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Naples takes down South in thriller

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South Fort Myers defender Ja'carri Lewis, left, eyes Naples ball carrier Carlin Fils-Aime as South Fort Myers hosts Naples Friday in Fort Myers.

South Fort Myers defender Ja’carri Lewis, left, eyes Naples ball carrier Carlin Fils-Aime as South Fort Myers hosts Naples Friday in Fort Myers.

This high school football game between South Fort Myers and Naples on Friday night was everything you thought it could be and more.

There were big plays, game-changing runs, critical miscues, go-ahead scores, late drives and even an ejection.

They all led to one of the more exciting games of the season in Southwest Florida as Naples overcame an explosive Wolfpack squad to win 42-33 on the road.

“They’re big, fast and strong. And what they do outside the framework of the play is ridiculous,” Naples head coach Bill Kramer said. “Very difficult to prepare for. Thankfully we made enough plays.”

Naples senior Carlin Fils-Aime rushed 16 times for 145 yards and two touchdowns, but no play was more important then his tipped catch in the fourth quarter that kept a stumbling Golden Eagles drive alive.

It led to his own 35-yard score that would give Naples a one touchdown lead, and then preceded a 35-yard interception return by Q Wilson on the very next drive that would be the dagger in a game of big plays.

“I don’t know what to tell you,” Kramer said. “Tipped balls. Stuff happens in the football game. Our best players made plays when they had to.”

It ultimately erased South Fort Myers’ remarkable night on offense. The Wolfpack (6-2) combined for 552 yards total. Senior Willie Johnson caught two passes for 154 yards and two scores and ran another two times for 71 yards and a touchdown.

He had two-game changing touchdown runs, the first to open the game on a 75-yard draw that saw him cut up field. And his second, a simple screen that he blew up into an 88-yard score, gave the Wolfpack life in the third quarter.

South Fort Myers defender Fa'Najae Gotay chases after Naples ball carrier Tyler Byrd as South Fort Myers hosts Naples Friday in Fort Myers.

South Fort Myers defender Fa’Najae Gotay chases after Naples ball carrier Tyler Byrd as South Fort Myers hosts Naples Friday in Fort Myers.

The Golden Eagles’ (7-1) lead jumped to as high as 15 late in the fourth quarter, but the Wolfpack answered with one final touchdown to close the gap to nine points.

Quarterback Ke’Shon Murray, who was 7-of-19 for 223 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, found Brandon Lewis in the seam 82 yards for the game’s final score.

It capped off an impressive game for Murray, too. The senior quarterback, in his third game behind center, made several plays on his feet to elongate drives and finished with 41 yards rushing. In the second quarter, he took a fake field goal four yards into the end zone, cutting Naples’ lead to one point, 28-27 with 4:56 left in the half.

“We wanted to make sure we put our older guys in this situation,” South head coach Anthony Dixon said. “We didn’t want to ruin our babies. We wanted to put the gameplan in our older guy’s hands. And Ke’Shon made some great plays with his feet.”

Naples senior quarterback Kieran DiGiorno was forced out of the game late following a big hit. Kramer said it was an ankle injury and that he would be expected back next week against Barron Collier in the District 6A-12 game.

Fils-Aime broke open a 65-yard kickoff return for a touchdown with 1:33 left in the first quarter, part of 21 first quarter points for the Golden Eagles.

DiGiorno went 6-of-8 for 90 yards in the game and had a one-yard rushing touchdown. The Golden Eagles combined for 317 yards of total offense. Senior offensive lineman Jason Sickels was ejected late for unsportsmanlike conduct.

The Wolfpack move on to face Gulf Coast in the District 7A-12 title game next Friday.

South Fort Myers running back Ke'Shon Murray carries the ball into the end zone on a fake field goal attempt as South Fort Myers hosts the Naples Friday in Fort Myers.

South Fort Myers running back Ke’Shon Murray carries the ball into the end zone on a fake field goal attempt as South Fort Myers hosts the Naples Friday in Fort Myers.

Scoring summary

Naples 21 | 7 | 0 | 14 | FINAL 42

South Fort Myers 13 | 7 | 0 | 12 | FINAL 33

SFM: Willie Johnson 75 run (kick failed)

N: Antonio Carbonaro (Jerry Nunez kick)

N: Carlin Fils-Aime 42 run (Nunez kick)

SFM: Johnson 46 pass from Ke’Shon Murray (Casey Winn kick)

N: Carlin Fils-Aime 65 kickoff return (Nunez kick)

SFM: Murray 4 run (Winn kick)

N: Kieran DiGiorno 1 run (Nunez kick)

SFM: Johnson 88 pass from Will Morris (Winn kick)

N: Fils-Aime 35 run (Nunez kick)

N: Q Wilson 35 INT return (Nunez kick)

SFM: Brandon King 82 pass from Murray (pass failed)

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