THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2018
2C / NAVARRE PRESS
Brian Out Loud! By Brian Lester
brian@navarrepress.com Did you really think peace was going to remain in place at Alabama? We all did in January. I even wrote about it. It was hard not to be impressed with the way quarterback Jalen Hurts handled himself in the moments following the Crimson Tide’s win over Georgia in the national championship game. He was all class after being benched in the second half in favor of Tua Tagovailoa, who led Alabama to a comeback victory. It’s easy to be happy when you’ve just won the biggest game of your life. Winning cures everything. But now the thrill of winning the championship has faded. A new season is about to begin. And after nearly nine months of silence, Hurts has spoken his mind. He went off a couple of weeks ago, not necessarily ripping his teammates or his coach, but a rant that was more along the lines of venting his frustration about the whole quarterback situation. Hurts told reporters that no one asked him how he felt during spring practice and no one asked him what was on his mind about the quarterback situation. He also expressed his frustration with the way Alabama attempted to prevent him from talking about the situation. Hurts was also not too thrilled with Nick Saban noting at SEC media day that he wasn’t even sure if Hurts would be at the season opener, although he told reporters he expects Hurts to be there. Apparently, Saban had a bout with amnesia, or something like that, because Hurts mentioned to his coach in June that he was going to be sticking around since he’s graduating in December. As far as timing is concerned, Hurts couldn’t have picked a less ideal time to share his frustrations publicly. Alabama plays football in less than a month and the last thing you want is more gasoline dumped onto the fire that is the quarterback controversy at Alabama. But there’s no turning back now. The Tide must figure out how to deal with it. Good luck with that. With Hurts, you can’t blame him for feeling the way he does. I don’t see his actions as classless or not doing what is best for the team. I see his actions as him just being human. It can’t be easy being in his shoes. And he’s a competitor. He wants to play. And maybe he will play. He’ll at least get an opportunity to. As far as I know a starter hasn’t been named yet, which means Hurts still has a shot to be under center when Alabama opens the season. It’s just a matter of working for that opportunity and not letting his frustration get the best of him. He needs to use that frustration to his advantage, allow it to fuel his drive to be the best quarterback on the roster. Will it work? I don’t know. But one thing is for sure. Hurts has now had his chance to vent. Now it’s time for him to go focus on football. And with a little luck, peace will be restored at Alabama.
Green seizes opportunity to play college football By Brian Lester brian@navarrepress.com Omari Green wasn’t sure if he’d play college football. But a door opened for the former Navarre Raider running back and he walked through it. The opportunity led him to a spot on the football team at Troy. “I’m excited about it. I’m looking forward to the chance to play at the next level,” Green said. Green’s path was paved largely because of the Fred Robbins Game Plan Camp that took place over the summer. The camp is
geared to encourage athletes to have a plan B because only a small percentage ever go on to play professionally. Green had the chance to learn about life on and
off the field. He met with educators, college recruiters, business owners and he took part in a variety of workouts. “The camp taught me a lot about football and life,” Green said. “I’m thankful for the chance Fred gave me. It was a great opportunity for me.” Green, the recipient of the Navarre Quarterback Club scholarship last spring, originally planned to play football at NCAA Division III Huntingdon. Now, he’ll get a chance to play Division I ball for Troy University in Alabama. He went through a walk-on tryout earlier this summer.
“I wanted to walk on there. I felt good about my chances,” Green said. “I thought I had a shot to make it. It was great to find out I had earned a roster spot.” Green graduated in 2017. His senior season was his best. He rushed for 797 yards and nine touchdowns as he helped the Raiders win a district title and reach the second round of the playoffs. Practice at Troy has been a learning experience for Green. “We focus a lot more on technique in college,” Green said. “There are some practices where there
High Hopes
is no contact. We just walk through to get the technique down.” Green knows he still has work to do to get on the field and make plays. But he’s confident in time that it will happen. “I still have a lot more to learn, but I know if I do get the opportunity to play, I want to make the most of it,” Green said. For now, Green is looking forward to being part of a college football team. “I just want to be around the team and see us have a great season. Hopefully at some point I will get the chance to play this year,” Green said.
