5 Takeaways from Week 1 of Southwest Florida high school football

Bishop Verot, First Baptist, Immokalee, Charlotte were impressive in season debuts

Week 1 high school football action between Barron Collier High School and Immokalee High School at Barron Collier in Naples on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. Immokalee won 59-28. / Andrew West/The News-Press/USA Today Network / USA TODAY NETWORK

After last week’s Kickoff Classic preseason games, Southwest Florida high school football teams took the field in games that counted Friday.

A handful of teams put up impressive performances, starting the season on the right foot and generating plenty of momentum. Here are the biggest takeaways from the first week of regular season football in Southwest Florida:

FBA is still the team to beat in Class 1A

First Baptist Academy in Naples didn’t have a preseason game, so Friday was our first look at a Lions team that added a ton of talent in the offseason. FBA showed out with a 49-0 thumping of Westside, a public school three times the size of FBA from Macon, Georgia. Four different players scored for the well-rounded Lions.

First Baptist Academy Lions corner back Logan Bartley (24) and running back Sam Sparacio (22) celebrate after a turnover during the first quarter of the Class 1S state semifinal against the Munroe Bobcats at First Baptist Academy in Naples on Friday, Dec. 2, 2022. / Jonah Hinebaugh/Naples Daily News / USA TODAY NETWORK

FBA is at the top of what’s expected to be a competitive Class 1A region. Evangelical Christian School and Southwest Florida Christian Academy also had strong wins Friday. Like FBA, Evangelical Christian shut out a large public school, beating Palmetto Ridge 26-0. SFCA beat Santa Fe Catholic 22-7.

In the offseason Community School of Naples, which shared 1A-District 11 with FBA, got plenty of headlines for adding talented transfers of its own. The Seahawks stumbled in Week 1 with a 23-6 loss to Archbishop McCarthy. However, McCarthy went 9-0 last season as an FHSAA independent, so there’s no shame in the loss for CSN.

Bishop Verot bounces back

We said last week that we didn’t learn much from Bishop Verot’s 37-14 loss to nationally-ranked St. Thomas Aquinas in the preseason. That’s because Aquinas is so loaded that it wasn’t a true measure of how good Bishop Verot can be.

Carter Smith, right, the quarterback for the Bishop Verot football team is congratulated by teammate, Leo Berman after a touchdown during a game against the Cardinal Mooney football team at Bishop Verot on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. / Andrew West/The News-Press / USA TODAY NETWORK

In Week 1, the Vikings showed why they’re a state title contender in Class 2A. Bishop Verot smacked around Tampa Jesuit, a 4A school that went 10-3 last season, in a 48-34 win Friday. After two offensive plays, Bishop Verot already had 15 points. The Vikings were up 22-7 in the first 10 minutes. Michigan-committed QB Carter Smith threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more.

Immokalee might be the Indians of old

There was a time when Immokalee, the little farming town in rural Collier County, had one of the strongest small-school programs in the state. The Indians won a state championship in 2004 and finished state runner-up two other times. After four straight losing seasons, coach James Delgado is looking to bring back the glory days in Immokalee.

Week 1 high school football action between Barron Collier High School and Immokalee High School at Barron Collier in Naples on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. Immokalee won, 59-28. / Andrew West/The News-Press/USA Today Network / USA TODAY NETWORK

He started last season with a 6-6 record and a playoff win. In Week 1 this season, the Indians had perhaps their most impressive victory under Delgado. Immokalee went into Barron Collier, an 8-3 playoff team last season, and dominated. The Indians rushed for more than 400 yards in a 59-28 win. Immokalee scored three touchdowns in the first quarter and never looked back.

What to make of North Fort Myers

All eyes are on North Fort Myers this season, looking to see if the Red Knights can turn it around after an uncharacteristic 3-7 season in 2023. The Knights looked to be back after a 42-3 win in the preseason. However, they weren’t nearly as impressive in Week 1, winning just 7-0 over Cape Coral.

The North Fort Myers football team during action from the South Gulf Football Officials' Association scrimmage in early August. The Red Knights opened their season on Friday with a 7-0 win over Cape Coral which provided little insight into what type of team NFM can eventually be. / Andrew West/The News-Press/USA Today Network / USA TODAY NETWORK

To be fair, North Fort Myers was playing with a backup quarterback after Caedon Conn went down with an injury early. Second-stringer Caleb Curls led the Knights on the only touchdown drive of the night in the third quarter. North Fort Myers didn’t help itself by turning the ball over three teams in the first half alone.

The Knights get a real test in Week 2 when they host a powerful Port Charlotte team.

Charlotte gets off to a good start

The Tarpons are still trying to find their footing after legendary coach Binky Waldrop retired following the 2019 season. Since then, Charlotte, the second-oldest program in Southwest Florida, has just one winning season and one playoff appearance.

Cory Mentzer, Charlotte High football coach / DENNIS MAFFEZZOLI / HERALD-TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK

Charlotte started Year 3 under coach Cory Mentzer with a solid 27-6 win over Gulf Coast. The Tarpons’ defense did not allow a point – Gulf Coast’s only score came after returning a blocked field goal for a touchdown. After that, Charlotte put up 27 straight points, all in the second and third quarters.