to Riverdale turnovers, particularly fumbles.
3. Even though Riverdale has had to spend most of its preseason practice indoors, the players still seemed in good condition. It was Island Coast that kept the trainers busiest, while Riverdale players typically stayed on their feet.
Island Coast takeaways
1. The Gators are no longer a one-man show on offense. Where last year, they were carried almost exclusively by Gervaris Leaphart, this year's crew showed that opposing defenses will have to take the rest of the lineup seriously, too. Virdarian Maloy showed himself to be a receiver capable of running evasive routes and making big catches for quarterback Richard Fraser. Look also for big plays from Kobey Babernitch and Christian Henderson."I saw this team fight from the beginning to the end," Island Coast first-year head coach Tyran Jones said.All that being said, Leaphart will still get his, as he did on Friday night. He scored four touchdowns, all inside the 5-yard line. It will be interesting to see the integration of the other emerging weapons with Leaphart in the coming weeks.
2. Penalties plagued the Gators through the night on both sides of the ball, though there was a silver lining. These were typically 5- and 10-yard calls, fixable errors of execution. Other than a sideline violation, there was little in terms of disciplinary issues.
3. Camden Hubbard will be a strong contributor as the kicker. He is capable when it comes to extra points, but he showed particular strength in punting. He was able to punt deeply and took advantage of the sidelines to back up the Riverdale offense.
— Dave Montrose
Charlotte 41, Mariner 17
Despite a 17-8 halftime advantage, the Tritons ended up taking the preseason loss on the road.
Mariner got on the board with an unusual sequence late in the first quarter. After Charlotte went up 8-0, the Tarpons twice kicked the ball out of bounds for penalties. On the third attempt, Tritons up man Kaelan Davidson scooped up a squib kick and raced to the end zone.
Before the half, Mariner’s Marcus Kelley Jr. blocked a Charlotte punt in the end zone.
Mariner’s offense had 55 yards in the first half and just five in the second.
Charlotte High freshman quarterback Logan Flaherty impressed his coach with the second-half comeback.
“You know, he responded beautifully,” Charlotte coach Cory Mentzer said. “He’s going to be incredible for us. But, you know, he and us, we still have a lot of work to do.”
— Pat Obley
Lemon Bay 31, South Fort Myers 24
ENGLEWOOD – Lemon Bay and South Fort Myers could hardly separate themselves for 46-plus minutes of play on Friday night until Drew Smith stepped in at quarterback for the Mantas.
Coming in cold off the bench, Smith opened a Lemon Bay drive near midfield with the score knotted at 24-24 and under two minutes to play.
He delivered a 47-yard touchdown to senior running back Landon Spanninger on his first pass which proved to be enough for Lemon Bay to hold on for a 31-24 win over the Wolfpack.
“We have two excellent quarterbacks, plain and simple,” Lemon Bay coach Don Southwell said. “My opportunity to play the other one was running out and I made the decision. That kid busts his butt. He came back with an injury and I wanted him to play tonight.”
Wolfpack senior quarterback Chase Enguita didn’t make it easy for Lemon Bay to pull away.
The dual-threat signal caller had the ball in his hands on most plays, completing 12-of-26 passes for 178 yards, a TD and 2 INTs along with 13 rushes for 54 yards and another score.
Wolfpack junior running back Victor Jenkins ran hard when he could get past the offensive line. Jenkins was stopped in the backfield seven times for negative-23 yards, but rushed for 77 yards and a touchdown on his other six rushes.
South Fort Myers took the lead twice and tied the game once. Once on a 28-yard pass from Enguita to Justin White with 4:55 to play in the second quarter. Once on a two-yard run by Enguita with 0:30 left in the first half. And finally, kicker Enrique Olmos hit a 34-yard field goal with 5:47 to play.
South Fort Myers takeaways
1. Enguita is going to have a fun senior season. The dual-threat quarterback didn’t have much time to think on Friday night with Lemon Bay’s defensive front often in the backfield on short notice, but he still showcased impressive leadership and talent. Enguita was one of the most athletic players on the field and he could be even better if the Wolfpack can buy him some more time.
2. Playing disciplined football is something South Fort Myers needs to learn. The Wolfpack committed several penalties, including holding, defensive pass interference, offsides, encroachment, and unsportsmanlike conduct that either put them out of scoring range or kept Lemon Bay drives alive longer than they should have lasted.
3. Don’t count out the Wolfpack based off one loss. South Fort Myers went down 12-0 early and could have wilted away, but instead made a fierce comeback – even taking the lead, 21-18, just before halftime. Coming back from deficits with poise and confidence isn’t something to be taken for granted in high school football. We’ll see how this group can grow from a tough preseason loss.
— Vinnie Portell
Oasis 27, St. John Neumann 20
The Sharks, led by a strong offensive line, came away with a 7-point victory over the visiting Celtics on Friday night.
Colin Anderson, one of four Oasis running backs to play on the night, had three rushing touchdowns.
