Sports Page or Section - August 23

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District Football

Pace Patriots

Head Coach: Kent Smith, second season

2017: Pace went 3-6 last year, notching its lone district win against Milton. The Patriots dropped four of their final six games, though the season did end with an impressive 51-30 win over Pensacola Catholic.

Good Luck to you and your team. Love, Mom, Dad and Zoe

Star Power: QB Kason Lincke, RB Damian Bivens, LB Robert Wright Patriot News and Notes On the Run: Few running backs in the area are better than Damian Bivens, who rolled up close to 2,200 rushing yards last season. The senior averaged seven yards per carry and scored 20 touchdowns. He rushed for 100 or more yards eight times. Bivens carried the ball a total of 311 times and finished with 2,196 yards and 20 touchdowns on the year. Under Center: Kason Lincke is only a junior, but brings a lot of experience to the table. Last season he completed 69 of his 148 attempts while throwing for 1,281 yards. Lincke threw 13 touchdown pases and has shown he has a strong arm, once completing a 77-yard pass. Circle the Date: Pace might be playing for little more than pride Oct. 26 when it takes on Milton, but beating the Panthers is a huge deal in this showdown of Santa Rosa County rivals. The Patriots fell 25-19 to Milton last season and will be hungry for a little revenge. A win in this game could be the difference between a winning and losing season.

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Outlook: Pace is eager for a bounce back year. Avoiding another slow start will be the key. The Patriots lost their first two games of the season last year. If they can reverse their fortunes this time around, a winning season isn’t out of the question. With Bivens in the fold, Pace is going to be competitive game in and game out. Bivens is a tough player to bring down and 100-yard outings should be the norm for him. Aidan Gilroy is back at receiver and the only one at the position with significant experience. Robert Wright leads the way on defense, coming off a year where he made 59 tackles. Earin Holland is also back at linebacker and made 44 tackles last season. Caleb Vincent is a player the Patriots should be able to count on in the secondary. He could make an impact at receiver as well. This team will find out a lot about itself early on as it plays three of its first four on the road. If the Patriots can survive that stretch, they should be in good shape to at least produce a winning season for the first time since 2012.

Jordan, We are so proud of you! Many blessings your Senior Season! We love you, Dad, Mom & Taylor

Milton Panthers Head Coach: Harry Lees, 2nd season

Your futures are bright and we are so excited for you both. Have an awesome season!

2017: Milton finished 3-6 overall and 1-2 in the district Star Power: WR Marquisse McRoy and LB Tavian Williams

Love, Mom and Kelvin

Panther News and Notes Crucial District Games: Milton faces both Gulf Breeze (Sept. 28) and Navarre (Oct. 12) on the road, which means if the Panthers want any shot at being a surprise contender in the district, they need to steal at least one of these games. It will be tough as both opponents are the class of the district and loaded with returning talent. Turning Things Around: Milton lost five of its final six games last season. A winning season hinges on not letting that happen again. The challenge is that four of the Panthers’ final five games are against teams that made the playoffs last year. Circle the Date: Milton closes out its 2018 campaign against rival Pine Forest. The Panthers lost 38-7 to the Eagles a year ago and there’s a chance Milton goes into this game with a shot at a winning season. A playoff bid might not be on the line, but pride will be.

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Outlook: Lees begins his second season at the helm of the Panthers and he’s hoping to put this team in a position to have a winning season. Milton lost 33 seniors to graduation and that means young players with little experience will have to step into more prominent roles for the Panthers to thrive. The good news is this team has worked hard throughout the offseason. For Milton, the key offensively is being efficient and consistent, and that’s where a player like McRoy comes into play. He was injured most of last year but will be a go-to player within the offense this season. On the defensive side of the ball, having Williams back is a huge deal. He’ll have to be a leader for a defense that will need to be on point with its assignments and have a fly-to-theball mentality to be successful. A .500 season would be an accomplishment. Anything beyond that is a bonus.

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Noah, You made us all so proud. Keep up the hard work and dedication. Love you son! – The Family! 2018 FALL SPORTS

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District 2-6A Opponants

Gulf Breeze Dolphins

Serving Gulf Breeze & Navarre Since 1995

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850-934-4113 Head Coach: Bobby Clayton, third season 2017: Gulf Breeze went 7-3 overall and finished 2-1 in the district. The Dolphins lost 38-35 to Crestview in opening round of the playoffs. Star Power: QB Dylon Kelley, RB Tyler Dittmer, OLB Carl Taylor, WR Spencer Segal, CB Reese Parker and CB London Parries Dolphin News and Notes One-two punch: Dylon Kelley and Tyler Dittmer are one of the best duos in the area. Kelley threw for more than 1,200 yards and 15 touchdowns while Dittmer rushed for close to 2,100 yards while scoring 22 touchdowns. A threat with his feet as well, Kelley also rushed for seven touchdowns. Their abilities to make plays gives the Dolphins a chance to win every game.

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Rolling Along: After Gulf Breeze won only four games in 2015, the program continues to rise under head coach Bobby Clayton. The Dolphins are 16-5 over the last two seasons with Clayton at the helm and have been to the playoffs both years, winning a district title in 2016. With a total of 11 starters back, don’t expect Gulf Breeze to reverse its direction this season. Circle the Date: It doesn’t get any bigger than the Beach Bowl against Navarre. The Dolphins and Raiders have split the last two meetings, each winning on the

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other’s turf. This year’s game is slated for Oct. 26 at Bennett C. Russell Stadium. The district title is expected to be on the line again in what should be an all-out fight to the finish. The last two meetings have been decided by a combined nine points. Outlook: Another run at the district title and playoffs is expected for the Dolphins, who have put in a ton of work over the summer in preparation for the 2018 season. The goal for Gulf Breeze is to finish every play and compete on every snap. Kelley will anchor a dangerous offense that not only includes Dittmer in the backfield, but now also features Pensacola Catholic transfer Christian Murphy, a Troy commit. Arkansas commit Joseph Stone, an offensive lineman who checks in at 6-foot-9, 340 pounds, has transferred in as well. Spencer Segal should be Kelley’s No. 1 target after catching 33 passes for 729 yards and eight touchdowns last season. The defense gets a lift from the return of linebacker Carl Taylor, who racked up 57 tackles a season ago. London Parries anchors the secondary. He finished third on the team in tackles. Reese Parker is gearing up for a solid year in the defensive backfield as well. The Dolphins should get off to another strong start and it won’t be a surprise if both they and the Raiders come into the Beach Bowl unbeaten. The big question for this team is can it win in the postseason? The last two years have ended in gut-wrenching fashion, with Gulf Breeze losing both playoff openers by a combined seven points.

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Student Gibson, Maliya Akers, Chiara Buckland, Oliviah Keck, Summer Kelley, Holly Manning, Skylar Waters, Nyjah Burt, Hailey McArthur, Sage NeffCamatti, Jaide Rivera, Misha Singleton, Jayden Fletcher, Katelyn Gallegos, Ashley Good, Haleigh Samuel, Kobe Tucker, Hana Bartlett, Jennifer Bridges, Kendall Flannery, Madison Gribble, Ryan Martin, Abigail Mobley, Alexis Schuchard, Sarah Taylor, Peyton Ballow, Emma Bautista, Lauren Brewer, Kyla Warfield , Deelia Hoffner, Madeleine Ward, Jocelyn Newenham, Alicia Alcantara, Joehanna AvilesGarcia,Alex Gann, Presley Gardner , Megan Lewis, Makenzie Moreno, Jose Recor, Randall Rudman, Evan Wood, Katelyn Morales, Ayrianna Morris, Angelia Beard, Stephanie Cunningham, Katalina Hines, Ovella Nelson, Sydney Shackleford, Lily Van Dorn, Kevin Baker, Sydney Hefflin, James Stanley, Cela Yaccarino, Emily Wagner, Nathaniel Elizondo, Luis Koetters, Noah Gostomski, Jacob Rudman, Megan Wagner , Raymond Autry, Kenley Hofmann, Janna Lawson, Sydney Turney, Peyton Bennett, Robert Irmen, Olivia Warnock, Zachary Bosch, Isabella Buchanan, Alyssa Costea , Astrid

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Part Color Guard Color Guard Color Guard Color Guard Color Guard Color Guard Color Guard Color Guard Color Guard

11 11 11 12 12 12 12 12 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 10 10 10 10 11 11 12 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 10 10 11 12 12 12 12 12 9 9 9 9 10 11 11 12 12 12 9 9 9 9 12 12 12 9 9 9

Color Guard Color Guard Color Guard Color Guard Color Guard Color Guard Color Guard Color Guard Flute Flute Flute Flute Flute Flute Flute Flute Flute Flute Flute Flute Flute Flute Flute Bb Clarinet Bb Clarinet Bb Clarinet Bb Clarinet Bb Clarinet Bb Clarinet Bb Clarinet Bb Clarinet Bb Clarinet Bb Clarinet Bb Clarinet Bb Clarinet Bb Clarinet Bb Clarinet Bb Clarinet Bb Clarinet Bb Clarinet Alto Sax Alto Sax Alto Sax Alto Sax Alto Sax Alto Sax Alto Sax Alto Sax Alto Sax Alto Sax Tenor Sax Tenor Sax Tenor Sax Tenor Sax Tenor Sax Tenor Sax Tenor Sax Trumpet Trumpet Trumpet

