High school football Week 7 roundup: Naples beats Lely; Immokalee, CSN, SJN, FBA win
Naples 45, Lely 0
At Lely
• This was the 45th annual Coconut Bowl and the recent big trend certainly held. The Golden Eagles' win against Lely was the ninth straight and 18th in the last 20 matchups. Overall, Naples leads the all-time Coconut Bowl series 30-15.
• On his first five carries, Naples senior running back Chez Mellusi had just nine yards. On his next four carries, Mellusi -- a Clemson commit who will play in the upcoming All-American Bowl -- had 143 yards, including touchdown sprints of 65 and 70 yards. He finished with 197 yards and the two touchdowns on just 12 carries in this game that included a running clock the entire second half after Naples broke to a 37-0 lead by intermission.
• Naples junior running back Elan Sommala made the most of his first-half chances, picking up 48 yards -- including a 33-yard touchdown run -- on just four carries. He also plowed his way to two first-half two-point conversions.
• The Golden Eagles were quite run-heavy. How much so? Naples junior quarterback Drew Wiltsie threw just one first-half pass. He completed it to Paul Saint Louis for 13 yards.
• It was tough to say if the Naples defense was that good or the Lely offense on this night was that bad coming off a heartbreaking 21-17 loss against Dunbar, the Trojans' third loss by a touchdown or less. The Golden Eagles held Lely to just 46 first-half total yards.
Records: Naples 5-1, Lely 0-6
Next games: Oct. 12 -- Naples vs. Golden Gate, 7:30 p.m.; Lely at Mariner, 7:30 p.m.
-- Dana Caldwell
N 6 31 0 8 -- 45
L 0 0 0 0 -- 0
First quarter
N -- Paul Saint Louis 90 kickoff return (kick failed), 11:42
Second quarter
N -- Arquel Smith 52 interception return (Denilson Barrientos kick), 11:39
N -- Chez Mellusi 65 run (Elan Sommala run), 9:19
N -- Sommala 33 run (Drew Wiltsie run), 5:14
N -- Mellusi 70 run (Sommala run), 2:49
Fourth quarter
N -- Wiltsie 1 run (Mellusi pass from Wiltsie), 9:05
Immokalee 46, Palmetto Ridge 14
At Gary Bates Stadium
* RJ Rosales threw five touchdowns – four to Jodeci Chappa – as the resurgent Indians won their second straight game in another blowout.
* Backup running back Dave Belrice had a huge second half, running for more than 150 yards and a touchdown.
* The Indians’ defense continues to improve, forcing a pair of Palmetto Ridge turnovers. Andrew Rene nearly ran an interception back for a touchdown late in the game. The 55-yard return set up Belrice’s 13-yard touchdown to cap the scoring.
* With starter Evan Rodriguez ailing, the Bears turned to state wrestling champion and stud linebacker Colby Singletary at quarterback. Singletary scored a touchdown in the second quarter, but was lifted late in the third quarter in favor of receiver Kamonte Grimes, who led a scoring drive.
* Palmetto Ridge defensive back Rwoody Niace set up one of the Bears’ touchdowns with an interception off a tipped Rosales pass.
Records: Palmetto Ridge 2-4; Immokalee 2-5
Next games: Oct. 12 – Palmetto Ridge at Barron Collier; Immokalee at Clewiston
-- Andrew Sodergren
PR 0 7 0 7 - 14
I 14 10 13 9 - 46
First quarter
I - Jodeci Chappa 17 pass from R.J. Rosales (Jose Lopez kick), 10:09
I - Chappa 7 pass from Rosales (Lopez kick), 4:05
Second quarter
PR - Colby Singletary 2 run (C.J. Moya kick), 9:21
I - Chappa 20 pass from Rosales (Lopez kick), 8:18
I - Lopez 52 FG, 2:54
Third quarter
I - Chappa 17 pass from Rosales (Lopez kick), 8:46
I - Eddie Joseph 60 pass from Rosales (kick failed), 2:55
Fourth quarter
PR - Kamonte Grimes 4 run (Moya kick), 11:11
I - Safety, Grimes runs out of end zone, 8:36
I - Dave Belrice 13 run (Lopez kick), 4:32
St. John Neumann 46, Evangelical Christian 20
At St. John Neumann
• Celtics quarterback Jensen Jones connected with receiver Nyre Handy six times for 139 yards. Jones added about 290 yards on the ground. Running backs Wendy Luders and Joseph Donohue rushed for a combined 130 yards.