Bethell ready to lead Argos to season to remember Photos by Brian Lester Kameron Bethell looks to get around a defender during a drill in practice. Bethell is entering his senior season with the University of West Florida men’s soccer team.
By Brian Lester brian@navarrepress.com Beads of sweat are forming on the face of Kameron Bethell as he shouts words of encouragement to his teammates during a drill at soccer practice on a steamy Wednesday morning in August. He takes a water break every so often over the course of a twohour practice, but the University of West Florida soccer star is far more focused on improving his skills than quenching his thirst. There is an added sense of urgency in his voice, a little extra motivation flowing through his veins, and that’s understandable. This fast-approaching season, after all, is the last for Bethell. The former Navarre Raider is a senior and he has every intention of going out with a bang. Especially considering how last year went down. Injuries took their toll on the Argonauts and forced a program rich in tradition and success to settle for a seven-win season. Bethell can’t wait to get started on turning things around. “Being a senior feels special. I wouldn’t say sad, but it’s exciting,”Bethell said.“I feel like this is the strongest team we’ve had in a while. Everyone is positive and energetic, and we believe we can go out and have a great season.” High expectations are on the shoulders of Bethell. He’s a preseason All-Gulf South Conference selection for the second time in his career. The last time he earned the nod he was a sophomore. He ended up living up to the hype and went on to earn all-region honors as well. “It’s nice to be recognized, but it doesn’t mean too much because it’s the preseason,” Bethell said. “It’s all about what you do during the season and how we perform as a team.” Bethell finished with two goals and two assists last season, and the six points the midfielder accumulated off those stats was the lowest of his career. His hope is to get back to the 2016 level he was playing at when he came through with four goals and four assists. How will he do it? Well, let’s just say Bethell is keeping those details to himself. “Without giving away anything
to other teams, I just want to step up and help the new guys improve and be one of the leaders,” Bethell said. “Individually, I want to do my part for the team in the way that I play the game.” UWF reached the second round of the conference tournament two seasons ago. The Argos went 10-5-3 and finished third in the GSC standings. They played for the tournament title when Bethell w a s a freshman. The Argos went 12-6 that season. But this program is hoping for more in 2018. Something Bethell hasn’t done yet is play in an NCAA tournament. The Argos are looking to get there for the first time since 2013. To do it, confidence and momentum must reach peak level. “When the confidence is high, everyone is playing well and the team chemistry is great, and that gets results,” Bethell said. “And when you start winning, it becomes a habit. We want to be winners.” It’s a stark contrast to last season. “The injuries we had didn’t help, but I feel like none of us stepped up and played to our full ability,” Bethell said. “That made playing as a team a lot harder and we’ve done a lot to fix that this year.” Watch Bethell on the field and you can jsee that he has the look of a college soccer player. He looks stronger, faster and his skill set is as impressive as it’s ever been. A lot of credit goes to the work he put in during the summer. “We were lucky to have a strength and conditioning coach here over the summer. We’d be out there three or four days a week at 6 a.m. working on fitness and conditioning. I also played locally for Pensacola FC and that really helped me keep touches on the ball.” Watching the World Cup didn’t hurt either. His native country of England made a remarkable run in the tournament, reaching
the semifinals before falling to Croatia. “The World Cup brought a lot of excitement and really got guys excited about playing this year. I watched as much of it as I
could. I was happy England did so well,”Bethell said. His attention is now on his own team. His goal is to be the best midfielder he possibly can be. So, what does it take to excel at that crucial position on the field? “It takes composure and dealing with 360-degree pressure. It also takes a lot of awareness and you have to be fit because you are playing different roles on the field.You also have to be a great leader,”Bethell said. It seems like just yesterday Bethell was a standout at Navarre. His time in college has flown by and he wouldn’t trade the opportunity for the world. He realizes there is pressure on the team, though he labels it positive pressure, and he will tell you there is no limit to what this team can achieve if it’s clicking on all cylinders. “I think the possibilities are endless,” Bethell said. “Our first goal is to be the GSC champion and then take every game as it comes from there in the postseason. I believe we have a team that can go all the way, or at least far in the (NCAA) tournament. That should be the expectation.”