Student Gr Johnson, Morgan 9 Rodriguez, Justice 9 Solorio, Caleb 9 Culberson, Tyler 10 Hellyer, Jayda 10 LiebermanAbernathy,Elizabeth 10 Reyna, Elijah 10 Warnock, Alexander 10 Beard, Gavin 11 Cheney, Madison 11 Moody, Jonathan 11 Lynn, Devin 12 McManus, Joshua 12 Warnock, Sophie 9 Ottley, Avery 10 Woodruff, Erik 10 Autry, Kencin 11 Crawford, Kaylee 11 Tobias, Meagan 11 Honaker, Bailey 12 Law, Abigail 12 Phillips, Cassidy 12 Busby, Maia 9 Stanley, Lily 9 Robare, Logan 10 Conley, Merete 11 Frank, Michael 11 Allgood, Wiley 12 Hellyer, Jasmine 12 Purvis, Teresa 12 Walden, D'Andre 12 Jarskey, Ethan 9 Kern, Charlie 9 Tolbert, Alexis 9 Gutierrez, Gabriel 10 Morgan, Madison 10 Wihela, Zackery 11 Buring, Brittany 12 Rutherford, Sydney 9 Hutchinson, Houston 10 Myers, Isaac 11 Yeomans, Seth 11 Rutherford, Jacob 12 Yeomans, Silas 12 Mandel, Aaron 9 Stephens, Jordyn 9 Beard, Garrett 10 Buring, Connor 10 Gonzalez, Julian 10 McNair, Tyrese 10 O'Mara, Myles 10 Szeredy, Stazya 10 Blake, Gabriel 11 Caron, Jaylynn 11 Dockery, Jaedyn 11 Galindo Ithier, Mirellys 11 Hall, Veronica 11 Jernigan, Brandon 11 White, Aaron 11 Carter, Alexia 12 Cloaninger, Patrick 12 Jernigan, Caleb 12 Morgan, Connor 12 Pallone, Lucas 12 Schriver, Shelby 12 Stouder, Makayla 12 Wilson, Samuel 12 McDonald, Kaylee 10 Palmer, Kanoka 12

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Marching Band

Part Trumpet Trumpet Trumpet Trumpet Trumpet Trumpet Trumpet Trumpet Trumpet Trumpet Trumpet Trumpet Trumpet Mellophone Mellophone Mellophone Mellophone Mellophone Mellophone Mellophone Mellophone Mellophone Trombone Trombone Trombone Trombone Trombone Trombone Trombone Trombone Trombone Baritone Baritone Baritone Baritone Baritone Baritone Baritone Tuba Tuba Tuba Tuba Tuba Tuba Percussion Percussion Percussion Percussion Percussion Percussion Percussion Percussion Percussion Percussion Percussion Percussion Percussion Percussion Percussion Percussion Percussion Percussion Percussion Percussion Percussion Percussion Percussion Drum Major Drum Major

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Golf

Raiders counting on experience to fuel successful season

By Brian Lester brian@navarrepress.com

Navarre is hoping for a successful season on the golf course. With a regional qualifier back in Devin Parnell and five other seniors on the roster as well, the Raiders have high hopes. “I think we’ll have a pretty good team,” Navarre head coach Clark Brown said. “We have guys on our team with three or four years of experience and that will help.” Parnell advanced to the regional for the first time in his career last season and is poised to make another run at it this year. Parnell, in his fourth season with the Raiders, carded a 77 at the district tourney last year and

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noted last year that he hoped the regional appearance would set the tone for a big senior season. Kaleb Hellard is expected to play in the No. 2 spot. The third through fifth spots are up in the air but Brown believes everything will fall into place on that front. Brenton Brown, Preston Stricklin, Dylan Robas and Caleb Haro are all seniors. Nick Woodall, Joseph Staudt and Addyn Gonzalez are also on the squad. Woodall and Staudt are juniors. Gonzalez is a freshman. What will help this Raider team is the addition of Steve Brown to the coaching staff. He is the father of Clark and helped his son out with his golfing career. “It’s nice having my dad out here. He’s another person with

experience,” Clark said. “It’s going to help a lot having him helping out the players.” Brown said his team has already played a couple of practice rounds and open the season today against Jay and Central at Hidden Creek. He’s looking forward to seeing how the season plays out. “We’d like to be able to get to the regional as a team. I think we have a chance to do it,” Brown said. Note: Navarre’s girls golf team returns three of its top golfers from last season. Julianna Salinas, Vanessa Salinas and Kathryn Serenio were all regional qualifiers last season. No other information was available at press time.

Boys Golf Roster Devin Parnell Kaleb Hellard Brenton Brown Preston Stricklin Dylan Robas Caleb Haro Addyn Gonzalez Nick Woodall Joseph Staudt

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Boys Golf Schedule Aug. 28 vs. Pace and Milton at Hidden Creek, 3:15 p.m. Sept. 6 vs. Gulf Breeze, 3:15 p.m. Sept. 10 at Byron Nathan Classic at Stonebrook, 9 a.m. Sept. 17 at FCA Tournament at A.C. Read, 8:30 a.m. Sept. 27 vs. Central and Jay at Tanglewood, 3:30 p.m. Oct. 2 vs. Milton and Pace at Stonebrook, 3:30 p.m. Oct. 4 vs. Gulf Breeze at Tiger Point, 3:15 p.m. Oct. 16-17 District Tournament in Tallahassee, TBA Oct. 22-23 Regional Tournament in Tallahassee, TBA Nov. 5-7 State Tournament at Howey-in-the-Hills, TBA

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Swimming & Diving

Raider swimmers hoping to make a splash this season

By Brian Lester brian@navarrepress.com Swimming is all about being pushed, about being tested both mentally and physically. Nothing comes easy in this sport, but ultimately, the hope is that hard work pays off. “You have to give everything you got and take everything one step at a time,” senior Baris Demirbas said. “You can’t just focus on the failures. That’s part of the sport. The key is keeping each other accountable and working together to stay motivated and disciplined.” For the past two weeks the Raiders have been hard at work in the pool at the Navarre YMCA. Rising before the sun rubs sleep out of its eyes to be at those early morning practices before school requires a certain level of dedication. Spending two hours in the pool five days a week, perfecting technique and striving to set new personal bests does as well.

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“The hard work is going to benefit them,” head coach Mary Moorer said. “Once they get through the two weeks, they will be fine.” This week marks the final week of preseason practice. The season begins Tuesday with a dual meet against area powerhouse Washington. “It’s a great opener for us. They are going to be tested right away,” Moorer said. And that’s why preparation is crucial. Demirbas notes that swimmers put in more work than meets the eye, both in and out of the pool. “A lot of people don’t think of swimming as being a hard sport,” Demirbas said. “But you have to be a well-rounded athlete to do it. Your whole body has to be in tune. You also have to put in a lot of work out of the water in the weight room.” Moorer said challenging the swimmers in the pool comes down to making them aware of the importance of the clock.

“The clock has to be their friend,” Moorer said. “We want to be able to write down what they have to do in practice and then have them be to the point where they own what they do. Owning it goes a long way. Our focus as coaches then is on checking strokes and making any corrections to them.” And that’s where her assistant coaches are a huge help. Moorer

has had former Navarre swimmer Greg Collins on her staff the past two seasons. She’s now added April Hamilton and Katie Miller. Both are former Raider swimmers as well. “Their experience is big,” Moorer said. “They know what it takes to succeed in this sport and that benefits the kids.” Demirbas, Harrison Dorsey, Courtney Rodrigues, Carissa Spessard and Merete Conley are

among the swimmers who could make a push for the regional as individuals. The relay teams should be strong again as well. The girls and boys sent two relay teams apiece to the regional last season. “I hope to get as many as we can to the regional,” Moorer said. “We want our relays to qualify but we have some other kids with potential who could make it as individuals.”

2018 SWIMMING & DIVING SCHEDULE

SWIM TEAM ROSTER

Aug. 28 vs. Washington, 4 p.m. Sept. 1 at Choctaw Freestyle Invitational at Destin YMCA Sept. 8 Pace Invitational at UWF Sept. 13 vs. Fort Walton Beach Sept. 19 vs. Gulf Breeze Sept. 25 vs. Choctaw Sept. 29 at Panama City Beach Invitational Oct. 4 vs. Pace (Senior Night) Oct. 16 Northwest Florida Invitational at Washington Oct. 9 Santa Rosa County Meet at Hunter Pool Oct. 27 District Meet at UWF Nov. 1 Regional Meet at Bishop Kenny Nov. 9 State Meet at Stuart

Boys Baris Demirbas Harrison Dorsey Josh Erlemann Nathan Hilt Reilly Kneen Jeff Langley Jacob Losquadro Luke Losquadro Zach Oestmann Tyler Richardson Daniel Sears Josh VanDrunen Bryant Worthington

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Girls Alyssa Allen Liz Bryant Merete Conley Madison Dorsey Alyssa Grant Katherine Hilt Angelina Jovault Sarah Johnson Ava Parkinson Courtney Rodrigues Dana Rohrbeck Emma Simon Carissa Spessard Delaney Walker Kaitlyn Wollenzien Noelle Zarnesky

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Cross Country

Running and relaxation a recipe for success for the Raiders By Brian Lester brian@navarrepress.com Rain is falling early on a Friday morning. Daylight has yet to show its face. And the inside of Navarre High School is dark, save for the gymnasium, which is lit up, the floor littered with yoga mats. The scene might seem a little strange for a cross-country team but there are benefits to this relaxing form of exercise. “As the season progresses, you get sore and this is a good way to keep the runners stretched out and improve their running ability. It also helps prevent injuries,” first-year head boys coach Sean Tomey said. Fellow first-year head coach Katie Fein – she is at the helm of the girls team – points out that yoga is a great way to unwind after a tough week. “It’s really important for them,” Fein said. “We run them hard during the week. This is a way to relax a bit every Friday, and it’s going to have them relaxed and ready to go on Saturdays for the meets.” In terms of actual running, strides are being made as the Raiders inch closer to their first

meet of the season Saturday in Niceville. “We’ve been practicing every day at 6 a.m. and the kids haven’t complained once,” Tomey said.“It says a lot about who the kids are and the type of people they are. That bodes well for them improving and getting better.” Fein has seen improvement among the girls, particularly from the first week of practice to the second. A former coach at Gulf Breeze, Fein knows a great deal about the sport. She

2018 Navarre Cross Country Schedule Aug. 25 at Niceville Relays, 7:30 a.m. Sept. 1 at Pace Patriot Invite, 8 a.m. Sept. 11 at Gulf Breeze, 4:30 p.m. Sept. 15 at Wildcat Invitational, 8 a.m. Sept. 22 at Gulf Coast Stampede, 7:30 a.m. Sept. 29 at JD Mac Invite, 8 a.m. Oct. 6 TR Miller Challenge, 8:30 a.m. Oct. 16 at Gulf Breeze, 4:30 p.m. Oct. 18 at Esca Rosa Championship Meet, 8:30 a.m. Oct. 27 District Meet, TBA Nov. 3 Regional Meet, TBA Nov. 10 State Meet in Tallahassee, TBA

