Prep Football 2016: South Fort Myers beats Naples with big plays late
The Naples High School football team seemed to have momentum early in the second half of Friday’s showdown between the area’s top heavyweights at Staver Field.
But after scoring three straight touchdowns to take the lead against fellow unbeaten South Fort Myers, the Golden Eagles never felt at ease.
“Not against those guys,” Naples coach Bill Kramer said. “You never feel comfortable. They’re so dynamic.”
The Wolfpack showed why they’re the only remaining undefeated team in Lee County, ripping off three long touchdown runs in the second half to stay that way. South (8-0) won 42-35 to hand Naples (7-1) its first loss of the year, ending the Eagles’ 15-game regular-season winning streak.
Naples scored on its first possession of the third quarter to go up 28-21 after trailing 14-0 in the first. The Wolfpack then scored on runs of 27, 51 and 73 yards during a 10-minute span over the third and fourth quarters.
The Eagles scored with 1:24 left, but the ensuing onside kick didn’t go the required 10 yards. South got the ball and, with Naples out of timeouts, ran out the clock.
“This is a really good win, especially going toward the playoffs,” South quarterback Maurice Flournoy said. “We’re going to have to face teams like (Naples) down the road. They’re a really good team, and the fans were crazy. I’m just glad to get that win.”
South became the first Lee County school to beat Naples in almost six years. The last Lee team to do it also was the Wolfpack. South, with current Buffalo Bills receiver Sammy Watkins, won 28-21 at Naples in the 2010 regional semifinals.
Neither team can think about Friday’s result for long. With playoff bids already clinched, both have district championship games next week. Naples hosts Barron Collier for the Class 6A-District 12 title, while South plays at Gulf Coast for the 7A-12 title.
Flournoy’s 51-yard run with 7:36 left gave the Wolfpack the lead for good, 35-28. The run came on third down and 6 yards to go. Earlier on the drive Flournoy threw a 15-yard pass to Jeshaun Jones on 3rd and 13.
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The game was over when Riley Ware broke free up the middle on a 72-yard run that put South ahead 42-28 with 3:22 left.
“(The Wolfpack are) super hard to tackle, great in space, big and strong up front on both sides,” Kramer said. “Nothing everybody doesn’t already know. They played their best game of the year tonight, which is how it should be. And I really wish that we would have. Hats off to them.”
Naples was without perhaps their best players on both sides of the ball. Running back Marcelino Charles, who leads the team with 823 rushing yards, and top linebacker Kale Shust, second on the team in tackles, did not practice this week because of minor injuries. If players don’t practice, they don’t play, Kramer said.
The Eagles offense had a season low in points and yards for the third straight week. Naples managed 173 yards on 42 plays, compared to 510 yards on 63 plays from South.
Naples also fumbled four times, losing two. The final fumble was recovered in the end zone by the Eagles’ Lucas Lee for the team’s final touchdown with 1:24 left.
“This will help us prepare harder,” said Naples receiver Wooby Theork, who returned a kickoff for a touchdown and also caught a TD pass, of the loss. “We just have to practice harder and do what the coaches tell us to do and get past this game. … It was just missed assignments, basically. We weren’t blocking well, missed hand-offs, everything.”
Trailing 35-28 after Flournoy’s run with 7:36 left, Naples started a drive at the South 20-yard line following a 50-yard kickoff return by Theork. The Eagles couldn’t get a first down, coming up a yard short on fourth down and 6. Ware’s game-clinching score came on the Wolfpack’s next drive.
Quan Dorris led South with 142 rushing yards. After dealing several injuries early this season, Dorris has four straight 100-yard games and 848 yards total. He has 551 rushing yards the past three games.
Chez Mellusi led Naples with 52 rushing yards.
SOUTH FORT MYERS 42, NAPLES 35
SFM 14 7 7 14 -- 42
N 0 22 6 7 -- 28
SCORING
First quarter
SFM – Riley Ware 7 run (Daniel Diaz kick), 8:42
SFM – Jeshaun Jones 13 pass from Maurice Flournoy (Daniel Diaz kick), 4:28
Second quarter
N – Jordan Persad-Tirone 1 run (Jordan Persad-Tirone run), 9:52
SFM – Jeshaun Jones 73 pass from Maurice Flournoy (Daniel Diaz kick), 6:22
N – Wooby Theork 69 kickoff return (Adrian Gorrostieta kick), 6:10
N – Patrick Pierre 6 run (Adrian Gorrostieta kick), 2:18
Third quarter
N – Wooby Theork 17 pass from Jordan Persad-Tirone (kick blocked), 10:42
SFM – Quan Dorris 27 run (Daniel Diaz kick), 1:00
Fourth quarter
SFM – Maurice Flournoy 51 run (Daniel Diaz kick), 7:36
SFM – Riley Ware 72 run (Daniel Diaz kick), 3:22
N – Lucas Lee fumble recovery in end zone (Adrian Gorrostieta kick), 1:24