Defensively, cornerback Rex Williams came up with an interception and two pass breakups. Defensive lineman Sean McFee also has an impressive game.
Junior quarterback Jake Bruni had a hand in three touchdowns for Neumann in the loss – one rushing and two TD-scoring throws to Decker Crosby and Luvinson Pierre, who also added a 2-point conversion.
“It was a hard-fought preseason game,” said Celtics coach Rich Crosby. “Great experience for some of our younger guys. We have lots to clean up mentally and physically.”
Sophomore receiver Logan Bartelt chipped in with five catches for 50 yards.
Anthony Kanellos and Crosby recorded one interception each for Neumann.
“The kids played hard and played for each other all night,” Crosby said. “We'll learn and get better.”
— Staff Reports
Golden Gate 42, Winter Haven 7
A season in which the Titans have high expectations got off to a strong start on Friday.
Golden Gate was dominant in a 42-7 win, as the team's playmakers exploded to gash the Winter Haven defense and special teams units.
"I was very happy with how we physically handled ourselves tonight," Golden Gate coach Nick Bigica said. "Our guys hard work in the weight room showed. Winter Haven was a big and athletic team. We started off a little rusty, but the guys got better as the game went on. I was very happy with how we came out after halftime. We talked about finishing strong and the guys did just that."
Trayvon Jean averaged just under a first down per carry, rushing for 189 yards on 19 carries with a pair of scores. John Lee Honorat carried the ball seven times for 45 yards with two rushing touchdowns, while adding a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Claude Bastien tallied 10 tackles with a sack and tackle for loss.
The Titans will host Victory Christian next Friday in the program's regular season opener at home.
— Staff Reports
OTHER SCORES:
Saint Stephen's 28, SFCA 14
Sebring 54, Palmetto Ridge 0
Thursday
East Lee 28, Bonita Springs 9
It was all East Lee early in their rain-shortened matchup with Bonita Springs. The Jaguars’ speed and athleticism were too much for the Bull Sharks, who struggled to gain momentum on either side of the ball.
Bonita Springs lives and die with the run game, but with top running back Riley Deremer out with a hamstring injury, it lacked the firepower to consistently move the chains. The defense woke up on a few drives, including a safety from Anthony Larkin, but struggled to contain the high-octane Jaguars.
East Lee, on the other hand, wasted no time letting their talent shine. Running back Lazaro Rogers looked phenomenal before a cramp sidelined him for the remainder of the game. Rogers tallied two touchdowns and couldn’t be stopped in the backfield. Gary Hagan also looked to be in mid-season form, including an 84-yard touchdown carry on a busted play.
East Lee takeaways
This offense will be problematic. The Jaguars have a myriad of weapons. They have at least three efficient rushers in Lazaro Rogers, Gary Hagan, and Victor Georges. “I think it’s coming to fruition,” said head coach Herbans Paul. “You see Laz back there getting the ball, and I don't think he had a negative play tonight.”
The Jaguars won’t have to rely on explosive gains this season. Last year, East Lee relied on their athleticism to break free for big gains and touchdowns. But in their preseason matchup with Bonita Springs, the Jaguars found success in the small and medium gains, extending drives, and gaming the defense. “That’s what we’re preaching to these guys,” Paul said. “First downs, first downs, first downs. You get enough first downs, then you’ll get the touchdown. Let’s not look for those big plays so much, lets try to make sure we move those chains and that’s what we preach.”
The defense has size, but needs to work on discipline. A majority of the Bull Sharks first downs came from Jaguar penalties. Otherwise, East Lee was able to keep a ground-and-pound offense at bay. If they can clean up the silly penalties, they will be a big part of a turnaround season at East Lee.
Bonita Springs takeaways
The Bull Sharks need Riley Deremer back. There’s just no other option for Coach Rich Dombroski. For an offense that will only attempt a few passes per game, they’ll need their workhorse back. “We don’t know, it’s a hamstring thing that’s hampered him all summer long,” Dombroski said. “It’s hit or miss, we’re hoping next week, if not hopefully Ida Baker in a few weeks.” His return couldn’t come soon enough for Bonita Springs, who struggled to move the chains without an individual ball-carrier being able to take over.
The defense needs more reps. While containing East Lee’s three-headed snake will be a tall task for any defense, the Bull Sharks certainly made it harder on themselves. They struggled to complete open-field tackles, and were a bit slow off the ball. “We weren’t ready for it tonight,” Dombroski said. “It’s tough, practicing in the heat and it’s not the most opportune situation, but we’ll get better. We know what we have to work on, this is the first time hitting somebody other than ourselves in three weeks.”
The devil is in the details for Bonita Springs. Ball protection, special teams, and open-field tackles were all issues Thursday night. While the coaching staff is aware and doing what they can, it’s up to the players to take the next step. This was a gut-check for Bonita Springs, but they are a squad that, historically, can rally and improve. Expect this loss to be the I tinder in a firestorm of improvement.
— Nick Wilson
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Southwest Florida 2023 preseason football results, roundup, photos, video