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ran cross-country at Gulf Breeze and her father was the coach at the school. “Cross-country is in my blood,” Fein said. “I’m really excited about this opportunity.” The girls have several of their top runners back, including Lauren Bilby, Maggie Johnson, Cyndi Steadman and Saylor Marlow. Jaylen Shropshire is the top returner for the boys and was a standout in the 400 during track season. Fein is all about getting to

know her runners and tweaking things here and there along the way to help her athletes be at the their best. “I’m a big believer in getting to know the kids to help them get better,” Fein said. “I’ll look at the times and see what works for them and then help them make improvements.” Tomey has a similar mindset. “My main goal is to see them progress every week and to get the kids to the point to where they are at their absolute best,” Tomey said. “We’ll see where

Girls Cross Country Roster Bilby, Lauren Brown, Sarah Casey, Kadi Claytor, Jaydin Fields, Rebecca Fuentes, Azandrya Garcia, Fatima Hersom, Veronica Johnson, Maggie Lindsay, Lacey Marlow, Saylor McCarthy, Kayla McMillian, Yuah Prevoznik, Kailen Quaker, Nia

Sao, Katria Shoffner, Sarah Steadman, Cyndi Sweet, Katelyn Tilton, Caitlin Yamaguchi, Talley

they are at after their first race and make adjustments from there.” Both the boys and the girls will be pushed week to week, especially through time trials, which will determine the top seven for the varsity races. “You will have the opportunity to earn your spot,”Tomey said. “Some may run one week but not the next. We’re going to take our best seven every time.” The competition created by the time trials is beneficial to everyone. “It will make that runner outside the top seven push harder to get that last spot,” Fein said. “It’s going to make everyone a better runner because you are working hard to improve your time. In the end, I want them to be proud of the progress they’ve made.” While spots will be determined week to week, one thing that will remain consistent is team chemistry. “This is a good group of kids, both the boys and the girls,” Fein said. “They are goofy, but they are awesome. We’re already a family. They come in every day ready to go. I’m excited about the season.”

Boys Cross Country Roster Amador, Marantony Anderson, Austin Daniels, Kelley Escobedo, Logan Farmer, Andrew Fish, Jared Fishor, Ian Gaddy, Mark Gibson, William Heinke, Brandon Horton, Matthew Jensen, Aiden Jensen, Mason Jones, Ian Jones, Cameron

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Larsen, Eric Lopez, Gianpaolo Morgan, Tyson Ortiz, Kamden Prevoznik, Lucas Roquelara, James Sanfilippo, Caden Scragg, Dawson Jaylen Shropshire Stanley, Luke Stockdale, Sean Strumeyer, Chandler The, Skylar Weathers, Dreher Worthington, Bryant

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Volleyball

Volleyball Schedule

Aug. 27 at Pensacola, 6:30 p.m. Aug. 28 vs. Pace, 6:30 p.m. Aug. 30 vs. Gulf Breeze, 6:30 p.m. Sept. 6 at Niceville, 6:30 p.m. Sept. 8 Tate Invitational, TBA Sept. 11 at Escambia, 6:30 p.m. Sept. 13 at Pine Forest, 6:30 p.m. Sept. 18 vs. Crestview, 6 p.m. Sept. 20 at Gulf Breeze, 6:30 p.m. Sept. 24 at Washington, 6:30 p.m. Sept. 26 at Crestview, 6 p.m. Sept. 27 vs. Niceville, 6:30 p.m. Oct. 1 vs. Milton, 6:30 p.m. Oct. 3 vs. Fort Walton Beach, 6:30 p.m. Oct. 9 at Pace, 6:30 p.m. Oct. 10 vs. Escambia, 6:30 p.m. Oct. 11 vs. Pine Forest, 6:30 p.m. Oct. 16 District Tournament at Navarre, 5 p.m. Oct. 18 District Tournament at Navarre, 6 p.m.

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Volleyball

Competitive and hard-working, Raiders ready to turn program around

Photo by John Richardson Varsity Vollyball Team: Abbey Nebarez, Alexandra Rebber, Amber Morrow, Aubrey Wallis, Ciara Cathey, Haley McGee, Jaslyn Hawks, Kelsey Sherman, Lily Trujillo, Mary Beloat, Megan Haytack, Samantha MacFarland, Tessa Hendricks, Veronica Ruiz. By Brian Lester brian@navarrepress.com Alex Rebber remembers the challenges of last season. Yet, she believes those difficult moments that Navarre’s volleyball team experienced in 2017 will only make the Raiders stronger and more poised to deal with anything that arises this season. “We had some rough times last year, but we learned to cope with it and move forward,” Rebber said. “We believe we can use that to our advantage this year.” The Raiders won just five games last season. They were bounced from the district tournament in the opening round. Little will be expected of this team, but that’s okay with the Raiders.

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“We’re going to be the underdogs, but that’s a great thing,”firstyear head coach Ryan Davenport said. “Turning things around starts with work ethic and we have that. We’re looking forward to a fun year.” Five seniors, including Rebber, will lead the way. The other seniors are Ciara Cathey, Amber Morrow, Megan Haytack and Kelsey Sherman. “We want to be good leaders and role models,” Rebber said.“We want to help the program progress forward.” The right attitude and a willingness to work hard and compete at a high level should propel the Raiders in the right direction. Rebber said no one is taking it easy.

“We are all competitive and everyone is putting in a lot of effort,” Rebber said. “That’s going to help us in matches this season.” Davenport loves the fact that his team has put in the work to improve. He wouldn’t want it any other way as he aims to guide this Navarre team to new heights. “These girls have a good, competitive nature and they know they have to compete for spots,”Davenport said.“The girls are all working hard and they all understand they have to go 100 percent, 100 percent of the time. So far, they have done that. It’s been fun to watch.” In addition to the five seniors, newcomers Abbey Nebarez, Aubrey Walls, Haley McGee, Jaslyn Hawks, Lily Trujillo, Mary Beloat, Samantha MacFarland, Tes-

sa Hendricks and Veronica Ruiz round out the roster. Though they don’t have varsity experience, they have stepped in and made a good impression. “Everyone is stepping up,” Rebber said.“We all work well together and want to be successful.” Davenport noted his players understand a team effort is crucial to success. He also likes the fact that they are willing to do what it takes to be successful. “I love the coachability of this team. They respond well to what I ask them to do on the court, be it conditioning wise or tactically,” Davenport said. “This team also has great athleticism. If they continue to believe in each other, we should come out in good shape by the end of the season.”

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More than anything, this team wants to win. Rebber will tell you as much. And being a senior, there is an added sense of urgency. “I want to win, and I think the bond we have as a team is really going to help us,” Rebber said. “We’re a close group and we hope to set an example for the program.” Davenport has no doubt his team can win more consistently. As a former coach at Gulf Breeze, he is aware of the reputation Navarre has for playing hard. “I’ve coached against this school and they have always been competitive,” Davenport said. “Sometimes the record doesn’t show everything. We’re going to try to get over the hump this year and get more numbers on the right side of the record.”

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Football

Argos driven to top what they accomplished during historic season West Florida Argonauts 2018 Football Schedule Aug. 30 vs. Carson-Newman, 7 p.m. Sept. 8 at Midwestern State, 7 p.m. Sept. 15 vs. Shorter, 6 p.m. Sept. 22 at Mississippi College, 7 p.m. Sept. 29 at Delta State, 6 p.m. Oct. 6 at North Alabama, 6 p.m. Oct. 13 vs. West Georgia, 6 p.m. Oct. 20 vs. Florida Tech, 4 p.m. Oct. 27 at North Greenville, 1 p.m. Nov. 3 vs. Valdosta State, 4 p.m. Nov. 10 at West Alabama, 2 p.m.

By Brian Lester brian@navarrepress.com Last season was nothing short of amazing for the University of West Florida football team. In just their second year of existence, the Argonauts finished in a tie for second in the Gulf South Conference and played for the NCAA Division II national championship. Their storybook run ended in a 38-29 loss to Texas A&M Commerce. The memory of the season will always be cherished, but right now, it’s in the rear-view mirror. A new journey is about to begin for a UWF team that enters the 2018 season ranked No. 2 in the country, the same spot in the poll the Argos ended the season in. “It was a very unique season and we ran out of words to describe it, but at the same time, we’re busy trying to make 2018 better than 2017,” UWF head coach Pete Shinnick said. “We’re excited about what we did but we think we can improve on it and now we have to get the results.” The Argos finished 11-4 and return 70 percent of their production on both sides of the ball, including quarterback Mike Beaudry and leading tackler Marvin Conley, a second-team All-American.

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Beaudry threw for 3,215 yards and 29 touchdowns. Conley rang up 104 tackles. Both are driven to build off what they accomplished last season. Both believe the team is getting better every day. “We’re always getting better at something,” Conley said.“We find a mistake each day and get better at it. That’s what drives us.” “It’s cool to see from our first year to where we are now and how far things have taken off,”Beaudry said. “We appreciate what we did last year but it’s not something on our mind every day. We’ve made a lot of progress and every player at every position is getting better.” On the heels of an 11-4 finish last season – a six-win improvement from the inaugural campaign – the Argos have the depth and talent to make another run at the national title. The way this team battles in practice each day only fuels the seemingly endless potential the Argos possess. “As coaches, we talk about the competition between the offense and defense, and it’s as competitive as it’s ever been, which is a good sign, and it’s where we need to be with the schedule we have,”Shinnick said.

