District 4A-12 race begins
The Ida Baker Bulldogs and Cape Coral Seahawks have done enough prepping for the District 4A-12 race. Both teams begin to find out where they stand in what figures to be a heated four-team battle for two state playoff berths.
The Bulldogs (5-0) – off to the best start in school history – host Gulf Coast (3-2) Friday night while the Seahawks (4-0) welcome Palmetto Ridge (3-1) to Dave Warkentin Field on homecoming night.
District 3A-11 play continues with Mariner (0-5) visiting Bishop Verot (3-2) and South Fort Myers (5-0) playing at North Fort Myers (2-3). Island Coast (2-3) hosts Lake Placid in a 2B-6 clash.
So far the Bulldogs have walloped the opposition, behind a swarming defense and overall sound play. They posted shutout victories over Lehigh, North and North Port, and have outscored five opponents 168-11.
Coach Brian Conn said if there is a question mark facing the Bulldogs it’s seeing how they respond when playing from behind. They’ve avoided that situation to this point.
“We’ve got to be able to play through adversity when things don’t go our way, as the schedule gets tougher,” Conn said.
Gulf Coast finished 7-4 last season and the Sharks, guided by coach Frank Tudryn, have a team capable of challenging in the first year of the new district.
The Sharks lost starting quarterback Darby McCormick to a season-ending injury, but have other skill players, including quarterback Korenzo Smith and running back Sebastian Zuluaga.
“We saw them at the FAU camp this past summer,” Conn said. “They’re very tough and well coached, and very disciplined. This is when the real season begins for us.”
Palmetto Ridge (3-1) at Cape Coral (4-0): The Seahawks return from their bye week with a perfect record, and a No. 6 ranking in the Class 4A state poll, but the same lingering questions regarding their turnover struggles.
The Seahawks managed to win their first four games despite turning the ball over 15 times.
Their bye week came at a good time, though, as they were hit with a rash of illnesses last week.
“We still have some here and there,” Seahawks coach Mike Goebbel said. “It seems like it finds somebody each week, but as a whole we’re fairly healthy.”
Goebbel said the Seahawks have had a difficult time preparing for Palmetto Ridge, which has used different schemes in earlier games.
“We’ve seen two different teams,” he said. “One week they’re crowding the line and playing up in guys’ faces and the next week they’re using a three-man line. One week they’re spread out on offense and the next week they’re in an I-formation, playing power football.”
“The problem is we’ve had to get ready for two different teams, offensively and defensively,” he added.
Goebbel also said the Seahawks seemed more alert at practices with the focus of getting off to a good start in the district.
“They know the importance of this one and where it lands in the pecking order,” he said.
Mariner (0-5) at Bishop Verot (3-2): Though the losses are beginning to accumulate for the Tritons, there still appears to be plenty of fight left in them, based on their late comeback attempt against Island Coast last Friday.
The Tritons erased a 14-point deficit before losing 17-14.
The Tritons were held back by costly turnovers. They fumbled at their own 10, setting up the go-ahead field goal late in the fourth, and lost the ball again at the Gators’ 35 while driving for the potential tying score.
“Turnovers and penalties are just killing us,” Tritons coach Chad O’Brien said. “They have to be dealt with.”
Both the Tritons and host Vikings are seeking their first District 3A-11 win Friday.
The Vikings have shown resilience, bouncing back from losses to Evangelical Christian and South Fort Myers with wins the following week.
Lake Placid (2-2) at Island Coast (2-3): As the Gators head into their first District 2B-6 home game, and second overall, they look to be better finishers in the second half.
The young team has been able to start out with the right enthusiasm and strong play, but have struggled to sustain a consistent level for four quarters.
In their first district loss, the Gators led Clewiston 28-19 in the fourth quarter, before the Tigers rallied for the 32-28 win. Against Mariner, the Gators led 14-0 at halftime and managed to eek out a 17-14 win after the Tritons climbed back into it.
Even in a 20-3 loss to Ida Baker, the Gators were in the game until late in the third quarter when a few costly turnovers sank their hopes.
Injuries also are becoming a concern for the Gators. Sophomore quarterback Mike Dumas suffered a shoulder injury last Friday, and they already lost two other skill players – Javarice Pugh and Mario Pender – to injuries on kick returns.
“I think I can speak for all the Lee County coaches,” Gators coach Joe Bowen said Friday, “when you have 32-33 kids on your roster and you lose a starter out there, it’s going to affect the whole team and the chemistry of the team.”
South Fort Myers (5-0) at North Fort Myers (2-3): The Red Knights are in need of a signature victory. Their two wins have come against teams with a combined record of 3-7, while their three losses have come against teams with a combined mark of 11-3.
They’ll have a huge opportunity Friday when they host South Fort Myers in a District 3A-11 clash at Moody Field.
The Wolfpack, led by senior quarterback Dallas Crawford and junior receiver Sammy Watkins, have been one of the area’s most explosive teams so far, averaging 47 points per game in five victories.
In order for the Red Knights to keep up, they’ll need to build off last Friday’s 42-9 victory over Estero.
Senior quarterback Nathan McIntosh threw for 260 yards and three touchdowns, including a pair of touchdown passes to leading receiver senior Tre Boston.
The Wolfpack defeated Bishop Verot 35-7 in their first district game, while the Red Knights lost to Fort Myers, 12-7.