• Turning point: Evangelical, down 18-14, took three shots at the end zone from the Celtics 5-yard line with about seven minutes left in the first half. The Celtics forced the Sentinels into a three-and-out, and Evangelical missed the field goal attempt. Jensen Jones led the Celtics down the field, resulting in a 25-yard touchdown run to make it a 10-point swing.
• “Our offense and defense depend on the guys up front,” Celtics coach Damon Jones said. “The offensive line matured a lot tonight. They definitely answered the bell.”
• The Sentinels scored with the Celtics early. Jerren Robinson and Logan Pearlman led the charge. Pearlman’s third pass of the game, he unloaded one to Noah Mathews who took it downfield for a 50-yard gain.
• Evangelical quarterback Pearlman rushed for 80-plus yards and spread the ball around to five different receivers for more than 210 passing yards. Running back Robinson added about 90 yards on the ground.
• The Sentinels moved the ball well, but were stopped in the red zone at least four times. “They put a six-man line with one linebacker in the red zone and that was something we hadn’t seen before,” Sentinel coach Tyler Gold said. “We weren’t able to make plays down there.”
Records: St. John Neumann 5-1, Evangelical Christian 2-4
Next games: Oct. 12 — Evangelical Christian at Community School of Naples; Oct. 19— Community School of Naples at St. John Neumann
-- James Kellerman
ECS 7 7 6 0--20
SJN 12 13 7 14 -- 46
First quarter
SJN — Jensen Jones 3 run (kick failed) 5:37
ECS — Jerren Robinson 3 run (Trevor Magner kick) 2:37
SJN — Nyre Handy 51 pass from Jensen Jones (kick failed) 1:06
Second quarter
ECS — Logan Pearlman 6 run (Magner kick) 11:56
SJN — Jensen Jones 57 run (run failed) 10:41
SJN — Jensen Jones 25 run (Tim Birmingham kick) 4:10
Third quarter
ECS — Logan Pearlman 9 run (pass failed) 9:48
SJN — Jensen Jones 9 run (Patrik Hamann kick) 6:40
Fourth quarter
SJN — Jones 16 run (Hamann kick) 11:55
SJN — Oliver Wasem 4 pass from Jones (Hamann kick) 4:03
Community School 51, Oasis 48
at Schilling Field
• The Seahawks came up with two touchdowns in the final minutes. A 59-yard bomb from quarterback Dylan McNamara to Parker Weiss gave the Seahawks the victory. The decisive touchdown came after CSN had recovered an onside kick after Weiss’ 18-yard scoring catch got the Seahawks to within 48-43 with 1:01.
• McNamara threw for 339 yards and six touchdowns. Weiss had 250 yards receiving and four touchdowns, capping the Seahawks’ wild comeback.
• “We had a lot of people make big plays tonight, but it was definitely a team victory for us,” CSN coach Paul Selvidio said. “This game was in many ways what high school football is all about. This is something these players will remember forever.
“It’s an over-used phrase, but these are great kids. They always give their hardest on the field. “In the end, we knew how to execute, and made the plays when we had to. Oasis has a great team, so it was all we could do to beat them. Our kids always find a way to give their best, despite all that we ask of them civically and in the classroom.”
• Despite being on the losing end, the Sharks had some big offensive stars, including Daniel Rennie, who threw for 343 yards, and Ashton Roy, who caught six passes for 153 yards.
• The Sharks eventually got the lead to 34-21 before Community made it closer. The Seahawks drew to within 41-36, but then Oasis thought it salted it away on Daniel Rennie’s 15-yard TD pass to Jaheed Marcus with about two minutes left in the game. But then Community pulled off its amazing comeback.
Records: Oasis 5-2; Community School 3-3.
