Since the advent of the Florida High School Athletic Association’s state football series in 1963, 349 teams have been crowned state champions.
Only four, or 1.1%, have been from Southwest Florida. And all four of those – Naples (2001, 2007), Immokalee (2004), and First Baptist (2022) – are from Collier County.
In the history of the FHSAA Football Finals, only 11 area teams, or 3.1%, have ever reached a state title game. Lee and Hendry are two of the 17 Florida counties with zero FHSAA state football championships.
Here’s a look at each of the 11 high school football teams across Southwest Florida who played for a state title.
2022 First Baptist football state champions
FBA’s Billy Sparacio talks about 2022 state championship football team
Former First Baptist football coach and program founder Billy Sparacio talks about the Lions’ 2022 Class 1S state championship team.
The Lions are the most recent Southwest Florida football team to raise a state championship trophy, capturing the Class 1S crown behind a dominating defensive effort.
After reaching the state semifinals for the third time in the program’s history in 2021, First Baptist was determined to get over the hump in 2022. The Lions (10-2) roared through the regular season, losing only a pair of close road games at Ohio power Chardon and at Pahokee.
First Baptist swept through the first three rounds of the 1S playoffs, outscoring its opponents by a combined score of 119-37, setting up a championship game showdown with Ocala Trinity Catholic.
The Celtics, who had dominated opponents behind a massive offensive line, grabbed an early 3-0 lead. But the Lions’ undersized defense controlled the rest of the game, shutting down Trinity Catholic’s running game and holding the Celtics scoreless for the final three quarters. Quarterback Ethan Crossan tossed three touchdown passes to lead First Baptist to a 21-3 victory.
“That group of kids, we were very, very blessed to be able to stay healthy,” said former First Baptist coach Billy Sparacio, who stepped away from the program he founded following the 2024 season. “There are so many things that go into winning it all … A lot of things just fell in place. They were super hungry and made it happen.”
2007 Naples football state champions
Naples football coach Bill Kramer says 2007 state title team best
Former Naples High football coach Bill Kramer recalls the qualities of the 2007 undefeated state championship team.
This edition of the Golden Eagles captured the second state championship for the program in six years but accomplished something no other Southwest Florida football team has been able to match: a perfect season.
With 31 seniors, Naples (15-0) was an experienced and driven team in 2007, eager to bounce back after being bounced in the regional finals by eventual state champion Glades Central the previous season.
Despite being a bit undersized at all levels, the Golden Eagles played with an aggressive edge, especially on defense. Naples allowed just 52 total points during a 10-0 regular season, posting four shutouts. In the playoffs, the Golden Eagles overcame a spate of injuries, including the loss of starting quarterback Craig Wingate in a physical 17-5 regional semifinal win over Immokalee. Reserve quarterback Juno Prudhomm came off the bench and won his first two varsity starts, a 27-24 nailbiter over Glades Central and a 28-21 victory at Cocoa to put the Golden Eagles in their third state title game in seven years.
Wingate returned for the Class 3A state championship game against St. Augustine but it was the Naples defense that again led the way, intercepting Yellow Jackets quarterback Kawaun Jakes three times and getting three sacks and a safety from defensive tackle Chris Zahn in a 17-10 win.
“That wasn’t our most talented team in terms of individual players,” said former Golden Eagles head coach Bill Kramer, whose teams went 216-51 in his 22 seasons at Naples. “But it certainly was our best team because of what they did and accomplished together.”
2004 Immokalee football state champions
Many observers expected the Indians, who reached the state semifinals in 2003, to take a step back after losing some standouts to graduation. It looked like they were correct after John Weber’s squad got off to a 1-2 start with lopsided losses to Collier rivals Naples (36-15) and Barron Collier (45-28).
But Immokalee (11-2) wouldn’t lose again, powered by a defense that allowed just 66 points the rest of the season. The Indians strung together three consecutive shutouts to open the Class 2A state playoffs, including a 21-0 blanking of defending champion Chaminade-Madonna at Gary Bates Stadium that propelled Immokalee into the title game.
Awaiting the Indians was an unbeaten Madison County team, the No. 1 team in Class 2A, and a top-20 ranked team nationally. The Cowboys, who were the 2A state runner-up in 2003, were the prohibitive favorites. However, Immokalee jumped out to a 14-0 lead on a touchdown pass from Phillip Perez to Wiselet Rouzard and a Tertus Clement score.
Madison County scored the next 15 points, grabbing the lead on a 22-yard field goal with just over 8:37 remaining. But Indians kicker Moise Santil, a recruit from the school’s soccer team who never played organized football prior to 2004, drilled a 42-yard field goal, his second of the season, with just over three minutes left to secure the championship.
“Did I think he was going to make it? In my head, I knew he had the leg to do it,” Weber said. “I thought this was the best opportunity we had to take the lead because if we punted, I didn’t know if we’d get the ball back. Everything clicked. The snap was good, the hold was good and the kick, he cleared it by plenty and it was down the middle. Once in a lifetime.”
2001 Naples football state champions
Bill Kramer arrived at Naples High School in 1998 armed with a five-year plan for winning a state championship. His Golden Eagles only needed four to win the first state football title ever for a Southwest Florida school.