Seven of the opponents on the Argos’ schedule are ranked or receiving votes in the preseason poll. North Alabama is a former power in the Gulf South Conference and has made the jump to Division I. A rugged schedule and a lofty national ranking naturally generate pressure, but nothing the Argos can’t handle. “We pressure each other in practice every day,” linebacker Andre Duncombe said. “By the time season rolls around, we’ll have so much pressure on ourselves that the outside pressure won’t even matter.” The offense is stacked with playmakers, both in the backfield and in the passing attack. It will operate behind a line that jelled late in the year and carried that momentum through the playoffs. Wide receiver could very well be UWF’s biggest strength. The group is led by Antoine Griffin, who caught 63 passes for 898 yards and four touchdowns last season. Former Navarre standout Quentin Randolph is a receiver, too, and caught three passes last season. “I said last year I thought we could be the best wide receiver corps in the nation. This year, we will be the best. We’re deep, deep as we’ve ever been,”Griffin said.“We’re up-tempo

and have a lot of depth. Our thirdstring guy could go in and do what the starter does. Anyone can step up.” The offense averaged 343.7 yards per game last year and should be even more productive this season. It also provides a good test for the defense, particularly the secondary. UWF allowed 334 yards per outing a year ago. “Those receivers are the best we are going to see this year and going against them every day is only going to make us better,”Conley said. Yet, as great as the season was in 2017, the Argos fell short of their goal of a title. They learned valuable lessons from that season and understand it will require a little to go all the way to the finish line. “We can’t take our foot off the pedal,” Griffin said. “There isn’t a game we can say is easy or isn’t that good. It’s a long season. We have to stay locked into the process and be disciplined.” The Argos no doubt play one of the toughest schedules in the nation and it will be challenging right out of the gate with No. 22 Carson-Newman coming to town for the season opener Aug. 30. A week later, UWF travels to Texas to

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battle No. 11 Midwestern State. “Our guys have great desires for the season, but it’s still all about taking it one week at a time,” Shinnick said. “We have keep getting better every day and get in a place where we can be ready to play great football in week one against Carson-Newman.” The hope is taking each game as it comes will lead to a championship game appearance in Kansas City in December. “We weren’t at our best in that moment (championship game) last year, but we played with a lot of energy during the playoff run and feel like it can carry over to this year,” Duncombe said. “We don’t want that momentum to die. We want to keep the Cinderella story going.” Of course, Duncombe added that UWF is no longer college football’s best kept secret. “We enjoy the thrill of playing other big-name teams and now that we are a big name, we have to go out and play like one every week,” Duncombe said.

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SCHEDULES West Florida Argonauts Aug. 30 vs. Carson-Newman, 7 p.m. Sept. 8 at Midwestern State, 7 p.m. Sept. 15 vs. Shorter, 6 p.m. Sept. 22 at Mississippi College, 7 p.m. Sept. 29 at Delta State, 6 p.m. Oct. 6 at North Alabama, 6 p.m. Oct. 13 vs. West Georgia, 6 p.m. Oct. 20 vs. Florida Tech, 4 p.m. Oct. 27 at North Greenville, 1 p.m. Nov. 3 vs. Valdosta State, 4 p.m. Nov. 10 at West Alabama, 2 p.m.

North Carolina Tar Heels Sept. 1 at California Sept. 8 at East Carolina Sept. 15 vs. Central Florida Sept. 22 vs. Pittsburgh Sept. 27 at Miami Oct. 13 vs. Virginia Tech Oct. 20 at Virginia Nov. 3 vs. Georgia Tech Nov. 10 at Duke Nov. 17 vs. Western Carolina Nov. 24 vs. NC State

Florida State Seminoles Sept. 3 vs. Virginia Tech Sept. 8 vs. Samford Sept. 15 at Syracuse Sept. 22 vs. Northern Illinois Sept. 29 at Louisville Oct. 6 at Miami Oct. 20 vs. Wake Forest Oct. 27 vs. Clemson Nov. 3 at NC State Nov. 10 at Notre Dame Nov. 17 vs. Boston College Nov. 24 vs. Florida

Florida Gators Sept. 1 vs. Charleston Southern Sept. 8 vs. Kentucky Sept. 15 vs. Colorado State Sept. 22 at Tennessee Sept. 29 at Mississippi State Oct. 6 vs. LSU Oct. 13 at Vanderbilt Oct. 27 vs. Georgia Nov. 3 vs. Missouri Nov. 10 vs. South Carolina Nov. 17 vs. Idaho Nov. 24 at Florida State

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Miami Hurricanes Sept. 2 vs. LSU Sept. 8 vs. Savannah State Sept. 15 at Toledo Sept. 22 vs. FIU Sept. 27 vs. North Carolina Oct. 6 vs. Florida State Oct. 13 at Virginia Oct. 26 at Boston College Nov. 3 vs. Duke Nov. 10 at Georgia Tech Nov. 17 at Virginia Tech Nov. 24 vs. Pittsburgh

Auburn Tigers Sept. 1 vs. Washington in Atlanta Sept. 8 vs. Alabama State Sept. 15 vs. LSU Sept. 22 vs. Arkansas Sept. 29 vs. Southern Miss. Oct. 6 at Mississippi State Oct. 13 vs. Tennessee Oct. 20 at Mississippi Nov. 3 vs. Texas A&M Nov. 10 at Georgia Nov. 17 vs. Liberty Nov. 24 at Alabama

Alabama Crimson Tide Sept. 1 vs. Louisville Sept. 8 vs. Arkansas State Sept. 15 at Mississippi Sept. 22 vs. Texas A&M Sept. 29 vs. Louisiana-Lafayette Oct. 6 at Arkansas Oct. 13 vs. Missouri Oct. 20 at Tennessee Nov. 3 at LSU Nov. 10 vs. Mississippi State Nov. 17 The Citadel Nov. 24 vs. Auburn

Georgia Bulldogs Sept. 1 vs. Austin Peay Sept. 8 at South Carolina Sept. 15 vs. Middle Tennessee Sept. 22 at Missouri Sept. 29 vs. Tennessee Oct. 6 vs. Vanderbilt Oct. 13 at LSU Oct. 27 vs. Florida Nov. 3 at Kentucky Nov. 10 vs. Auburn Nov. 17 vs. Massachusetts Nov. 24 vs. Georgia Tech

Football

LSU Tigers Sept. 2 vs. Miami at AT&T Stadium Sept. 8 vs. Southeastern Louisiana Sept. 15 at Auburn Sept. 22 vs. Louisiana Tech Sept. 29 vs. Mississippi Oct. 6 at Florida Oct. 13 vs. Georgia Oct. 20 vs. Mississippi State Nov. 3 vs. Alabama Nov. 10 at Arkansas Nov. 17 vs. Rice Nov. 24 at Texas A&M

Kentucky Wildcats Sept. 1 vs. Central Michigan Sept. 8 at Florida Sept. 15 vs. Murray State Sept. 22 vs. Mississippi State Sept. 29 vs. South Carolina Oct. 6 at Texas A&M Oct. 20 vs. Vanderbilt Oct. 27 at Missouri Nov. 3 vs. Georgia Nov. 10 at Tennessee Nov. 17 vs. Middle Tennessee Nov. 24 at Louisville

Tennessee Volunteers Sept. 1 vs. West Virginia Sept. 8 at East Tennessee State Sept. 15 vs. UTEP Sept. 22 vs. Florida Sept. 29 at Georgia Oct. 13 at Auburn Oct. 20 vs. Alabama Oct. 27 at South Carolina Nov. 3 vs. Charlotte Nov. 10 vs. Kentucky Nov. 17 vs. Missouri Nov. 24 at Vanderbilt

Mississippi Rebels Sept. 1 at Texas Tech Sept. 8 vs. Southern Illinois Sept. 15 vs. Alabama Sept. 22 vs. Kent State Sept. 29 at LSU Oct. 6 vs. Louisiana Monroe Oct. 13 at Arkansas Oct. 20 vs. Auburn Nov. 3 vs. South Carolina Nov. 10 at Texas A&M Nov. 17 at Vanderbilt Nov. 22 vs. Mississippi State

Vanderbilt Commodores Sept. 1 vs. Middle Tennessee State Sept. 8 vs. Nevada Sept. 15 at Notre Dame Sept. 22 vs. South Carolina Sept. 29 vs. Tennessee State Oct. 6 at Georgia Oct. 13 vs. Florida Oct. 20 at Kentucky Oct. 27 at Arkansas Nov. 10 at Missouri Nov. 17 vs. Mississippi Nov. 24 vs. Tennessee

South Carolina Gamecocks Sept. 1 vs. Coastal Carolina Sept. 8 vs. Georgia Sept. 15 vs. Marshall Sept. 22 at Vanderbilt Sept. 29 at Kentucky Oct. 6 vs. Missouri Oct. 13 vs. Texas A&M Oct. 27 vs. Tennessee Nov. 3 at Mississippi Nov. 10 at Florida Nov. 17 vs. Chattanooga Nov. 24 at Clemson

Mississippi State Bulldogs Sept. 1 vs. Stephen F Austin Sept. 8 at Kansas State Sept. 15 vs. Louisiana Sept. 22 at Kentucky Sept. 29 vs. Florida Oct. 6 vs. Auburn Oct. 20 at LSU Oct. 27 vs. Texas A&M Nov. 3 vs. Louisiana Tech Nov. 10 at Alabama Nov. 17 vs. Arkansas Nov. 22 at Mississippi

Arkansas Razorbacks Sept. 1 vs. Eastern Illinois Sept. 8 at Colorado State Sept. 15 vs. North Texas Sept. 22 at Auburn Sept. 29 at Texas A&M Oct. 6 vs. Alabama Oct. 13 vs. Mississippi Oct. 20 vs. Tulsa Oct. 27 vs. Vanderbilt Nov. 10 vs. LSU Nov. 17 at Mississippi State Nov. 23 at Missouri

Texas A&M Aggies Aug. 30 vs. Northwestern State Sept. 8 vs. Clemson Sept. 15 vs. Louisiana Monroe Sept. 22 at Alabama Sept. 29 vs. Arkansas Oct. 6 vs. Kentucky Oct. 13 at South Carolina Oct. 27 at Mississippi State Nov. 3 at Auburn Nov. 10 vs. Mississippi Nov. 17 vs. Alabama Birmingham Nov. 24 vs. LSU

