Friday, November 6, 2026
Lely’s Jayce Cora flies in for a dunk.
Gage Rice is a spark plug for the Lely basketball team. Here he drives against local power First Baptist Academy.
Lely volleyball players celebrate during their match with Marco Island Academy.
Lely swimmer Caelan Burt, with longtime coach Kamal Farhat, finished second in the state in the 50 freestyle and third in the 100 freestyle. She is currently swimming for Texas Christian University.
Junior Ty Collins was a do-it-all-type for the Trojans. He had 1189 yards rushing, 211 yards receiving, and 17 touchdowns. He was also a leader on defense.
Senior linebacker Franey Hygene will be missed next season.
Senior receiver Gage Rice was flying high after scoring a touchdown. Rice had 685 receiving yards and nine touchdown catches.
School counselor Beth Colman consoles sophomore running back Nino Joseph after he injured his shoulder against Naples.
Quarterback Carter Quinn had an outstanding junior season, throwing for 2500 and rushing for 257. He threw 26 touchdown passes with only six interceptions.
Senior cheerleader Yasmin Labori.
Sophomore Nino Joseph ran for 1623 yards and 25 touchdowns before being injured in the seventh game of the season. Here he’s on his way to an 80-yard gain against Naples.
A flutist in the Lely band shows good form. She’s also a cheerleader.
Lely Head Coach Ben Hammer set a boatload of offensive records in his second year at Lely. The Trojans advanced to the regional semi-final game.
Freshman Celestina Francois blazes through the 100m hurdles.
Lely’s Jude Mathurin is flying on the high jump.
Captain Hulyessha Prudhomme races downcourt in the regional final. It was the Trojans’ first regional final since 1977.
Ukrainian refugees OleksandraRubanova and Sofiia Kiritsa led Lely to the regional final.Kiritsa was selected as Southwest Florida Player of the Year.
Maggie Poling was an integral part of Lely’s regional finalists.
Emiliano Nicasio’s outstanding play at Lely earned him a scholarship to Suny Adirondack, where he scored nine goals as a freshman.
Robbie Schank celebrated his 30th year as a head coach at Lely by winning the district title and being named Southwest Florida Coach of the Year.
The thrill of victory. Lely freshman Mario Guzman celebrates the Trojans’ district championship.
The Lely soccer team was ecstatic after clinching the district championship with a win over crosstown rival Golden Gate.
You could say 2024 was a very good year for the Lely Trojans. Highlighting the sporting scene was soccer coach Robbie Schank celebrating 30 years as coach by winning another district championship. Lely fans also enjoyed watching their girls’ basketball team reach their first regional final since 1977 behind two Ukrainian refugees who captured the hearts of Trojan Nation. Lely’s football team, behind second-year coach Ben Hammer, advanced to the regional semi-final behind an offense that scored at a dizzying pace—including a 90-point explosion against crosstown rival Barron Collier. Sophomore running back Nino Joseph was on pace to become the area’s all-time leading rusher before a shoulder injury at Naples High derailed his season.
A trio of Trojans were honored at the SW Florida Sports Awards in June. Schank, 49, a fireman/paramedic when he’s not leading his alma mater’s soccer program, was named the Jeff Sommer Memorial Coach of the Year. Schank’s team finished 13-6-5.
Sofiia Kiritsa, one of the Ukrainian refugees, was honored as the Girls Basketball Player of the Year. Kiritsa and her Ukrainian teammate at Lely, Oleksandra Rubanova, were honored as Courage Award Recipients. The Trojan girls finished 20-9.
There was never a dull moment for Lely football fans in 2024. The Trojans rewrote the record book, scoring over 40 points in nine of their 12 games. Joseph gained 1,623 yards and scored 25 touchdowns before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury early in the seventh game of the season. Junior Ty Collins picked up the slack after Joseph’s injury and ended up with 1,189 yards rushing, 211 yards receiving, and 17 touchdowns. Junior quarterback Carter Quinn threw for 2,500 yards, rushed for 257 yards, and threw 26 touchdown passes with only six interceptions. The Trojans finished 7-5 and won their first playoff game in 10 years, downing Miami Jackson 44-39.
The Lely Boys' and Girls’ track teams finished third and fourth respectively, in their district. “The boys definitely exceeded expectations,” said Jermain Washington, coach of both teams, “the girls did, too.”
Lely swimmer Caelan Burt finished second in the state in the 50 freestyle and third in the 100 freestyle. She is currently swimming for Texas Christian University.
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