Barron Collier Edges Lely: 53-52 Despite Morancy’s 5 TD Effort

The Lely-Barron Collier game on Friday night was as exciting as high school football gets. The longtime rivals duked it out until the last seconds, when Barron Collier scored with 11 seconds left for a 53-52 Homecoming win that featured a little bit of everything. 

Lely’s Sergio Morancy had a career game, scoring on five touchdown receptions, and a nifty 64-yard reverse on Lely’s first play from scrimmage, on his way to 196 yards receiving. Barron Collier was charged a safety when their quarterback threw the ball away while being pressured in his own end zone. Lely’s final extra point attempt caromed off the left upright. Lely stopped Barron Collier at the one-yard line, despite being called for pass interference in the end zone on fourth down, then was forced to punt the ball out of their own end zone. 

Lely appeared to put the see-sawing game away, scoring with 1:30 left in the game when quarterback JJ Dervil hit Morancy with a 38-yard touchdown pass. Then Lely’s outstanding kicker had his extra-point kick ricochet off the left upright, leaving the score 52-46. 

Barron Collier celebrated the missed kick on their sideline, then proceeded to march the ball downfield, aided by two timeouts and an untimely late hit call against Lely at the Trojans’ 31-yard line. The penalty moved Barron Collier to the 12-yard line with 37 seconds left in the game. On the fourth down, Barron Collier quarterback Dylan McNamara found running back Chris Crouch, who had planted himself in the near right–hand corner of the end zone, with a 6-yard scoring strike with 11 seconds left on the clock.

Pandemonium ensued after BC kicker Matt Campbell drilled the extra point to give the Cougars the win. 

“That was a great atmosphere, great game,” stated Lely’s Head Coach J. J. Everage, as he saw his Trojans drop to 2-5. “Like Coach Mark Jackson said to me, ‘You hate for anyone to lose that game.’ Such a great game. Classic; high scoring. Whoever had the ball last was going to win. Hats off to my guys for the effort they gave tonight. We came in here limping. Our guys fought to the bitter end. This was an emotional roller coaster. This was a tough loss.” 

Everage was impressed with Morancy’s performance, but feels the talented senior has the ability to play like he did Friday night every time he walks on the field as he said, “Sergio finally played like a D1 athlete tonight. Sergio is a D1 talent for sure. He had the game tonight that we expect him to have all year. But they were leaving him with single coverage.  

“It’s hard not to throw the ball to him every time. Sergio’s going to have a bright future. I’m proud of all the guys. We had a freshman, Joshua Philogene, who scored on a run tonight. He’s got a different gear. We saw that on the JV level and we decided to move him up and get him some varsity carries. I’m proud of him. I’m glad he got in the end zone tonight. This was his first varsity experience. He’s like a videogame, he’s so quick. The future is bright at Lely. I really think so.” 

Lely hosts Ida Baker (4-3), on Friday, November 13, in a first-round playoff game. Barron Collier (5-2) hosts Fort Myers (6-2).