By DAVE DEVEREUX, “mailto:ddevereux@breezenewspapers.com”>ddevereux@breezenewspapers.com

In a week three loss to Riverdale, Ida Baker rallied from a 21-0 halftime deficit. They made it back to 21-20, but still suffered their first setback of the season, 28-20.

Even in defeat the Bulldogs gained a lot from that game. When they fell behind District 5A-12 foe Fort Myers 28-14 last Friday, the Bulldogs responded as if they had been there before.

They scored 21 unanswered points in the second half to stun the defending district champion Green Wave, 35-28.

“That’s the thing I’ve been impressed with the most with our guys,” Baker coach Brian Conn said. “When we got down by 14, we made some adjustments and our kids played great the second half.“

The biggest turnaround came on the defensive side. The Bulldogs forced four turnovers, sparking the comeback. They held the Green Wave scoreless in the final two quarters.

The offense has done its part, too. Senior Marvin Riedewald has been forced to carry more of the load with junior running back Joseph Byrd recovering from an ankle injury. Riedewald rushed for more than 100 yards in Friday’s win.

Though the Bulldogs have an inexperienced sophomore quarterback in Sean Francis, they are an experienced group up front. All five starters on the offensive line are returning seniors, led by center J.P. Costallos.

Junior tight end Jonathan Garcia (6-foot-4, 215 pounds) is a key contributor as a blocker.

“There is a lot of continuity there,” Conn said. “(The line) is the heart and soul of our offense.“

The ramifications of the Bulldogs’ victory over Fort Myers — the biggest in school history — are still to be determined. The regular season reaches the midway point Friday night.

Still, Fort Myers and Cape Coral, last year’s runner-up, figured to be the favorites to finish in the top two district spots again. For the time being, the Bulldogs have shaken up the race.

The Bulldogs (3-1) face another strong opponent in Plantation American Heritage (3-1) Friday night. American Heritage went 11-1 last season and reached the Class 2A Regional Finals.

“This is the first time we’ve played them,” Conn said. “They may be the best overall team we’ll see.”



Dunbar (4-0) at Cape Coral (3-1): The Seahawks have made a habit of starting slow and coming out of the locker room at halftime with increased focus.

It’s a concern heading into Friday’s showdown with undefeated Dunbar.

The Tigers looked like the strongest team in Lee County the first four weeks. They’re coming off a 40-20 win over previously unbeaten South Fort Myers and have posted wins over formidable foes DeSoto County, Immokalee and North Fort Myers.

The Seahawks’ only loss was a one-point thriller at Naples, but they’ve failed to score a first-half touchdown in three of their first four contests.



North Fort Myers (2-2) at Riverdale (3-1): After starting the season 2-0, North must overcome some adversity, losing back-to-back games to Dunbar and Cape Coral.

The Red Knights featured a ball-control, rushing attack in the first half against Cape. Tommy Bohanon capped off a long drive with a five-yard run, putting the Red Knights ahead 6-3.

In the third quarter, the Red Knights had a punt blocked and fumbled deep in their own territory.



St. Petersburg Shorecrest Prep (3-1) at Island Coast (1-1): The Gators return to action and host their second varsity game. After defeating Sarasota Out-of-Door Academy 22-7 in week one, the Gators lost 31-0 to Evangelical Christian in their home opener.

As a first-year varsity program facing a strong ECS squad, the Gators expected it to be a learning experience. As the game wore on, the defense tired chasing after ECS quarterback Colton Lynch and running back Jon Skaff.



Evangelical Christian (3-0) at Bishop Verot (2-1): After opening the season with wins over Lemon Bay and LaBelle, Verot stepped up in competition last week against district opponent Mulberry. It was a humbling experience for the Vikings, falling 55-0.

The Vikings must regroup quickly against high-powered ECS, which is averaging 33 points per game.



Girls Golf



At Royal Tee Golf Club: Emily Yi led North Fort Myers to victory Wednesday over Cape Coral and Mariner in the North of the River Tournament.

Yi carded a medalist round of 40 while Cape’s Regina Sin posted a 41.

North (10-2) awaits the LCAC Tourney Monday at Royal Tee.



North Ft. Myers 221 — Emily Yi 40, Brittany Agricola 45, Brittany Sansoussi 68, Mariah Koch 68.

Cape Coral 227 — Regina Sin 41, Cathy Wainey 62, Kim Severo 62, Tara Higgins 62.

Mariner (N/S) — Megan Sewell 61, Nikki Sciscio 71, Bri Lippert 74, Madison Fletcher (injury).



Boys Golf



At Cypress Lake Country Club: Kevin Reynolds of Bishop Verot had to share the medalist round of 37 with Canterbury’s Michelle Shin, but the Vikings scored a pair of wins over Canterbury and North Port.



Bishop Verot 155 — Kevin Reynolds 37, Chase Marinell 39, Jack Hernandez 39, Wyler Gins 40.

Canterbury 190 — Michelle Shin 37, Hunter Smith 49, Devon Johnson 50, Alec Kovensky 54.

North Port 187 — Austin Meyers 42, Chase Kulczak 45, Chad Chamand 47, Brian Novak 53.



Volleyball



Mariner 3, Cape Coral 0: Bailey Keller handed out 11 assists and Courtney Pruden knocked down six kills to lead Mariner past Cape 25-12, 25-13, 25-20. Keller also had four service aces.

Mariner (6-8) hosts the Triton Invitational Friday (4 p.m.) and Saturday (10 a.m.). The championship match is slated for 3 p.m. Saturday.