THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 2018
2C / NAVARRE PRESS
Brian Out Loud!
Raider Notebook
Davis, defense, steps up in Raiders’ win over Crusaders By Brian Lester brian@navarrepress.com
By Brian Lester
Gabe Davis held a pair of gold gloves in his hands Friday night after Navarre’s 35-7 season-opening win over Pensacola Catholic. The junior defensive back was asked about the gloves in an interview. “Anytime someone makes a big play or gets a turnover, you put the gloves on. I was happy I got to do it,” Davis said. Injured most of last season after getting tangled up with a receiver in the end zone and tearing ligaments in his knee in a game against Pine Forest, Davis is back and feeling as good as ever. On Friday night, he picked off his first pass of the season in the third quarter, helping the Raiders close out a road win over Catholic. Navarre is 17-1 in
brian@navarrepress.com Imagine for a moment being a 12-year-old boy in 1955. You are black. The South despises you. You can’t eat in certain establishments, can’t drink from certain fountains and can’t use certain bathrooms. All you want to do as that 12-year-old boy is play baseball. It’s the game you love, the game that brings you a feeling of freedom, a game that provides you with an escape from the realities of life in a segregated South. So, as that boy, you are with your teammates in a Little League tournament in the middle of the summer. The problem is no one wants to play you. At least not the white teams. They’d rather forfeit than be on the same field as you. But one team from Orlando, a team sponsored by the Kiwanis, is willing to take the high road. It’s willing to give a Jaycees team of 12-year-old boys from Pensacola an opportunity to play. It’s the semifinals of the tournament and both sides are wondering how this is all going to play out. Families of the Pensacola players are worried that their kids might not make it to Orlando safely. The game plays out without any issues. Orlando dominates the game and wins 6-1. The loss was tough to take. No one ever enjoys losing. But the final score doesn’t matter as much as what the Pensacola team achieved that day in August 63 years ago. That team broke the color barrier in Little League baseball in the South. That’s quite an achievement. And yes, at the time, the players didn’t realize the magnitude of the moment. They understand the moment now. Players from both sides do. I listened to them recall their stories of that historic day a couple of weeks ago when they were in town promoting a documentary on the game titled “Long Time Coming.” It says a lot about the mindset of our society at the time that it wasn’t until eight years after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball that the color barrier in Little League ball in the South was broken. Better late than never, I guess, but it’s sad that it took that long to begin with. I can’t even imagine what it’s like to not be treated as a human that truly matters. I can only imagine what those 12-year-olds from Pensacola were feeling growing up in America in the 1950s. We’ve come a long way since 1955. Race relations aren’t perfect, but they are far better than what they were 60-plus years ago. That team paved the way for children in the future, giving them opportunities the players on the 1955 team only dreamed of. And that’s a big deal. Through the eyes of a 12-year-old, the game that day in 1955 was merely an opportunity to play baseball. Through the eyes of history, it was the day that changed the way things were in the South in 1955 and set an example for others to follow.
rest on their success. “Coach tells us to get better every day, and that starts with watching film and correcting what we did wrong,” Davis said.
its last 18 road games. “We just like coming into people’s houses and making a name for ourselves,” Davis said. Davis was part of a relentless defensive effort that limited the Crusaders to just 34 passing yards and only 114 yards on the ground. Navarre went into halftime with a 14-7 lead and never looked back. “We felt we needed to pick things up in the second half,” Davis said. “We gave up that one big play, and that’s the reason they had seven points, but we felt good about the way we played as a defense.” Navarre head coach Jay Walls praised the defense for its effort. “The defense played great most of the game. To get the shut out in the second half was outstanding,”Walls said. But the Raiders won’t
Extra Points Navarre as won 30 of its last 32 in the regular season. Head coach Jay Walls is 60-15 in his career with the Raiders. He is in his seventh season at the school. The Raiders have won four in a row against Catholic. This was the first time in four meetings that Navarre hasn’t scored at least 40 against the Crusaders. Up Next: Navarre plays host to Washington at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Bennett C. Russell Stadium. The Raiders won 27-12 over the Wildcats last season. They are 14-4 at home over the last three years.
