News on News About Immokalee

Immokalee's mother and educator, Maria Segura, has been honored by national retailer, Dollar General Stores, as an "Every Day Hero" for her work with her family and the children of others at the Family Literacy Council Academy of Immokalee. 

Segura, who came to Immokalee as a child, spoke only Spanish, worked in the farm fields along with her parents, found the Family Literacy Council which helped her earn a G.E.D., and is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in education while also teaching as lead pre-school instructor at the Literacy Council Academy will be featured later this month in People Magazine and on the Oxygen television cable network. 

Dollar General Stores discovered her when she was featured earlier this month in the Fort Myers News-Press' SWFL Parent & Child Magazine.  Dollar General will honor Segura with a $10,000 donation to the Family Literacy Council. 

“(Education) is my passion,” she told the News-Press. “This is my life, and I feel whole when I am in the classroom.”

Click here to read the New-Press piece about Segura. 

Click here to read and see a video of Segura at WINK-TV. 

Special from the Naples Daily News: 

The Rich Dombroski era at Immokalee High School didn’t start with Xs and Os, but rather numbers.

As soon as Immokalee hired Dombroski to be the next head football coach of the Indians, he went straight to the pulse of most teenage boys: the cellphone.

“That was the first key when I got here, ‘Here’s my cellphone number, guys. Text me. Tell me your name and what position you want to play, and we’ll get the ball rolling that way,’” said Dombroski, 43, who was hired Feb. 26 to replace Jerrod Ackley.

After a 45-minute weather delay kept everyone inside a field house, Immokalee’s first day of spring practice started Wednesday with close to 100 players in helmets and shorts at Gary Bates Stadium.

Doling out his cellphone number might seem like an insignificant move, but it is just one way Dombroski is trying to form a bond with his new players.

Read more in the Naples Daily News. 

Special from the Naples Daily News: 

Ovince St. Preux said he learned “the meaning of hard work” playing football at Immokalee High School.

The 2001 grad said he can still hear former Indians coach John Weber saying “come on, come on” urging the players to give their all.

St. Preux said he heard Weber’s voice Saturday night in his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut.

He admitted battling nerves more than his opponent, fellow former college football player Gian Villante, in a preliminary bout at UFC 159 in Newark, N.J.

“It was a little nerve-wracking at the beginning but at the end of the night I wanted to get my hand raised,” St. Preux said of reaching the pinnacle of the mixed-martial arts sport.

After 30 seconds of the third and final round, St. Preux did get his hand raised — along with a little controversy. The referee stopped the fight after Villante said he got poked in the eye by a St. Preux punch. The referee thought Villante was unable to continue and called it an unintentional foul. St. Preux (13-5) gained the victory on a scorecard decision (30-28, 30-29 and 29-29).

Villante said he could have continued fighting. St. Preux said he still would have won the fight.

“I felt like I was dominating,” St. Preux said. “I felt refreshed in the third round, especially better than the second round. I knew at the end of the day I was going to win. In the third round I was looking for knockout.”

Read more in the Naples Daily News. 

Special from the Naples Daily News: 

Immokalee’s Leonel Delacruz gave the Indians a slight lead over Dunbar by repeating as the district titlist in the 3,200 meters — the second-to-last event of the day. The Immokalee boys nailed down the team title for the second straight year when they crushed the competition in the 4x400 relay.

The Indians, led by multiple-event winners J.C. Jackson (long jump and 200), Mackensie Alexander (100 and 400) and Delacruz (1,600 and 3,200), totaled 177 points, 13 more than second-place Dunbar.

“I’m the luckiest coach here,” Indians coach John Thomas said. “To have kids take on what you’re saying and perform is special. We’re always here to compete. We try to win every event we can.”

Other Immokalee winners included Deadrin Senat in the shot put and Jummy Victorin (high jump).

Other area athletes advancing to regionals were Immokalee’s Anita Munoz (1,600 and 3,200) and Destiny Christopher (100) and the Titans’ Herrard (triple jump).

On the boys side, Immokalee’s Dudsen Senatus (200), Jevon Alberique (300 hurdles), Rafael Martinez (110 hurdles), and Senat (discus) will compete on Thursday along with Alejandro Pedraza (1,600 and 3,200), Alex Torres (high jump), Taylor Anderson (triple jump), and Matthew Octave (triple jump).

Read more in the Naples Daily News. 

Special from the Naples Daily News: 

Rich Dombroski says Immokalee is the epitome of high school football.

The small agricultural community in eastern Collier County revolves around the football team. On top of the great atmosphere, the Indians also have one of the most successful programs in Southwest Florida.

Dombroski says Immokalee is a football program any coach would want to run. The opportunity to lead the team that was the state runner-up last season is one he couldn’t pass up.

Dombroski, 43, leaves his job as Estero High’s head coach after five years to replace Jerrod Ackley in the same position at Immokalee. He was hired over the weekend, and Immokalee Principal Mary Murray announced the move Tuesday.

“When I think Immokalee football, I think of Friday Night Lights,” Dombroski said, referring to the book about a football-obsessed town in rural Texas. “The whole town shuts down for games. To me, that’s what high school football is all about.

“The kids live for football. At this point in my career, it’s a great fit. When they offered (the job) to me, I jumped at the chance.”

