MIA Searching for Identity

Three weeks into the 2025 season, Marco Island Academy head coach Rich Costante said his squad is searching for their identity as a football team. Costante was proud of the effort his Rays put forth in a 31-20 setback at Windemere Prep, outside of Orlando, Saturday afternoon.

“We played a good first half,” Costante said, “We had the lead going into the break and made some nice defensive stops. The second half, we lost a little focus and made some errors.”

Quarterback Carter Good had another solid performance for the Rays, connecting on 18 of 35 passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns.

“Carter Good played a very good game for us,” Costante said. “He made some great throws under pressure. This is two weeks in a row he helped carry the team. He has grown into a very good quarterback and the sky is the limit for him. If he keeps growing as a quarterback, he may finish his career as the best in MIA history.”

Axton Middlebrook led the Rays on the ground with 12 carries for 40 yards. Ryan Winterick was the leading receiver with six receptions for 44 yards. Hutch Hamilton led the Rays defensively with nine tackles and an interception.

Though the Rays fell off a bit in the second half, they battled to the end.

“The kids fought hard,” Costante said of the second half. “We scored toward the end of the fourth quarter, then recovered an onside kick. We showed the heart and fight of this team. We just need to come out in the second half with the same focus as we do at the start of the game.”

The Rays (1-2) will enjoy a bye week before hosting Babcock (0-3) on Friday, September 19, at 7:00 PM for their homecoming game.

“We need to regroup and refocus,” Costante said. “The team needs to find our identity. These last two weeks, we haven’t played our style of football. We have played a little too selfish. We can’t succeed if we play selfish. We need all 11 guys going in the same direction. We’re excited for Homecoming in two weeks. We feel we have the chance for success against them. They have a nice team and do some good things. They will challenge us. But with our crowd and cheerleaders behind us, we’re excited for the opportunity.