Green Wave salvage 25-21 rivalry win
One of the premier rivalry games in Southwest Florida saw another great chapter unfold Friday night. In front of a jam packed crowd at Moody Field the Fort Myers Green Wave defeated the North Fort Myers Red Knights 25-21 in a game that had nearly everything.
With 2:43 remaining in the game, Fort Myers was up 19-15 when it fumbled the ball on their first snap following an interception, giving North the ball at the Green Wave 26-yard line.
The Red Knights took advantage. A 29-yard pass from quarterback J’Ravien Anderson to Chris Zinn took the Knights to the goal line. The next play, Luis Alfonso punched it in to give North a 21-19 lead.
With 2:03 left in the game, Fort Myers once again moved the ball down the field, breaking off multiple big runs along the way to a one-yard touchdown run by Darrian Felix.
With less than 30 second remaining on the clock, North got the ball back. Moving past midfield, North quarterback Jared Rusnak appeared to lose focus, taking a knee instead of spiking the ball. Stopping the clock, the referees ruled that North had in fact spiked the ball. A massive protest from the Wave sideline had the officials huddle together, ruling North indeed had taken a knee.
Restarting the clock with four seconds left, neither the Knights nor Green Wave were given a signal from the referees on their intention to restart the clock. With the clock at zero, the game ended despite protests from North coach Earnest Graham.
The result gave Fort Myers its fifth straight victory in the rivalry game. The final score also left a painful taste in the mouths of the Red Knights fans, many of whom were left scratching their heads at what had just transpired on the field.
Overall, the game was a back and forth affair for its entirety. The Red Knights jumped out to an early first half lead compliments of J’Ravien Anderson’s 25-yard TD run.
Not to be outdone, the Green Wave quickly answered with a 64-yard run. Green Wave quarterback Edwitch Merisier capped off the drive with a one-yard TD run.
The game then took an hour-plus delay due to lightning before resuming late in the first quarter.
Consecutive rushing losses within their own 10-yard line saw the Knights claim a safety when Edwitch Merisier was tackled in his own end zone.
ort Myers once again bounced back quickly. Getting the ball at the North 40, Merisier went all the way on the second play of the drive, scoring on a 40-yard run.
ollowing a halftime ceremony retiring the jersey of North Fort Myers great Noel Devine, both teams came out relying on their defense.
The teams quickly exchanged interceptions late in the third quarter with the Knights intercepting the Green Wave at own their own goal line before being intercepted by the Wave at North’s 30.
On the first play after the interception, Fort Myers runningback Randy Smith scored on an 18-yard run to give the Green Wave their second lead of the game.
Fort Myers6 6 7 6 – 25
North FM 7 8 0 6 – 21
NFM Anderson 25 run (Ferris kick)
FM Merisier 1 run (kick failed) ?
NFM Safety, Merisier tackled in end zone
FM – Merisier 40 run (kick failed)
NFM – Saint-Amand 9 run (kick failed)
FM Smith 18 run (St. Louis Kick)
NFM Alfonso (kick failed)?FM Felix (conversion failed)