At Staver Field there is a constant reminder of the standards and expectations for Naples football. Surrounding the scoreboard are signs that are almost overflowing with dates commemorating the years that the Golden Eagles won championships. Listed out are district, regional and state titles. The past Naples teams have set the bar quite high for the current squad. However, this year's team is proving that no bar is too high for them.
“It feels great," Naples safety Andre Ferdinand said. "It feels honestly surreal.”
Practicing in the month of December is a surreal feeling for the Golden Eagles. They are the only Southwest Florida team still on the gridiron.
Last week, Naples exacted its revenge against top-seeded Port Charlotte in the regional finals.
“Our team worked really hard for this," Naples defensive back Tariq Arbyummi said. "I was really glad when we beat Port Charlotte. You could see the emotion all over the field. We were all really hyped.”
With the win, the Golden Eagles earned a ticket to the state semifinals. This is the first time since 2018 they have made it to the Final Four. However, Naples is no newbie to the fourth round. This will be the school's 12th appearance in the second to last game.
“We have a culture; we have a standard that’s been set for many, many years around here," Naples head coach Rick Martin said. "So we’ve always known this is something that we could get to and something we wanted to get to.”
Getting to the semifinals isn't their only goal. The Golden Eagles want to win the whole thing. Naples has made it to the state championship game three times out of 11 semifinal appearances. It has won the state title twice in its three tries.
“It would mean everything to me," Ferdinand said. "I’ve always wanted to go to states. I can’t even wrap my head around it.”
To make it to the state championship, Naples will have to rely on its stellar defense. The Golden Eagles have one of the top defensive units not only in Southwest Florida, but the entire state. They are allowing just 9.6 points per game and have already pitched two shutouts in their three playoff games this year.
“It’s our coaches just putting us in the right position to make the plays and our trust in each other," Ferdinand said. "When you have trust in your teammates, that’s all you really need to win a game.”
That trust and lockdown defense will be challenged Friday night. Third-seeded Naples will take on second-seeded and undefeated Jones in Orlando. The Fightin' Tigers are 13-0 and have a plethora of offensive weapons the Golden Eagles will need to worry about.
“It’s been challenging all week," Martin said. "We know what we’re up against. We know they’ve got some dudes. You have to play smart defense, you have to be physical, and you have to wrap up and tackle.”
If the Golden Eagles can do those things Friday, which they have done all season long, they could punch their ticket to the state championship game.
Naples squares off with Jones on Friday at 7:30 p.m. NBC2 will have live coverage of the Golden Eagles from Orlando beginning at 5 p.m.