Prep football: Gulf Coast rallies past Lely for first win STATS

Gulf Coast rallies past Lely

Gulf Coast wins 31-27.

NAPLES — Charlie Cannaday had been hearing the whispers around school, that his Gulf Coast team's winless start would last the rest of the season.

With a go-ahead touchdown pass late in the third quarter, Cannaday and the Sharks quieted those doubters Friday.

"There were quite a few people that said we wouldn't win a game at all this year," said Cannaday, Gulf Coast's backup quarterback. "We just used it as motivation and this is what happened."

Sparked by a special teams touchdown and Cannaday's takeover of the quarterback job in the second half, Gulf Coast downed host Lely, 31-27.

Cannaday hit A.J. Carter on a 62-yard pass with 3:05 left in the third quarter, putting the Sharks (1-5) ahead 28-27. Ali Rogers added a 23-yard field goal -- her first of the season -- and the Gulf Coast defense held Lely to 92 yards of offense in the second half.

Lely quarterback Karbel Dirogene gashed Gulf Coast in the first quarter, carrying six times for 120 yards, with touchdown rushes of 46 and 62. But the Gulf Coast front seven held steady the rest of the way, limiting Dirogene to 34 yards on 19 rushes the rest of the way.

"They started blitzing a lot more, and we couldn't pick them up on the offensive line or find open receivers downfield," Lely coach Dave Miller said.

With the Gulf Coast defense holding Lely (1-6) scoreless in the second half, Cannaday, a senior, came in after the half to replace sophomore Zimon Brennan. In an up-and-down first half, Brennan was 7-of-16 for 127 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions -- and one of those was a screen pass intercepted and returned 68 yards for a touchdown by Lely's Tyler Tanner that gave the Trojans a 27-14 halftime lead.

Gulf Coast's Rick Beaubrin had a 52-yard punt return to open the third-quarter scoring, then Cannaday found Carter on the Sharks' next drive.

"He gave us a spark with some senior leadership," Gulf Coast coach Andrew Miranti said.

When Cannaday cramped up to start the fourth quarter, Brennan returned and took the Sharks on a 12-play, 79-yard drive capped by Rogers' field goal.

"Zimon's a young kid and we pulled him at halftime, but we told him at some point you're going to have to help this team win," Miranti said. "They really complemented each other tonight."

Cannaday, the starter at the beginning of the season, finished 3-of-6 for 112 yards, while Brennan ended 9-of-22 for 172 yards.

Dirogene went 18-of-30 passing with 152 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions. He scored three times on the ground.