Just an FYI as we’re bombarded with snow on this Thursday morning.
Naples (14-0) is in the Class 3A Final vs. St. Augustine (you know, of Ponce De Leon and Fountain of Youth Fame).
It will be shown on Fox Sports Atlantic at 1 p.m. on Friday. So, if you’re not doing anything…
3-A Update: Naples was ahead 7-0 on a short touchdown by Carlos Hyde, which was set up by a long interception return.
But St. Augustine came right back with a 51-yard field goal by Caleb Sturges and a 30-something-yard touchdown pass to Rashard Hall toward the end of the second quarter. Naples was on the St. Augustine 30 with 10 seconds left but couldn’t score.
St. Augustine was ahead 10-7 at halftime.
QB Craig Wingate, who has been hobbled a bit since injuring his leg in the Sectional Finals, has tried to go but has only had 17-yards of passing to go with Naples 96 rushing yards. St. Augustine, led by QB Kawaun Jakes, outgained Naples 160-103 in what has become a defensive battle here in the third.
Wingate got picked off early in the third quarter, but St. Augustine gave it right back when Antwan Harvey picked off a pass by senior QB Kawaun Jakes at the goal line. But Naples fumbled it right back with just under 5 minutes left in the third.
It’s still 10-7 as we head to the fourth quarter. Naples still hasn’t been able to do much with the pass game, which hurts since Greg Pratt, the killer of the Greenwich game, has only been able to do so much.
On the second play of the fourth quarter, Wingate is chased and goes down hard just as he releases the ball and injures his right leg again. That looks as if it will bring in junior Juno Brudhomm, the fourth-quarter hero of a 27-24 win over Glades Central in the regional finals and then a 28-21 victory over Cocoa.
10:00–But only if Naples can get the ball back. Jakes hits Hall (who now has six catches for 130 yards) on a key third-and-long situation to their own 40 with 10 minutes left and St. Augustine is driving.
8:57–Naples forces a fourth-and-20 and disaster strikes St. Augustine as a high snap flies over the head of their punter and lands inside the 10, where the punter kicks the ball out of the end zone for a safety that cuts the lead to 10-9 with 8:57 left.
7:58–Harvey, who’s going to South Florida, returns the ensuing free kick 52 yards into St. Augustine territory. One play layer, Pratt races 34 yards for the go-ahead touchdown on a sweep. Pratt races in for 2 and a Naples 17, St. Augustine 10 score.
Just before that score, the FSA announcers said Wingate had refused treatment and was going to tough it out.
6:43–Naples stops St. Augustine with time winding down. A punt, puts the ball at the Naples 21 and a chance to ice the game.
4:03–Faced with a fourth and 2 on the St. Augustine 42, Naples tries to draw them offsides but takes a penalty instead and punts. With 3:58 remaining, St. Augustine, which beat its last eight opponents by an average margin of 34 points, must now go 80 yards to tie the game.
1st-10, SA 20: 3:41Fumble by Jakes and, a loss of 14.
2nd-24, SA 6: Screen pass to Brown for a pick up of 14.
3rd-9, SA 21: Jakes throws to Devin Martin on a crossing route for a 19-yard gain and a first down
1st-10 SA 40: Jakes hits hall for a 20-yard gain to the Naples 40 with 2:02 left.
1st-10 N40: Jakes remains perfect, lofting a 21-yard pass to Lewis at the Naples 19.
1st-10 N19: Jakes lofts a pass to Hall at the 1, but Harvey helps break it up.
2nd-10 N19: Naples Chris Zahn slips through the line and sacks Jakes for a huge loss of 11 and St. Augustine is forced to take its last time out with 1:23 left.
3rd-20 N30: Jakes rolls right, runs out of a blitzing tackler to the left and throws into double coverage. Incomplete.
4th-20 N30: Jakes fakes a hand off, and then tries to throw to the back out of the backfield.
It’s picked off by Naples’ Kyle Lundquist with 1:04 left.
Final: Naples 17, St. Augustine 10
Naples is your Class 3-A champion, for the first time since 2001.
thanks SPB,can’t wait to check out Naples
I’m sure Ansonia could whip them easily.
Seems like St. Augustine could have used some Craig Bruno tactics to control the game in the 4th….how’s that working out for them?
highly unlikely, HP, highly unlikely. it’s just a different level, and there’s no shame in that. I’d love to see Ansonia try to schedule a game against a real powerhouse like Greenwich did.
OMG MY GOSH…NOW IM STARTING TO REALLY GET TIRED OF ALL U ANSONIA SUPPORTERS….YES ANSONIA IS A GREAT PROGRAM…BUT WE ARE TALKING BOUT FLORIDA’S CLASS 3A CHAMPS…IM NOT SAYING THEY HAVE NO CHANCE BECAUSE GREENWHICH PLAYED A GOOD GAME AGAINST THEM…IN FOOTBALL ITS ANY GIVIN FRIDAY…BUT I DOUBT THEY WOULD WHIP ON ANY STATE CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM INCLUDING NEW CANAAN…THEY PROBABLY WOULD BEAT SOME TEAMS BUT NOT WHIP THEM…LETS BE REAL …NOW
Going undefeated in FL is pretty impressive. I caught them on film and they are good, fast and well coached. But against mighty,mighty Ansonia with the nation’s leading rusher, a well balanced offense, depth to stay fresh through four quarters and team speed that is rarely seen outside of bowling alleys…er, on second thought never mind.
If you want to see the best division in FL, watch the Class 5A finals tonight at 7 on Fox Sports Atlantic. Northwestern (Miami) vs. Boone. Northwestern is the #1 team in the country and loaded with D1 talent, including QB Jacory Harris and WR Aldarius Johnson, two of the nations top recruits.
Correction is the 6A Finals at 7 PM
I bet Ansonia could crush Miami Northwestern too. . .
Watching the Northwestern game, you can just see what a different level it is down there.
For the record, my comment re: Ansonia could whip Naples easily was 100 percent facetious.
That Northwestern team from Miami would beat Ct. teams by 100. Their is not a team in the state that comes close to the overall talent on that team. Their was probably more D-1 talent on that field between the 2 teams than all of the state of Ct. Let’s face it, Florida High School football is apples and oranges guys, and i love Ct. football.
I am pretty sure HP made that comment about Ansonia beating a FL team as a joke.
It was sarcastic.
Hey John E if every1 believed what u and HP belived then why isnt ansonia 1 of the top 25 teams in the nation.
Coach Ty – If you can see one post up from your original comment on this thread, I was completely being faceitious. I was noting how Ansonia should follow Greenwich’s lead and look to scheduling tough teams. The chargers too would find out the differences in level. The Greenwich game against Naples proved that while the best Connecticut teams could compete against the best teams in Florida, there’s still quite a difference in levels between the best in CT and best there. And there’s no shame in that. Florida sucks at lacrosse, ice hockey, and squash too.
im from ansonia and love ansonia football but those teams would bury ansonia and any other team from ct, its a whole different level down there…….. they would bury the ct all state team
DId anyone see the Naples Highschool comercial that they aired during the seahawks game last week?