Tennis

The Seahawk tennis teams are very optimistic going into 2025. Last season, the boys team went 35-9 with a 77.8 winning percentage. Led by seniors Marco Guba and Homer Gesenhues, the boys’ team looks to do some damage this time around. Guba was 4-2 in Singles and Gesenhues was 6-0. Together, Guba and Gesenhues went 5-2 for doubles. Both players along with the team have worked hard to come back even stronger than before. The boys will play against North Fort Myers High on 2/18 at 3:30 pm on Red Knight grounds.

While it wasn’t as large as the boys, the girls also saw success last season. They finished the year with a 30-22 record with a 57.7 winning percentage. The team is also being pushed forth by the senior class, led by Sophia Vianest, Elise Meyers, and Grace Bickford. Vianest recorded 1-1 on singles, Meyers went 2-0, and Bickford was 3-0. As a duo, Vianest and Meyers went 3-2. With the trio coming back in full ‘swing’, more dominance is expected. The girls will play North Fort Myers on 2/18 at 3:30 pm on home turf.

Baseball/Softball

After going 7-19 last season, the baseball team is hoping to get over the hump and find their way to success. Head Coach Michael Gorton is looking forward to his 16th year in the dugout and explained that this season looks promising. “The kids have gotten older so that helps out and a bunch of them have been working hard [in the weight room] so they’ve gotten stronger,” Gorton stated. “We also got two transfers who are also going to help the team.”

Comparing this year’s roster to last year’s, we’ll see a lot more seniors on the field than before. The squad only had five seniors last year so this year will be all about leadership. “They’ve been very promising and I hope to see a lot of effort from their training before the season,” said Gorton. “This team is senior dominant so I think we’ll be strong on and off the field.”

On the other hand, the softball team is coming off of a successful season. The girls ranked fourth in their district with a 13-9 record. Like the baseball squad, the girls will be full of leadership and older, more mature players. 

Lacrosse

The lacrosse team is looking to strike back in full force after their heartbreaking loss to Bishop Verot in the playoffs last season. The girls concluded their 2023-24 campaign with a record of 9-5, finishing third in their district. The Seahawks saw a handful of senior departures over the summer and it is time to let the young core take over. 

Head Coach Dianne Kimble stated her game plan for her young athletes this year is to just have fun. “We’ve [Kimble and assistant coach Joelle Frantz] always talked about how we want to grow the program and having new athletes and returning athletes is fantastic,” Kimble said. “It takes a while for new players to understand lacrosse, it’s very physical, so we want to have fun and encourage them to play tough and enjoy the game.”

While the rosters may not be finalized, Kimble explained that she knows that her team will be strong no matter what. “They’re a great group of girls and I never have doubt in what they do,” said Kimble. “They work hard and the younger girls learn a lot from the older girls so skill is balanced.”

The girls will host district rival Fort Myers High at home on 2/20 at 6:30 pm. Come out and support your lady seahawks’ journey to greater heights.

Wrestling

The boys’ and girls’ wrestling teams have looked strong even with the departure of long-time Head Coach Trevor Elliott. According to the team, it may be one of their most successful seasons on record. “When [the team] is fully healthy, we are one of the best teams in the area,” senior Yonatan Druckman explained. The team’s success wasn’t exactly destined to happen as a result of the squad’s multiple injuries to key players. “We’ve been dealing with some injuries that made it difficult to get team wins against tougher teams,” said Druckman.

“It gave opportunities for some of the less experienced JV players to step up and they did so very well. You got JV guys winning varsity matches and that just makes the team so much deeper and shows a promising future.”

Senior Melanie Rodriguez agreed with Druckman, stating, “The seniors have shown the younger wrestlers how to be confident within the sport. Although wrestling is more of an individual sport, the people on my team have impacted the way I wrestle by giving advice and being supportive. According to Rodriguez, this season has been a personal best. “This season is the best it’s ever been, my growth within it,” said Rodriguez. “I’ll remember for a lifetime all of the lessons my coaches have taught me that I can apply to my day-to-day life.”

Weightlifting

The girls’ weightlifting team just finished their second LCAC championship under Head Coach Anthony Foster. Out of the 15 teams who competed, the girls placed sixth overall. While it isn’t a top-three finish, Foster saw it as a win in his books. “I knew that our chances of winning were slim, we’re probably not gonna beat those teams, “Foster explained. “We were competitive so I was happy with that.”

Even though the team may not have placed high, a handful of lifters did. The highest-rated lifter, senior Desiree Gowie, was rewarded a silver medal for placing second in her weight class. Additionally, senior Emma Best tied for the bronze medal but was ultimately outbeat by a few pounds.

According to Foster, the seniors not only performed to their greatest potential, they led to their greatest potential. “They’re just good leaders out there, they led by example,” said Foster. “I tried to get my current weightlifters to talk to [underclassmen] and try to build a young team. Want some of those girls come out and train with us.” If you are interested in joining the roster for next season, talk to Coach Foster in the media center.

Basketball

Seahawk basketball have been on their game and are coming close to a team-best in record. The boys’ basketball team, as of 1/21, is 17-3 and ranks first in the district. The girls are also first in the district, reaching the top with a record of 16-6. Going into this year, both teams expected for their to be struggles with the graduation of multiple key seniors over the offseason. However, neither one of the squads have even touched on the idea whatsoever.

The boys’ team entered their first-ever winter tournament earlier this month. After losing their first game 62-46 against Southeast High, the boys went on a hot streak and won the next five games, taking home first place. “I think it’s been a great year, it’s been pretty good, to be honest,” explained Head Coach Robert Ebbert. “Considering we had low expectations going into the year, we ended up coming on top so we’re pretty happy.”

The girls entered two tournaments this season, one in which they won in a fashion. Lady Hoops mashed Mariner 40-27 in LCAC and took home the title of the superior Cape Coral girls’ basketball team. Even though Ebbert may be the boys’ basketball coach, he is still proud of the effort the girls put into showing up in clutch moments. “[The teams] wanted to kind of prove everybody wrong for not inviting us to tournaments or not having us ranked so high in the preseason,” Ebbert said. “Now that we’re ranked high, everybody who looked down on us now looks up to us in shock of how good we were.”

College Committed Athletes at Cape

So many senior athletes have committed to colleges over the past couple of months. Here are the most notable signings we have seen recently:

• Sabrina Lara: Northern Kentucky University, D1 Swimming
• Alexa Ferro: William Peace University, D3 Swimming
• Darrion Jones: University of Kansas: D1 Football
• Brooke Pabst: Maryville University: D3 Bowling

Congratulations to all of our senior athletes who have worked so hard throughout their high school careers. The Seahawks Eye wishes you all the best in your future endeavors!