Seahawks cruise to 54-21 victory
NAPLES – Toward the end of the first half Friday night, more than one member of the Cape Coral Seahawks showed signs of fatigue as they trotted off the playing field. They had good reason.
With an opportunity to nail down a state playoff berth for the third consecutive year, the Seahawks ran roughshod over the host Gulf Coast Sharks, on both sides of the ball, from the opening kickoff until roughly the beginning of the fourth quarter when the starters exited for good.
The Seahawks built a 33-0 halftime lead and posted a 54-21 victory to remain unbeaten and secure a playoff berth. They’ll host Ida Baker Nov. 6 for the District 4A-12 title, with the losing team receiving the runner-up spot.
“It’s a relief,” senior Spencer Boyd said. “We don’t want to sit back and just cruise, but it’s a relief knowing that we’re already in.”
The Seahawks (7-0, 2-0 district) did it in all facets Friday. They rushed for 342 yards on 26 carries.
Senior Jeremy Davis gained 124 yards on seven carries and scored three touchdowns (56, 38, 2 yards). Boyd rushed for 89 yards on seven carries, including a 45-yard TD run, and senior quarterback Jaylen Watkins fired a pair of touchdown passes to Prince Holloway and Larry Gary Jr., in addition to a 41-yard TD run.
Junior running back Pevin Lewis chipped in with 93 yards in the fourth quarter.
The Seahawks’ defense was every bit as impressive. Boyd and senior linebacker Mark Bailer intercepted passes, and Chris Johnson scored on a 21-yard fumble return. Junior Edsel Caprice had 2 1/2 sacks and Bailer added 1 1/2. Charles Walker (nose tackle) and Shaun Argoe (defensive end) were forces throughout along the defensive front.
Perhaps the biggest stat for the Seahawks was the zero turnovers by the offense – an area that has plagued them all year.
“We were tired of all the bad media and all that,” Watkins said. “Coach (Mike) Goebbel said do something about it, so the captains sat the team down and we set rules. Now we’re looking like a team.”
The Sharks (3-4, 0-2) hoped to keep their district hopes alive and they received a boost getting quarterback Darby McCormick and receiver Zac Rittberg back in the lineup. Both players missed their first district game, which was a 48-7 loss to Baker.
The Seahawks took charge, though, quickly when Bailer intercepted McCormick on the second play from scrimmage. Watkins hooked up with Holloway for a 14-yard pass to put the Seahawks up 6-0.
The Sharks advanced the ball to their own 42 on the next series, but Argoe and Eric Wilkin teamed up for a stop on fourth-and-1. The Seahawks turned that momentum into more points as Watkins raced 41 yards for a score.
With the Seahawks defense continuing to get off the field, the offense wasn’t giving them much rest. The final three touchdowns by the Seahawks in the first half came on one-play drives. The scoring included runs of 56 and 38 from Davis and a 61-yard pass from Watkins to Gary.
Watkins said the Seahawks played with a chip on their shoulder against the Sharks. They’re in search of their first district title since 1994. They host Stuart South Fork next Friday, before the showdown with Baker.
“We still got the chip on our shoulder,” Watkins said. “We’re not looking ahead. We got South Fork next week and we’ll do our best to take them out.”
Cape Coral 20 13 21 0 – 54
Gulf Coast 0 0 7 14 – 21
First Quarter
CC – Prince Holloway 14 pass from Jaylen Watkins (kick blocked)
CC – Watkins 41 run (Simon Perez kick)
CC – Jeremy Davis 56 run (Perez kick)
Second Quarter
CC – Larry Gary Jr. 61 pass from Watkins (kick failed)
CC – Davis 38 run (Perez kick)
Third Quarter
GC – Shawn Normil 13 run (Connor Goulding kick)
CC – Davis 2 run (Perez kick)
CC – Spencer Boyd 45 run (Perez kick)
CC – Chris Johnson 21 fumble return (Perez kick)
Fourth Quarter
GC – Kyle Huff 5 run (Goulding kick)
GC – Huff 19 run (Goulding kick)