Tritons outduel the Seahawks in the 37th annual Black and Blue Bowl
The 37th annual Black and Blue Bowl between Mariner and Cape High saw the Tritons come out on top with a 50-34 win at Tony McKenna Stadium.
Senior playmaker Justin Lewis was an integral part of the Mariner offense Friday night, playing a role in five of the seven scores as he threw for four and rushed for one touchdown.
The win unties the all-time series between the two programs, which Mariner head coach Josh Nicholson said is a bonus on top of the victory.
“It means a lot for the community, a lot for the school,” Nicholson said. “I’m happy we won, happy the trophy stays home, and happy our alumni can have another year of bragging rights.”
Another district win for the Tritons (8-1, 3-0 district) sees them clinch the 3S-14 championship, the team’s first since the late 90s.
“Defiantly proud of that — first district championship in a long time,” Nicholson said. “That was our goal in the beginning of the year, and we accomplished that. Now, we’re going to move forward to the next step.”
Kelvin Jimenez got things rolling for Mariner in the first quarter as he reeled in a 9-yard reception for a touchdown from Lewis on the Triton’s first drive, and came up big on the other side of the ball as well.
The Seahawks (4-5) answered back in the second, as Tadarien Green went up over his defender to bring down a 10-yard pass from Ivan Harvin in the corner of the end zone, bringing the score to 7-7.
With just under four minutes before the half, it was Mariner’s Marcus Kelley Jr. catching his own touchdown pass in the corner of the end zone, this one from 6 yards out, to give his team a 13-7 lead at the half.
Cape Coral came out in an explosive way to start the third, as Green broke through the mess of bodies and came out the other side of a kickoff return 95 yards to give the Seahawks a 14-13 lead.
Mariner answered the bell, rattling off 22 unanswered points via a Kelley Jr. 31-yard catch, Lewis 4-yard run, and after an interception set up the Tritons on the Cape 1-yard line, a keeper from Jimenez to put home team. Up 35-14.
“We have a lot of talent, and a lot of leadership,” Nicholson said. “I tip my hat to Justin Lewis, whenever we need him, he’s there to play quarterback, receiver, running back — he’ll do anything it takes for this team to be successful. We would not be close to where we are without him.”
The Seahawks, despite being on the road and down big, would not give in easily.
On their first play from scrimmage following the Jimenez 1-yard run, Seahawk Dereon Thomas galloped 86 yards for a quick-strike score, bringing the deficit to 35-21 with 3:33 to play in the third.
Early on in the fourth, though, the Tritons extended the lead, as Jimenez scored his third touchdown of the game, this time via a 41-yard reception from Lewis.
“That kid is a beast, and he’s just getting started,” Nicholson said. “Him, and Marcus Kelley Jr. came into the school as basketball players…and they’ve just really flourished. Their best football is ahead of them.”
With 3:50 left to play, Harvin found wide out Kalonji Hamilton for a 65-yard touchdown pass, as the receiver split two defenders.
Mariner’s McNathan Sainvil scored a 32-yard touchdown on a run late in the fourth, and Green found paydirt for the fourth time in the game on a 45-yard catch for the final score of the contest.
“We got into reaching distance, and somehow we just kind of broke down,” said Seahawk head coach Larry Gary. “We gave them good field position. It hurts when you’re trying to play catch-up.
“But what I saw tonight from my team is that we played hard. We had some production, too. It’s one of the highest scoring games we’ve had.”
As is customary, the Rotary Club of Cape Coral presented $500 scholarships to one player from each team. The recipients were Cape Coral High School’s Markus Solano and Kelley Jr. from Mariner.
Next week. Mariner travels to South Fort Myers in the regular season finale, while Cape Coral goes on the road to take on Fort Myers.
1 2 3 4 F
Cape Coral 0 7 14 13 34
Mariner 7 6 22 15 50
1st Quarter
M: Kelvin Jimenez 9-yard reception from Justin Lewis (Christian Zapata kick); 907
2nd Quarter
CC: Tadarien Green 10-yard reception from Ivan Harvin (kick good); 6:28
M: Marcus Kelley Jr. 6-yard reception from Lewis (fail 2-pt); 3:29
3rd Quarter
CC: Green 95-yard kickoff return (kick good); 11:43
M: Kelley Jr. 31-yard reception from Lewis (2-pt fail); 9:58
M: Lewis 4-yard run (Kelley Jr. 2-pt); 4:43
M: Jimenez 1-yard run (Kelley Jr. 2-pt); 3:51
CC: Dereon Thomas 86-yard run (kick good); 3:33
4th Quarter
M: Jimenez 41-yard reception from Lewis (Jimenez 2-pt); 11:08
CC: Kalongi Hamilton 65-yard reception from Harvin (kick good); 3:50
M: McNathan Sainvil 32-yard run (Deric Black kick); 2:47
CC: Green 45-yard reception from Harvin (2-pt fail); 1:34