Home › PrepZone Football › Gulf Coast High School Football
VIDEO: Prep football: Gulf Coast turns up the offense in rout of Palmetto Ridge
Please download the latest version of Adobe Flash Player, or enable JavaScript for your browser to view the video player.
More Gulf Coast High School Football
- Prep football: Gulf Coast's Goulding has strong showing at national kicking competition
- 2008 Fall All-Area Teams: Football
- Prep football: Updated playoff scores, pairings
Tell us about it
- What would you add to this story? Tell us what we missed.
- Do you have photos from this event? Documents we need to see? Share with us.
- Upload photos & videos
- More ways to get your stuff online and in the paper.
STORY TOOLS
Share and Enjoy [?]
NAPLES — On one long Halloween night at Palmetto Ridge High, the defense played by Gulf Coast’s Sharks and the Bears was downright spooky.
Or maybe it was just that the two offenses had some ghoulish tricks up their sleeves.
Whatever the cause, 103 points were scored in the Class 4A-District 15 battle, as Gulf Coast blasted Palmetto Ridge 70-33.
In the first half alone, the teams combined for 69 points and 493 yards passing.
The barrage continued only briefly in the early second half when the teams traded touchdowns. The Sharks scored three more times to put themselves in position to advance to the playoffs.
One more week of district action looms for both the Sharks and the Bears. Gulf Coast (6-2, 3-1) hosts Cypress Lake next Friday, while Palmetto Ridge (1-7, 0-4) is at East Lee County.
Coupled with Barron Collier’s 28-21 win over Cypress Lake on Friday, the Sharks must beat the Panthers to move on.
Gulf Coast senior quarterback Jeff Schmidt was involved in six touchdowns, running for four and throwing for two — both to Zac Rittberg. Schmidt ended with 285 yards passing, completing 16-of-23.
All but one of Schmidt’s passes came in the first half. His only pass the second half was a 42-yarder over the middle to Rittberg for a TD late in the game.
Palmetto Ridge QB Mike Pinter put it up 51 times, completing 24 for 326 yards and three touchdowns. He was intercepted once. Keith Simpson returned a pick 24 yards for a TD in the opening period.
Both squads were missing key players, mostly because of injuries.
“I haven’t been involved in one like that for a long, long time,” said Sharks head coach Frank Tudryn. “I had to tell our guys that every point counted. That’s why we never went for two after we scored. When we were making point-after kicks and when they were not converting their PATs early, it meant a lot.”
Because of an injury, sophomore running back Sebastian Zuluaga of Gulf Coast didn’t play the first half and ended up with 102 yards on three carries. Tudryn said Zuluaga probably would not have played at all had Shawn Normil not cramped up in the second half.
The Bears’ Torrey Campbell finished with 118 yards on 20 carries.
Palmetto Ridge coach Tim Speakman had to call the game from atop the press box. In two recent surgeries, he had complications with a blood clot and could not risk being down on the sidelines.
Comments
This site does not necessarily agree with comments posted below. Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. Break our rules, and we will ban you. No exceptions, no second chances. Read our privacy policy & user agreement.
I'm only gonna say two things today. #1- After playing 8 games this year the offense would know their plays by now. #2- The game should have been much closer than it was. the tackeling by the Bear defense is AWFUL!! I have more colorful words for describing the defense, but it can not be printed. Let's get it fixed and win these last two games.
#1 Posted by waterboy on November 1, 2008 at 11:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
What should it have been?? 50-33??
#2 Posted by cjs103a on November 1, 2008 at 5:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Listen let's be honest the whole Palmetto Ridge program is in shambles from top to bottom. Few of the talented players at the school want to play anymore. Many have just quit and some are transferring to other schools. It's all about leadership and coaching and there appears to be little of that at the top over there. Speakman rarely meets with parents, does not work with the pop warner program which is his future, doesn't help his best players with college recruitment, etc, etc. It's time for a change at the top. If we get a new head coach with some real leadership you will see this program thrive. It's a darn shame actually. C'mon Mr. Holt you know it's time to get a real coach in there.
#3 Posted by rickyfi on November 1, 2008 at 6:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I hope the sake of the community the future of Palmetto Ridge Football there needs to be a change the school and the coaching are doing a diservice to community and the players. Coaches say film does not lie well numbers do not lie either. Under the current leadership the scores against Naples High over the last four years 2005
48-0 Naples,2006 31-13 Naples, 2007 48-13 Naples
2008 49-19 Naples. Palmetto Ridge has not come within two touchdowns of beating Naples while other teams Gulf Coast,Lely, and Barron Collier have closed the gap in four years because of leadership at the school. Two years Palmetto Ridge made the playoffs but they did not earn it on the field. 2006 Immokalee who is at the time in thier beat Palmetto at home 56-0 and went to go 10-0 in regular season,but was on probabtion
because of a 25 year bench warmer that was on the team the year before. Kids have transfered from other schools to play for the current leadership names like Tremain Dale, Chad Austile,Tony Leggett and other who gave all on the field for a bad program only to find out that they were not prepared for college. The mark of a decent high school is three things character off the field,performance on the field,and kids being prepared and ready to college. Would send your kid to Palmetto Ridge under the current leadership for four years to be involved with the football program.
#4 Posted by tburns on November 2, 2008 at 6:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Yeah, I think it's time for for sports boosters to fork up the money to get Coach Kramer. Anyone can be bought for a price. I'm sure he's looking to get out in the country. Maybe we can get Tanner....nah. His leadership is worse. I think Speakman is the perfect coach for this team. I don't know from the college stuff to the pop warner, but hte last couple of years his kids responded well to the system. Problem this year is the kids don't seem to figure out the system. If you don't know how to play your not gonna win!! Don't guage PRHS to the likes of Naples. Your not gonna contend to a team that is stacked heavily with non-Naples zoned players. Lely and Barron are long established teams in this county and even they can't beat Naples. Gulfcoast has been a mediocre team for the past decade and Still haven't won a district title. They are good this year and haven't clinched anything yet. When they county puts a stop to the cheating we'll have one hell of a competitive district. Both 3a &4a.
To the kids who quit, I say good. I don't want any losers on the team anyhow. That just says they are there for themselves.
#5 Posted by waterboy on November 2, 2008 at 6:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Palmetto Ridge gets it fair share of talent and transfers from Immokalee and other schools. Problem is talent evaluation and placing that talent in the right position. The system has only
gotten 7 wins at best and those wins were against weaker least talented teams, the Golden Gates,Ida Bakers,East Lee County of the world.Whether the Ridge likes it or not teams like Naples and the Immokalee of world are the measuring stick by which the program is judged.Problem is it not about being the best it's about politics and out of control egos. We can not blame Collier County they changed the district to our favor and Naples and Immokalee those teams are no longer in our district 1-7 record with Division I talent on the roster what is the excuse now!
#6 Posted by ADONAI on November 3, 2008 at 4:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I bet Naples is enjoying their freebie district year. As you mention Palmetto gets to battle the likes of GG, ELC and the others. At least the Bears are playing .500+ schedule so far. (35-30) Naples (27-38) Naples won't make it past the 2nd round!
#7 Posted by waterboy on November 3, 2008 at 2:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Post your comment
(Requires free registration.)