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Golden Eagles too much for the Pioneers - Naples wins opener 31-7
The Season opener for Naples was delayed for 75 minutes due to lightning in the area, but it was worth the wait. The Golden Eagles jumped out to a 10-0 lead and never looked back in securing the 300th regular season victory for Collier’s County’s first High School. The Eagles used a punishing defense, a big play offense, and very special teams to take control and never look back.
While the rain and lightning delayed the start of the game, it did not dampen the spirits of the players or the fans. North Miami won the toss, but it did not matter. TK Okubo, master of the onsides kick, delivered once again and the Eagles recovered on the North Miami 43. Manny Morgan started with a 4 yard run, and broke free for a 23 yarder on the second play of the game. Billy Crook, perhaps showing some rust for not having played since the spring game, then threw 2 straight incompletions. A third down run by Steven Williams put the Golden Eagles in Field goal range, and Okubo promptly delivered with a 28 yard boot. Two minutes into the new season, and the Eagles lead 3-0.
Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, well, you know the rest. And yes, another onsides kick by Okubo and once again the Eagles recover as Wide Receiver Thomas Martin falls on the elusive pigskin. Williams goes to work and runs for 9 yards, followed by a 3 yarder by Morgan. A penalty sets Naples back 5 yards, which prompts Crook to find Martin for a 21 completion. Next pass goes to Dominic Salemme for a 19 yard gain. Naples faces a first and goal from the 2, and on the second try, Crook walks into the end zone for our first touchdown of the year. The Okubo PAT is perfect, and with 7:42 left in the first quarter, it is a 10-0 Eagles lead.
Okubo tries a pooch kick this time, but an off sides penalty pushes the Eagles back by 5 yards. Showing he can kick deep as well, TK pounds this ball up the right sideline and it rolls into the end zone for a touchback. North Miami shows us what they can do on offense as a series of short passes, screens, and draw plays allows them to move down the field in 7 plays, all the way to the Eagles 2 yard line. The next few plays emphasizes why the offense excites the fans, but defense wins games. This classic goal line stand stuffs the Pioneer runner on two plays and the Eagles knock a pass on the other. North Miami tries a field goal from the 3, but it is wide left. This Seventy Seven yard drive takes 5:55 off the clock, but The Dollar Defense denies the visitors any points.
The Eagles take over on their own 20, and Morgan bounces off tacklers on his way to a 22 yard run. The Pioneer defense takes a stand, and sacks Crook twice and another Eagle penalty leaves us with a third down and 38 yards to go. Morgan gets 11 of them back, but it s not nearly enough and the Eagles attempt their first punt of the year. The snap is off line, and Okubo scrambles to grab the ball. He manages to get the kick off, but it only nets 10 yards, setting up the Pioneer squad with a short 35 yard field to work with. North Miami can’t hang onto the wet pigskin either, and fumble it right back to Naples. But the ball is still slippery, as Crook finds out and we give the ball right back. North Miami is able to use another screen pass to help them down to the Eagles 3 yard line. The Dollar Defense is up to the challenge as three straight runs only net 1 yard. North Miami goes for it on fourth down, and this run finds a hole and gives them their first (and only) touchdown of the night. The PAT shrinks the lead to 10-7, midway through the 2nd quarter.
After a touchback, the Eagles start this drive from their own 20. Crook is getting into a rhythm now, and breaks off a 7 yard run. A 9 yard pass to Martin and another keeper brings the Eagles to their 39 yard line. Isaac Dutes breaks through on the left side, but he is stopped while the ball keeps moving forwards. Morgan is alert, and falls on it at midfield for an 11 yard gain. Morgan runs for a yard and a short pass to Martin sets up third and 5. Crook completes another pass, this time to Morgan for a 12 yard pickup and a first down. The clock is winding down, as two keepers by Crook, an incomplete pass, and a Pioneer penalty brings up 4th and 1 from the 23. Crook again keeps the ball and picks up the first down with a 4 yard burst. Well, defense may win games, but plays like this one coming up don’t hurt either. With less than a minute before the half, another wet ball problem, as the snap gets by Crook. He scrambles to get the ball, and runs for his life trying to avoid the sack. All the while he has his eyes focused on his favorite target of the night, Martin on the left side of the field. Somehow Crook gets the ball off, and Martin does his part, working his way into the end zone for another Eagle touchdown! Okubo completes the drive with a PAT and with just 20 seconds before halftime, the Eagles stretch the lead to 17-7.
Okubo pounds the ball into the end zone for another touchback and Nathan Jones puts an exclamation point on the end of the first half with a QB sack. Halfway to win #300, Eagles lead 17-7 at the intermission. (story contined below)
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Jordan Perez, #5, is about to shut down the run, as the Golden Eagles did all night long against North Miami. Photo courtesy of the Naples Daily News
The North Miami kicker has quite the leg, but even he can’t overcome a 15 yard unsportsmanlike penalty for his team not being ready to start the second half. While his first kickoff easily went through the end zone, this one, due to the penalty, is a little short. Dutes picks this one up at the 10 and returns it into Pioneer territory at their 37. Dutes finishes the drive, hauling in a Crook pass in the left flat. He weaves to the right and aided from great downfield blocking, makes it into the end zone. The PAT from Okubo makes it 24-7, after just 25 seconds gone in the third quarter.
Okubo tries another pooch kick, and this one makes North Miami call for a fair catch on their 24. The defense for Naples allows a first down but then clamps down hard on the Pioneers. On 2nd and two, Jules Dornevil just misses picking off a pass and taking it to the house. Next play, Brian Donnelly sacks the North Miami QB for an 8 yard loss, forcing a punt. The Eagles take over on their own 38.
Morgan carries the ball the next 3 plays, picking up 1, 6, and finally 22 yards. 3 plays later, Crook finds an open Malacchi Esdale on a 40 yard pass play for the last Eagle TD of the night. Okubo finishes the scoring with yet another perfect PAT. Naples 31, North Miami 7 with 4:57 left in the 3rd quarter
The Golden Eagles & Pioneers succumb to fired up defenses as they each go three and out on their next two possessions. After that neither team can move the ball enough to threaten the end zone, and the scoreboard clock reads 0:00, Naples 31, Visitor 7. The Eagles make it look easy racking up 150 yards on the ground and 200 in the air. Naples will now prepare to travel to Immokalee on Friday to face the Indians. Gary Bates Stadium has been a House of Horrors the past 13 years, as the Eagles have only won their once.
