Friday, November 13, 2026
FBA’s Darin Donals battles for a rebound position with Lely’s Berdley Prophilien.
Lely’s Lovelace Valcin shoots over FBA’s Andrew Azunque.
Lely Coach Fritz Jacques reacts to a call on the court.
Gage Rice battles for a loose ball against his FBA opponent.
Players dive for a loose ball in the waning moments of the game.
The Lely crowd is totally engaged in the game as the Trojans trim the lead to 53-52 with 16.5 seconds left.
First Baptist Academy coach Scott Stewart starred at Lely under his father, Don Stewart, Lely’s winningest coach. Steward went on to a successful career at the University of Florida.
Anthony Deibis-Silverstein finds an open man.
The surging Lely Trojans took county power First Baptist Academy to the buzzer Thursday night, February 1, before falling 54-52. The Trojans then closed their regular season Friday with a comfortable 48-38 on the road at Canterbury.
For FBA coach Scott Stewart, every trip to the Lely gym is a trip down memory lane. Stewart starred at point guard at Lely for four years under his father, Don Stewart, a Lely coaching legend. Scott Stewart went on to an outstanding college career at the University of Florida before enjoying a lengthy professional career overseas. Stewart wasn’t surprised at the fight in the Trojans (10–13), who have won five of their last six games.
"Great game, great atmosphere,” said Stewart after escaping with the win to improve his team’s record to 20-4. "Credit to Lely. They played really hard. I guess we did just enough to squeak out of here. But if you go look at my board it says, 'We just need to find a way to get a W,' because Lely's on a roll. They've won four in a row, and I've watched them a little bit, and they're playing good. They're playing hard."
Stewart is impressed with the growth of the Lely team over the course of the season. The first player he singled out was Gage Rice, who made a series of big plays down the stretch against FBA, including a three-pointer to trim the lead to 53-52 with 16.5 seconds left in the game.
"Gage Rice stepped up,” Stewart said, “and I think maybe they've identified their roles a little bit better from the first half of the season to the second half. And Lovelace Valcin is super crafty and very fast. Jayce Cora jumps really well. And then the other guys shot the ball well. So, credit to them.”
Fourth-seeded Lely opened district play against 5-seed Bonita Springs on Tuesday, February 6, after the Coastal Breeze News deadline. If they advance, they play top-seeded Barron Collier on Thursday. The winner plays the winner of the Naples-Golden Gate game on Saturday for the district championship.
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