Knights rout Vikings 50-14
If the season’s final two weeks are any indication, North Fort Myers football is back.
Zaquandre White scored five touchdowns Friday night as the Knights rolled over Bishop Verot 50-14 at Vikings Stadium.
North won its final two games by a combined score of 88-20 to finish the year 5-5.
That’s a big turnaround for a program that had three total wins over its previous two seasons.
“We ended with our best two football games,” first-year North coach Earnest Graham said. “These guys really came together and played well. We had some tough games early on, but these guys kept playing football really hard and finished strong.”
It’s the first five-win season for North since 2008.
White, a sophomore, scored his touchdowns three different ways. He ran for TDs of 46, 75 and 72 yards, caught a 71-yard TD pass and returned an interception 32 yards for a score.
“It was pretty good,” White said. “Last game of the season. We didn’t make it to the playoffs, so we had to come out here and ball.”
White finished with 225 yards rushing on 11 carries and added two receptions for 85 yards.
“That kid’s potential is through the roof,” Graham said of White. “We’ve just got to take care of some things that can help him hone his skills He can become one of the best players in the state by the time he’s a senior.”
North quarterback Jake Duff threw for two scores and ran for one. The Knights scored 27 points in the last 2:44 before halftime.
It started when Duff scrambled for a 67-yard run. Verot (5-5) fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and Duff hit Brandon King for a 26-yard touchdown. Two plays later, White intercepted a Quinn Farrell pass and scored.
The Knights added White’s 46-yard run with 20 seconds before halftime.
“We had a huge burst there in about a four-minute span,” Graham said. “We felt a little dead in the third quarter, but we came back and finished the game.”
Duff and White hooked up on a 71-yard pass play in the first quarter, and White added two long TD runs in the fourth period.
“We had to avoid one of those situations” where North put up a lot of points in a hurry, Vikings coach Bill Shields said. “And we didn’t. They’re very athletic. They can run, and they do a good job. I’m proud of our kids. They played hard for 48 minutes. Things just got away from us.”
Bishop Verot freshman William Scott caught a 62-yard touchdown pass from Farrell and ran a kickoff back 75 yards for another score.
Scott had 52 yards rushing to give him 1,050 for the season.
Verot travels to Clearwater Central Christian next Friday to open the Class 3A playoffs.
“We get a shot,” Shields said. “We know we’re playing the number one team in the state.”
North FM 7 27 2 14 – 50
Bishop Verot 7 7 0 0 – 14
BV – Scott 62 pass from Farrell (Cole kick)
NFM – White 71 pass from Duff (Gentile kick)
- NFM – Duff 67 run (Gentile kick)
- NFM – King 26 pass from Duff (kick failed)
- NFM – White 32 interception return (Gentile kick)
BV – Scott 75 kickoff return (Cole kick)?
NFM – White 46 run (Gentile kick)?
NFM – Safety, QB tackled in end zone?
NFM – White 75 run (Gentile kick)
- NFM – White 72 run (Gentile kick)?