Week 11 Football: Barron Collier, Lely, North, South, Dunbar, CSN, Estero among winners

A roundup of Southwest Florida football games played on Thursday, Nov. 2, and Friday, Nov. 3.

Barron Collier 28, Gulf Coast 21

Brody Graham had been bottled up for most of the night.

The standout Barron Collier wide receiver was held to five catches for just 23 yards late in the fourth quarter of Friday's game at Gulf Coast.

Graham then did what has made him one of the area's best receivers. He snatched a pass from quarterback Niko Boyce, spun away from a Sharks defender and then sprinted 86 yards for the game-deciding touchdown in the Cougars' victory.

"He's a really good football player and he's gonna make a play," Barron Collier coach Mark Jackson said of Graham. "He did well and we're excited."

In what was a back-and-forth game, Jackson credited his players for executing a balanced offensive game plan. The Cougars (8-2) ran for 197 yards, led by quarterback Niko Boyce, who ran for 94 yards and threw for 276.

"To tolerate me and everything else, they worked really hard," Jackson said. "We knew (Gulf Coast) has a very good defense and has been playing good defense all season long. We knew we were going to be in for a fight, but we found a way to win."

Barron Collier takeaways

1. The Catfish is back. Gulf Coast had won the previous two matchups in the 26th annual Catfish Bowl rivalry. Jackson was all smiles as his players held the Catfish plaque above their heads. "It's tough," Jackson said of the crosstown rivalry. "The kids know each other, grew up playing against each other. It's a little nasty, too nasty at times, but you know what, it's a fun football game. I'm just happy we were able to win it for these seniors. Hopefully, it carries over for us next week."

2. Pass game bailed out by big plays. The Cougars' prolific pass attack was a bit off Friday. While Jackson credited the Sharks defense, Barron Collier receivers still dropped four passes and Boyce was long on a handful of other throws. Boyce finished 16 of 32 for 276 yards with an interception and two touchdowns. Three of his completions were for more than 40 yards. There was the 86-yard strike to Graham, and a perfectly placed 44-yard touchdown pass to Jesse Mikolinski right before halftime to tie the game at 14-14. A 68-yard pass to Braden Johnson, who also gained 29 yards on a screen, set up a 6-yard run by Boyce to open the fourth quarter.

3. Playoffs loom. The Cougars (8-2) don't know who they'll play yet and that will mean some restless nights for Jackson and his staff. "We'll find out Sunday morning at 10," Jackson said. "Not a lot of sleep until then."

Gulf Coast takeaways

1. Punter was the Sharks MVP. Gulf Coast punter Alex Ghelman had himself a night. The senior who wears number 98 had seven punts with an average of 39 yards. He dropped three of those inside the 15, including a 44-yard boot that rolled out of bounds at the 2. His first punt, a 50-yard bomb that was muffed by the Cougars, led to the game's first touchdown – a 2-yard dive by quarterback Jace Seyler. "(Defensive end) Christopher Jimenez has been great, but Alex Ghelman might be our defensive player of the year with his kicks inside the 20," Gulf Coast coach Todd Nichols said. "He's good."

2. Jace Seyler did all he could. If Ghelman was the non-offensive MVP for the Sharks, Seyler was the heart of the offense. The junior quarterback kept plays alive with his legs and threw for 153 yards. Seyler had a pair of scoring strikes to Cayden Daugherty, whose 90-yard catch-and-run put the Sharks up 14-7 late in the second quarter. His 15-yard reception tied the game at 21-21 with 5:09 remaining, two plays before Graham's heroics. The Sharks ran for 155 yards, led by Seyler's 66 yards on 18 carries. After a penalty backed up the Sharks for a second-and-goal from the 23, Seyler scrambled for 21 yards to set up his own 2-yard plunge. "He's gotten better every game," Nichols said. "We've just got to keep working."

3. Second-half mistakes. Gulf Coast had just three penalties at halftime, but finished with nine for 80 yards. "Penalties got us a little bit," Nichols said. "And big plays. We've got to stop that. That's the first thing my wife said to me."

The Sharks (5-4) will play next week in the first round of the playoffs, likely against 4S District 16 rival Immokalee. The Indians bested Gulf Coast 13-10 Oct. 27. "We're playing next week and we'll be ready," Nichols said.

— Ron Clements

Dunbar 18, Lehigh 15

The final 30 seconds of this year’s Dunbar-Lehigh battle won’t soon be forgotten.

With two minutes left in the defensive struggle, the Tigers took their first lead of the night when quarterback Austin Price hit TJ Abrams down the sideline for a 62-yard touchdown to make it 12-7.

The Lightning, playing much better than their 3-6 record, marched down the field behind decisive playmaking from quarterback Dorian Mallary. From the 7-yard line, he found his favorite target, Terrance Smith Jr., for a touchdown and the pair connected again for a 2-point conversion with 18 seconds left on the clock.

