The football stadium at Island Coast High School hasn’t been given a name as yet, or a nickname. A few ideas tossed around by coach Joe Bowen include “the Bayou” and “the Lilly Pad,” referencing the school’s Gators mascot.

Perhaps, one will emerge with time.

Certainly, the process of building school spirit has only begun at the Cape’s newest high school, but it gets a boost Friday night when the Gators (1-0) host their first varsity football game against Evangelical Christian (1-0).

The Gators’ eight-game freshman schedule last season consisted of all road games, and their first varsity contest last week also came on the road, a 22-7 win at Sarasota Out-of-Door Academy.

“Obviously, we’re excited for the first home game,” Bowen said. “We’ve always been on the road. Finally, not having to take a bus ride, that’s a big thing for us.”

If there is a blueprint for success on the field, the Gators can take a lot from their season opener. The defense was strong, holding Out-of-Door to one first down in the first half.

They also displayed a strong running game led by the offensive line in front of sophomore running backs Phil Woolbright and Jimmy Stewart.

“There’s no question, we want to pound the football,” Bowen said.

The Gators, whose roster consists of primarily freshmen and sophomores, expect a much tougher challenge from Evangelical Christian.

The Sentinels are an established program under coach Brian Lynch and are coming off an impressive 33-14 win over Gateway Charter. Quarterback Colton Lynch and running back Jon Skaff are a dangerous tandem for the Gators to try and contain.



Lehigh (0-1) at Cape Coral (1-0): The Seahawks shook off a mistake-filled first half and scored 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to defeat Immokalee last Friday.

Senior quarterback Colin Saring, making his first career start, threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to Prince Holloway to get the Seahawks on the board. Senior running back Nate Felder came through with 115 yards, including a 55-yard touchdown run, filling in for injured starter Spencer Boyd.

Before the offense could get on track, the Seahawks got outstanding play from the defense and special teams. Kicker/punter Kenton Beal made a 42-yard field goal and pinned Immokalee deep three times on punts. Senior linebacker Josh Monteagudo played an active game, registering a fumble recovery and blocking a field goal.

The Seahawks meet Lehigh in a rematch of a thrilling game last season.

The Lightning returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown and jumped out to a 14-0 lead, but the Seahawks rallied for a 31-28 win.

Lehigh opened with a hard-fought loss to Fort Myers, 14-7.



East Lee County (0-1) at Mariner (1-0): The Tritons’ defense picked up where it left off last season in their season-opening victory over North Port. The unit recorded a safety, set up a touchdown with a fumble recovery and made a goal-line stand.

Junior quarterback Gabby Rojas sparked the offense with 114 yards rushing.

The Tritons host their first game at Tony McKenna Field against winless East Lee County. The Jaguars were no match for Ida Baker last week, a 31-14 loss that extended their varsity streak to 11 straight, dating back to last season.



Ida Baker (1-0) at Riverdale (1-0): It was a successful debut for sophomore quarterback Sean Francis in the Bulldogs’ win over East Lee last week. Francis rushed for 67 yards on six carries and threw a pair of touchdown passes.

The Bulldogs also displayed a deep backfield, which includes junior Joseph Byrd, senior Marvin Riedewald and senior fullback Rafaelito Palazzolo.

Palazzolo is a powerful runner and showed his receiving ability last week, hauling in two touchdown catches.

Baker visits Riverdale (1-0) Friday for an intriguing nondistrict battle. The Raiders clipped Cypress Lake 17-15 last week.



North Fort Myers (1-0) at Estero (0-1): As early as spring practice, Red Knights first-year coach Barry Goettemoeller said his team would feature an attacking-style of defense.

They have responded. In the preseason jamboree, Marcus Lewis intercepted a pass and returned it 60 yards for a TD.

They continued their opportunistic play in a 35-14 rout of Wauchula Hardee in the season opener. Tre Boston returned a fumble 50 yards for a score and Ben Bolling recovered a fumble in the end zone for another TD.



Bishop Verot (0-0) at Lemon Bay (0-1): The Vikings visit Lemon Bay in their season opener, the first of three straight road games.

The Vikings were 7-4 last season, but are dealing with losses at several key offensive positions, including quarterback and wide receiver.

Lemon Bay is smarting from a 42-0 defeat at Charlotte in week one.