Athletes of the Week
Cape Coral High continued its stretch of strong defensive play in last Friday’s 25-0 win over Ida Baker in a game that decided the District 4A-12 football championship.
In the center of the mix for the Seahawks (9-0) Friday night and over the past several weeks has been senior Charles Walker, who often goes by the nickname “Bubba.” The 6-foot-9 330-pound nose tackle has played a vital role in solidifying the run defense and is allowing many others on the defense to make plays behind him.
In the young high school soccer season, Bishop Verot sophomore Kadesha “Kady” Otzko has found the scoring touch. Otzko recorded three straight hat tricks (three goals) in the Vikings’ three wins last week.
For their efforts, Walker and Otzko are the Daily Breeze Male and Female Athlete of the Week.
Despite his massive size, Walker is relatively new to the gridiron. He began playing for the Seahawks as a sophomore. Naturally, many of his classmates urged him to come out for the team.
“A lot of people were telling me to come out so I tried it,” said Walker.
“It was tough (at first),” he added. “I wasn’t used to being in shape.”
After seeing mostly reserve time on the offensive line his sophomore and junior seasons, Walker figured to be on the field on that side of the ball this season.
His size, though, created a bit of a problem for the Seahawks’ speedy runners during the spring.
“It was almost like he was clogging up the holes rather than giving us one to run through,” Seahawks coach Mike Goebbel said.
On the defensive line, Walker has found a home. The big change came about midseason after the Seahawks gave up a lot of rushing yards in a game at North Port. They switched from a 4-4 front to a 3-5 and placed Walker at nose tackle.
Over the past four weeks the defense has flourished at every level with Walker providing an anchor in the middle, which allows the five linebackers to fly around and fill the gaps against the run.
In their last four games, the Seahawks have posted two shutouts and have proven tougher to run against. They held Baker to 88 yards rushing on 33 carries last Friday.
“We’re all working together and working really hard,” Walker said of the defense.
Walker added another key play in Friday’s win. After Baker intercepted a pass at the Seahawks’ 17, the Bulldogs threatened to take the lead. On third down, the Seahawks rushed in and Walker picked up the sack, pushing the Bulldogs out of field goal range.
Honorable mentions:
Graham Murza, junior, Cape Coral Seahawks swimming – Murza qualified for the Class 2A state meet with a time of 56.77 in the 100 backstroke at the Region 4-2A meet last Thursday. He is part of the Seahawks’ 200 medley relay team that advanced to state.
Eddie Fair, senior, Bishop Verot Vikings football – Fair intercepted two passes in the fourth quarter to secure the Vikings’ 19-14 win over Fort Myers.
In his six years guiding Bishop Verot, coach Randy Zavada has seen his share of prolific goal scorers.
The list includes Angie Kuhn, who set the school’s career mark with 143 goals, and Gina Petracco, who piled up a single season record of 48 goals as a senior before moving on to FGCU.
While it might be too early to include Otzko among that elite group, the Vikings no doubt are expecting increased scoring production from their sophomore forward.
With one year of experience, in which she scored 16 goals, Otzko opened this season with three goals in each of the Vikings’ three wins over Charlotte, Evangelical Christian and Cardinal Mooney.
The most impressive stat, Zavada said, is Otzko scored nine goals on only 15 shots. She’s making the most of her chances.
“That’s an amazing stat,” he said. “Our previous players typically averaged one in five, one in six, something like that.”
Otzko, a Cape Coral resident, brings a wealth of experience to the Vikings. She started playing in Wisconsin as a first-grader before her family moved to Southwest Florida when she was in seventh grade. She continued to refine her skills at St. Andrew’s School and in club soccer with the Island Coast Soccer Alliance.
Otzko said the pace of the game is the primary reason why she’s played for so long.
“The game never really stops,” she said. “You’re always moving, always doing something.”
Otzko was a rare freshman playing significantly on varsity for the Vikings last season. It took her some time to become acclimated to the system, and the team overall was young with just one senior starter. The offensive production dropped compared to previous years.
Her strong start this season coincides with outstanding team play.
Otzko indicated the secret to scoring goals is giving the ball up and being in the right position to receive the return pass.
“(The key is) not being selfish with the ball, giving up the ball knowing that they’ll pass it back to you,” Otzko said. “It’s important to be in the right position and not be offsides – that’s the biggest thing.”
Honorable mentions:
Jeanette Conrad, junior, Cape Coral Seahawks diving – Conrad posted a score of 382.60 at Thursday’s 4-2A meet to qualify for the 2A state meet.
Kelsea Whitaker, junior, Mariner Tritons soccer – Whitaker scored five goals leading the Tritons to a 15-1 win over East Lee County and 4-0 win over South Fort Myers.