That's when the game’s absurdity kicked up a notch.

Da’mari Loggins fielded the Lehigh kickoff, backed up on a celebration penalty, and flipped it to Eric Fletcher, who raced down the sideline to score with just seven seconds to go.

“We planned that all week in practice,” Fletcher said. “I told (Loggins) it’s the time to run it right here.”

The madness didn’t end there – on the following kickoff return, Mallary lateraled the ball to Marquan Young, who also took it to the house. But there was laundry on the field for a block in the back, devastating the Lehigh sideline and giving Dunbar a substantial victory as they enter the postseason.

“Coach Dixon and his staff had those guys ready to play,” Dunbar head coach Sammy Brown said. “Hats off to those guys. We just had to dig deep and find a way to win. Sometimes you win ugly. That’s better than an ugly loss – I can tell you that.”

The Lightning defense stymied the Tigers in the first half, limiting them to 40 yards.

Though he was picked off twice in the first quarter, Mallary kept attacking the Dunbar secondary, scoring in the final seconds of the first half on a 1-yard pass to Smith.

The Tigers clawed back after halftime when Loggins got behind the defense and Price found him for a 46-yard score. However, the Lightning kept their lead after Dunbar missed the extra point.

Both teams amassed loads of penalties in the hard-hitting rivalry game that portends a thrilling future in Lehigh’s new era.

Antwan Dixon, the first-year head coach of the Lightning, accepted responsibility for the loss, but the flag on his team’s potential game-winning play stung.

“At the end of the day, I feel like we got to let the kids play,” he said. “That was a hard-fought game. They played to the end, and I can’t ask for more.”

Dunbar takeaways

1. It was a quiet night for Fletcher – until it wasn’t. The team’s leading receiver coming into the contest was held without a catch and couldn’t corral a pass for a potential big gain on 4th down late in the game.

“We know he’s a special talent,” Brown said. “We didn’t get the ball in his hands tonight for different reasons, but once he got his hands on the rock – he redeemed himself after having a big drop, came back and put us on top.”

2. It was a slow start for the Tigers. Price completed just two passes in the first half, and the Dunbar run game never got going.

Brown doesn’t expect a carryover effect in the playoffs.

“We’ll get up for the postseason,” he said. “I think we came out a little flat. We got a ball club that – some of them have never been in the postseason, so they were looking forward to next week I think.”

3. Dunbar does it again. The Tigers have made a habit of winning close games the past few years – including a double overtime victory against Fort Myers earlier this season – though Friday’s affair might go down as having one of the most topsy-turvy endings.

“Barnburner,” Brown said. “Just like we drew it up I guess in a big ball game like this.”

Lehigh takeaways

1. The Lightning, understandably, took the loss hard. The team, which has historically given Dunbar fits, was going for their first win against the Tigers since 2018.

It didn’t come to fruition by the smallest of margins.

“I feel like I got to take a look in the mirror at myself and make better decisions, so I feel like some of my decisions were bad and that’s why it happened like that, so I’ll take that loss on me.” Dixon said. “But my kids, they play hard and they’re going to continue to play hard. I love the culture that I’m building. I love the culture that they’re helping me establish, so we’re going to continue to build on that and we’re going to be really good next year, and it’s going to be hard to beat us.”

2. Smith Jr. continues to impress. The junior wide receiver had caught touchdown passes in nearly every game this season and added two more against a tough Dunbar defense. Matched up against a talented cornerback in Kelby Tyre, Smith Jr. caught 7 passes for 82 yards and two touchdowns.

"TJ’s been doing it every game," Dixon said. "He’s a really good football player."

3. Lehigh sent a message these past few weeks. The team strung together its best three performances in the last three weeks – two decisive wins against North Fort Myers and Riverdale and Friday's heartbreaker against a playoff-bound Dunbar squad.

It appears they will be on the outside of the playoff picture in Class 4S, but Dixon, who got a late start after getting hired in July, believes the future is bright.

“Everybody’s got to see us next year,” he said. “Everybody knows what we’re capable of now.”

— Dustin Levy

Lely 68, Immokalee 44

In a night full of offensive standouts Friday night, Lely quarterback Colin Raymond was a star that shined the brightest.

Raymond threw for 371 yards and four scores as the Trojans defeated 4S-District 16 champion Indians at Lely High in a game where the teams combined for 858 yards of offense in a wild ending to the regular season.

Nino Joseph finished his “freshman sensation” season with 205 yards rushing and three scores for Lely, who won for the first time since Sept. 29, breaking a three-game losing streak.

The Trojans have now completed the season, while Immokalee will play next Friday night as the state playoffs begin.

Trannon Villarreal threw for 286 yards for the Indians.