Central Florida Aug 30 at UConn Sep 08 vs. South Carolina State Sep 15 at North Carolina Sep 21 vs. Florida Atlantic Sep 29 vs. Pittsburgh Oct 06 vs. SMU Oct 13 at Memphis Oct 20 at East Carolina Nov 01 vs. Temple Nov 10 vs. Navy Nov 17 vs. Cincinnati Nov 23 at USF

Missouri Tigers Sept. 1 vs. Tennessee Martin Sept. 8 vs. Wyoming Sept. 15 at Purdue Sept. 22 vs. Georgia Oct. 6 at South Carolina Oct. 13 at Alabama Oct. 20 vs. Memphis Oct. 27 vs. Kentucky Nov. 3 at Florida Nov. 10 vs. Vanderbilt Nov. 17 at Tennessee Nov. 23 vs. Arkansas

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Florida State

Head Coach: Willie Taggart – at Florida Head Coach: Joe State: First year; overall: Moorhead – At Mississippi 47-50 State: First year; overall: 38-13 Last Season: The Seminoles (7-6) managed Last Season: Finished 9-4 overall. The Bulldogs capped the year with a 31-27 win to salvage a tough year with a bowl bid. They defeated Southern Miss. 42-13 in the over Louisville in the TaxSlayer Bowl. Noteworthy: Moorhead comes into his first Independence Bowl SEC gig with impressive credentials, having Noteworthy: With Willie Taggart in town and new life breathed into the program, earned national offensive coordinator of the year honors at Penn State the last two the expectation is FSU will be an improved seasons. That’s good news for the Bulldogs, team. Cam Akers is one of the best running backs in the nation, rushing for more than who feature one of the nation’s best 1,000 yards, and Levonta Taylor made quarterbacks in Nick Fitzgerald. He is the 18 tackles last year but is one of the best top rushing quarterback in the SEC and is one of only three at the FBS level last year defensive backs in the game. He was left to throw for over 1,700 yards and rush for off the Jim Thorpe Award Watch List. That 900-plus yards. Montez Sweat anchors the will serve as added motivation. Willie Taggart on expectations of program: defense. The extremely athletic end firstteam all-league pick in the league recorded “My vision for this program is to win mul10.5 sacks for a team that ranked 10th in tiple championships in a first-class manner. That’s our vision. That’s going to always be total defense. Joe Moorhead on having a “welcome to the our vision. To me that’s what Florida State South” moment: “I guess stepping out your is all about.” front door every day and being smacked in the face with humidity, that’s a pretty good “welcome to the South” moment. And North Carolina everything being wrapped in bacon in food, Head Coach: Larry Fedora – At North Carolina: that’s pretty good, too.” 43-34; overall: 77-53 Texas A&M Last Season: The Tar Heels (3-9) missed Head Coach: Jimbo a bowl game for the first time in five Fisher – At Texas A&M: seasons. They went 2-1 in their final three First season; overall: games. 83-23 Noteworthy: UNC is hungry to get back on Last Season: The Aggies went 7-6 and track and prove doubters wrong. Navarre’s lost a shootout in its Belk Bowl battle with own Michael Carter is on the squad and is Wake Forest, falling 55-52 to the Demon coming off a freshman season in which he Deacons. led the Tar Heels in rushing touchdowns. Noteworthy: Jimbo Fisher brought Florida He’s on the Doak Walker Award Watch List. State a national championship. He’ll try to Anthony Ratliff-Williams is a big-time threat do the same at A&M. Trayveon Williams in the passing game, catching six touchleads the way offensively. The junior down passes last year. Outside linebacker running back is one of just three in the Malik Carney is an experienced pass rusher nation who have multiple 200-yard rushing who led the team in sacks and is poised for performances against Power 5 opponents an All-ACC type of year. Most don’t expect during their careers. Williams finished the much from UNC this season, but this team season with 798 yards and eight touchhas the talent to piece together a winning downs. He’s 145 yards away from 2,000 season. for his career. Linebacker Tyrel Dodson led Larry Fedora on experience: “We had a lot the Aggies in tackles (105) and is the first of young guys get reps last year, so they sophomore at the school in nearly 20 years got experience, whether they were starters to get to 100 tackles. or not. I would say the majority of our Jimbo Fisher on building A&M into a team played, even though they shouldn’t champion: “You want to win immediately have played last year. So we’re going to and that’s your place, but is that realistic? I take that and we’re going to build off of it.” don’t know. Could it be? Yes. It’s all about the process of putting things in place. Because you want to build a program the right way up and get kids to understand and buy in.”

Football

West Florida

Head Coach: Pete Shinnick – At West Florida: 16-10; overall: 119-56 Last Season: The Argonauts (11-4) shocked the NCAA Division II football world, reaching the national championship game in just their second year of existence. Looking Ahead: Living up to what they accomplished last season won’t be easy for the Argos. The only thing really left to do now is go out and win the national championship. UWF certainly has the talent to do just that. Nearly everyone is back from that magical run to the title game, including quarterback Mike Beaudry, who threw for 3,215 yards and 29 touchdowns and earned Gulf South Conference Offensive Freshman of the Year honors. The running attack is in good hands, too, with Chris Schwarz and Anthony Johnson leading the way. The two combined for more than 1,200 yards in a season where the Argos finally got the ground game going after struggling in 2016. UWF arguably has the best receiving corps. in the nation with Antoine Griffin, Ka’Ron Ashley and Tate Lehito all back. All three caught at least 45 passes and combined for 13 touchdowns and all three are big-time playmakers. Look for Navarre’s own Quentin Randolph to get more touches as well. He caught three passes last season, including one in the title game, and will see time on special teams as well. The entire offensive line is back, headlined by left tackle Samuel Antoine. Marvin Conley leads the defense. Conley led the Argos in tackles last season with 104 and returned two picks for touchdowns. Andre Duncombe returns at linebacker. He was among the conference leaders in sacks with five while also picking off four passes. UWF allowed 334 yards per game last season while averaging 343.7. This offense has an opportunity to be one of the most explosive in the nation and the defense should continue to build off its late-season success when it held three of its first four playoff opponents to 17 points or less. Life in the GSC is a grind and getting back to a championship game is never easy but the Argos are ready for the challenges ahead as they take aim at a national title.

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Below is a look at what the teams in the SEC as well as UNC, Florida State and West Florida looking like as the 2018 season inches closer to the start.

SEC East Preview Capsules

Kentucky

Head Coach: Mark Florida Stoops – At Kentucky Head Coach: Dan Mullen and overall: 26-36 – At Florida: First season; Last Season: The Wildcats overall: 69-46 (7-6) won four conference games. They Last Season: A five-game lost 24-23 to Northwestern in the Music losing streak doomed hopes of a winning City Bowl. season for the Gators (4-7). Noteworthy: Benny Snell Jr. is already one Noteworthy: With 20 starters back, many of the best running backs to ever play for believe Dan Mullen can lead the Gators the Wildcats. The leader in rushing touchback to prominence. Malik Davis anchors downs (19) last season, Snell is coming off the running game after rushing for 526 back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and will yards and Tyrie Cleveland gives Florida make UK’s running attack tough to stop. a threat in the passing attack. Cleveland Senior safety Mike Edwards has natural caught two touchdown passes last season. athletic ability and averaged 7.5 tackles Defensive lineman Cece Jefferson made per game last season. He should be one of 47 tackles and recorded six quarterback the league’s best defensive players again hurries last year and will look to help the as the Wildcats aim to build off last season’s Gators contend for an SEC East Division title. success. Dan Mullen on building a contender: “The Mark Stoops on the program taking a step goal for this year’s team is to get back (to forward: “We expect more. We’ve been Atlanta) the first week in December and close. We’ve done some good things. I’m compete for an SEC championship. We also proud of the work that we’ve done, that have a goal to build the program, to be a we look forward to making a big jump consistent championship contender. And this year.” those – sometimes they go hand in hand; sometimes they don’t. But we’re constantly Missouri working to do it.” Head Coach: Barry Odom – At Missouri Georgia and overall: 11-14 Head Coach: Kirby Smart Last Season: The Ti– At Georgia and overall: gers used a late-season surge to finish 7-6, 21-7 winning six of their final seven. The only Last Season: Georgia (13-2) nearly won the loss in that stretch was to Texas (33-16) in national championship, falling to Alabama the Texas Bowl. in overtime. The Bulldogs won the SEC title. Noteworthy: With Drew Lock back, Missouri Noteworthy: Jake Fromm earned SEC should be one of the SEC’s best teams. The Freshman of the Year honors after senior led the nation in touchdown passes throwing for 2,615 yards, the third-most (44), setting single-season school and in a single-season by a Georgia rookie. conference records, and has the potential Fromm gives the Bulldogs a shot at winning to be the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. the SEC again and the national title. Senior He’s efficient, completing more than half corner Deandre Baker racked up 44 tackles of his 419 pass attempts while throwing for for one of the nation’s best defenses. With 3,964 yards. Look out for Terez Hall on the 12 starters gone, duplicating last season’s defensive side of the ball. He’s a big-time success won’t be easy. But the Bulldogs playmaker, finishing with 85 tackles last have enough talent to make another season. title run. Barry Odom on the pace of his team’s play: Kirby Smart on the expectations: “This “The tempo is always going to be there for season is going to be simple. It’s going us. We’ll play as fast as we can play. There to be the measure of potential versus will be times that we vary the huddle and effectiveness. I think potential is dormant the speed of how we’re going to attack the ability. And I think effectiveness is what we line of scrimmage and how we’re going get out of our potential. And we talk to our to play it.” players all of the time, the pressure is really a privilege.”

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South Carolina

Head Coach: Will Muschamp – At South Carolina: 15-11; overall: 43-32 Last Season: A 9-4 season was capped with a 26-19 win over Michigan in the Outback Bowl. The Gamecocks fashioned a 5-2 record at home. Noteworthy: Sixteen starters return for a team aiming to contend for a division title and league crown. Jake Bentley gives the Gamecocks hope of achieving those goals. He was the MVP of the Outback Bowl and threw for close to 2,800 yards and 18 touchdowns. He needs just seven more wins to become the sixth in school history to win 20 games. T.J. Brunson is a beast. The linebacker has more than 100 tackles in just two seasons, including 88 a year ago during a breakout season. Will Muschamp on showdown with Georgia: “Certainly we know that game is looming. But the winner or loser of that game is not going to determine the East. There’s a lot of football to be played after that game, regardless of the circumstances and the outcome of the game.”

