YUNET HOLMES Island Coast junior Nelson Candelario fakes a handoff to Louis King (23) Friday night against Mariner. More photos are available online at: cu.cape-coral-daily-breeze.com.

Both the Island Coast Gators and Mariner Tritons found themselves in all-too-familiar positions Friday night.

Though each team competed hard, as they tried to turn around their recent struggles, it was the multitude of turnovers that left the game hanging in the balance. The final bounce of the ball went the Gators’ way.

As the Tritons were driving for the potential tying or go-ahead score with less than two minutes remaining, a botched snap was gathered by Island Coast’s Kevin Sprague, preserving a 17-14 win for the Gators.

The Gators took the lead with 2:25 left when Kyle Fitzgerald connected on a 26-yard field goal.

“We went all out the whole game,” said Island Coast junior Aaron Lynch, who called this the biggest win in the Gators’ history. “We were nervous and scared, but we did what we had to do to win the game.”

The Gators (2-3) nearly squandered a second-half lead for the second straight game. They led Clewiston 28-19 in the fourth quarter in last Friday’s District 2B-6 opener, before the Tigers rallied for the win.

The Gators made their share of mistakes Friday, which helped the Tritons rally from a 14-0 halftime deficit. The Gators fumbled at their own 27, setting up the first Tritons score in the third quarter and a shanked punt led to the tying score.

“This reminded me a lot of Clewiston last week,” Gators coach Joe Bowen said. “We shot ourselves in the foot. I thought we were heading down the same path.”

The desperate teams were also short-handed and needed to call on different players to step into key roles. Mariner played without Ole Miss recruit Eric Mitchell, who was hampered by a shin injury, and Island Coast lost sophomore quarterback Mike Dumas to a shoulder injury early in the game.

Nelson Candelario stepped into the quarterback spot for the Gators.

The Tritons (0-5) shook up their offense, opting to start sophomore JT Etnoyer at quarterback in favor of senior Gabby Rojas. Rojas moved to wing back.

The Tritons’ offense failed to produce any scoring in the first half. The Gators took a 6-0 lead after the opening quarter on a pair of field goals, and added a 38-yard fumble return by Lynch. Bryan Bosworth scored on a two-point conversion making it 14-0.

In the third quarter, the Tritons began to establish the run courtesy of brothers Mario and Nick Perone. They had one promising drive early in the third before a fumble turned it over inside the Gators’ 10.

After the Gators fumbled at their own 27, the Tritons got on the board when Etnoyer threw a six-yard touchdown pass to Rojas.

The Tritons tied the game with 7:41 left in the fourth. Island Coast had a short punt that set the Tritons up at the Gators’ 40, and a few plays later, Mario Perone darted through the secondary for a 35-yard TD run. Rojas added a two-point conversion run.

“I have to commend him,” Mariner coach Chad O’Brien said of the way Rojas handled the position switch. “He didn’t complain. He didn’t gripe.”

With the score tied 14-14, the Gators got a spark when Brian Boehm returned the kickoff across midfield. A 42-yard run by Louis King advanced the ball to the Mariner 5-yard line with 6:30 remaining.

The Gators fumbled which led to a recovery by Mariner’s David Tyrrell, but on the ensuing play, the Tritons lost the ball and Island Coast’s Willie Fleming recovered. That led to the go-ahead field goal.

Mariner 0 0 6 8 – 14

Island Coast 6 8 0 3 – 17

First Quarter

IC – FG, Kyle Fitzgerald 27

IC – FG, Fitzgerald 37

Second Quarter

IC – Aaron Lynch 38 fumble return (Bryan Bosworth run)

Third Quarter

M – Gabby Rojas 6 pass from JT Etnoyer (kick failed)

Fourth Quarter

M – Mario Perone 35 run (Rojas run)

IC – FG, Fitzgerald 26