The Trojans built up a 30-point lead late in the third quarter. Immokalee made it closer with a few scores. They got to within 16 with six minutes left in the game but then the Trojans burned off the rest of the clock.

Lely coach Ben Hammer liked his team’s attitude in the finale.

“They have handled adversity well this year,” Hammer said. “And they put it all together this week. It kind of stinks that this is the end and that’s we’re not practicing next week. I couldn’t be prouder of the seniors and how they finished off their careers.”

Immokalee coach James Delgado was disappointed after what he viewed as a sub-par effort by his team.

“I am incredibly frustrated, because we did not play 11-man football,” Delgado said. “We did not play how we are coached to play. So Lely won.”

Jayce Cora forced a fumble from Immokalee early in the game, and then a few seconds later caught a bomb of a TD pass from Raymond.

The Indians responded with a field goal. Then Cora caught a 70-yard scoring pass to make it 12-3. After three big touchdowns in the second, the Trojans led 34-24 at halftime.

Immokalee takeaways

1. The Indians will probably let this loss motivate them in preparing for next week’s playoff game. “We will not put this loss behind us,” Delgado said. “Tonight we played as individuals rather than a team, and it showed. We will learn from this, because we’ve got a lot of things to correct. If we don’t next week will be the end of the season.”

2. Lely had some great passing, but the Indians helped them with mistakes. “What helped Lely the most was our inability to tackle,” Delgado said. “We had an inability to fit and play assignment football.”

3. None of the Indian seniors knew the feeling of beating the Trojans. Immokalee has lost four straight to Lely.

Lely takeaways

1. Lely did more than simply play for pride in this one. “After two or three tough ones, it’s nice to get back on track with a win,” Hammer said. “Some players did decide to fold up the tent and not be with us. The ones that did come back played hard. We have built some momentum with where we want to go in the future, and we cemented some legacies.”

2. Real Lely takeaways. Cora and Ivan Cisneros both had fumble recoveries for the Trojans.

3. Raymond’s favorite target was Cora. He caught multiple passes totaling 169 yards.

— Tom Corwin

North Fort Myers 24, Riverdale 22

A first half full of offensive fireworks turned into a defensive battle over the final two quarters, one that saw the visiting Red Knights finally win a close game.

Prior to Friday’s showdown with the Raiders, North Fort Myers was 0-4 in games decided by seven or fewer points this season. However, the Red Knights kept Riverdale off the scoreboard in the second half, limiting the Raiders to less than 70 yards of offense.

After having one field goal blocked and missing another, junior kicker Mason Sargis booted a 21-yard field goal with about three minutes left in the third quarter which proved to be the difference.

“I told our guys it was going to be a dogfight,” North Fort Myers coach David Pasquale said. “Both teams were playing their last game and they left everything out on the field.”

North Fort Myers takeaways

1. The Red Knights got it done on the ground. Riverdale may have entered the game with the more productive ground attack, but North Fort Myers piled up more than 270 rushing yards in Friday’s victory. Seniors Virgil Maloy and Andre Devine combined for nearly 250 of those yards with Devine scoring twice, one on the ground and also on a 66-yard screen pass from senior quarterback Bryce Duross.

2. North buckled down on defense. The Red Knights struggled with the Raiders’ Wing-T attack in the first half, but improved their defensive reads as the game progressed. “It’s just not something we see every week; it’s unique,” Pasquale said of Riverdale’s offense. “I know Coach (Kendoll) Gibson personally and I think the world of him. His kids were prepared and they play hard.”

3. Improving execution key for next season. Pasquale said he appreciated how hard his players worked this season, his first as North’s head coach. With just seven seniors on this year’s team, the bulk of the Red Knights will be back next year and with that extra year of experience should come a better understanding of situational football. “We have to learn how to play in those critical moments,” said Pasquale, whose team lost four games by a combined 13 points. “As coaches, how do we create a situation for our players to get the advantage in those moments against our opponents?”

Riverdale takeaways

1. The Raiders’ running game should be even better in 2024. Junior running back Cole Hayes, Southwest Florida’s leading rusher, and sophomore Lovensky Blanchard combined for close to 200 yards on the ground and three touchdowns against North Fort Myers. With both back next season and another year in the weight room for Riverdale’s offensive line, slowing down the Raiders’ offense figures to be a formidable task for opposing defenses next season.

2. Riverdale’s passing game showed some life. The Raiders, who struggled all season to muster production in the passing game, set season highs for completions (six) and passing yards (98) against the Red Knights. That included a 33-yard touchdown pass by wide receiver Konner Vonhagen to Hayes which was set up by a lateral pass from quarterback Fizer Brody. Sophomore quarterback Theodis Harris completed four of his six passes for 51 yards. “We wanted to implement some of those things sooner but we just weren’t able to do it with our youth,” Riverdale coach Kendoll Gibson said. “Both of our quarterbacks are sophomores so that’s going to be a big point of emphasis for us in the offseason.