Vanderbilt

Head Coach: Derek Mason – At Vanderbilt and overall: 18-31 Last Season: Vanderbilt missed out on a winning season again for the fourth consecutive year. The Commodores finished 5-7. Noteworthy: The Commodores are hoping to turn their fortunes around and get back to winning games more consistently. Quarterback Kyle Shurmur should help that cause. The most experienced quarterback in the SEC has started 30 games and closing in on several of Jay Cutler’s school records. Shurmur threw 26 touchdown passes last season and averaged just over 292 passing yards per game over the last five games last year. Safety LaDarius Wiley brings experience to the defense, starting 19 games the last three years. He made 58 tackles last season and has 172 in his career. Derek Mason on his team’s depth: “I look at our depth and say it’s as good as it’s ever been. Everybody has been watching what’s on the surface of our program. I believe what’s come behind these seniors and what happened to our recruiting classes really propelled this group.”

Information compiled by Brian Lester

Arkansas

Head Coach: Chad Morris – At Arkansas: First Season; overall: 14-22 Last Season: Arkansas (4-8) won only once in SEC play and dropped its final three games. Noteworthy: Chad Morris has his hands full turning the Razorbacks around. The good news is 19 starters are back. Veteran offensive lineman Hjalte Froholdt has started 25 consecutive games and is rated one of the best in the SEC. Drew Greenlaw enters his senior year with 240 tackles, including 103 last season, the most in a season for him. The Razorbacks have a stretch of five consecutive home games, including four in October, and that will make or break their hopes for a bowl game. Chad Morris on expectations: “Whether we’re picked to finish first or last is irrelevant at this point in time. As the way I look at it, nobody’s played a snap yet. There’s a lot to prove.”

Auburn

Head Coach: Gus Malzahn – At Auburn: 45-22; overall: 54-25 Tennessee Last Season: Auburn (10-4) made it to Head Coach: Jeremy Pruitt the SEC title game where it lost 28-7 to – At Tennessee and overall: SEC West Preview Capsules Georgia. The Tigers’ season ended in First season Atlanta with a 34-27 loss to Central Florida Last Season: The Volunteers finished 4-8. Alabama in the Peach Bowl. They ended the year on a three-game Head Coach: Nick Saban Noteworthy: Former Navarre Raider Nick losing streak. -- At Alabama: 132-20; Brahms is recovering from an injury he Noteworthy: A new era begins in Knoxville overall: 233-79-1 suffered in the spring and is hoping to play with Jeremy Pruitt coming in after working Last Season: The Crimson a key role on the offensive line this season. as an assistant at Alabama. His ability to Tide (13-1) won the national championship, The Tigers boast one of the top quarterrecruit should serve him well as he works beating Georgia 26-23 in OT. backs in the league in Jarrett Stidham, who to rebuild the program. Marquez Callaway Noteworthy: Seven offensive starters threw for more than 3,100 yards and 18 will play a key role in the offense. The return, including Damien Harris, the touchdowns. Linebacker Deshaun Davis taljunior wide receiver had five touchdown leading rusher the last two seasons. The big lied a team-best 82 tackles for an Auburn catches last year. Nigel Warrior is among question mark is at quarterback. Does the team that ranked 14th in the nation in total the returnees on defense. The defensive Tide lean on Jalen Hurts, one of the best defense (319.4 yards per game). Davis has back ranked second on the team in tackles offensive players in the league, or turn to 150 tackles in his career. (83) and is a former All-SEC Freshman Tua Tagovailoa, who came in during the Gus Malzahn on his team’s motivation: Team selection. second half of the title game and won the “I really like our team. I like our leaders. Jeremy Pruitt on taking the Tennessee job: championship for Alabama, throwing a There’s nothing like experience in our “For me, when I chose to go to Tennessee, last-second touchdown pass to DeVonta league. And we experienced some highs and our staff chose to go to Tennessee, our Smith? On defense, Raekwon Davis leads and lows, and, like I said, we were close number one goal is to build a championship the way. He’s Alabama’s returning sacks (last year). And I just really sense urgency program. To do that, it takes commitment, leader, tallying 8.5 last season. and a hunger from that group.” and it takes resources.” Nick Saban on coaching until he’s at least 70: “Well, let me say this. Mrs. Terry does not want me at home. I can tell you that. She doesn’t care if I’m 60, 70 or 80. She’s looking for something for me to do. As long as I’m healthy and I can do it, I’m going to continue to do it and not worry about any numbers or what my age is or anything like that.”

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LSU

Head Coach: Ed Oregron – At LSU: 15-6; overall: 31-33 Last Season: LSU (9-4) closed with three wins in their last four games. Their season ended with a 21-17 loss to Notre Dame in the Citrus Bowl. Noteworthy: LSU has its share of doubters but hopes to prove them wrong. Foster Moreau will play a critical role in the offense. He’s one of the best tight ends in the nation and excels in both catching passes and blocking in the run game. The Tigers have a lot back on defense, starting with Devin White, who might very well be the top linebacker in the country this season. The second-team All-American led the league in tackles (133) last year on the strength of eight double-digit tackle games. LSU faces an early-season test against Miami in Dallas and that could shape the direction of its season. The Tigers get both Alabama and Georgia at home. Ed Orgeron on the offense: If you’re thinking about what we’re going to do at LSU, we’re going to be a spread offense mainly from three wide receiver sets, four wide receiver sets, sometimes five. We’ll be 50/50 throwing the football, running the football.”

Ole Miss

Head Coach: Matt Luke – At Ole Miss and overall: 6-6 Last Season: The Rebels (6-6) made the best of a difficult situation, finishing with three wins in their last four games. Two of their losses were by seven points or less. Noteworthy: Jordan Ta’Amu leads the Rebels into the 2018 season after throwing for close to 1,700 yards last season. He threw 11 scoring strikes as well. He showed a lot of potential and should only get better this season and perhaps be the difference maker in the close games. Josiah Coatney returns to lead the defense. The experienced lineman made 65 tackles last year, including eight on two different occasions. With 13 starters back, Ole Miss should at least finish .500 again, though a winning season isn’t out of the question, especially with starters back on offense. Matt Luke on the locker room culture: “I see the culture of our team continue to build. I really feel like all of the experiences these young men have gone through have really brought them together as a team. So, I really, really like the culture in our locker room right now.”

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Football Records

Rushing Yards in a Season 2016: Michael Carter, 2,536 yards 2012: Jay Warren, 1,832 yards 1999: Frank Willis, 1,461 yards 2010: Dwayne Carter, 1,389 yards 2011: Dwayne Carter, 1,317 yards

Receptions in a Career 2009-11: Brad Leggett, 118 2010-12: Jordan Leggett, 117 2005-07: Chris Weaver, 97 2016-17: Dante Wright, 74 2007-09: Michael Pettus, 67

Rushing Touchdowns in a Season 2016: Michael Carter, 41 2011: Dwayne Carter, 22 2010: Dwayne Carter, 20 2012: Jay Warren, 19 1999: Frank Willis, 14

Rushing Yards in a Career 2013-16: Michael Carter, 4,536 yards 2009-11: Dwayne Carter, 3,021 yards 2010-12: Jay Warren, 2,286 yards 1999-01: Frank Willis, 2,235 yards 2002-03: Patrick Hess, 1,961 yards

Receiving Yards in a Season 2007: Chris Weaver, 973 2012: Jordan Leggett, 964 2017: Dante Wright, 906 2014: Quentin Randolph, 801 2011: Brad Leggett, 768

Rushing Touchdowns in a Career 2013-16: Michael Carter, 69 2009-11: Dwayne Carter, 42 2010-12: Jay Warren, 24 1999-01: Frank Willis, 19 2007-09: Michael Pettus, 18

Passing Yards in a Season 2007: Austin Grimm, 2,517 2014: Matt Webb, 2,397 2011: Dusty Jones, 2,315 2013: Matt Webb, 1,793 2017: Sage Chambers: 1,789

Receiving Yards in a Career 2010-12: Jordan Leggett, 1,827 2009-11: Brad Leggett, 1,743 2016-17: Dante Wright, 1,646 (Still Playing) 2005-07: Chris Weaver, 1,438 2011-13: Gatlin Casey, 1,031

Passing Yards in a Career 2012-14: Matt Webb, 4,461 yards 2006-07: Austin Grimm, 4,087 2015-17: Sage Chambers, 2,898 2009-11: Dusty Jones, 2,503 2008-09: Andrew Velazquez, 2,009

Passing Touchdowns in a Season 2017: Sage Cambers, 20 2014: Matt Webb, 19 2007: Austin Grimm, 17 2011: Dusty Jones, 17 2001: Zach Cook, 15

Receiving Touchdowns in a Season 2017: Dante Wright, 15 2011: Brad Leggett, 9 2013: Gatlin Casey, 8 1999: Stephen Crabtree, 7 2007: Chris Weaver, 7 2010: Brad Leggett, 7 2012: Jordan Leggett, 7 2014: Quentin Randolph, 7

Receptions in a Season 2007: Chris Weaver, 67 2014: Quentin Randolph, 62 2011: Brad Leggett, 55 2012: Jordan Leggett: 55 2013: Blake Malter, 47

Passing Touchdowns in a Career 2012-14: Matt Webb, 32 2015-17: Sage Chambers, 28 2006-07: Austin Grimm, 28 2014-16: Caine Adamson, 22 2009-11: Dusty Jones, 19

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Receiving Touchdowns in a Career 2016-17: Dante Wright, 21 2009-11: Brad Leggett, 20 2012-13: Gatlin Casey, 13 2010-12: Jordan Leggett, 12 2006-07: Chris Weaver, 9

Sacks in a Career 2015-17: Josh Carter, 20.5 (Still Playing) 2011-13: Christian Gill, 18 2008-10: Andrew Garcia, 14 2008-10: Chris Anderson, 11 2013-14: Kyle Arrasmith, 11 2009-10: Victor Byers, 10 2007-09: Eugene Robinson, 10 2014-16: Bo Hering, 10 Interceptions in a Season 2015: Michael Sandle, 6 2012: Nick Benton, 5 2006: Michael Hagewood, 5 2013: Michael Sandle, 4 2008: Billy Mitchell, 4 2010: Johnny Pettus, 4 Interceptions in a Career 2010-12: Nick Benton, 11 2013-15: Michael Sandle 11 2011-12: Elijah Appel, 7 2007-09: Tre’Von Allen, 5 2001-02: Lucas Thomas, 5 2006: Michael Hagewood, 5 2012: Johnny Robinson, 5

Sacks in a Season 2010: Andrew Garcia, 12 2016: Josh Carter, 11 2010: Victor Byers, 10 2013: Christian Gill, 8 2014: Kyle Arrasmith, 8 2010: Virgilo Hunter, 7 2010: Chris Anderson, 7

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Football Facts

By the

Numbers

9-2: Navarre’s record last season. The Raiders reached the second round of the playoffs. 29-2:

That’s the Raiders’ record in its last 31 games in the regular season. Navarre has lost only four regular-season games in the last three years.