“It’s a big deal to be that first team to ever do it,” Kramer said. “There’ve been a lot of great teams in Southwest Florida. And the ’01 team, man, against all odds, to everyone else, it was unbelievable.”
Naples football coach Bill Kramer on 2001 title team being trailblazers
Naples High’s Bill Kramer recalls how the 2001 Golden Eagles being the first Southwest Florida football team to win a state titlw still resonates.
But not to the Golden Eagles (12-2), which featured 17 senior starters, the first group to play all four years under Kramer and his coaching staff.
Led by running back Duane Coleman, who rushed for a state-leading 2,814 yards and scored 40 touchdowns, Naples averaged a shade under 44 points per game. The Golden Eagles, who had won just four state playoff games in the program’s history, streamrolled through the first four rounds of the 2001 postseason, winning by an average of nearly four touchdowns per game.
Naples’ first title team set the bar
In the Class 5A state title game against Tampa Chamberlain, Naples built a 21-3 lead at halftime on the strength of touchdown runs by Coleman and quarterback Josh Greco and a 46-yard scoring pass from Greco to tight end Joe Wise.
But Chamberlain held the Golden Eagles scoreless over the final two quarters and pulled with 21-17 on a touchdown run early in the fourth. With its offense sputtering, the Naples defense delivered when it mattered most, picking up a key sack to end the Chiefs’ final scoring threat and secure the championship.
Southwest Florida Football State Runners-up
2012 Immokalee football state runner-up
The talent-laden Indians’ hopes for the program’s second state football championship got off to a shaky start as the team split its first four games. The setbacks included a 55-29 loss to rival Naples, which saw an Immokalee coach and two players enter the stands due to harassment from a trio of belligerent Indians fans.
Immokalee (11-4) rallied to win five of their final six games and enter the Class 5A state playoffs as a district champion. Following wins over Estero and East Lee County, the Indians avenged a regular-season loss to Lake Wales by topping the Highlanders 38-21 to win the regional championship.
In the state semifinals against Miami Jackson at Traz Powell Stadium, Immokalee lost three first-half fumbles that short-circuited potential scoring drives and allowed the Generals to stay in the game. But Mackenro Alexander’s third-quarter interception return touchdown energized the Indians, who also got 112 rushing yards and three scores by D’Ernest Johnson in the 29-21 victory.
At the 5A title game in Orlando against Tallahassee Godby, Immokalee again proved mistake-prone, committing four turnovers and a number of costly penalties. However, the Indians rallied from a 21-7 fourth-quarter deficit and pulled within 21-20 with no time left on the clock on quarterback T’Shumbi Johnson’s 2-yard touchdown pass to Xavier Richardson. The Indians opted to attempt the extra point to send the game to overtime but a poor snap led to Godby intercepting Johnson’s desperation heave to secure the championship for Godby.
2003 Naples football state runner-up
Shooting for their second state championship in three seasons, the Golden Eagles (13-2) rebounded from an early-season loss to Immokalee and rode a 12-game winning streak into the Class 5A state championship game.
Naples’ triple-option attack featured a pair of 1,000-plus yard rushers in Jamelle Eugene and Jermain Washington. Defensively, the Golden Eagles posted five regular-season shutouts, holding opponents to a paltry 9.1 points per game.
After opening the playoffs with a hard-fought 19-14 win over Bradenton Manatee, Naples blasted Tarpon Springs East Lake, 47-3. In the regional final at Venice, the Golden Eagles got a superb defensive effort to gut out a 7-0 win. Quarterback Danny Dunford accounted for the game’s only score with a fourth-quarter touchdown run.
Naples blasted visiting Miami Edison 41-0 in the state semifinals at Staver Field to set up a championship showdown with Daytona Beach Mainland. The Golden Eagles fell behind 14-0 but pulled within 14-13 on Tyler Walker’s 34-yard field goal in the third quarter. However, with Dunford limited because of an injured shoulder, Naples saw two late drives end on downs deep inside Mainland territory. The Buccaneers pulled away for a 24-13 victory.
1998 Estero football state runner-up
The Wildcats (13-2) put together one of the most improbable playoff runs to become the first Lee County public school to reach a state football championship game.
Estero opened the season 9-0 only to lose its regular-season finale to Fort Myers, setting up a three-team district tiebreaker with the Green Wave and Lely. The Wildcats defeated Lely in the one-quarter tiebreaker but fell short against Fort Myers again to enter the state playoffs as a runner-up.
Forced to play every postseason game on the road, Estero embarked on a month-long dream march to the Class 5A state title game. First came a 19-18 win at Stuart South Fork, which saw the Wildcats commit six turnovers but still managed to erase an 18-10 second-half deficit and win on senior kicker Wes Virgilio’s 29-yard field goal with just over 30 seconds left to play. It was the first playoff win in the program’s 12-year history.
Estero survived another nailbiter the following week, topping South Plantation, 20-19. The Wildcats took a 20-13 lead on a Travis Taylor touchdown run with just over 5 minutes remaining. The Paladins returned the ensuing kickoff 98 yards for a score, but Estero’s Tom Rahill blocked the extra point. The Wildcats’ offense ran out the clock with a 10-play drive.
