Naples football boasts stacked running back room

Writer: Sylvie Sparks
Published: Updated:

The Naples High School running back room is stacked with talent, with head coach Rick Martin being the standout figure among the group.

“Oh man, I’m excited about that,” Martin said.

The group is led by the school’s second all-time rushing leader, 2013 grad Manny Morgan.

“First of all, Coach Morgan is one of the best running back coaches and one of the best players in Collier County history,” Martin said. He’s going to do a great job getting those guys going. I’m excited to watch it.”

Right behind Morgan on the school’s single-season leaderboard is senior Shawn Simeon.

The Toledo commit led southwest Florida with over 2,000 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns last year.

Including a record-setting seven-score and a nearly 400-yard night that helped the Golden Eagles down Port Charlotte in the playoffs.

“My coach told me big-time players make big-time plays in big-time situations, so I just executed on that,” Simeon said after the November game.

This season, he’s joined by Collier County’s second-leading rusher from 2023, Trayvon Jean, who transferred to Naples from Golden Gate.

Jean has racked up almost 1,700 yards last season, leading the Titans to their first district championship.

“We’re fortunate to have him. I know he came over here, and he’s been excited and working hard, so it’s going to be interesting to see how he fits in,” Martin said.

Those guys only headline the Golden Eagles’ run game.

“Caleb Dume is a senior; he’s been working his tail off for four years; Jamar Jerome is an up-and-coming junior, and Roberly Gamboa is a sophomore,” Martin said. We have a lot of names in that running back room, so I’m just excited to watch all those guys do their thing.”

They’ll start doing their thing on Aug. 16, when the Golden Eagles visit the Gulf Coast Sharks for a preseason matchup.

Naples’ first home game is week one against Riverview Sarasota on Aug. 23.

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