Media honor Raiders on all-area, all-state teams

When a team registers the best season in program history, post-season awards are to be expected. The Navarre High School Raiders football team, which finished 12-2 and won the school’s first region championship, hasn’t gone unnoticed by regional and statewide media.

In recent weeks, the Pensacola News Journal, Northwest Florida Daily News and the Florida Associated Press have announced their annual position-by-position ranking of the area’s and state’s best players, and Navarre is well represented.

The Navarre Raider Quarterback Club and the program’s coaches will present their team awards at the annual football awards banquet Feb. 10 at the Hurlburt Field Soundside Club, but below, in no particular order, is a list of the Raiders recognized by local and state media:

n Jay Walls – Northwest Florida Daily News Coach of the Year

n Jay Warren – AP Class 6A All-State second team running back; Northwest Florida Daily News Big School Player of the Year; Daily News Big School Offensive Player of the Year; Pensacola News Journal Most Valuable Player; Daily News first-team running back

n Nick Benton – AP Class 6A All-State second-team defensive back; Daily News first-team defensive back; News Journal first-team defensive back

n Jordan Leggett – AP Class 6A All-State third team receiver; Daily News first-team wide receiver; Daily News second-team punter; News Journal first-team wide receiver

n Tyler Schmitt – Daily News first-team offensive lineman

n Drayton Taylor – Daily News first-team offensive lineman

n Johnny Robinson-Pettus – Daily News first-team athlete (running back, defensive back)

n Christian Gill – News Journal first-team defensive lineman; Daily News first-team defensive lineman; Daily News second-team tight end

n Jonathan Shaw – Daily News first-team defensive lineman

n Jessie Holmes – Daily News first-team linebacker; News Journal second-team

n Andrew Rieves – Daily News second-team quarterback; News Journal second-team quarterback

n Gatlin Casey – Daily News second-team wide receiver

n Marvin Darby – Daily News second-team offensive lineman; News Journal second-team offensive lineman

n Mason Mikul – Daily News second-team linebacker

n Devin Colonel – Daily News second-team linebacker; News Journal first-team linebacker

n Elijah Appel – Daily News second-team defensive back

n Kody Kelley – Daily News honorable mention defensive back

n Monte Thompson – Daily News honorable mention linebacker

n Boston Morgan – Daily News honorable mention defensive lineman

n Chandler Moorer – News Journal second-team placekicker