A key component in playing a preseason jamboree is the game tape coaches and players get to evaluate afterwards. After months of conditioning and practicing, there is finally game action to critique.

It didn’t take long Friday night for Mariner High to find an area it needs to address. A special teams breakdown came on the opening kickoff, allowing Fort Myers’ Jeremy Davis to race 95 yards for a touchdown.

“It’s important now to keep the good stuff and get rid of the bad stuff,” Tritons’ coach Chad O’Brien said.

Mariner and Fort Myers played the first half Friday night with the Green Wave prevailing 16-10. North Fort Myers defeated host Ida Baker 13-3 in the second half.

Each half was filled with positives and negatives for both teams. The focus now shifts to the start of the regular season next Friday.

The Tritons experimented with a new spread-style offense. They made some adjustments after a rough spring game, which they lost to Gulf Coast 28-0.

Engineering the attack Friday night was junior quarterback Gabby Rojas. He rushed for 63 yards on 11 carries and completed 4-of-7 passes for 43 yards. Junior running back Eric Mitchell gained 58 yards on eight carries.

Despite moving the ball with decent success, the Tritons lost three fumbles.

After falling behind 10-0, the Tritons were sparked by a kickoff return by Kevin Payen across midfield early in the second quarter. That led to a Renato Proia 44-yard field goal, cutting it to 10-3.

The Green Wave fumbled on the ensuing drive and Mariner’s Troy Gordon recovered. The Tritons then mounted their best drive of the game, going 41 yards for a touchdown.

Rojas completed a 20-yard pass to Harrison Kuchman, which advanced the ball inside the 5. On fourth-and-goal, Rojas connected with Mitchell for a three-yard touchdown pass.

The Green Wave grabbed the lead back midway through the second quarter. Quarterback Nick Catti fired downfield into tight coverage, but the ball caromed off of Mariner defender Kyle Luallum and into the arms of Davis. He took it the rest of the way for a 68-yard scoring play.

Big plays were a theme that continued in the North Fort Myers-Ida Baker matchup.

After Baker marched inside Red Knights territory on its opening possession, Marcus Lewis intercepted a pass and returned it 60 yards for a touchdown.

Toward the end of the first quarter, after Baker’s Curtis Dean kicked a 32-yard field goal, Mike Becker returned a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown.

“We got the breaks tonight,” Red Knights first-year coach Barry Goettemoeller said, “but if you work hard and do the right thing, the breaks are bound to go your way at some point.”

Goettemoeller said his team, which is coming off a 2-8 season, displayed tons of emotion, which he hopes they can carry into the regular season.

The Bulldogs had chances to put more points on the board. Junior running back Joseph Byrd was the offensive catalyst, rushing 10 times for 55 yards.

Late in the first quarter, the Bulldogs used a four-minute drive and reached the Red Knights 11. The key play was a 12-yard strike from quarterback Sean Francis to Nick Matrisciano.

In the second quarter, the Bulldogs had another sustained drive, sparked by Rafaelito Palazzolo’s 25-yard reception. That drive stalled, though, when North’s Tre Boston picked off a pass in the end zone.



Fort Myers 10 6 — 16

Mariner 0 10 — 10

1st quarter

FM — Jeremy Davis 95 kick return (David Dyer kick)

FM — Dyer 42 FG

2nd quarter

M — Renato Proia 44 FG

M — Eric Mitchell 3 pass from Gabby Rojas

FM — Davis 68 pass from Nick Catti (kick failed)



North Fort Myers 13 0 — 13

Ida Baker 3 0 — 3

1st quarter

NFM — Marcus Lewis 60 interception return (Trey Yeatter kick)

Baker — Curtis Dean 32 FG

NFM — Mike Becker 90 kick return (kick failed)