After each having a week off, the Estero Wildcats and the Lemon Bay Manta Rays will shake off the rust and duke it out at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Estero is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 32.3 points per game this season.
Estero made up a huge gap compared to their last game against Cypress Lake, but they still couldn't quite topple them. The Wildcats fell just short of the Panthers by a score of 25-23 last Friday. Despite 171 more yards than the Panthers, the Wildcats couldn't convert that extra yardage to scores.
Townson Green
| 09/26/25 @ Cypress Lake | 92 |
| 08/29/25 vs Aubrey Rogers | 55 |
| 09/05/25 vs East Lee County | 27 |
| 09/12/25 @ Barron Collier | 15 |
Despite their loss, Estero saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Maddox Stewart, who threw for 262 yards and one touchdown, and also rushed for 36 yards and one TD, was perhaps the best of all. The Wildcats also got a significant boost from Townson Green, who ran away from the competition to the tune of 92 yards.
Even if they lost, Estero's defense still kept up the pressure with 7.5 sacks. The heavy lifting was done by Jack Shank and William Leach, who racked up five sacks between them.
Meanwhile, the third road game was the charm for Lemon Bay, as they earned their first away victory of the season. They took their contest two weeks ago with ease, bagging a 51-14 win over Island Coast. The Manta Rays' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Estero better keep an eye on Carlos Serrano. He was instrumental in Lemon Bay's win, rushing for 120 yards and four scores on only six carries. The team also got some help courtesy of Drew Moormann, who rushed for 96 yards on only eight carries.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Lemon Bay was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 431 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since the start of last season.
Estero's defeat dropped their record down to 3-3. As for Lemon Bay, their victory ended a five-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 2-4.
Everything came up roses for Estero against Lemon Bay in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, as the squad secured a 39-12 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Wildcats since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
