GAME OF THE WEEK
Cape Coral (1-0) at Fort Myers (1-0)
n Radio: WMYR-AM (1410)
n Video: news-press.com
n What to watch for — Cape Coral: The Seahawks snapped a 14-game losing streak to the Green Wave last season with a 26-13 victory. Cape is still just 6-23 all-time against Fort Myers. The Seahawks rolled up 362 yards of total offense in last week’s 56-14 win over rival Mariner. Senior QB Bryan Greenwell had a successful debut for Cape Coral, passing for 107 yards and one TD. Fort Myers: The Green Wave surrendered 239 rushing yards to Cypress Lake last week, but rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit to escape with a 14-13 win. Junior RB Dalvin Battle led Fort Myers with 160 rushing yards and two TDs. Running room could be hard to come by, however, about the Cape Coral defense.
n The News-Press pick: Cape Coral 27, Fort Myers 17
Bishop Verot (1-0) at Lemon Bay (1-0)
n Time: 7 p.m.
n What to watch for — Bishop Verot: The defense will be the key in this trip to Englewood. The Vikings used constant pressure on the quarterback forcing four interceptions last week against ECS. Senior QB Jake Kistel will have to find a rhythm against a physical Lemon Bay defense. Lemon Bay: Can they run the ball? The Manta Rays churned up 398 rushing yards against Gateway Charter, led by Andrew Schulte’s 182. The Manta Rays fell last year to the Vikings, 35-6.
n The News-Press pick: Bishop Verot 24, Lemon Bay 17
Clewiston (0-1) at West Palm Beach King’s Academy (1-0)
n Time: 7 p.m.
n What to watch for —Clewiston: Get ready to see a lot of senior RB Fred Washington this season. The Division I prospect ran for 112 yards and two touchdown in a loss to Plantation and will be asked to carry it more this week. The Tigers were shutout by King’s Academy, 22-0 last year. King’s Academy: They won’t overwhelm Clewiston with size, but their skill position speed could cause a problem. The Lions missed the post-season for the first time in eight years last season.
n The News-Press pick: King’s Academy 27, Clewiston 21
ESTERO (0-1) AT ST. JOHN NEUMANN (1-0)
n Time: 7 p.m.
n What to watch for — Estero: After a great preseason classic effort, coach Rich Dombrowski was highly disappointed after a 49-7 loss to South Fort Myers. “After the game I was level-headed,” he said. “I told the players,’We played the toughest team on our schedule, let’s put it behind us. We’ve got a nine-game schedule left. … Chalk it up to being scared going against Dallas Crawford and Sammy Watkins and go back to the drawing board.” St. John Neumann: Led by Dylan Woods’ two picks, Neumann intercepted six passes in last week’s 26-7 win over Bradenton-St. Stephen’s Episcopal. Woods also had two TD runs while coach Steve Howey also was impressed by 140 yards rushing from sophomore TB Ryan O’Rourke.
n The News-Press pick: Estero 27, St. John Neumann 23
SOUTH FLORIDA HEAT (0-1) AT SOUTHWEST FLORIDA CHRISTIAN (0-1)
n Where: Buckingham Park
n Time: 7 p.m.
n What to watch for — South Florida HEAT: This home-schooled team fell to Princeton Christian 14-0 last week. Southwest Florida Christian: The game is the Kings’ home opener. Junior QB Andrew Hall passed for 240 yards last week but the Kings fell to Bradenton Christian 41-22. Junior Colton Catto snagged 14 passes for 190 yards a touchdown in that game.
The News-Press pick: Southwest Florida Christian 21, South Florida HEAT 13
LAKELAND VICTORY CHRISTIAN (1-0) AT COMMUNITY SCHOOL OF NAPLES (0-1)
n Time: 7 p.m.
n What to watch for — Victory Christian: The Storm were ousted by ECS in the first round of the 1B state playoffs last year. They are led by senior RB Brandon Clark. Community School of Naples: The Seahawks dropped their first game in school history 16-8 to Windermere Prep. Freshman QB Andrew Tomaini scored the Seahawks’ lone touchdown, the first in school history. CSN will need a great defensive effort to top the Storm.
n The News-Press pick: Lakeland Victory Christian 31, Community School of Naples 13
Island Coast (1-0) at Cypress Lake (0-1)
n What to watch for — Island Coast: The Gators defense suffocated North Fort Myers last week, holding the Red Knights to 23 total yards in a 38-0 victory. Junior RB Mario Pender provided the offensive punch, rushing for 144 yards and three TDs on just 11 carries. Island Coast won last year’s meeting 21-10. Cypress Lake: The Panthers racked up 343 total yards of offense but couldn’t put much of a dent in the scoreboard, losing 14-13 to Fort Myers. Sophomore QB Jayron Kearse did the most damage, rushing for 169 yards, including a highlight-reel 82-yard scoring scamper. However, he’ll likely find the running lanes harder to navigate against Island Coast.