Area District Football Standings
Through Oct. 2 Games
District 4A-11
Dist. Overall
W-L W-L
Charlotte0-05-0
Lakewood Ranch0-02-3
Palmetto0-01-3
Port Charlotte0-01-4
District 4A-12
Dist. Overall
W-L W-L
Ida Baker0-05-0
Cape Coral0-04-0
Palmetto Ridge0-03-1
Gulf Coast0-03-2
District 3A-11
Dist. Overall
W-L W-L
South Fort Myers1-05-0
Riverdale1-03-1
Fort Myers1-02-3
Bishop Verot0-13-2
North Fort Myers0-12-3
Mariner0-10-5
District 3A-12
Dist. Overall
W-L W-L
Barron Collier2-05-0
Naples2-04-1
Lely1-12-3
Lehigh1-11-4
Golden Gate0-11-4
Cypress Lake0-10-4
East Lee County0-20-5
District 2A-6
Dist. Overall
W-L W-L
Hardee County0-04-0
DeSoto County0-02-3
Immokalee0-02-3
Estero0-01-4
District 2B-6
Dist. Overall
W-L W-L
Dunbar1-03-1
Lake Placid1-02-2
Clewiston1-01-4
Island Coast0-12-3
Gateway Charter0-10-5
LaBelle0-10-4
District 1B-6
Dist. Overall
W-L W-L
Evangelical Christian1-04-0
Out-of-Door Acad.1-03-1
Moore Haven1-13-2
Bradenton Christian0-04-0
SWF Christian0-13-2
St. Stephen’s0-12-3
St. John Neumann0-11-3
State Football Poll
The Associated Press Top 10 Florida high school football poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records, rating points and previous rankings:
Class 6A
1. Miami Central (13) 5-0 157 2
2. Dr. Phillips 4-0 135 3
3. Apopka 5-0 117 4
(tie) Miami Northwestern (3) 4-1 117 1
5. Chris. Columbus Catholic 4-0 101 5
6. Orange Park 4-0 76 6
7. Miramar 4-0 65 8
8. DeLand 5-0 54 9
9. Winter Park 4-1 30 10
10. Homestead 4-0 11
Others receiving votes: Miami Southridge 6, Mainland 5, Vero Beach 2, Lake Brantley 2, Atlantic Community 2.
Class 5A
1. St. Thomas Aquinas (17) 4-0 170 1
2. Lakeland 4-0 153 2
3. Manatee 4-0 124 3
4. Venice 4-1 106 5
5. Tampa Bay Tech 3-1 93 6
6. Plant 3-1 91 7
7. Fleming Island 5-0 71 8
8. St. Petersburg 5-0 50 9
9. Countryside 4-1 32 4
10. Blanche Ely 5-0 31
Others receiving votes: Kissimmee Osceola 11, Oviedo 2, Seabreeze 1.
Class 4A
1. Niceville (13)5-0 156 2
2. Charlotte (1) 5-0 131 4
2. Dwyer (2) 3-1 131 5
4. Armwood 3-1 112 1
5. Kathleen 5-0 95 7
6. Cape Coral 4-0 68 8
7. Hillsborough 3-1 56 9
8. Largo 4-1 51 3
9. Gainesville 4-1 15
10. Lincoln 3-2 13 6
(tie) Lake Gibson 3-1 13
Others receiving votes: Pine Forest 11, Lake Weir 9, Palm Bay 6, Palm Beach Lakes 5, Milton 3, Edgewater 3, Ida Baker 1, Columbia 1.
Class 3A
1. Miami Washington (10) 5-0 154 2
2. St. Augustine (6) 5-0 150 1
3. Andrew Jackson 5-0 123 3
4. Arnold 4-0 100 4
5. North Marion 4-1 95 5
6. Barron Collier 5-0 78 6
7. Naples 5-0 58 7
8. Lake Wales 3-0 40 8
9. Nature Coast Tech 3-1 18 10
(tie) Spoto 5-0 18
Others receiving votes: Pensacola 10, Miami Jackson 9, Lakewood 7, Braden River 7, South Fort Myers 6, Jefferson 4, Merritt Island 3.
Class 2A
1. Cocoa (13) 4-0 156 1
2. Glades Central (3) 4-0 146 2
3. Madison County 3-0 130 3
4. Robinson 3-0 97 4
5. Cardinal Gibbons 2-1 60 5
Others receiving votes: Hardee 27, Frostproof 12, Astronaut 6, Bishop Moore 6.
Class 2B
1. Bolles School (16) 3-0 160 1
2. Pahokee 3-1 132 3
3. Tampa Catholic 4-0 128 2
4. Chaminade-Madonna 4-0 106 5
5. Lake Highland 4-1 73
Others receiving votes: Pensacola Catholic 15, Ocala Trinity Catholic 14, Williston 6, Monsignor Pace 6.
Class 1A
1. Fort Meade (13) 3-0 156 1
2. Trinity Christ.-Jacksonville (1) 4-0 142 2
3. North Florida Christian (2) 3-0 134 3
4. Melbourne Cent. Catholic 4-0 97 5
5. Parkway Academy 4-0 67
Others receiving votes: King’s Academy 19, Delray American Heritage 13, Holy Trinity Episcopal 6, Port St. Joe 6.
Class 1B
1. Jupiter Christian (16) 4-0 160 1
2. Evangelical Christian4-0 140 2
3. Glades Day 3-1 118 3
4. Warner Christian 3-1 113 4
5. Victory Christian 4-1 69 5
Others receiving votes: Florida Air Academy 18, Lafayette 16, Hawthorne 6.