3. Support beyond the scoreboard. Gibson’s team finished just 2-8 in his first season as head coach of the Raiders, but he said the support from the school and community has been phenomenal. “That was one of the first things I noticed when I came over here as an assistant,” he said. We have a great support system and a great atmosphere. I couldn’t be in a better situation.”

— Dan DeLuca

CSN 27, ECS 26

The Seahawks came back from a 20-0 deficit to shock the Sentinels in the fourth quarter.

Down 26-21 with 6 minutes left, CSN successfully converted an onside kick. This set up a bonus possession that culminated three minutes later with Noah Cardoza zig-zagging 19 yards to score the game-winning touchdown.

"It's about kids believing that they could do it," CSN coach Michael Stannard said.

The comeback was big for playoff rankings as CSN was second and ECS fourth in Region 1S-4. The top two teams in the region receive byes so the Seahawks locked one up. An ECS win possibly could have dropped CSN down and the Sentinels up.

The game initially looked like it was going to go in a radically different direction. Jack Shuker took the opening kickoff 97 yards, giving the Sentinels (6-4) the lead just 13 seconds in. Davidson Voltaire's extra point made it a 7-0 game.

Things continued at a high pace. The teams exchanged interceptions. The Seahawks (8-1) ran their no-huddle plays quickly, but the ECS defense was able to contain them. The Sentinels scored again when Ethan Matheson caught a 7-yard pass from Tanner Helton.

ECS was due for another big play and Shuker would deliver again. Helton fired off a 70-yard pass to Shuker for a touchdown.

However, this time CSN had a response. Quarterback Cale Austin tossed a 62-yarder to Calvin Wyatt to put the Seahawks on the board. Braden Cruz-Diaz kicked the extra point to make it 20-7 with 3 seconds left until halftime.

Things settled down in the third quarter with a combination of strong defensive plays and numerous holding penalties keeping both teams off the board. Then early in the fourth, Max Varga broke the lull with a 19-yard touchdown pass from Austin.

ECS looked to put the game away by immediately responding with Helton finding Tyler Edwards for a 23-yarder. The Sentinels failed the two-point conversion, however, which turned out to be crucial to the outcome of the game.

The Seahawks responded immediately with Varga catching a 63-yard pass from Austin. Then Braden Cruz-Diaz made the onside kick to set up the winning score.

Community School takeaways

1. Cruz-Diaz's onside kick had the fingerprints of assistant coach Brandon Kornblue on it. Kornblue, whose son Ty is the long-snapper, is the owner of Kornblue Kicking, a nationally renowned kicking school. A teammate of Tom Brady's at the University of Michigan, Kornblue was also the longtime kicker for the Florida Firecats of the old arenafootball2 league. With the Seahawks, Kornblue provides input for decisions regarding special teams.

2. The offense slowed itself down in the third quarter, which seemed to help it get a handle on the situation. Since the unit is good at getting to the line of scrimmage quickly, Austin used that time to get looks at what the defense was doing and look to the sideline for instructions.

"I think it calmed them down," Stannard said.

3. In the second half, the Seahawks were able to use their size and experience on the lines. This was particularly apparent with Cardoza's touchdown run. The blocking was such that he was able to run from one side of the field to the other and back before turning upfield.

ECS takeaways

1. This loss was tough to stomach, but it also provided motivation. If everything goes as expected, when seedings are determined this weekend, both teams will meet again in two weeks for the regional semifinals.

"A game like this hurts, but it's a game where you look at yourself in the mirror and make adjustments," ECS coach Mack Mitchell said.

2. The holding calls hurt. A lot. Some of the penalties nullified big touchdown plays.

3. Helton was a force both on the ground and in the air. Though his young offensive line could not always protect him, he was frequently able to evade and turn a busted play into a first down.

South Fort Myers 42, Mariner 8

South Fort Myers gave Mariner a taste of playoff football and the Tritons learned they need to add some seasoning before taking the field next week for their Region 3S-4 quarterfinal.

The Wolfpack ground out 312 yards rushing, 217 from running back Victor Jenkins, and received some big plays from Michael McDonald to pull away for the win.

South Fort Myers finished the season 6-4, while Mariner fell to 8-2.

“We were wanting to come in this with a playoff mindset,” Mariner coach Josh Nicholson said. “That's what playoff football is, they ran the ball right down our throat. We got to block better and we have to tackle better so that's what it’s gonna come down to next week. So thankfully we have another shot. If we can get it right this week at practice and we're back to 0-0 so it's a whole new season starting next Friday.”

The win assured South Fort Myers coach Willis May his fourth winning season in his five years leading the Wolfpack. Although disappointed his team is not playoff-bound, he was glad his seniors ended their careers with a quality win.

“Most of them have been with us for four years and we’ve watched them grow from little boys to men and it's always sad to watch them leave but they're gonna do great things and we're looking forward to the future,” May said.

