Saturday, November 14, 2026
Lely captain and defensive leader, Coby Georges, winces in pain on the sideline.
Lely’s Colin Raymond focuses on offensive coordinator Tom Scarbrough.
The officials decided this fumble belonged to Naples High.
The Naples defense was smothering Friday evening.
Lely running back Guerschom Guerrier blocks for quarterback Brian Bachmann.
Lely trainer Edisson Cantor works on quarterback Brian Bachmann.
Lely head coach JJ Everage seems to be looking to the heavens.
Lely’s Jaime Cisneros and Jhonley Aurel stop Naples quarterback Stanley Bryant in first quarter action.
Naples looks like a well-oiled machine as quarterback Stanley Bryant fakes to Isaiah Augustave before handing to Kendrick Raphael. Linemen Ashton Hubbell and Jacob Tudor are in lockstep as they look to lead the way.
Lely quarterback Brian Bachmann completes a pass.
Lely came within 8.7 seconds of holding a 3-0 lead at the end of the first quarter of Friday night's 48th playing of the Coconut Bowl, the city’s longest-running rivalry. Unfortunately for the Trojans, that short lived lead was the highlight of the evening for them, as visiting powerhouse Naples used a punishing ground game and stingy defense to pull away, 52-9.
Lely went toe-to-toe with Naples through much of the first half. But Naples pounding ground attack took its toll on the Trojans. By the third quarter, Lely’s sideline looked more like an infirmary as players were lined up to be treated for a variety of injuries. Both Lely captains, quarterback Brian Bachmann and standout defensive end Coby Georges, were knocked out of the game. Bachmann appeared to have sustained a rib injury while Georges, who also plays tight end, was wincing in pain with an ice pack wrapped around his shoulder.
Lely was led by junior running back Guerschom Guerrier who picked up 89 hard earned yards. He is among Southwest Florida’s leading rushers with 743 yards. Guerrier scored Lely’s lone touchdown when he busted through the Naples defense on a 15-yard run in the second quarter/ Guerrier’s score was set up by a Vyncent Matheny fumble recovery at the 17-yard line.
Naples was led by junior running back Kendrick Raphael who broke away for touchdown runs of 60 and 75 yards. Raphael finished with 180 yards on eight carries. Naples quarterback Stanley Bryant, who displayed some slick ball handling all night, broke away for a 48-yard TD run in the third quarter. Bryant picked up 108 yards on quarterback runs. Isaiah Augustave scored three times for the Eagles.
The winner of the Coconut Bowl is presented with the Joe Klimas trophy, named in honor of Marco Islander Joe Klimas, the longtime Southwest Florida radio and TV personality, who called every Coconut Bowl until his death in 2012. The trophy is made with a coconut that has been fashioned to represent a football.
Naples leads the Coconut Bowl rivalry, 33-15, with Lely’s last win coming in 2009. The 2009 win was notable as Marco Island’s Sean O’Regan threw a touchdown pass in overtime to give the Trojans a 12-6 win. Lely won the first Coconut Bowl, 22-13, on Thanksgiving Day in 1974.
In 2012, a USA Today poll ranked the Coconut Bowl in the top three rivalries in the state. The Bradenton Manatee-Bradenton Southeast rivalry was voted first. The other finalist was the Muck Bowl, which annually pits Pahokee against Belle Glades Central.
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