Two Top 10 ranked teams in Class 4A will square off at Staver Field on Friday night.
The Southwest Florida Area Game of the Week features the American Heritage Plantation Patriots (1-2) who are ranked No. 1 in Class 4A, according to MaxPreps travel nearly two hours north to face the Naples Golden Eagles (3-0) who are ranked No. 7 in Class 4A, according to MaxPreps.
The Patriots are coming off a thrilling 48-45 loss to Chaminade-Madonna where they were led by junior quarterback Dia Bell (Texas commit) and senior running back Byron Louis who accounted for 149 rushing yards on 18 carries and had a rushing touchdown last game.
On the defensive end, the Patriots are led by junior edge rusher Kymani Morales who has a team-high 29 total tackles through the first three games this season. Also keep an eye on junior linebacker Dylan Bennett who has been a tackling machine so far as he is second on the team with 28 total tackles in the first three games.
Meanwhile, The Golden Eagles are coming off a thumping 47-0 win over Immokalee in their last game where they were led by senior running back Trayvon Jean who rushed for 146 yards on 13 carries and had two rushing touchdowns. Another dynamic running back will be worth noting is senior Shawn Simeon (Toledo commit) who is off to an explosive start where he has had over 100 rushing yards in each of the first three games so far this season.
Junior quarterback Alijah Molina (57.1% completion, 163 yards, 1 touchdown) Passing (21 carries, 111 yards, 4 touchdowns) Rushing can also be a huge factor in this game where he can get the job done with both his arm and legs.
Senior linebacker Khari Bendolph is a force on the Golden Eagles defense side where he is leading the team with 26 total tackles through three games this season. Another name to keep an eye on in the secondary will be senior Vladimir Raphael who is very versatile whether it’s in drop coverage or playing at the line of scrimmage as he comes into this matchup with 22 total tackles so far this season.
Friday’s meeting between American Heritage Plantation and Naples will be the third all-time meeting, as the Patriots have won the previous two.
Score Prediction: American Heritage Plantation 35, Naples 31
