Games to Watch in Week 9 in Southwest Florida

Teams in Collier, Lee and Charlotte counties continue to return to the field following Hurricane Ian. The final few teams who have yet to play are returning to action this week.

A handful of district matchups will be played this week, while one local power hosts a Top 5 team in the state.

Here are the best Games to Watch in Southwest Florida in Week 9 of the high school football season:

Game of the Week

Plantation-American Heritage (7-1) at Naples (6-1): This game will be loaded with Power Five recruits, highlighted by American Heritage receiver Brandon Inniss (Ohio State). But the Patriots have another top recruit headed to Ohio State -- running back Mark Fletcher, who has 964 rushing yards.

Naples rushes for 335 yards a game behind Kendrick Raphael (1,069 yards, 13 TDs) and Isaiah Augustave (724, 8). Raphael recently decommitted from Iowa, while Augustave is committed to Arkansas.

American Heritage is ranked No. 3 in SBLive's statewide poll, while Naples is No. 21. The Patriots' only loss is to No. 1 Chaminade-Madona, while Naples' only loss is to No. 11 Venice.

Gateway (1-4) at Estero (6-0): Believe it or not, Estero has the best record and the longest winning streak in all of Southwest Florida. The Wildcats have won 11 straight regular season games. If they can take care of business against Gateway, it will set up a Class 2S-District 16 championship game against Bishop Verot next week.

Ida Baker (3-1) at Riverdale (3-1): Both these teams return to action for the first time since Sept. 23, and they jump right into a big district battle. This is the first Class 4S-District 15 game for both programs, so the winner will have a chance at claiming the title in the four-team district (also including Lehigh and Charlotte).

North Fort Myers (3-1) at Mariner (3-2): This promises to be an emotional game. North Fort Myers and Cape Coral, where Mariner is located, took the hardest hit from the Category 4 hurricane that blew through Southwest Florida on Sept. 28. This is the first game since the storm for both teams, and it's also a Class 3S-District 14 game.

Lely (3-4) at Barron Collier (5-1): These are two of the three oldest schools in Naples, so the rivalry goes back decades. It's also a Class 3S-District 16 game. Neither team can win the district title since they both lost to Naples High, but they can bolster their case for a wildcard playoff berth with a win.

Bishop Verot (4-2) at Cardinal Mooney (1-5): This might not be a close game this year, but it's a big rivalry among area Catholic schools. Verot and Mooney are two of three high school football teams in the Diocese of Venice. The Vikings returned to the field last week and rolled up 553 yards in a 67-0 district win over Gateway.

Evangelical Christian (5-0) at Canterbury (5-0): Only three teams remain undefeated in Southwest Florida, and these are two of them. Evangelical Christian has won its past three games by a combined score of 101-0. The Sentinels have only allowed two touchdowns all season. Canterbury, an FHSAA independent, has outscored opponents 171-27.

Cape Coral (2-2) at Island Coast (2-2): Both schools are located in Cape Coral, which was flattened by Hurricane Ian. Both have been off for four weeks since the storm. However, they can still salvage their seasons with a win in this Class 3S-District 14 opener for both. The district has only four teams (North Fort Myers and Mariner are the others), so a win is a big step toward a title.

Other Games:

Bonita Springs at Golden Gate

Charlotte at Pahokee

Cypress Lake at South Fort Myers

East Lee at Dunbar

Gateway Charter at Community School

Gulf Coast at Moore Haven (Thurs)

Lemon Bay at First Baptist

Palmetto Ridge at Fort Myers

Southwest Florida Christian at St. John Neumann