Overcoming a sluggish start in which the Seahawks turned the ball over three times and committed numerous penalties, Cape Coral erupted for a 44-14 District 4A-12 victory Friday night over Gulf Coast Sharks at Dave Warkentin Field.

The win clinches a playoff berth for the Seahawks (6-1, 2-0) with the only remaining district game at winless Ida Baker on Nov. 5

Quarterback Bryan Greenwell and the Seahawks passing attack was on full display from start to finish. The senior quarterback threw for 406 yards and four touchdowns to help Cape get through a rough start.

Greenwell had to shake off a rough start of his own, his second pass of the game was intercepted as the two teams traded turnovers on three of the first four possessions.

Gulf Coast finally got the scoring started by turning a Cape fumble into seven points with a heavy rushing attack on a 13-play drive.

The Seahawks finally turned their game on and answered with a touchdown of their own. Greenwell completed three passes on the drive and Josh Monteagudo scored on a 10-yard run to cap the Seahawks first scoring drive. Cape converted their first two-point attempt and went up 8-7 and never lost the lead again.

The Sharks punted on their next drive and Greenwell wasted no time. He threw a 65-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the drive to Jovan Ojeda and Cape converted a two-point conversion again to go up 16-7.

The Sharks answered with their own long touchdown. Sebastian Zuluaga ran 61 yards for the score putting his team right back in it early in the second quarter.

Cape fumbled its next possession, but the defense, led by standout linebacker Edsel Caprice, preserved the lead by forcing a three-and-out.

Greenwell had another chance late in the half to put more points on the board, but was picked off for the second time.

The Sharks were in position for a field goal attempt, but Caprice led the defensive charge again with a half-ending sack to send the Seahawks to halftime leading 16-14.

Greenwell came out blazing in the second half. He led an 80-yard drive that was capped by his second TD pass, again to Ojeda, followed by the third two-point conversion for a 24-14 lead. All the momentum had swung to the Seahawks, and they never looked back.

Greenwell was just getting started through the air as he went 4-of-5 for 78 yards on his next drive, and his third TD pass of the game, on a 75-yard strike to Ojeda.

After forcing a Gulf Coast punt, Greenwell looked deep once again, and found Prince Holloway on an 85-yard TD play.

Holloway was the main focus of Cape’s final scoring drive in the fourth quarter. He caught two more for 35 yards and J.D. Irons put the exclamation point on the game for the Seahawks by punching in a one-yard run, putting Cape up 44-14.

Greenwell finished his big night with 406 yards passing on 17-of-25 with four TDs and two interceptions. After two first-half interceptions, he finished with one of the best games of his career.

Ojeda and Holloway finished with 175-plus yards and two touchdowns each.

Cape needed a game like this after a tough loss to Island Coast.

Gulf Coast 7 7 0 0 – 14

Cape Coral 8 8 21 7 – 44

First Quarter

GC – Sebastian Zuluaga 2 run (Acuna kick)

Cape – Pevin Lewis 10 run (Monteagudo run)

Second Quarter

Cape – Jovan Ojeda, 65 pass from Bryan Greenwell (Monteagudo run)

GC – Zuluga 61 run (Acuna kick)

Third Quarter

Cape – Ojeda 12 pass from Greenwell (Jiles pass)

Cape – Ojeda 75 pass from Greenwell (run fails)

Cape – Prince Holloway 85 pass from Greenwell (Ramirez kick)

Fourth Quarter

Cape – J.D. Irons 1 run (Ramirez kick)