After a stress-free 34-10 victory at Charlotte, Estero traveled to 13-0 Lakeland to take on the No. 1-ranked Dreadnaughts. The Wildcats trailed 14-0 at the half but pulled within 14-12 entering the fourth quarter. After Lakeland missed a late field goal, Estero drove the ball 69 yards in 2:12, setting up a 28-yard field goal attempt with 1 second left. Virgilio nailed his second game-winning kick of the postseason to give the Wildcats the 15-14 upset and a berth in the 5A championship game.
Unfortunately, Estero’s second-half magic ran out the next week against Kissimmee Osceola. The Wildcats allowed more than 330 rushing yards and lost two fourth-quarter fumbles as the Kowboys earned a 28-14 victory.
1995 LaBelle football state runner-up
With 24 seniors returning from the 1994 team that fell to Bishop Verot in the Class 3A state semifinals, the Cowboys entered the 1995 season on a mission. LaBelle rolled through an unbeaten regular season, outscoring its 10 opponents 317-61. That included a 17-7 victory over Bishop Verot that sewed up a district championship and automatic playoff berth for LaBelle.
The Cowboys opened the postseason with wins over Umatilla (31-0) and Pahokee (38-27), setting up a state semifinal showdown with Tampa Catholic, led by future University of Miami quarterback and Major League Baseball outfielder Kenny Kelly. But LaBelle was able to jump out to a 23-0 lead behind two rushing touchdowns and one passing score by quarterback Brandon Rimes. Kelly, who passed for 347 yards and three touchdowns, helped lead the Crusaders back but the Cowboys managed to escape with a 37-35 victory to move on to the Class 2A state championship game.
Facing Lake Butler Union County, LaBelle committed five turnovers and allowed 232 rushing yards in a 21-3 loss, denying the Cowboys the state title.
1994 Bishop Verot football state runner-up
The Vikings (10-4) qualified for the Class 3A playoffs as a runner-up after going 1-1 in a three-way district tiebreaker, defeating Boca Raton Pope John Paul II and losing to LaBelle.
From that point, they were road warriors, winning 20-10 at Miami Ransom Everglades and 22-6 at Frostproof to set up a rematch with LaBelle in the regional final. Bishop Verot dominated the Cowboys, who were ranked No. 1 in 3A, winning 30-6 to advance to the state championship game, their second appearance in four seasons. The Vikings defense clamped down on LaBelle running back Mark Lynch, who entered the game as the state’s third-leading rusher with 1,833 yards but managed just 21 yards on 18 carries.
Bishop Verot’s quest for Lee County’s first state football title came up short as the Vikings committed three turnovers and mustered just 151 total yards in a 21-0 loss to Lake Butler Union County.
1990 Bishop Verot football state runner-up
The Vikings (11-2) became the first Lee County football team to play for a state championship. Ranked No. 1 in Class 2A, Bishop Verot swept through its district and opened the playoffs with a dominating 30-7 victory over Fort Lauderdale Pine Crest.
The next week, the Vikings pulled off a thrilling 34-33 win against visiting Frostproof in four overtimes to advance to the championship game. Star running back Dwayne Thomas rushed for 226 yards and two touchdowns, including the decisive score in the fourth overtime with Bishop Verot trailing by six points. Kicker John Beaulieu, who also made a pair of field goals in the game, nailed the extra point to deliver the win.
In the 2A title game, Bishop Verot built a 14-0 lead only to see Jacksonville Bolles score 17 unanswered points, including the go-ahead touchdown with less than two minutes remaining, to deny the Vikings the championship. The 3-point loss is the closest any Lee football team has ever come to claiming a state title.
1987 Lely football state runner-up
The Trojans (9-3) became the first Southwest Florida football program to reach an FHSAA state championship game, thanks to a pair of thrilling state playoff wins, the first two in the school’s history.
In its postseason opener, Lely escaped with a 26-20 double-tiebreaker victory at Glades Central. The Trojans scored the game-tying touchdown with 12 seconds left in regulation on 13-yard touchdown pass from Bennie Pugh to Brad Lundstrom on fourth down. Lely won it in the second tiebreaker by blocking a Raiders’ field goal attempt and then getting a 10-yard touchdown run by Merv Miller.
The next week, Lely upset unbeaten Cocoa, the No. 1 ranked team in Class 3A, 7-6 at Trojans Stadium. Pugh scored the only touchdown for Lely on a 2-yard run in the third quarter to cap a nearly nine-minute drive. Meanwhile, the Trojans’ defense held the Tigers scoreless in the second half to advance to the state championship game against Live Oak Suwanee.
That’s where Lely’s magic ran out. Despite hosting the title game at Trojans Stadium before a partisan crowd of more than 5,000, Lely turned the ball over four times and allowed more than 450 yards of offense in a lopsided 35-7 defeat.
“These kids certainly did a lot of things not many people thought they could do,” Trojans coach Merv Ward said after the state title game. “They even did things we as coaches thought they couldn’t. They certainly have nothing to be ashamed of.”