Next games: Friday, Oasis at Moore Haven; Evangelical Christian at Community School
-- Tom Corwin
O 0 14 20 14 -- 48
CSN 0 14 13 24 -- 51
Second quarter
CSN – Owen Stayer 14 pass from Dylan McNamara (Richard Abood kick), 9:20
CSN – Parker Weiss 62 pass from McNamara (Abood kick), 4:08
O – Tanner Rennie 4 pass from Daniel Rennie (Micheal Rifai pass from Daniel Rennie), 2:09
O -- Wilson Weston 15 pass from Daniel Rennie (kick blocked), :16
Third quarter
O – Tanner Rennie 40 pass from Daniel Rennie (Weston Wilson kick), 9:40
O – Tanner Rennie 1 run (kick blocked), 8:07
CSN - Parker Weiss 75 pass from Dylan McNamara (Abood kick), 5:53
O – Ashton Roy 65 pass from Daniel Rennie (Wilson kick), 5:35
CSN – Zach Hurdis 5 run (kick blocked), 3:14
Fourth quarter
CSN – FG Abood 35, 8:48
O – Daniel Rennie 5 run (Wilson kick), 5:03
CSN – Weiss 80 pass from McNamara (kick blocked), 4:51
O – Jaheed Marcus 15 pass from Rennie (Wilson kick), 1:49
CSN – Parker Weiss 18 pass from McNamara (Abood kick), 1:01
CSN – Weiss 59 pass from McNamara (Weiss pass from McNamara), 0:44
Lemon Bay 26, Estero 3
at Lemon Bay
• Lemon Bay's Keegan Marinola rushed for 142 yards, ran for a touchdown and threw for another.
• After allowing an early field goal, the Manta Rays defense smothered the Wildcats, allowing -11 yards on the ground and getting three first-half turnovers.
• Estero had its opportunities early. The Wildcats returned the opening kickoff to the Lemon Bay 27, but could only get a Mason Crowell 26-yard field goal out of it.
Lemon Bay got a big play of its own on the first play from scrimmage, when Trevor Hedges hit DeVante Roberson with a 63-yard touchdown pass to give Lemon Bay the lead for good at 8-3 following a two-point try.
• The game was delayed 30 minutes in the third quarter after Estero's Aiden Thompson was seriously injured attempting to tackle Marinola. He had to be taken away via helicopter to Tampa.
• Estero quarterback Tanner Elliott was 18 for 31 passing for 174 yards, but was sacked four times and lost two fumbles.
Records: Estero 2-5, Lemon Bay 1-5
Next game: Oct. 12 -- Fort Myers at Estero, 7:30 p.m.
-- Chuck Ballaro
E 3 0 0 0 - 3
LB 8 6 0 12 - 26
First quarter
E - Mason Crowell 26 FG, 8:36.
LB - Devante Roberson 63 pass from Trevor Hedges (Marinola run), 8:20.
Second quarter
LB - Sean Shamasian 12 pass from Keegan Marinola (kick failed), 10:55.
Fourth quarter
LB - Marinola 4 run (run fail), 7:06.
LB - Aidan Cannan 25 run (kick failed), :43.
South Fort Myers 39, East Lee County 0
at East Lee County High School
• South Fort Myers sophomore wide receiver Malik Curtis returned the game’s opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown and the Wolfpack never looked back.
• Curtis also returned a free kick after a safety 68 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter to help South take a 22-0 lead into the halftime break.
• Wolfpack senior wide receiver Julian Graham caught two touchdowns from sophomore quarterback Damian Bloomer.
• South Fort Myers sacked East Lee starting quarterback Johnny Brown III five times in the first half and held the Jaguars to 40 yards of total offense in the victory.
• East Lee senior defensive back Kenneth Eleaby intercepted a pass in the third quarter for the Jaguars.
Records: South Fort Myers 1-5, East Lee County 0-6
Next games: Oct. 12 — Riverdale at South Fort Myers, 7:30 p.m.; East Lee County at Lehigh, 7:30 p.m.
-- Carl Bleich
SFM 13 12 7 7—39
ELC 0 0 0 0—0
First quarter
SFM -- Malik Curtis 95 kick return (run failed), 11:41
SFM -- Julian Durham 29 pass from Damian Bloomer (Tru’Vontae Neal kick), 2:04
Second quarter
SFM -- Safety, snap out of the end zone, 7:33
SFM -- Curtis 68 free kick return (Neal kick), 7:19
SFM -- Neal 30 FG, 4:42
Third quarter
SFM -- Durham 16 pass from Bloomer (Neal kick), 6:10
Fourth quarter
SFM -- Freddie Ward 24 run (Neal kick), 11:51
FIRST BAPTIST 38, INDIAN ROCKS CHRISTIAN 0
at Indian Rocks Christian
• Thomas Casey had four touchdowns for the Lions.
• Trent Wilson had two interceptions for First Baptist.
• The Lions snapped a three-game losing streak.
Records: First Baptist 3-3, Indian Rocks Christian 2-5
Next games: Thursday, First Baptist at Cardinal Mooney, 7 p.m.