The News-Press and Naples Daily News will get you ready for the 2026 high school football season. Here are previews for the teams competing in District 3A-13.
This district includes Bishop Verot, Cypress Lake, Island Coast and Lely. Lely and Cypress Lake won district titles last season but also moved on from their head coaches.
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Island Coast also hired a new head coach, making Bishop Verot the only team in the district with a returning coach.
Bishop Verot
Coach: Richie Rode (sixth season)
Last year: 5-7, made playoffs (lost to Cardinal Mooney in regional semifinals)
Overview: The Vikings took a step back last season, finishing with the program’s fewest wins since the abbreviated 2017 season. The primary culprit was an inconsistent offense, which averaged 38 points per game in the team’s victories but scored 14 or fewer points in each of its losses. The strength of this year’s squad will be its defensive back seven, which features seniors Jyden German (Minnesota) and Robenson Duclona (Coastal Carolina) and sophomore Jarvis Lee. The defensive line was hurt by the departures of young tackles Kymoni Nicholas and Maikol Armas to Cape Coral, but still possesses senior Lucas Santiago, promising sophomore Anthony Budinas and standout Derrick Fletcher, who will see time as a situational pass rusher. On offense, Bishop Verot will have a first-time starter at quarterback in senior Hudson Peak, who will be gifted with a talented group of pass-catchers led by senior Ayden Gonzalez, a Western Kentucky commit who caught 50 passes for 729 yards and three touchdowns last season while rushing for 178 yards and two more scores. The 6-foot-5 Fletcher will be a matchup nightmare at tight end as will 6-foot-5 sophomore receiver Kymani Nixon. The Vikings have plenty of additional receiving depth, bolstered by the arrivals of seniors Quez Outten and Arrie Davis Jr. Verot’s rushing attack also should be productive behind a young but talented offensive line, led by juniors Clayton Graves, Austin Koos and Nate Kelly. There’s a deep stable of complementary backs, which includes senior Lemuel Jean-Baptiste and sophomores Barron Rhone and Crew Stambough. Gonzalez and Duclona will also get their touches in the run game and Peak is adept at making plays with his legs. In a district where every other opponent made a head coaching change, Bishop Verot’s stability should give it the inside track to the top spot. If the Vikings’ deep well of young newcomers progress quickly, the program could make a push for a deeper postseason run.
Cypress Lake
Coach: Mark Flaherty (first season)
Last year: 7-4, made playoffs (lost to Key West in the regional quarterfinals)
Overview: Mark Flaherty is in his first season leading the Panthers, replacing Joey Mendes who left for the Fort Myers job. Flaherty was previously the interim head coach at Lehigh. “It’s been a pretty fun process through the spring and getting to know these guys,” he said. “I’ve been embraced at the school there.” Flaherty believes the team’s defense will be their strength, starting with their depth at the linebacker position. Senior Mason Kurtz returns after posting 44 tackles in eight games last season. Senior safety Dakota Beck and senior linebacker Benjamin Wilkerwicz should also contribute. The team will be younger on the offensive side of the ball. “Honestly, everything is on the table right now because we had a lot of transfers leave at some key spots and a lot of seniors graduated,” Flaherty said. Starting quarterback Kaden Kuhnert broke his collarbone in the spring game, so look for Eddie Robinson to get snaps under center until he is recovered. The team has an intriguing hockey contingent with players from the Junior Everblades 16U AA team, including Brenner Gorton, Spencer Hamilton and Ryan Francis.
The Panthers can’t be expected to repeat the success of the last couple seasons given the turnover. However, Flaherty’s tenure at Lehigh suggests that Cypress Lake has the potential to be a tricky team to deal with – best exemplified by the Lightning holding an eventual state semifinal team in Riverdale to 9 points in the Battle of the Bell game last season. This team might take its lumps early but a strong foundation will be crucial for the program’s numbers and performance on the field.
Island Coast
Coach: Justin Midgett (first season)
Last year: 1-9, missed playoffs
Overview: For the third time in the past three seasons, the Gators have a new head coach. Former Charlotte High standout and Fort Myers assistant Justin Midgett will attempt to stabilize a program that’s seen numerous players depart via transfer. “We’re trying to build from the bottom up and set the foundation,” Midgett said. “We’re going to put our heads down every day, work hard, get better and we’ll see where we end up. That’s all we can do.” Island Coast is switching to the Wing-T offense and will prioritize running the football. “We’re trying to get to a place where we can be consistent, limit our turnovers and penalties, stay ahead of the chains and try to shorten the game a little bit,” Midgett said. The offensive line looks to be one of the team’s strengths, led by junior center Liam May, sophomore tackle Lucas Hronich and junior Josiah Dorval. Junior quarterback Dontavian Wilson and fullback Jackson Carradona look to be the Gators’ top ball carriers. While rebuilding the Island Coast program will be a multi-season process, there are enough solid pieces here for the Gators to take a couple steps forward in 2026.
Lely
Coach: Dan Nieboer (first season)
Last year: 8-4, made playoffs (lost in the regional semifinals to Miami Central)
Overview: The Trojans parted ways with three-year head coach Ben Hammer, and several players tranferred out this offseason. The school hired Dan Nieboer from Liberty Christian, located in Argyle, Texas, where he served as defensive line coach and was part of their state championship team in 2024 under Jason Witten. “Discipline is the biggest thing,” Nieboer said of his coaching philosophy. The Trojans will runs a 5-wide offense to take advantage of what Nieboer views as the team’s strengths. Junior Luke Trebilcock will run the offense with key players like running back Billy Bornelus. “We’re very strong at the skill positions,” Nieboer said. “We have great team speed. We have lots of guys that can play receiver and defensive back.” On defense, senior Maksim Noel returns after posting 54 tackles as a defensive back last season, and Warren Williamseau will be another important player in the secondary. Senior Shinly Dupra will contribute in the trenches, and senior Dradley Avena and junior Corey Carter will also be versatile pieces on the Lely defense.
It was a tough offseason for the Trojans, but Nieboer appears poised to right the ship. The team retained enough key players for the team to be competitive though players will be thrust into different roles depending on what the team needs. How the team’s offensive line comes together will be a significant aspect of this group.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Football previews for Bishop Verot, Cypress Lake, Island Coast, Lely
Reporting by Dan DeLuca and Dustin B Levy, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Fort Myers News-Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Dan DeLuca and Dustin B Levy, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News | USA TODAY Network
