When the game tightened in the fourth quarter, Port Charlotte leaned on familiar names. Sophomore RB/OLB Bruce Blanden and junior safety Kadyn Palmer — both regulars in the program’s weekly honors — delivered the sort of field-position swings and drive-saving plays that don’t always make the box score but decide one-possession games.

Palmer’s strip-sack and defensive standout performace, and Blanden’s consistent efforts earned the “Charlotte Week MVP” nod and this rivalry win shows the staff’s trust in his big-moment knack.

Naples, for its part, certainly played like a contender. Quarterback Alijah “Amo” Molina kept the Golden Eagles within striking distance, and receiver/returner James LaChance flashed with explosive touches.

LaChance's 93-yard kickoff return TD and a receiving score highlighted Naples' late surge. The tension peaked after Naples clawed back from a two-score hole in the final minutes — a sequence that included LaChance's return, an onside-kick recovery, and a Molina finish at the goal line as part of the rally — before Port Charlotte’s defense stonewalled the two-point try that would have flipped the night. Time to exhale.....lol!

However you slice it, Friday at The Cove delivered everything a late-October classic should:a beautiful fall night, veteran poise, rising-star flashes, and one defensive stand that will echo into November.