Inside Preps

Naples The Golden Eagles football team has been running over the competition, due in large part to the talents of running back Jamelle Eugene. Eugene missed 10 games last year with a knee injury, but rebounded to be one of Southwest Florida's top rushers.

Eugene has almost 1,700 yards on the season after the Golden Eagles' 47-3 win over Tarpon Springs- East Lake on Friday. His field vision -- his ability to see holes and follow blockers -- is a big part of that.

Coach Bill Kramer says Eugene's vision is special.

"I'm not sure everybody gets to his level," he says. "He understands the concept of what the offense can do. Some players find a reason why they can't do instead of doing what they need to do."

Jonathan Eugene's interception return for a touchdown was his second in two games. He averaged 73 yards a return ... Former Golden Eagles post player Barry Corrado has earned a spot on the Emory University basketball roster. The 6-foot-7 freshman will play center for the Atlanta school.

Immokalee The Indians football team didn't find out where and when it will play Hollywood Chaminade- Madonna in Friday's Class 2A state semifinal game until Monday.

Chaminade, 11-1 and ranked No. 2, was the designated home team in the bracket but Chaminade does not have a home, per se. The Lions don't have a field and normally play at McArthur High. But McArthur is still in the playoffs, so their stadium is occupied Friday night.

According to coach John Weber, the Indians offered to host the game but that was quickly turned down. And then there was some consideration of playing Saturday at McArthur, but then the FSHAA found a site. The game will be held at South Broward High School in Hollywood on Friday at 7:30 p.m.

Weber said he actually was hoping the game would be played on Thanksgiving.

"I just know our kids and they're use to having a routine and them being off a school for a couple of days is going to mess them up," Weber said.

If the Indians win, they will have an off week before battling for the state championship in Gainesville.

Because of the Indians' success, Assistant coach Tony Allen, who is the boys basketball coach, was busy last week trying to rearrange the basketball schedule. With 10 football players on his varsity basketball team, Allen was left with just four players and had to cancel out of this week's Fort Myers Tip- off Classic.

Lely Tonight the Trojans host a boys soccer match that will be a rematch of last year's district championship.

Rob Schank's team defeated the Panthers 2-1 in that one, setting the stage for some fireworks even though the two squads are no longer in the same district.

"Yes, yes, I'm sure they'd like to get some revenge," Schank said Monday. "Our team is new and I think they lost their two superstars. But I'm sure it will be a good match."

The Trojans are nursing some injuries, with two more added to the walking wounded list in last Wednesday's outing against Immokalee. Schank says he could have has many as of four of his regulars out tonight.

"Our style is the same but the names and faces are different," he adds.

To say that the Trojans bring an international favor to the field is an understatement. There are 13 different countries represented on the roster.

With the new district alignments, Schank says this winter's most hotly contested games should be against Barron Collier.

"Collier's the team to beat this year," he said.

The boys basketball team carries on with the dean of local coaches on the bench. Head coach Don Stewart begins his 21st season at Lely and his 31st in the prep ranks.

Barron Collier Twelve Cougar athletes who received first team all-state honors last season will be recognized at halftime of Saturday's 7:30 p.m. game at the Barron Tip-Off Classic.

Christian Bice (track), Scott Faist (track), Todd Borden (track), Vince Mattio (track), Lindsay Giblin (girls soccer), Gabby D'Adamo (girls soccer), Kent Picard (boys soccer), Dustin Kahler (boys soccer), Jacqui Resop (softball), Kris Schaus (softball), Christy Matulay (softball) and Ulia Talalenko (girls tennis) will have their pictures placed on a wooden plaque which will be put on permanent display in the lobby of Cougar Gymnasium.

The coaching staff of the new Golden Gate High School will have a good bit of Cougar blood running through its veins next season. Several of the Titans' head coaches have experience at Barron Collier.

Former Barron basketball coach Joe Consolino will take that job at Golden Gate, as former baseball coach Bob Smith and former softball coach John Palmitano. Golden Gate principal Bob Spano will recommend the three to the Collier County School Board, which has the final vote.

Estero Senior Chasey Niebrugge has spent four years trying to break former Estero High star Miranda Kenney's school record 14 varsity letters.

If Niebrugge finishes basketball season, then track and softball, healthy, she'll do that. It will be no big deal to her, she always figured if she kept playing, getting 15 letters would take care of itself.

But breaking the school scoring record in basketball? Well, that she didn't plan on. Yet if Niebrugge continues to pour in 32 points as she did in a win over Port Charlotte last week, Niebrugge will become the first girls basketball player in school history to top 1,000 points in her career.

Lorrain Cassola, a registered nurse currently working on her bachelor's degree at Florida Gulf Coast University, lectured the Wildcats football team on the dangers of anabolic steroids in a presentation last week.

"This refreshed a lot of the stuff that I've know," said senior wide receiver Brian Fitzgerald. "It had been mentioned that I should take steroids to get faster and I do a lot of research about them. So I've veered away from all than and just kept to proteins."

Community School Last week's 1-0 victory over St. Stevens was the first district win for coach Ken Fasrshtey's Lady Seahawks soccer team. The St. Stevens game was the first game this year that Farshtey has had his entire starting line up available. Today they have their last game before the Thanksgiving break at St. John Neumann at 4 p.m.

Coach Chris Utz hopes that quality can conquer quantity.

Although the defending district champion girls basketball team only carries seven players, all of them figure to be major contributors to the teams success. The team has moved up to Class 2A and faces its toughest schedule ever. Ten of CSN's 16 non-district games are against schools of larger classifications. With no seniors, Utz is hoping the challenging schedule will season his young guards for the post season. . ... The CSN Fall Sports Awards Assembly will be on Monday, Dec.

15 at 7 p.m. in the Morris Activity Center.

St. John Neumann The Celtics boys basketball team lost some size in the frontcourt with the departure of Constantine Wirschke, but they may have gained it back in the off-season.

A number of Celtic players came in bigger and stronger than they were a year ago, including guard Zack Sidlovsky and forward Ryan Perry.

"At 6-foot-3 Ryan has some guard mobility," said coach Tony Grasso. "He was little when he was a freshman and he's grown into his body."

Sidlovsky, meanwhile, has added an inch and 15 pounds of muscle. What's the difference? Now he can stand behind the 3-point line and drill shots flat- footed.

While the Celtics won't be able to put someone in the lane with Wirschke's size, they may be more athletic and agile on both ends of the floor than they've been in recent years.

"We'll be able to move quicker," Grasso said.

Everglades City Boys basketball coach Phil Johnson had a nice turnout for his first week of practice and as of now is able to field a junior varsity and a varsity team.

He has nine boys on the JV and he's looking at seven or eight for the varsity.

"We're very young but our first week went well," Johnson said. "Last year we started out with about eight kids on JV but lost two to grades and another to injury. So when I was down to five players I had to shut it down. On varsity this year I'm looking for my two seniors, Tony Stockner and Dylan Phillips, to step up."

Stockner was the Gators' leading scorer last season. They open the season next Monday at home against Canterbury.

Girls basketball coach Becky Welch left one graduating senior off her list of key losses from last season: Rachel Billie.