It was one of those seniors that got South going as Michael McDonald broke two tackles at the line of scrimmage and raced 50 yards to pull his team within 8-7 late in the first quarter.

Mariner put together its best drive of the game in the second quarter, reaching the Wolfpack 24, but an Isaiah Bernadel interception in the end zone ended that threat. Two plays later, South’s Jenkins broke free for a 76-yard TD run to give the Wolfpack a 14-8 lead. After a Mariner three-and-out, McDonald struck again, returning a punt 50 yards followed by a Jacoby Mason two-point run for a 22-8 edge.

Another Mariner three-and-out and a botched punt snap gave South the ball at the Mariner 27 with 1:15 left in the half. South settled for an Enrique Olmos 34-yard field goal as the second quarter expired for a 25-8 lead, having scored 18 points in the half’s final 3:49.

Jenkins scored the third quarter’s only points on a 17-yard run with 30 lefts left in the frame. McDonald scored his third touchdown on a 38-yard jet sweep with 9:17 left and Olmos added a 32-yard field goal late to cap the scoring.

South Fort Myers takeaways

1. Wolfpack defense pitches a shutout. Mariner’s only points came early in the first quarter on a Marcus Kelley Jr. pick-six and his subsequent 2-point run as the Tritons took an 8-0 lead. Mariner would only get into South’s red zone once and the Tritons were stopped on fourth-and-3 from the 19 on their first possession of the second half. The Tritons only generated 64 yards of offense in the first half and only had 21 yards rushing on 11 carries in the second half to go with 68 yards passing.

2. Jenkins comes up big for South. Mariner did not have many answers for South’s junior back who carried 21 times for 217 yards and two touchdowns. He chewed up most of the yards on Mariner’s five-minute third-quarter drive with seven carries, the last being his 17-yard touchdown that put the game away.

3. Looking ahead to next year. South lost to Gulf Coast in overtime and to Barron Collier by one point this season. A different play in either game and the Wolfpack could have been playing next week. May hopes his program can grow from those lessons.

“Keep trying to get better,” May said. “You know, we had a lot of close games this year that could have went either way. And, you know, we're disappointed about that. What do you do? That's a hand that got dealt us and we'll deal with it, and just keep trying to get better and keep trying to make the program better.”

Mariner takeaways

1. Noah Tolbert missed. The Tritons’ passing game was off as quarterback Noah Tolbert remained out with an injury. His status for next week is still in question. Mariner completed 9 of 23 passes for 84 yards and an interception. Junior Tanner Every completed 3 of 8 passes for 56 yards in garbage time against mostly South backups to make the passing numbers a little better.

2. The offensive line has trouble. South Fort Myers’ defense was in the backfield a lot, rushing passes and blowing up rushing plays. The Tritons punted six times and turned the ball over on downs three times, one of which was a botched punt snap.

“I mean, we got the skill players where we can make big plays happen,” Nicholson said. “We got to execute up front and give them a chance to so that’s what it’s going to come down to. That's what playoff football is. I'm glad they got a taste of it tonight. We get to watch it on film, make some adjustments, and be ready to roll next Friday.”

3. Playoffs up next. Unless something whacky happens with the playoff rankings which will be released Sunday morning, the Tritons will either be playing at Golden Gate or home vs. Naples next Friday. Nicholson is not worried about the opponent but is looking more inward as Mariner prepares.

“It’s the same thing we've been saying all year, it's not really about who we're playing, it's about how we play, how we prepare, and how we execute,” he said. “And so I'm confident our guys will bounce back. They do a really good job making adjustments and taking coaching after a loss. Right. We've been through a lot together with this group, so I'm confident we'll have a better performance next week. No matter who the opponent is. It comes down to how we execute.”

— Ed Reed

Estero 42, Bonita Springs 10

The score may not show it but Bonita Springs came to play in the annual Jaws vs. Claws showdown at Estero’s home field Friday night.

Early on it looked like a blowout was in the making with Estero scoring two quick scores to open the game.The first came on a 6-yard touchdown run by Malik Allen just two minutes into the game. Estero scored on its second possession in a scenario that repeated itself later in the game.

A long touchdown pass was called back on a motion penalty. Quarterback Matthew Wilson turned around and tossed another 38-yard bomb to Drew Arrington to put Estero up 14-0 with 6:03 left in the first quarter.

That’s when Bonita Springs and its Cobra package came to life.

With all 10 players lined up behind the center in its Cobra formation. The Bull Sharks would shift into its traditional single wing which seemed to confuse the Wildcats defense.

That confusion led to a 58-yard touchdown scamper by Riley Deremer to pull Bonita within 7.

Estero responded with a drive of its own that resulted in a 10-yard touchdown pass from Wilson to Gavin Smith.

