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Eagles come back in 2nd half to take district lead with a 21-14 win over the Cougars
Manny Morgan and the Eagles would not be denied in a key 21-14 win over Barron Collier. Photo courtesy of the Naples Daily News
The first of 2 “must win” district contests for the Golden Eagles promised to be a good game between two heated rivals. This one actually lived up to all the hype. In a game that had subtle differences between the two halves, the outcomes however could not be more dissimilar. The Cougars & Eagles both knew that this game above all others would go a long way to decide how the post season would start. Win and you control your own destiny. The loser could make the playoffs by beating Palmetto Ridge or perhaps playing in a 3 way tiebreaker at the end of the regular season. Putting the Golden Eagles and “loser” in the same sentence just doesn’t work, so we won’t go there.
The Cougars win the coin toss and defer to the 2nd half. Thomas Martin returns the squib kick to the Eagles 33 where they begin their quest. Many Morgan picks up a couple of tough yards before a procedure penalty wipes that out and then some. An incomplete pass by Billy Crook sets up 3rd and long and while Steven Williams was able to get 4 of them back, the Eagles are forced to punt. TK Okubo gets off a 39 yarder, but the Cougars game plan is working – Don’t let Naples take control of the game.
We get to see Michigan transfer Justin Black for the first time – a quarterback with size and a big league arm. While that may be true, it is his legs that do much of the damage on this drive. He tries one pass and it is broken up nicely by Deac Conti. On the ground, his option runs don’t go for much yardage but they consume 5 minutes of the first quarter clock and set up a third and five on the Naples 9 yard line. Another transfer, Isaac Fuller (remember him from last year?) is able to run it in to give the Cougars the early lead. The PAT is good and with just over 4 minutes left in the first quarter; it is Barron Collier 7 Naples 0
Martin takes another short kick back to the 37 where Naples looks to tie this one up. The Golden Eagles go into little ball control offense of their own as Morgan, Williams and Isaac Dutes work the clock and chew up yardage. Martin catches his first pass of the night, good for 9 yards, but incomplete passes bring up 4th and 11 from the Cougar 19. Okubo comes out for a 36 yard field goal, well within his range with the wind at his back. Naples however tries to catch the Cougars off guard and after Crook takes the snap from center, he doesn’t put it on the ground but runs around the left side. He is just short of the first down, but the Cougars are pinned back deep on their own 11.
While the defense is bunched up at the line of scrimmage, Collier breaks a big run up the middle before Jules Dornevil is able to make the tackle. Back in Eagle territory, the Cougars start the 2nd quarter just 48 yards away from the end zone. Three plays later on third and one, QB Black gets through the line and scampers in for a 39 yard TD run. The PAT is good and now the Naples faithful is getting nervous, down 14-0 just 2 minutes into the 2nd quarter. The Cougars and their fans are pumped and the adrenaline is freely flowing. It has been 14 years since the Cougars have lead by 2 touchdowns over Naples in any game at any time, so they are savoring the moment and looking for more. The Naples offense is still off by just a tick and a 3 and out gives the ball right back to Barron Collier. Okubo’s punt turns over and with the roll goes for a hefty 48 yards. The Cougars are now on the prowl and can almost taste a victory, knowing that a 3 touchdown lead can go a long way to ending this 12 year losing streak. But the Naples defense is also well aware of this and they force a 3 and out of their own, right when we needed it the most. After a short kick, the Eagles are in great shape, starting this drive from mid field. Crook and Morgan take turns running the ball with another pass to Martin mixed in. But the yards are getting tougher to come by and a 4th down pitch to Dutes comes up just a bit short
Once again the Cougars are backed up and the Eagle defense is trying to take control of the game for Naples. A 2nd big run by the Cougars though brings them to midfield and the Barron Collier team is still looking for the knockout punch. It won’t happen here as the defense once again stiffens and the half ends with the Eagles down by 2 scores.
