Mariner flag beats Fort Myers 7-0 to win Class 3A-District 11 title

Coverage of Southwest Florida flag football district championships on Wednesday, April 22 and Thursday, April 23.

Class 3A-District 11

Mariner 7, Fort Myers 0

Tony McKenna Field was awfully quiet for much of Wednesday's district title game between Mariner and Fort Myers.

Then, Kelsi Longabardi's punt return changed that.

Longabardi took a lateral from Gabby Silva and raced 70 yards to paydirt, which ultimately turned out to be the game-winning play at the 3:03 mark of the third quarter to give the Tritons their first district title in program history, 7-0.

Members of the Mariner High School flag football team team celebrate a 7-0 win over Fort Myers during the District 3A-11 championship for flag football at Mariner on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.

"We looked at where the defense was coming to rush us," Longabardi said. "I honestly didn't think Gabby was going to give it to me, because she wasn't even looking at me. It was a perfect pitch back to me, and I just saw green grass.

"We definitely needed that, because we were struggling a big in the beginning, but that definitely gave us a little push, and we just kept on going."

Members of the Mariner High School flag football team team celebrate a 7-0 win over Fort Myers during the District 3A-11 championship for flag football at Mariner on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.

Offense was hard to come by for both teams early, with the Tritons and Greenies punting frequently. Fort Myers connected on some small plays here and there but never sustained anything with Mariner's pass rush getting home with Maya Wilson. Fort Myers used Skye Douglas and her athleticism at quarterback, making for a fun challenge for the Mariner defense.

After seeming content with the one touchdown lead, Mariner largely bled the clock and ran a variety of run concepts at Fort Myers. The Tritons (9-5) were pushed to their heels late, dealing with Douglas and her legs, which ultimately put Fort Myers in position to tie the game late after an 18-yard scamper.

Skye Douglas, #23, of the Fort Myers High School flag football team runs for yards during game against Mariner High School in the District 3A-11 championship for flag football at Mariner on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.

On the final play from scrimmage at Mariner's 2-yard line, Wilson got to Douglas rolling right, forcing an incompletion with the clock expiring.

"The girls really tried hard the whole season," Mariner coach Kacie Zorbas said. "A lot of them are coming off basketball, soccer, hard endings in those sports. So to give them something like this, come out and win, it makes it all better."

Kelsi Longabardi #11, of the Mariner High School flag football team runs for yards during a 7-0 win over Fort Myers during the District 3A-11 championship for flag football at Mariner on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.

Mariner will all but surely be the No. 8 seed, heading to East Bay should the Indians win their district title contest against Tampa Bay Tech. Fort Myers saw their season end, needing a win to make the postseason.

"We're gonna enjoy this one," Longabardi said. "We're gonna practice our plays, add a few different plays, and just work hard on everything."

— Alex Martin

Still to come...

Class 2A-District 13

Bishop Verot (13-0) at Bonita Springs (17-0): Two of the eight remaining unbeatens in the state will square off for the 2A-13 title.

Class 3A-District 12

Riverdale (7-3) at Gateway Charter (10-2): The Griffins will look to hoist a district trophy for the first time in program history, while the Raiders are aiming to repeat.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: SWFL Flag Football results in Fort Myers, Naples, Cape Coral area