Island Coast likes chances at Cape
Tonight’s games offer a full schedule of district matchups across Southwest Florida.
Add District 6A-10 importance to the crosstown rivalry status of Cape Coral (1-5, 0-2 district) and Island Coast (2-5, 1-1) and the sparks might light up the night sky over Dave Warkentin Stadium.
“It’s a big district game, but the kids are ready to play,” said Gators coach John Schwochow. “We just have to get to Friday.”
Schwochow likes his team’s chances against the Seahawks. He should, the Gators are 5-1 against the Seahawks and have won the last five meetings in a row including a 23-3 triumph last season.
“They have a good playmaker in Marlon Gaymon, but as long as we can contain him we have a fighting chance,” said Schwochow. “As long as we have a fighting chance, we’ll take our chances.”
The Gators are in decent shape health-wise as they headed into Thursday’s walk-through practice.
“When I was at Fort Myers we had a kid who dislocated his knee in a walk-through,” said Schwochow. “It was a freak thing.”
Schwochow views the season so far as somewhat successful for the Gators who are both very young and faced a tough schedule.
“With what we had to go through I think we did a pretty good job,” he said.
Tied with Ida Baker for third place in the district standings at 1-1 behind Charlotte and Port Charlotte both at 2-0, the Gators still have a shot at a playoff spot since after tonight they have two games left against Port Charlotte and Baker.
Elsewhere tonight in 6A-10 Port Charlotte (3-3, 2-0) hosts Ida Baker (3-4, 1-1) and North Fort Myers (2-4, 0-2) hosts Charlotte (6-0, 2-0); in District 5A-12 Mariner (2-4, 0-2) hosts Immokalee (2-4, 1-0) and Cypress Lake (2-4, 1-1) hosts Dunbar (4-1, 1-0); in District 4A-6 Bishop Verot (5-2, 2-1) hosts Mulberry (1-5, 1-2); and Oasis (2-3) travels to Clearwater.
Other area matchups include Fort Myers (4-2, 1-0) hosting Estero (2-5, 1-0) and East Lee County (1-4, 0-1) hosting Lehigh (1-5, 0-1) in District 6A-11; District 7A-11 clash for South Fort Myers (5-1, 0-0) at Riverdale (3-4, 0-1); and in District 2A-7 Evangelical Christian (2-4, 1-2) hosts C.S. Naples (5-1, 2-1), Marco Island (2-4, 1-2) hosts SWF?Christian (3-3, 1-2) and Tenoroc (3-3, 2-1) hosts Gateway (0-6, 0-3).