n The News-Press pick: Island Coast 29, Cypress Lake 10
Baker (0-1) at North Fort Myers (0-1)
n What to watch for — Baker: The Bulldogs lost a 10-point lead, falling 24-13 to Lehigh in last week’s opener. Baker struggled to get its offense on track, gaining just 143 total yards. Baker defeated North Fort Myers 36-0 last season. North Fort Myers: The Red Knights need to establish their running game against a Baker defense that allowed 252 rushing yards last week against Lehigh. North’s defense should fare better against a Baker team that lacks gamebreakers.
n The News-Press pick: North Fort Myers 24, Baker 21
Miami Choice PREPATORY (0-1) at Barron Collier (0-1)
n What to watch for — Miami Choice: In its first varsity season, Choice lost its opener 42-0 to Miami Archbishop McCarthy last week. Barron Collier: The Cougars rushed for 279 yards but squandered numerous scoring chances in last week’s 14-13 loss to Immokalee. Barron Collier should break out in a big way tonight against the first-year Hoyas.
n The News-Press pick: Barron Collier 35, Miami Choice 7
Charlotte (1-0) at Riverdale (0-1)
n What to watch for — Charlotte: Sensational senior RB Mike Bellamy rushed for 95 yards and four touchdowns on 15 carries during last week’s 48-0 victory against North Port. Riverdale coach Rob Hinson compared Bellamy to Noel Devine and Phillip Buchanon. “If he gets to the sideline, he’s tough to catch,” Hinson said. “He can cut back against the grain. You can corral him inside. He makes a spin move, he ends up in the corner of the end zone. We’re going to have nine, 10, 11 guys rotating on defense who have never seen him before.” Riverdale: Junior QB Jeff Colton continues to impress with his composure. In a 32-26 loss to East Lee County, Colton ran for three touchdowns and passed for one. “The game’s starting to slow down a little for him,” Hinson said. “He started to play the game within the game. For a junior, you could see him looking and pointing and directing. You like that in a young quarterback. Usually you don’t get to that stage until you’re a senior.”
n The News-Press pick: Charlotte 35, Riverdale 14
Immokalee (1-0) at Naples (1-0)
n What to watch for — Immokalee: The Indians, under first-year coach Jerrod Ackley, defeated Barron Collier 13-7 in the opener. “He’s definitely got them going in the right direction,” Naples coach Bill Kramer said. “Unfortunately, we have not played our best football against Immokalee. We always turn the ball over and let them hang around.” The all-time series between the two teams is tied at 18. Naples owns a winning record against every other Collier County foe. Naples: For the Golden Eagles, the test will be not feeling too confident following a season-opening, 51-0 victory. “Our guys are humble,” Kramer said. “They’ve got a real good focus about them.” Senior QB Travis Carlyle passed for two touchdowns and ran for one.
n The News-Press pick: Naples 38, Immokalee 16
North Port (0-1) at Mariner (0-1)
n What to watch for — North Port: The Bobcats are coming off a 48-0 loss to Charlotte. Mariner: Like North Port, the Tritons will be looking to come back from a blowout loss — 56-14 to Cape Coral. Mariner QB J.T. Etnoyer had some success, rushing for two touchdowns. “Both of our teams are in the same boat,” said first-year Mariner coach Chris Siner, a former assistant at Immokalee. “It’s only one game out of 10. When it’s over, we’ve got to move on. The kids have done a good job of moving on. I’m excited. I want to see how we rebound.”
n The News-Press pick: Mariner 21, North Port 17
East Lee County (1-0) at South Fort Myers (1-0)
n What to watch for — East Lee: The Jaguars have improved considerably from last year’s 2-8 campaign, building big leads in a 34-14 exhibition win over Bishop Verot and 32-26 win last week over Riverdale, which routed East Lee 48-0 a year ago. Depth is an issue for East Lee, and easing up last week after leading Riverdale 32-7 nearly cost the Jaguars. But East Lee could prove one of the tougher tests on South Fort Myers’ schedule. South Fort Myers: Seeking a strong defense to match its explosive offense, South Fort Myers raced to a 43-0 halftime lead in last week’s 49-7 rout of Estero. Dallas Crawford and Sammy Watkins were their usual scoring machines, but they may be just as valuable tonight in the secondary in matching East Lee’s speed and talent.
n The News-Press pick: South Fort Myers 41, East Lee County 26
Bradenton St. Stephen’s (0-1) at First Baptist (0-1)
n What to watch for — St. Stephen’s: They like to throw the football and will try and spread First Baptist out with a variety of formations. First Baptist: Sophomore Corey Todd got his feet wet last week with two touchdowns in a loss to Moore Haven. The Lions will have to rely on Rick Beaubrin and Chris Dorril to fill-in for injured running back Alex Garcia.
n The News-Press pick: St. Stephen’s 28, First Baptist 7
Lely (0-1) at Gulf Coast (0-1)
n What to watch for — Lely: The Trojans are a young team that has worked all week to correct mistakes that hurt them in a season opening loss to Miami Gulliver Prep. They have to overcome the loss of their starting RB Hayden Hanscom, who suffered a severe knee injury prior to the opener. Gulf Coast: The Sharks led Golden Gate 10-7 last week before watching Golden Gate rattle off 28 unanswered points in a 35-16 loss. Until the ground game gets on track, QB Darby McCormick will have to carry the team with his arm for new coach Andrew Miranti. Gulf Coast has knocked off Lely in their last four meetings, including this past spring.
