North girls soccer beats Mariner for third straight state semifinal berth

For the 12th time in the past four seasons, the North Fort Myers and Mariner girls soccer teams faced off in yet another 80-minute battle, this time with the Class 5A-Region 3 championship on the line. At stake for the Red Knights, a third consecutive state semifinal berth, something no sports program had ever accomplished in North’s history. For the Tritons, a chance for their stellar senior class to return to states for the first time since they reached the final as freshmen in 2023. Thanks to a shutdown effort by its defense and a second-half rocket off the foot of sophomore Jaelyn Hoefer, the Red Knights survived and...