Don't look now but the start of high school football season is rapidly approaching. Football practices across the state begin July 29 with the preseason classics set for about two weeks later.
With that in mind, The News-Press and the Naples Daily News compiled a list of what we think will be the best showdowns in Southwest Florida for the 2024 season. There's at least one game highlighted for every week of the regular season (and sometimes more).
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Here's an early look at this fall's can't-miss matchups.
Preseason (Aug. 15-16)
St. Thomas Aquinas at Bishop Verot
The best matchup of the preseason will have the spotlight to itself on Thursday as the national powerhouse Raiders visit Viking Stadium for the first-ever meeting between the teams. Last season, Aquinas became the first Florida football team to win five consecutive state championships when it defeated Homestead 31-28 in the Class 3M finale to capture its 15th overall title. Bishop Verot meanwhile is looking to rebound following last year’s upset loss to Sarasota Booker in the Class 2M regional final .
Senior quarterback Carter Smith (Michigan) will get an early test against a loaded Aquinas secondary, led by seniors Tavius Horne Jr. (East Carolina) and Travares Daniels II (Maryland) and junior Justice Fitzpatrick.
Week 1
Riverdale at Estero
This opening-week showdown features a matchup of two of Southwest Florida’s most productive running backs: Riverdale senior Cole Hayes and Estero senior Malik Allen. Hayes, who powered the Raiders’ Wing-T offense, rushing 231 times for 1,621 yards and 15 touchdowns last season, injured his shoulder in the spring against Lely but is expected to be at full strength in August. Allen was an even bigger workhorse for the Wildcats in 2023, carrying 253 times for 1,293 yards and 10 touchdowns. This game will almost certainly come down to which defense holds up better against its opponent’s ground-and-pound attack.
Tampa Jesuit at Bishop Verot
The Vikings will be looking for revenge against a Jesuit team that handed them a 36-29 loss in Tampa last season. To get it, Verot’s defense will need to find a way to slow down junior quarterback Will Griffin (3,404 passing yards, 34 touchdowns) and four-star running back Justin Thurman (812 yards, 14 touchdowns), a Notre Dame commit.
Week 2
Golden Gate at Lely
The Titans have a new look this season following the departure of head coach Nick Bigica and defensive coordinator P.J. Gibbs, both of whom were suspended last season following an investigation centered around improper contact with a Lely player . Golden Gate, which won a program-record nine games last season, also saw a trio of key performers transfer to First Baptist. The Trojans meanwhile added quarterback Carter Quinn from Naples and appear to be poised to challenge for a district championship.
Week 3
Venice at Bishop Verot
This is another big-time early-season test for the Vikings. The Indians have reached the state championship game three consecutive seasons, winning the crown in 2021 and finishing runner-up to Lakeland the past two years. New Venice starting quarterback Jayce Nixon, who threw for more than 6,400 yards and 65 touchdowns three previous two seasons at Tampa Gaither, will have a big-time target in Fort Myers native Winston Watkins, who left First Baptist to join the Indians . Verot’s Smith and junior running back Deshon Jenkins could have big games on the ground against a Venice defense that allowed 200-plus rushing yards against Naples in the spring.
Immokalee at Naples
No Collier team had handed Naples more losses than the Indians, who are 21-31 all-time against the Golden Eagles. Naples, however, has won the last eight meetings between the teams, the longest stretch of dominance in the series, which dates back to 1959.
Week 4
Community School at Barron Collier
Coming off an 8-2 season, the Seahawks toughened up their schedule this season, including this first-ever meeting with Barron Collier. Community School has a talented offensive line, led by 6-foot-5, 300-pound senior Taren Hedrick (Mississippi) and 6-foot-1, 250-pound junior George Haseotes. The Cougars, meanwhile, bring back one of the area’s top playmakers in senior quarterback Niko Boyce (2,537 total yards, 31 touchdowns) along with his top target, senior wide receiver Brody Graham (830 yards, 11 touchdowns).
American Heritage at Naples
The Golden Eagles get a regular-season look at one of their potential roadblocks in Class 4A. The visiting Patriots, who defeated Naples 38-17 in Plantation last year, are coming off a state semifinal appearance where they lost to eventual Class 2M state champion Tampa Berkeley Prep. American Heritage has a top running back in senior Byron Louis (1,224 yards, 18 touchdowns) and a lockdown defensive back in Florida State commit Gregory Thomas.
Week 5
Charlotte at Fort Myers
This will be the 69th all-time meeting between these two longtime rivals, who first squared off in 1935. The Green Wave lead the overall series 44-23-1 and have won four in a row over the Tarpons, including a 44-18 victory at Charlotte last season, the 700th all-time victory in the history of the Fort Myers program . The Tarpons will have a revamped offense under quarterback Teagan Lipke, who has an explosive target in former Evangelical Christian wideout Seven Bullock. Fort Myers, meanwhile, features one of Southwest Florida’s best playmakers in senior Madrid Tucker but will need an inexperienced offensive line to mature quickly to maximize its offensive potential.