Bonita wasn’t going to go away without a fight and ground its way into the Estero red zone before settling on a 42-yard Anthony Larkin field goal to end the half.

A Kevin Yanes fumble at the start of the second half was all Estero needed.

Even with two long touchdowns called back, the third time was the charm when Luke Ghannam took a jet sweep 37 yards for six putting the Wildcats up 28-10.

Two fourth-quarter scores powered by the Wildcats passing game led to the 42-10 final score and a happy head coach Darren Nelson.

“It cements the legacy that we’ve been building here to convincingly beat them,” said Nelson.

The Wildcats are looking forward to hitting the road for a playoff game next week against an as-of-yet-unknown opponent.

Estero takeaways

1. The Wildcat aerial attack is impressive. Quarterback Matthew Wilson hit 13 of 16 passes for 174 yards and four touchdowns. Two potential touchdowns were dropped near the end zone.

2. Estero didn’t have its usual powerful running game. The Bull Sharks frustrated Allen most of the night. He had 23 carries for 93 yards with two touchdowns. The jet sweep proved effective with Ghannam going for 62 yards on two carries and Kegan Kreuscher getting two carries for 26 yards.

3. Nelson wants everyone to know that his program is on the rise. “We’re 23-6 in the last 29 games, we’ve played in three district championships, winning one of them, and it just cements the legacy,” said Nelson.

“That’s a good football team over there. They're loaded,” said Bull Shark head coach Rich Dombroski.

Bonita Springs takeaways

1. Beware the Cobra. “When we’re lined up like that you don’t know which way we’re going,” said Dombroski. The formation created a lot of defensive confusion for the Wildcat defense. Bonita Springs ended the night with 201 yards on the ground, 106 of those from senior running back Riley Deremer who consistently punched through the line for 4 and 6 yard gains.

2. Senior kicker Anthony Larkin showed off a powerful leg. He nailed a 42-yard field goal, even after Estero called two timeouts in an attempt to freeze him.

3. Watch out if the Bull Sharks ever develop a passing attack. Junior Chase Garcia is adept at running the single wing but only threw two passes, completing one for 24 yards. The only other pass attempt came when Bonita failed to complete a fourth down throw in punt formation in Estero territory.

— John Rinkenbaugh

Canterbury 44, Harvest Community 0

The Cougars won the SSAA 2A championship with a 44-0 win over Harvest Community.

Canterbury had a great night up and down the roster, with six different players scoring.

“It’s a sense of pride a little bit, because I believe in these guys, even sometimes when they don't believe in themselves,” said head coach Vincent Camarca. “They showed up the last three weeks, they really have… They know how to play the game and they really bought in, and I could not be prouder of what they’ve done together.”

Canterbury’s defense was stout in the shutout, reeling in four interceptions. Eli Cochran snagged two interceptions. Collin Meagher took an interception 90 yards for a pick-six, while CJ Navas added a 30-yard pick-six. Kyle Scharlogh, Gavin Brady, and Azarian Levatte all registered one fumble recovery each.

“This is kind of how we’ve expected them to play all year, it took us a little longer to get it together,” Camarca said. “But these guys really didn’t quit on themselves, they didn’t give up all season. They believed in themselves and the process. We simplified things as we moved through the season, and we started the season with a lot of guys who were new to football.

“And they bought, they just kept working at it and really learned it as we went along, and tonight was the night. It’s not how you start, it’s how you end, and they really showed up to play tonight.”

Brendan Daller threw two touchdown passes in the win, connecting with Levatte from 25 yards out, and with Joe De La Nuez from 30 yards out.

“Brendan really made the right reads tonight,” Camarca said. “Threw the ball, protected it, didn’t try to force anything. And our run game always carries us. They were running well, and we were passing a little better than we normally do, and it all came together at once.”

Luke Fritz tacked on a 20-yard touchdown carry, and Griffin Curran punched in a 2-yard touchdown rush. Will Hall added a 30-yard field goal to round out the Cougars’ scoring.

— Staff Report

East Lee 47, Gateway 21

In a showdown of East Zone schools, it remained close through three quarters before the Jaguars pulled away. With the win, Jaguars head coach Herbans Paul has secured East Lee's first winning season (5-5) in over a decade.

“It was an evolution from last year, and leaders such as seniors Gary Hagan and Victor Georges can feel proud of their role in turning this program around,” Paul said.

On the very first play of the game, Gateway head coach Cullen O’Brien wasted no time digging in his bag of tricks, using a TCU-style screen and reverse for junior Anjay Boyd to find senior Preston Ellis for a 75-yard touchdown.

After recovering an onside kick, junior Cameron Cisnero scored his first of two touchdowns of the night to give the Eagles an early 14-0 lead.

After a big defensive stop that led to a safety, Jaguars junior running back Lazaro Rodgers scored his first of four touchdowns to bring East Lee within four points after a two-point conversion.