Football Continued from page 1C
Photos by Dickie Williams Dante Wright is joined by Tyler England and Josh Carter during touchdown celebration that could be dubbed the Raider Shuffle.
Raider running back Chris Williams, 3, was a workhorse for the team, rushing for 113 yards.
Navarre’s defense swarms to the ball carrier.
Quarterback Garon Finley leaps to throw a pass during the first quarter of the Raiders’ 35-7 victory over Catholic.
Alex Gilchrist knocks the ball loose from the Catholic quarterback. Isaiah Heyward helps out on the play.
The Raiders did, putting their versatility and potential on full display. Courtney scored on a 17yard run up the middle of the field to extend the lead to 21-7 with under four minutes to play in the third and Jaydin Antonio found the end zone on 1 -yard run as time expired in the quarter. Wright’s 38yard touchdown catch with five minutes left in the game sealed the deal. “We always tell our guys no matter what the first half doesn’t matter,” Walls said. “Our guys kept grinding. We still have work to do, but I’m proud of our second half. We showed a little confidence and consistency.” The defensive effort was one that was consistent throughout, aside from the hiccup in the first half. The Raiders swarmed to the ball. Xayvion Thomas nearly picked off a pass in the red zone. Davis did get his hands on a pick, setting the stage for Antonio’s touchdown run. Injured most of last season after tearing up his knee, he enjoyed making a big play. “It felt amazing,” Davis said. “I had so much adrenaline after I caught it. It was pretty awesome.” The Raiders now shift their attention to their home opener against Washington, which lost 38-15 to Milton Friday night in its first game. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. at Bennett C. Russell Stadium. “Washington is an improved team and they will be tough I’m sure,” Walls said. “We just have to keep getting better. We still have improving to do.” England is ready to get back to work. “We need to work on our tempo and physicality,” England said. “We didn’t have that as much in the first half, but really stepped it up in the second half. We need to have it all four quarters going forward.”
Raider Round-up
Navarre cross-country teams open year in Niceville By Brian Lester brian@navarrepress.com Navarre’s cross-country team opened the 2018 season at the Niceville Relays. The boys placed fourth overall, with Matt Horton and James Barnes teaming up to fashion a time of 40:18.55, good enough for 15th. William Gibson and Jared Fisher also earned a spot in the top 20, combining to record a time of 44:08.89. The duo placed 20th. Austin Anderson and Ian Sones (44:46.44) finished
21st and Brandon Heinke and Dawson Scragg (45:36.31) placed 22nd. The girls finished fifth overall. Sarah Shoffner and Talley Yamaguchi had the best finish in the relay, combining to record a time of 51:32.69 to place 17th. Maggie Johnson and Saylor Marlow also finished in the top 20 with a time of 52:54.39. Rebecca Fields and Cyndi Steadman (53:06.81) placed 21st and Fatima Garcia and Nia Quaker (53:27.67) took 22nd.
JV Raiders dominate Crusaders Navarre’s junior varsity football team opened its season with an impressive win, rolling past Pensacola Catholic 47-8 Thursday night at Bennett C. Russell Stadium. Jebari Mitchell did a little bit of everything in the victory, scoring a pair of touchdowns and picking off a pass. He caught a 20-yard scoring strike from Ezra McKenna and found the end zone on an 85-yard touchdown run as well.
McKenna was on point throughout the night, connecting three times on touchdown passes. He hit AJ Arno on a 15-yard pass and hooked up with Evan Makin on a 30-yard scoring strike. Tevin Peltier scored on runs of 3 yards and 55 yards, and Bailey Huston punched the ball in on a 5-yard run. Wyatt Bucey picked off a pass in the end zone. The Raiders are back on the field tonight in a 5 p.m. road game against Washington.
Raider freshmen win opener Sebastian Melendez rushed for 154 yards and scored three touchdowns for Navarre’s freshman team in a 48-34 win over Tate last Thursday night. Trent Hall did a little bit of everything. He threw a touchdown pass, caught a touchdown pass, returned a kickoff for a score and picked off a pass and recovered a fumble. Devin Wright led the way defensively with five tackles, including two for a loss. Navarre plays again at 7 p.m. Thursday at Washington.