From 2023: How do you win 700 games? Key moments, players and stats as Fort Myers reaches milestone
Dunbar at East Lee County
The Jaguars won four of their final five games last season to finish with a .500 record for the first time since 2016. That lone loss was a 35-7 setback to Dunbar. East Lee saw a couple of top linemen leave the program via transfer but does return one of the area’s best running backs in senior Laz Rogers (1,515 yards, 18 touchdowns).
Week 6
Naples at Dunbar
The Golden Eagles have qualified for the state playoffs for 14 consecutive seasons, the longest stretch for any Southwest Florida football program. However, both of their last two postseason runs ended at the hands of the Tigers, who held Naples to just 17 total points. That includes last year’s shocking 12-10 defeat, which saw Dunbar win on a walk-off kickoff return by Kelby Tyre . With these two teams now sharing a loaded district that also includes Port Charlotte, the winner of this game will have an upper hand in the Class 4A playoff race. Dunbar’s lockdown defense will have to once again find a way to keep Shawn Simeon, the area’s top running back, in check if the Tigers hope to make it three wins in a row over the Golden Eagles.
Bishop Verot at First Baptist
This will be the fourth consecutive year these two Southwest Florida private powers face off during the regular season. Verot won last year’s meeting 49-22 and holds a 3-1 lead in the all-time series between the programs. First Baptist, which lost in last year’s Class 1S state semifinals to eventual state champion Trinity Catholic, boasts perhaps the area’s top passer not named Carter Smith in senior Ethan Crossan (3,264 yards, 40 touchdowns in 2023). For the Lions to pull off the upset, however, they’ll need to show they’ve upgraded a defense that had a penchant for getting gashed against elevated competition last season.
Fort Myers at North Fort Myers
Lee County’s oldest rivalry, known as the Battle of the Caloosahatchee, is also a key district game. This will be the 57 th all-time meeting between the rivals with Fort Myers holding a 42-14 advantage. The Green Wave snapped a three-year losing skid to the Red Knights with a 32-19 win at Edison Stadium last season.
Week 7
Gulf Coast at Barron Collier
One of Southwest Florida’s best and most heated rivalries, the 27 th annual Catfish Bowl takes place a bit earlier in the season than in years past. Barron Collier snapped a two-game losing streak to the Sharks with a 28-21 victory last season.
Naples at Fort Myers
This will be the 33 rd all-time meeting between the two most venerable football programs in Collier and Lee counties, respectively, but the first regular-season matchup since 2006. Fort Myers leads the series 18-13-1 but has lost four of the last five meetings, all of which were playoff games.
Week 8
Dunbar at Port Charlotte
These pair of District 4A-12 heavyweights will meet at the Pirates Cove for the first regular-season meeting between the teams in at least two decades. Port Charlotte did handle Dunbar in the last two preseason classics, winning 35-12 in 2022 and 33-14 last season. However, the Tigers rebounded quite nicely, reaching the final four each of those years. Dunbar’s offensive line will be tested by the Pirates’ defensive front, led by 6-foot-4, 295-pound Myron Charles, a Florida State commit.
North Fort Myers at East Lee County
The winner of this key District 5A-11 matchup likely stays alive in the hunt for an automatic state playoff berth. One of the main matchups to watch will be speedy East Lee running back Laz Rogers against the Red Knights defense, led by standout junior defensive lineman James Johnson.
Week 9
Lely at Naples
This will be the 51 st edition of the Coconut Bowl, the longest continuous high school football rivalry in Collier County. Naples leads the all-time series 35-15 and has won 14 consecutive matchups with the Trojans. For Lely to get the Joe Klimas trophy back for the first time since 2009, it’ll need to find a way to slow down running back Shawn Simeon, who rushed for 260 yards and four touchdowns in last year’s 44-7 victory for the Golden Eagles.
Week 10
Gulf Coast at Immokalee
These teams played a pair of instant classics last season with the Indians winning both one-score matchups. The first was a 13-10 defensive struggle that helped Immokalee win a district title and the second was a 37-30 shootout in the opening round of the state playoffs. This game could once again decide who ends the season on top of the district.
Mariner at Cape Coral
This annual rivalry, known as the Black and Blue Bowl, is one of the most competitive in Southwest Florida. Mariner won last year’s matchup 50-34 to take a 19-18 lead in the all-time series.
Week 11
Lehigh at Riverdale
This annual Battle for the Bell between these two east Lee County schools has been a bit one-sided recently, with Lehigh winning five in a row. Last season, quarterback Dorian Mallary, who has transferred to a school in Miami, had a career-best six touchdowns (four passing, two rushing) to power the Lightning to a 48-14 win.
Dunbar at Fort Myers
This fierce neighborhood rivalry delivered two memorable showdowns last season: a 40-39 overtime shootout that Dunbar won with a two-point conversion and a 21-17 state playoff opener that saw the Tigers survive when officials ruled Green Wave receiver Madrid Tucker’s came down out of bounds in the back of the end zone on the final play. Dunbar holds a 9-8 advantage in the all-time series.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: High School Football: The must-watch SW Florida games of the 2024 season in Lee and Collier
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