After turning around winless programs in his first two head coaching jobs, Dombroski inherits a very different challenge in Immokalee.

Read more in the Naples Daily News. 

Special from the Naples Daily News: 

After seven years, Collier County’s fight against Jerry and Kimberlea Blocker over the use of their Immokalee property has come to an end.

Commissioners voted 3-2 Tuesday to settle a pair of lawsuits between the county and the Blockers.

As a condition of the settlement, the county will pay the Blockers no more than $540,000 in reimbursement for costs associated with their legal fees to fight the lawsuit and code enforcement cases against them.

But one commissioner said the move was a rush to judgment because the lawsuits were headed to a civil trial.

“This is costing the Collier County taxpayers $500,000. That money should never be spent for this purpose,” said Commissioner Fred Coyle, who voted against the settlement. “We’ll never know what was going to happen because some commissioners have decided to take $500,000 of taxpayer funds and buy someone off.”

Read more in the Naples Daily News. 

It's Clemson for Mackensie, Auburn for Mackenro, Cincinnati for Tshumbi, West Virginia for Jacky and South Florida for Deadrin. 

Just as many have in generations and years past, Immokalee Indians will fill major football rosters far and wide among Division 1 universities over the next four years. 

National college signing day was even bigger in Immokalee in 2013 as it usually is as ESPNU carried live Mackensie Alexander's announcement that he become a Clemson Tiger next fall. 

"National Signing Day completed a whirlwind recruiting process for Immokalee's five stars, who began receiving attention after their sophomore years," wrote the Naples Daily News.

"Behind the future BCS players, the Indians made it to the Class 5A state finals for the second time in school history. They came up just shy of the team's second championship in a 21-20 loss to Tallahassee-Godby on a missed extra point with no time left.

"Wednesday isn't the end of recruitment for several other Immokalee seniors. Indians athletic director Tony Allen said receivers Xavier Richardson and Jummy Victorin, linebacker Joslin Alberique, and lineman Kerby Henry all are deciding between Division II offers. Richardson has a Division I offer, which Allen wouldn't name, but needs a higher test score to qualify for the NCAA's highest tier."

Read more in the Naples Daily News and watch the Daily News video.  

Special from the Naples Daily News: 

After drawing national attention during his recruitment, Immokalee High School senior Mackensie Alexander will announce his college choice on national television.

ESPNU, sports network ESPN’s channel dedicated to college sports, will feature Alexander’s announcement during its 11-hour coverage of National Signing Day. Wednesday is the first day high school seniors can sign with colleges, and Alexander is expected to choose among Auburn, Clemson, Mississippi State and Texas A&M.

Seventeen uncommitted players in the ESPN 150 list of the nation’s top recruits will announce their decisions live on ESPNU. Alexander, No. 4 on the list, is scheduled to make his announcement in the 11 a.m. hour.

UPDATE: Mackensie picks Clemson; Mackenro picks Auburn. Read more in the Naples Daily News. 

A 5-foot-11, 175-pound all-state cornerback, Mackensie Alexander is the second-highest ranked recruit who is left uncommitted. His twin brother, Mackenro Alexander, also is expected to sign with a school in a Bowl Championship Series conference, and could pick the same school as Mackensie.

Read more, see video at the Naples Daily News. 

Special from the Naples Daily News: 

Immokalee’s run to the state finals this season marked the most successful season of Jerrod Ackley’s eight years as a head football coach.

With a spate of off-field issues and a clash with belligerent group of fans in the football-obsessed town, this season also was Ackley’s most difficult.

After three years as an outsider trying to fit into the small Immokalee community, Ackley is done. The 40-year-old coach gave his letter of resignation to Immokalee High School Principal Mary Murray on Monday.

“It became obvious last season that specific members of the community didn’t want me around,” Ackley said. “It got to the point where I got tired of fighting the fight. I think it’s better for me to move on and for them to find the person they want to lead the program.”

Ackley’s official reason for stepping down, he said, was to “pursue other job opportunities.” Now he’s headed someplace where he and his family feel more welcomed.

Though he doesn’t have another job yet, he’s searching nationwide for another head coaching position. Ackley will remain at Immokalee as a special education teacher for the time being.

Read more in the Naples Daily News. 

Special from the Naples Daily News: 

Immokalee cornerback Mackensie Alexander has been tabbed the fourth-best senior football player in the country in ESPN's postseason rankings.

ESPN ranked Alexander No. 6 in the Class of 2013 in its preseason rankings. After a strong season and good performance last week at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, the Indians corner was bumped up to No. 4.

"(Alexander) combines terrific natural ability with a well-honed skill-set," reads ESPN's scouting report. "(He) has ball hawk type instincts with great anticipation and awareness. He has great play-speed, quickness and is a fast-twitched, explosive athlete with outstanding range."

An all-state first team selection the past two seasons, Alexander is the second cornerback and second player from Florida on the ESPN 300 list. Vernon Hargreaves III from Tampa-Wharton is No. 3 in the rankings.

Alexander had committed to Tennessee, but de-committed prior to the season. He has made visits to Texas A&M and Clemson, and also has received offers from Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Notre Dame and Ohio State among many others.

Read more in the Naples Daily News.