5: District titles the Raiders have won, including their fifth last season. 15: The new single-season record for touchdown catches. Dante Wright holds it and will be a senior this season. 16: Consecutive road wins in the regular season for Navarre. The Raiders have lost just one road game in their last 17 away

Continued from page 4 There are playmakers on both sides of the ball. Dante Wright, already the single-season leader in touchdown receptions (15) and second in career points (305), is an all-around threat. The Tulane commit not only racked up 906 receiving yards, but he rushed for 567 yards and 10 scores. He also returned two picks for touchdowns and a punt for a score. Carter and Chris Williams will anchor the running attack while Marlon Courtney is ready to take over at quarterback for the graduated Sage Chambers. Bryson Garner is the lone returning starter up front and headlines a young line that has a lot of size and is expected to jell as the season rolls on. The offensive line is young but has great size and is expected to gel as the season rolls on. The defense is returns almost everyone, including Carter, who registered 97 tackles and 4.5 sacks. Jefferson came through with 49

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tackles and five sacks. He joins returnees Mitchell Hunt, Alex Gilchrist and Jacobi Smith on the defensive line. All four were starters a year ago up front. “We have a number of returning starters on both sides of the ball,” Walls said. “Our defense ought to be as good or better than last year, and at the skill positions, we can be as good or better." The Raiders showed in their preseason game against Louisville that its defense will pour everything it has into keeping an opponent off the scoreboard and keeping the Raiders in the game the way a good starting pitcher will in baseball. The offense is versatile. “We want to be wide open with our offensive attack,” Walls said.“We want to run and throw, and we’ll have some trick plays in there. We feel like we have some playmakers.” Navarre begins the season Friday night in Pensacola against Catholic.

The Raiders hope it’s the beginning of a four-month journey to glory. Walls said his team welcomes the pressure that comes with setting the bar high this season. “We want to be the best all time at Navarre, to try to be better than last year, to go further than we have ever gone,” Walls said. “We have put pressure on ourselves and will work like crazy to obtain it. If we work hard and have a fire inside of us, success is available, greatness is available.” Jefferson is ready to go get it. “I want a ring,” Jefferson said without a hint of hesitation in his voice. “We’ve been district champs and regional champs. Now we want that ring.” Carter doesn’t hesitate either to speak about his goals. As he’s asked about his goals for the year, he stops a reporter in mid-sentence. “We can’t stop at nothing less than a state championship,” Carter said.

from home.

4,014: Yards the Raiders rolled up last season, churning out 400 or more four times. 9: Playoff appearances Navarre has made in its program’s history. The Raiders have reached the playoffs in six consecutive seasons. 59: Total wins head coach Jay Walls has in his career at Navarre. 97: Number of tackles Josh Carter racked up last year. It was the most on the team. 40: The 40-point mark is something Navarre has hit often in recent years. It scored 40 or more five times last season and has scored 40 in 18 of its last 35 games.

43: Number of times opponents converted on third down against the Raiders in 129 attempts. 46: Sacks the Raiders rang up last season. Carter had 4.5 sacks and he is the all-time leader in sacks in a career with 20.

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R A I D E R S Varsity & Jr. Varsity Roster # 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 6 7 8 9 11 12 13 14 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 36 37 38 39 40 41 41 42 43 44 47 48

Name Pos. COURTNEY, MARLON QB ENGLAND, TYLER WR APONGAN, GABE WR WILLIAMS, CHRIS RB/LB PELTIER, TEVIN RB CARTER, JOSH RB/LB MAKIN, EVAN WR/DB WRIGHT, DANTE WR/DB FINLEY, GARON WR/QB ARNO, AJ WR CREWS, NATHAN DB MARTINEZ, TYLER WR BREWER, TIM WR GOURLEY, EVAN DB MCKENNA, EZRA QB CABALLERO, QUINN WR/DB DOMINO, MEKHI WR/DB SIMPSON, ZACH WR TAICH, KEVIN PK BROCKUM, ANTHONY WR LEE, LOGEN DB JOHNSON, KOBE DB DENNIS, KY RB/DB MITCHELL, JEBARI RB/DB COOK, MIKE WR THOMAS, XAYVION LB SIMMONS, JOSEPH DB ANTONIO, JAYDIN RB/DB DAVIS, GABE DB THOMAS, CAMERON DB PENTON, PRESTON PK DOWNEY, MATTHEW DB PARKER, BLAYDEN DB MARQUIS, ZACK LB WILSON, JALYN WR MCCLARNEY, JAY DB AVERY, JOSHUA WR LOPOSKY, DANNY WR RAINWATER, JACKSON DB FELDNER, MATTHEW DB DEAL, JASON QB/DB ALONZO, ALEX DB HUSTON, BAILEY RB/DB LAW, PEYTON LB FEDORKOWICZ, MARCUS DB MATTOX, JEFFERY LB SMITH, SEAN LB MITCHEM, JAMES TE/DL PEEK, RICHARD P HEYWARD, ISAIAH LB

HEAD COACH JAY WALLS

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Grade 11 11 11 12 10 12 10 12 12 10 12 10 10 12 10 12 10 12 12 12 11 11 10 10 10 11 10 11 11 12 10 12 10 10 10 10 10 11 10 10 10 10 10 12 10 11 10 10 10 12

ASSISTANT COACHES GREG TAYLOR GARRETT BAGLEY GREG GREENHAW BRANDON LAWSON TONY CARTER BRIAN BRINSFIELD BRAD RHODES EVERETTE ALFORD KIRK WHITED

# 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 57 57 58 59 60 61 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 82 83 84 84 85 86 87 88 90 91 92 94 95 96 97 99

Name Pos. GOMEZ, FERNANDO TE BRASELL, CONNER LB KASCHAK, KYLE LB BUCEY, WYATT LB EASTWOOD, CONNER LB ADAMS, ROGER DL POYNTER, MATTHEW LB BRYANT, MARVIN DB HERING, NATE LB SIMON, BOBBY LB LEMKE, CODY LB MOXLEY, TROY LB ARCEO, GARRETT OL BUSHKA, JOSEPH OL GARNER, BRYSON OL COLABINE, TYLER OL CAMPBELL, TREY OL DAVIES, DALLAS OL/DL FELICIANO, MARCUS OL GRAY, AUSTIN OL/DL MOON, JORDAN OL/DL MELENDEZ, ELIJAH OL MALLORY, MASON LB HIGGINBOTHAM, DAWSON OL/DL KELLY, GRADY DL TAYLOR, COTA OL BREWER, PRESTON OL CHAVIS-MHOON, JEREMIAHOL BASSHAM, EVAN OL/DL DILLARD, KLAYTON OL COMER, NATHAN TE DEVARIES, SAUL WR THOMPSON, CODY WR AUSTIN, SHAYNE WR GROTKE, SHANE WR MELENDEZ, NOAH WR COLLINSWORTH, LOGAN WR TAYLOR, ZACK WR PAREJA, MATTHEW WR ANDERSON, ERIC TE BORNEO, JADEN WR PEMBERTON, TERRY DL SAGER, MALACHI DL WANGERIN, BRANDON DL SCHULTZ, PAUL DL GILCHRIST, ALEX TE/DL SMITH, JACOBI TE/DL HUNT, MITCHELL OL/DL JEFFERSON, JORDAN TE/DL

ATHLETIC DIRECTOR SCOTT MURPHY PRINCIPAL BRIAN NOACK

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Grade 11 12 11 10 10 11 11 11 10 11 10 10 10 10 12 10 12 11 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 12 10 10 10 12 10 10 12 10 12 12 10 12 10 12 10 10 11 11 11 12 12 12 12

ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS KASIE WINDFELDER BRIAN HOWELL JOE TRUJILLO ATHLETIC TRAINER ALLEN RAY

Football NAVARRE RAIDERS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE DATE Aug. 24 Aug. 31 Sept. 7 Sept. 14 Sept. 21 Sept. 28 Oct. 5 Oct. 12 Oct. 26 Nov. 2

OPPONENT at Pensacola Catholic, vs. Washington, vs. Crestview, at Choctaw, vs. Pine Forest, at Pace, at Escambia, vs. Milton, vs. Gulf Breeze, at Niceville,

TIME 7:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 7:00 p.m.

Navarre Raiders

Head Coach: Jay Walls enters his seventh season at Navarre. He is 59-15 and has guided the Raiders to six consecutive playoff appearances, including state semifinal appearances in 2012 and 2016. Looking Back: Navarre went 9-2 last year and reached the second round of the playoffs where it lost 52-21 to St. Augustine in the second round. The Raiders, who won their fifth district title in program history, were ranked in every state AP poll during the season.

