Red Knights earn first win 43-16
North Fort Myers finally got its offense in high gear in its road opener Friday at Estero.
Red Knights quarterbacks combined for four touchdown passes and receiver Luis Alfonso caught four for 170 yards and two TDs to help North notch its first win of the season 43-16 in a non-district contest.
North (1-2) hit the scrappy Wildcats in the mouth early with several big plays that they were unable to recover from. Mix in another big night by the defense, which allowed just 162 yards of total offense and fewer penalties, and it became an easy one.
“We’ve cut our penalties in half the last couple weeks. That’s a great thing going into district play, but we have to find our identity real fast going into district,” Knights coach Earnest Graham said.
Graham knew who the star was, the man he looks at to exemplify the Red Knights way, Alfonso, whose hard work on the practice field translated into a huge night.
“Alfonso is one of our team leaders who doesn’t take a rep off, does everything we ask of him,” Graham said. “I point to him every single day about how you should conduct yourself on the field.”
The Knights got on the board on their opening possession. Set up by two long pass plays by quarterback Jared Rusnak, Zachary St. Amand topped off a 70-yard, eight-play drive with a five-yard run to make it 7-0.
Late in the first quarter, Ruznak went long, finding Alfonso on an 80-yard scoring play to increase the lead to 14-0.
“We’ve been practicing hard. I’ve been working on getting my knees up when I run and working on my cuts,” Alfonso said. “It’s all practice. Practice makes perfect.”
After a safety on a bad snap to make it 16-0, Lucious Stanley went off tackle and down the sidelines for a 46-yard TD run to extend the lead to 23-0.
Just as the Red Knights began to think of a running clock, Estero (0-3) rallied. Alec Eschenwald galloped 32 yards and converted on the two-point run to make it 23-8 late in the first half. When J.C. Correll took the second half kickoff to North’s 35, the Wildcats looked poised to get closer.
St. Amand recovered a fumble for the Red Knights, and Chris Zinn caught a short touchdown pass from J’Ravien Andersen for a 30-8 lead.
A fumble return by Bernie DeJesus gave the Wildcats some hope early in the fourth quarter, but the Red Knights blew the game open on Alfonso’s second long TD reception and a scrambling pass by Andersen to Austin Hopkins.
Eschenwald was Estero’s lone offensive threat, gaining 75 yards on the ground and 33 more in receptions with a touchdown and two two-point conversions.
North Fort Myers 16 7 7 13 – 43
Estero 0 8 0 8 – 16
NFM – St. Amand 5 run (Ferris kick).
NFM – Alfonso 80 pass from Rusnak (Ferris kick).
NFM – Safety, bad snap through end zone.
NFM – Stanley 46 run (Ferris kick).
EST – Eschenwald 32 run (Eschenwald run).
NFM – Zinn 3 pass from Andersen (Ferris kick).
EST – DeJesus 30 fumble recovery (Eschenwald run).
NFM – Alfonso 72 pass from Andersen (Ferris kick).
NFM – Watkins 17 pass from Andersen (kick failed).