At the half, the Eagles led 21-13 in a game that was marred by penalties.

In the second half, the Jaguars would slowly wear down the Eagles defense by pounding the ball with Rodgers. Rodgers finished with 140 yards on 24 carries and scored four touchdowns with two 2-point conversions. With his fourth touchdown coming early in the fourth quarter, Rodgers became the all-time leader for East Lee in rushing touchdowns with a total of 18, breaking James Holland’s (class of 2010) record.

Rodgers Is Not the Only Record-Breaker for East. Georges finishes his career at East Lee County High School as the all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, and interceptions.

— Melvin Whitlock

Aubrey Rogers 36, ABF Academy 0

The Patriots wrapped up their inaugural season with a 36-0 shutout win over the Cowboys.

Brady Stewart broke the ice for Aubrey Rogers with a touchdown carry, before quarterback Caden Diloreto found Romeo Sararo for a freshman-to-freshman touchdown pass. Diloreto connected with Jack Trittler for a touchdown pass that put the Patriots up 21-0 at the half.

Tyler Rosenthal took one of his four interceptions on the night to the house for a pick six. Darian Alvarez-Garcia punched in a 5-yard carry to round out Aubrey Rogers’ scoring.

The defense, led by Rosenthal, registered their first shutout in school history. Kyle Pollara and Holten Hoverson added strong performances to the defensive effort.

St. Stephen’s 14, Oasis 7 (OT)

The Sharks season came to an end in a 14-7 overtime heartbreaker in the SSAA 5A championship semifinal.

After Oasis missed a field goal in the fourth quarter, St. Stephen’s took the lead in overtime on a goal-line carry. The Falcons defense jumped out on the Sharks’ game-winning attempt, and Oasis couldn’t rally from behind the sticks.

Oasis’ defense held St. Stephen’s to their lowest point total in a win this season. Defensively, Dequan Forte-Marsico found success at the line of scrimmage, while Rex Williams added strong coverage at cornerback.

Colin Anderson punched in the Oasis’ lone score on a short touchdown carry in the second quarter.

Port Charlotte 49, Island Coast 8

The Pirates (8-2) led 35-0 less than 10 minutes into the game, clicking on all cylinders on both sides of the ball.

On Island Coast’s first play from scrimmage, Port Charlotte standout defensive lineman Myron Charles reached the quarterback nearly as quickly as the snap, resulting in an incompletion, setting the tone for what would be exceedingly short Gators possessions.

Port Charlotte would go on to score on drives of four, two, two, and four plays, covering 20, 55, 50, and 23 yards.

Island Coast was held to minus-14 yards of total offense while Port Charlotte’s complete first-team defense was on the field during the first quarter. The Gators moved the ball during the final drive of the quarter against a heavily substituted defense, but despite moving into the red zone, their drive was ended by an Andrew Harris interception.

The Gators finished with 107 total yards of offense. Quarterback Dominic Rosado went 6 of 17 for 93 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions. The touchdown was a 30-yard completion from Rosado to Charles Lombardo with 2:13 to go in the third quarter, making the score 42-8.

Golden Gate 63, Palmetto Ridge 14

The Titans made quick work of the Bears on Friday night, winning 63-14 after jumping out to a 42-0 lead at halftime.

Demetri Zertopoulis and Devon Messenger both found the end zone for Palmetto Ridge in the loss.

Palmetto 42, Ida Baker 7

James Donnelly capped off his senior campaign with his first career touchdown on a goal-line carry. Donnelly’s touchdown was the Bulldogs’ lone score in the loss, and Ida Baker finishes the season at 0-10.

Thursday's results

Fort Myers 52, Cape Coral 22

The Green Wave capitalized on a couple of early miscues by the Seahawks, and overcame some of their own, to win their sixth consecutive game on Senior Night at Sam Sirianni Field.

Despite the offensive outburst, which was aided by a defensive touchdown and some short fields, Fort Myers coach Sam Sirianni Jr. wasn’t pleased with his team’s uneven performance heading into next week’s first round of the Class 3S state playoffs.

“Fortunately for us our mistakes early in the game didn’t cost us like it cost them,” he said. “Now we have to start the process for the second season. I venture to say we’ll come out a little bit more ready to play in the next round and we’ll have to.

“The way we’ve played for the last month I thought we would have played cleaner. That’s all I’m looking for. And clearly, we were far from that so it’s disappointing.”

Fort Myers (8-2) lost fumbles on its first two offensive plays of the game, the second one negating a drive that started on the Cape Coral 18 after a bad snap on the Seahawks’ punt attempt.

Another punting miscue set the Green Wave up at the Cape Coral 1-yard line and this time Fort Myers cashed in on a 1-yard scoring run by senior quarterback Chris McFoley.