Walls

Top Returning Players: RB Chris Williams (111 carries, 590 yards, 3 touchdowns); WR Dante Wright (39 catches, 906 yards, 15 touchdowns; 37 carries, 567 yards, 10 touchdowns); WR Quinn Caballero (28 catches, 342 yards, 1 touchdown); OL Bryson Garner; LB Josh Carter (97 tackles, 4.5 sacks); DL Jordan Jefferson (49 tackles, 5 sacks); DB Cam Thomas (48 tackles, 1 interception); DL Mitchell Hunt (41 tackles); DL Alex Gilchrist (30 tackles, 5 sacks, blocked punt); DB Gabe Davis (15.5 tackles); DL Jacobi Smith (15 tackles, 2 sacks) Outlook: Expectations are always high at Navarre, and this team, based on what it has returning, has an opportunity to be the best in school history. Start with two of the most dynamic players in the area in Tulane commit Dante Wright and Josh Carter. Wright already holds the single-season school record for touchdown catches in a season and ranks second all-time in points scored. He can gash the defense with his running ability, ranking second on the team in rushing, and he’s one of the best defensive players on the team, finishing third in tackles with 52.5 while picking off four passes, two of which he returned for touchdowns. The senior star returned a punt for a score as well. Carter is known best for the havoc he creates on the defensive side of the ball and is already the alltime sacks leader at the school. He made nearly 100 tackles last season and should have no problem hitting that mark again this year. But he’s become quite the threat on offense, too, particularly out of the backfield where he rushed for a little over 200 yards and scored three touchdowns. He caught a touchdown pass as well. Williams is poised for a big year out of the backfield and Jaydin Antonio has an opportunity to make a lot of plays. Navarre lost a three-year starter at quarterback in Sage Chambers, but the void will be filled by Marlon Courtney, who has moved back to the area from Virginia. Courtney is only a junior and just looks the part of a signal caller, showing in the spring game and in fall practice that he has a strong arm and has the speed to make plays with his feet. Garon Finely is the backup at quarterback and will see most of his time at wide receiver. Alongside Wright is Caballero, who is quick and expected to make big plays both on offense and on defense as a cornerback. Tim Brewer is tall and athletic has an opportunity to have a breakout type of season at receiver. Eric Anderson and Jacobi Smith, one of the more versatile athletes on the team – he also punts and plays defense - have a chance to be impact players at tight end. The offensive line is young and inexperienced but has a lot of size and strength. Led by Garner and fellow seniors Klayton Dillard, Cota Taylor and Tre Campbell, this group has a chance to be special. The defensive line is intact from last season and that experience will go a long way in helping the Raiders boast one of the better defenses in the area. Xayvion Thomas should play a key role at linebacker and the secondary is loaded with talent, with Logen Lee and Nathan Crews among the players the Raiders will lean on in the defensive backfield. Kevin Taich returns to handle the kicking duties. If this team stays healthy and plays up to its potential, the pieces are in place to make a run at the title.

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RAIDER STRONG

Physically and mentally strong, Raiders prepare for title quest By Brian Lester brian@navarrepress.com Josh Carter is leaned up against a wall inside the fieldhouse on a Friday night in August. He’s tired, he’s sweating, he’s catching his breath after a hard-fought preseason game against a Louisville team that was a state semifinalist last season. The Raiders didn’t win the game, falling 14-6, but they battled hard and took valuable lessons from the experience against a state power, gaining a better understanding of what it will take to achieve the lofty goals in

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front of them on the long journey ahead. Expectations are as high as ever for Navarre, a program that has been a model of consistency when it comes to winning, and the goal, of course, is to win a state title for the first time in program history. What’s it going to take to live up to it all. Carter, a senior linebacker and arguably the best defensive player in the area, keeps it simple. “We have to work hard,” Carter said. “That’s all I can say. We have to work hard.” Enter the theme Raider Strong. What does it mean? Na-

varre head coach Jay Walls explains it. “We want it to be the foundation of our program,” Walls said. “Raider Strong is about team first and doing things right. We want to outwork everyone and be mentally and physically tough. Everyone has a will to fight on Friday night, but you also have to have the will to prepare to fight Monday through Thursday in practice.” Carter talked about the importance of the mental aspect of the game. “Strength doesn’t always come from the physical aspect. It comes from the mental, too,”

Carter said. “You have to be mentally tough and when you mess up, you have to come back even better and work even harder. That’s Raider Strong to me.” Senior defensive lineman Jordan Jefferson added that Raider Strong is about digging deep late in the game when your body is telling you not to. “Football is about mental toughness and being able to push through all four quarters even when you are feeling tired,” Jefferson said. Navarre was 9-2 a season ago and reached the second round of the playoffs where it lost 52-21 to St. Augustine on the road.

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The playoff appearance was the sixth consecutive under head coach Jay Walls, who is 59-15 in his six seasons at the helm. Navarre has won five district titles in that time, including one last season, and has won 29 of its last 31 games in the regular season over the last three years. It has also been to the state semifinals twice. This team has the potential to be one of the best in program history and has talked about being strong enough to deal with the grind of a long season that it hopes ends in December in Orlando in the 6A state championship game. Continued on page 6

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Football Schedules

GULF BREEZE DATE OPPONENT Aug. 24 at Pascagoula Aug. 31 at Pensacola Catholic Sept. 7 vs. Tate Sept. 14 at Pine Forest Sept. 21 vs. Washington Sept. 28 vs. Milton Oct. 5 at Fort Walton Beach Oct. 12 vs. Pace Oct. 26 at Navarre Nov. 2 vs. Gadsden County

TIME 7 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 7 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 7 p.m.

PINE FOREST DATE OPPONENT Aug. 24 vs. Pensacola Sept. 7 at Pace Sept. 14 vs. Gulf Breeze Sept. 21 at Navarre Sept. 28 at Escambia Oct. 5 vs. West Florida Oct. 12 vs. Washington Oct. 19 at Godby Oct. 26 vs. Tate Nov. 2 at Milton

TIME 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m.

PACE DATE Aug. 24 Aug. 31 Sept. 7 Sept. 14 Sept. 21 Sept. 28 Oct. 12 Oct. 19 Oct. 26 Nov. 2

OPPONENT at Fort Walton Beach at Pensacola vs. Pine Forest at Washington vs. Choctaw vs. Navarre at Gulf Breeze at Tate at Milton vs. Pensacola Catholic

TIME 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 7 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7:30 p.m.

BOOKER T WASHINGTON DATE OPPONENT Aug. 24 vs. Milton Aug. 31 at Navarre Sept. 7 at Pensacola Sept. 14 vs. Pace Sept. 21 at Gulf Breeze Sept 28 vs. Tate Oct. 12 at Pine Forest Oct. 19 vs. Pensacola Catholic Oct. 26 vs. Escambia Nov. 2 at West Florida

TIME 7 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m.

MILTON DATE OPPONENT Aug. 24 at Washington Aug. 31 at Choctaw Sept. 7 vs. Fort Walton Beach Sept. 14 vs. Pensacola Catholic Sept. 21 vs. Tate Sept. 28 at Gulf Breeze Oct. 5 at Crestview Oct. 12 at Navarre Oct. 26 vs. Pace Nov. 2 vs. Pine Forest

TIME 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 7 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m.

PENSACOLA CATHOLIC DATE OPPONENT Aug. 24 vs. Navarre Aug. 31 vs. Gulf Breeze Sept. 7 vs. Choctaw Sept. 14 at Milton Sept. 21 vs. Pensacola Sept. 28 vs. American Heritage Oct. 5 at Madison County 7:30 p.m. Oct. 12 vs. Northview Oct. 19 at Washington Nov. 2 at Pace

ESCAMBIA DATE OPPONENT Aug. 24 vs. West Florida Aug. 31 vs. Archbishop Shaw Sept. 7 vs. Archbishop Rummel Sept. 28 vs. Pine Forest Oct. 5 vs. Navarre Oct. 12 at Tate Oct. 19 vs. Lincoln Oct. 26 at Washington Nov. 2 at Pensacola

TIME 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m.

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NICEVILLE DATE OPPONENT Aug. 24 vs. Lincoln Aug. 31 vs. East Ridge Sept. 7 at Clay-Chalkville Sept. 14 vs. Holmes County Central Sept. 21 vs. Champagnat Catholic Sept. 28 vs. Fort Walton Beach 7 p.m. Oct. 5 vs. Molsey Oct. 12 at Choctaw Oct. 26 at Crestview Nov. 2 vs. Navarre

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TIME 7:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 7 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 7 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7:30 p.m. TIME 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m.

CHOCTAWHATCHEE DATE OPPONENT Aug. 24 at Tate Aug. 31 vs. Milton Sept. 7 at Pensacola Catholic Sept. 14 vs. Navarre Sept. 21 at Pace Sept. 28 vs. Crestview Oct. 12 vs. Niceville Oct. 19 at Leon Oct. 26 at Fort Walton Beach Nov. 2 vs. Bay

TIME 7:30 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m.

CRESTVIEW DATE OPPONENT Aug. 24 vs. Bay Aug. 31 at St. Martin (Miss.) Sept. 7 at Navarre Sept 14 vs. Tampa Catholic Sept. 21 vs. West Florida Sept. 28 at Choctaw Oct. 5 vs. Milton Oct. 12 at Fort Walton Beach Oct. 26 vs. Niceville

TIME 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m.

Area Fall Sports District Assignments Cross Country District 1-3A: Escambia, Gulf Breeze, Milton, Pace, Pensacola, Pine Forest, Tate and Washington District 2-3A: Choctaw, Crestview, Fort Walton Beach, Mosley, Navarre and Niceville Football District 1-6A: Escambia, Pine Forest, Tate and Washington District 2-6A: Gulf Breeze, Milton, Navarre and Pace District 3-6A: Choctaw, Crestview, Fort Walton Beach and Niceville Golf District 1-3A: Chiles, Leon, Lincoln, Navarre and Niceville Swimming District 1-3A: Escambia, Milton, Navarre, Niceville, Pace, Pensacola, Pine Forest, Tate and Washington Volleyball District 1-8A: Gulf Breeze, Navarre, Niceville and Tate District 2-8A: Chiles, Leon and Lincoln

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Fall Sports Guide 2018

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Schedules and Rosters • Football • Volleyball • Cross Country • Swimming • Golf • Cheerleading • Band


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