High school football schedules released

Many of the area’s high school football coaches have started strategizing for the upcoming season. That’s because 2006 schedules are out.

Gulf Coast head coach Frank Tudryn said he developed a sense of anticipation about what lies ahead when the football schedule came out.

“When you go through the change and the cycle from year to year ... you’re trying to see who’s going to be in your district,” said Tudryn, whose team opens the regular season at home against Naples.

“That’s where I think the excitement comes from more than anything else. I think what’s going to happen in the next cycle for us ... we’ll be playing Palmetto (Ridge), because that’ll round out our independent schedule. So all our independent games will be county teams. That, I think, is going to be a great rivalry.”

Gulf Coast doesn’t play Palmetto Ridge this season. The Sharks are scheduled to face six Collier County teams.

Tudryn added that Barron Collier will be one of the toughest teams on the schedule, because they have two of the best athletes in the area in quarterback Matt Clements and running back Greg Williams.

Gulf Coast will host Barron in the Catfish Bowl on Oct. 13. Other Collier County rivalry games include: Golden Gate traveling to play Palmetto Ridge on Oct. 27 in the Battle for the Gate and Lely hosting Naples in the Coconut Bowl the same night.

Barron head coach Billy Sparacio said he’s excited about the competitiveness of their schedule. The Cougars open at home against Lely, but face a tough three-game stretch with Sarasota at home, then DeSoto County and North Port on the road.

“We play really good teams out of district,” Sparacio said. “6A Sarasota, a very strong DeSoto team ... they’re really good this year. I’m not worried (about the stretch). I think our kids are looking forward to the challenge.”

Lely head coach Chris Metzger said his team will be facing its toughest schedule during his tenure. Five of the Trojans’ first six games this season are on the road.

“Out of the 12 teams on our schedule ... eight were in the playoffs last season,” Metzger said. “You’ve got Naples, who’s big time, Palmetto Ridge returns everybody, Golden Gate returns everybody and Gulf Coast returns everybody. There’s no doubt, everybody is solid from A to Z.”

Immokalee head coach John Weber said he isn’t expecting any easy games this season.

“We’re going to open with Cape (Coral) and they made the playoffs last year, then we play Lehigh, who’s vastly improved,” Weber said. “Charlotte’s been one of the powers forever, then we get into the meat of the schedule with Naples, Barron Collier and Lely. Everybody loads up against us ... and we’ve got to be ready to go out of the gate.”

Golden Gate will open at home against Bishop Verot, while Estero and Naples will play the same schedules as last season as part of a home-and-home two-year contract.

Palmetto Ridge filled its Sept. 1 open date with an away game against Dunbar, a game in which head coach Tim Speakman sees as a challenge because of the athleticism they have on both sides of the ball.

“That will help us going into districts,” Speakman said. “We have a very, very tough schedule. Any time you have Lely and Immokalee and Naples on there, you’re going to have a tough schedule, and playing those guys is going to do nothing but make this football team better.”

Second-year program South Fort Myers will face a much more realistic schedule than last season, head coach Grant Redhead said.

“It’s much more conducive for a second-year program,” he said. “I think it will really help us have some success. It’s definitely better.”

St. John Neumann head coach Steve Howey said his team, which opens up against Miami-Westminster Christian, has gotten used to playing bigger schools.

“We play most of the 2A schools to get ready for our district, which is one the best in 1A with Glades Day, Moore Haven and Evangelical,” Howey said. “If we can compete with Glades Day and Evangelical, we should be able to compete with anybody.”

Practices for the upcoming football season begin Monday, July 31.

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Staff writer Dana Caldwell contributed to this report.