n The News-Press pick: Lely 22, Gulf Coast 20
GOLDEN GATE (1-0) VS. PALMETTO RIDGE (0-1)
n Where: Immokalee
n What to watch for — Golden Gate: Coach Steve Crowley said he was most pleased with this team’s offense in a 35-16 win over Gulf Coast. “I thought no turnovers, few penalties and that eight-minute drive was the best,” he said. “We controlled the line of scrimmage pretty well. We showed more discipline and more maturity than we did in the spring. I knew we’d be pretty good defensively but our offense put us in some bad situations in the spring.” Palmetto Ridge: The Bears had to move their game to Immokalee because of installation problems with their new artificial playing field. Crowley is concerned about Palmetto’s Ridge’s offense, saying, “They run that pistol option, which we’re not used to and the run it pretty well.”
n The News-Press pick: Golden Gate 30, Palmetto Ridge 26
LEHIGH (1-0) AT DUNBAR (0-1)
What to watch for — Lehigh: The Lightning came out flat last week against Baker before coming back to win 24-13. Senior RB Curtavious Thornton scored two key TDs and rushed for 147 yards in that game. Lehigh will try to control the line of scrimmage tonight with its offensive line to try to free up running room for Thornton and junior QB Malik Simmons. Dunbar: The Tigers did not score a point in either their preseason game or their regular season opener. Dunbar was drilled 51-0 by Naples last week. The Tigers had just 64 yards of total offense in that game, a number they must improve upon to beat Lehigh this week.
n The News-Press pick: Lehigh 27, Dunbar 7
GATEWAY CHARTER (0-1) AT FROSTPROOF (1-0)
n What to watch for — Gateway Charter: The Griffins lost their 14th consecutive game, a streak that now spans three seasons, when they fell to Lemon Bay 40-19 last week. Senior RB Andre Thomas had two TDs in that game. Gateway must avoid falling behind 27-0 in the first quarter like it did against Lemon Bay if it wants to win. Frostproof: The Bulldogs are led by senior QB Danny Barnes, who is receiving attention from numerous Division I schools.
n The News-Press pick: Frostproof 31, Gateway Charter 14
POMPANO BEACH PREMIER ACADEMY (0-1) AT FLORIDA CHRISTIAN (1-0)
n Where: Rutenberg Park
n What to watch for — Premier Academy: This is the school’s first year of existence and the team’s first game. The Falcons forfeited last week to Orlando Eastland Christian because of equipment problems. Premier Academy is in the Sunshine Independent Athletic Association with FCI but this is not a conference game. Florida Christian: The Eagles’ offense sputtered but they were still able to come away with a 12-2 victory over Jacksonville Potter’s House Christian last week. “We’re going into this game blind,” FCI coach Brent Burnside said. “I’d imagine that they are going to look a lot like us. Hopefully we can capitalize on their mistakes like we did last week.”
n The News-Press pick: Florida Christian 20, Premier Academy 16
LABELLE (0-1) AT
EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN (0-1)
• What to watch for — LaBelle: The Cowboys are coming off a 53-35 loss to Cardinal Mooney. LaBelle’s Christopher Garcia rushed for 105 yards on nine carries, and David Antunez returned a kickoff 84 yards for a score. ECS: The Sentinels opened with a 41-16 loss to Bishop Verot. “We played about as bad as we can play, and they played about as good as I could have expected them to,” ECS coach Brian Lynch said of the Vikings. “I see a tremendous upside in that. From here, we can only go up. We were waiting on things to happen, and it didn’t all click.”
• The News-Press pick: ECS 35, LaBelle 28
The Cougars were overlooked in the preview capsules, here goes:
CANTERBURY SCHOOL (1-1) AT MIAMI CHRISTIAN (1-1)
AT 4:00pm
Canterbury takes it’s high powered offense to the east coast. The Canterbury offense has scored 138 points in 3 games (including spring game). With sharpshooting senior Matt Hembling (9 td passes, 525 yds) getting more protection, Canterbury should get the ball more often to their dynamic playmakers Jared Freund, Jordan Wigenroth, Nick Dibenedetto, and Sam Perchetti. 6′3″, 245# FB Ishmial Williams will continue to pound the ball inside. CB Alex Rabinowitz with 2 picks leads a strong pass defense.
Street Pick: Canterbury 40-17
Hello? ECS and LaBelle? Come on guys…..include everyone!
first of all, who cares about canterbury? and ecs sucks, and labelle sucks. and fort myers is going to get destroyed
also, mike bellamy will out his head down and get 3,4,5 yards every single play wearing down the defense of the raiders. he can be a very powerful runner that eats apart at the defense, not only a speedy guy
F.C.I i am a player for fci and defense wins games they called back three of our offensive touchdowns the score was supposed to be 26-2 but its all good newspress we will try to get it together today
We will all see how fort myers holds up, when you say we will get destroyed please cape played mariner nobody tuff, when they play a tuff team please come back and respond,fort myers has a whole new play lineup dont shut them out yet….