On the Seahawks’ next offensive possession, Green Wave freshman Jyden German intercepted a pass from Cape quarterback Ivan Harvin and returned it 76 yards for a touchdown.

The Seahawks (4-6) struggled to handle Fort Myers up front and dropped their sixth game in a row after a 4-0 start.

Fort Myers takeaways

1. The Green Wave didn’t execute effectively. Whether it was the distraction of Senior Night or looking past Cape Coral, Fort Myers didn’t play like a team poised to make a playoff run. The Green Wave committed three turnovers, dropped a handful of passes and had a couple of blown defensive coverages. “We’ll lick our wounds,” Sirianni said. “It’s nice to do that after scoring 52 points. But I know they’re disappointed because we’ve evolved to a very efficient offense the last few weeks.”

2. Overcoming a crushing defeat. Fort Myers dropped to 2-2 after falling 40-39 in double overtime at district rival Dunbar on Sept. 15. Instead of hanging their heads, the Green Wave closed out the regular season 6-0 and secured a playoff berth behind an offense that put up nearly 45 points per game during the win streak. “It’s a testament to their character that they were able to rebound,” Sirianni said. “I told them after that game that we’ve got some big games on the horizon but we’ve got to take them one at a time and we’ll have to run the sheet and see where we are. I’m so proud they were able to do that.”

3. Fort Myers-Dunbar Part 2? While the official playoff brackets won’t be released by the FHSAA until Sunday, the last set of regular-season rankings released this week would have set up a rematch between the Green Wave and the Tigers. “If that happens, what more could you ask for sitting at 2-2 six weeks ago walking off that field to have a chance to go in and get another shot at them,” Sirianni said. “You know their kids and our kids would love that one.”

Cape Coral takeaways

1. Early mistakes dug too big a hole. Cape Coral fell behind 31-0 in the first half with four of Fort Myers' scores influenced by turnovers. “We can’t make that many mistakes and hope to beat a team as good as they are,” Seahawks coach Larry Gary said.

2. The passing game made some big plays. Junior quarterback Ivan Harvin finished with 230 yards passing and three touchdowns, two to junior wide receiver Kalonji Hamilton. They are just two of the wealth of skill position talent that will be back for the Seahawks next season. “We’ve got kids that can make plays and they’re young, sophomores and juniors,” Gary said. “I just hope they feed off the good stuff and learn from the bad stuff.”

3. Cape needs to bulk up its lines. The Seahawks fronts struggled to get a push on either side of the ball. Gary said it’s an area of the team that has to improve for Cape Coral to maximize its potential. “I’ve always said it all starts with the line,” Gary said. “We’ve got to do better on the line of scrimmage, that's the key.”

— Dan DeLuca

SFCA 39, IMG Blue 21

Eli Moore threw for three touchdowns and ran for two more as Southwest Florida Christian Academy closed out its regular season with win over the Ascenders in Bradenton.

The senior quarterback came up with big plays whenever the Ascenders closed the gap, finishing with 126 yards rushing and 162 through the air.

“He did a phenomenal job controlling the ball and controlling the clock,” SFCA coach Roy Stabler said. “We kind of put everything on him tonight to kind of carry the load as a senior.”

A botched handoff between Moore and running back Isaac Tanner gave IMG the ball on the King’s 15-yard line midway through the first quarter and Demian Vazquez carried in from there to put the Ascenders in front 7-0.

But Moore led the Kings on an 80-yard drive and scored himself on a 28-yard run to even the score at 7-7 with 1:53 to go in the first quarter.

After the Ascenders came up a yard short of a first down on fourth down deep in SFCA territory, the King's responded with an 85-yard march, culminating with the first of Moore’s touchdown passes, a 17-yard strike to Tanner that gave SFCA the lead for good.

SFCA takeaways

1. The King's finished the season with a 3-7 record, but went out on a high note. “We’ve been talking to the guys all week about finishing strong,” Stabler said. “We just wanted to go out winning our last one. The effort and preparation were there. The kids flew around all week long. It didn’t matter whether it was IMG or wherever we were going, we just wanted to come out victorious."

2.  SFCA pulled off a successful onside kick in the fourth quarter after going up 33-21, leading to the score that put the game away. “We tried to squib it on the previous kickoff and we said you know what, on this next one we’re going to go for an onside and try to go up one more on them,” Stabler said. “We capitalized on what we tried to do. Special teams came up big when we needed it.”

3.  Moore finished 13 of 22 passing for 162 yards. Aiden Matyas and Jett Voltz caught four passes apiece. Tanner wound up with 89 yards rushing on 14 carries and caught two passes for 33 yards.  Matyas also had an interception for the King's. “We talked about trying to be solid in all three phases of the game: offense, defense and special teams,” Stabler said. “It took until the last game of the season, but I think we were pretty solid tonight.”

— Bruce Robins

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Week 11 Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Naples area football game coverage