The second half starts with a 14 point deficit for the Eagles and they have to kick off to the Cougars. The Naples fans are getting antsy wondering what will be different in the 2nd half and what kind of Knute Rockne talk coach Kramer gave his young men during the break. The answer comes almost immediately. Okubo tries an on-sides kick and the Eagles recover. But after further review, it is discovered that the kick was touched by a Naples player before it went the required 10 yards, so the Cougars retain possession. The crowd on both sides cranks up the volume knowing how important the first drive of the second half can be. It can set the tone for the remainder of the game, which in this case, it did. Black keeps the ball and picks up a small gain of 2 yards. Next play he hands it off to his running back who is greeted behind the line for a 2 yard loss by Tyler Costa. Not to be outdone, Cody Christner flies in from the right side to dump Black for a 9 yard loss. Now the Cougars have to punt, but the amped up Eagles special teams gets a crack at turning this game around. Chance Hobbs breaks through the line and blocks the punt out of bounds, causing a net loss of almost 20 yards on this Cougar drive. Morgan and Dutes find running a bit easier as the Naples offensive line is beginning to dominate the line of scrimmage. They take turns moving the ball into the red zone, where Dutes caps off the drive with an 11 yard TD run. Okubo tacks on the PAT, and the Eagles are back in it trailing just 14-7 with 8 minutes left in the third quarter.
After an off sides penalty, Okubo’s kickoff is just short of another touchback, and is returned to the Cougar 27. The Cougars try to regain the momentum they had earlier and silence the energized Naples fans. They do pick up 10 yards on a first down run, but little did they know that this would be their last big play of the game. The Dollar Defense clamps down on the Cougars and forces them to punt it back to the Eagles, who are eager and ready to tie this one up. This they do as Williams and Morgan do their thing to the Cougar 36. Crook picks up a yard on a keeper but the 2nd down pass is incomplete. On a huge third and 9 play, Crook utilizes a great pump fake to freeze the defense. Meanwhile, Martin has slipped behind the secondary and is waiting patiently for a pass from Crook. The offensive line gives Billy plenty of time to find the wide open Martin who strolls into the end zone for the easy score. Okubo adds the PAT and guess what; the score is tied at 14 all.
Just 10 minutes earlier the stadium was rocking with both sides screaming like their lives depended on it. Now the noise only emanates from the visitors stands as the Eagles have erased the lead, snatched all the momentum, and put more than a little doubt in the heads of the Cougar fans, players, and coaches. The Cougar offensive line that did so well in the first half now finds it difficult to protect Black, a situation that Nathan Jones exploits as he gets his first sack of the night. The three and out forces another Cougar punt, and Martin returns the kick to the Eagle 39, where they will begin the 4th quarter.
The Cougars refuse to go quietly and they know that this one is slipping away. They rise up and force a 3 and out of their own. The Okubo punt sails into the end zone, but the Cougars now must negotiate 80 yards of real estate to retake the lead. A first down run nets 4 yards and Black picks up 2 more on his keeper. On a must make third and 4, Tyler Costa almost comes up with the sack, but he forces Black to scramble for his life. His desperation throw is intercepted by a leaping Isaac Lyle at the Naples 46, and the Cougars are again turned away. Morgan takes the handoff from Crook and picks up the first down, now on the Cougar side of midfield. On the next play he breaks through the line and will not be denied. He breaks tackles and a couple of well placed stiff arms gets him into the end zone for the first Golden Eagle lead of the night. TK is perfect with the Pat and the crowd, at least on the visitor side of the field erupts as the scoreboard shows Naples up 21-14 with just less than 9 minutes to play.
The Cougars have to score and they do pick up a first down. But deep in their own end, they elect to punt and hope their defense can get the ball back with 5:11 in the game. Naples wants to take their time, run the clock out, and end the game in the victory formation. Mission accomplished. Critical first downs on a pass to Malacchi Esdale and runs by Crook and Dutes seal the deal. Naples wins 21-14 in a hard fought game at Cougar Stadium.
The Naples coaches and players did not put their heads down or get caught up with the screaming Cougar fans in the first half. They came out in the second half believing in each other and focused on the job at hand. This win puts Naples in control of their own destiny in reaching the playoffs. A victory in two weeks at home against Palmetto Ridge guarantees a first round home playoff game for the Golden Eagles. Halfway there - need to beat the Bears. Go Eagles!
