Brian Out Loud

Now, this is where we all talk about resolutions and plans for the New Year.

I’m opting to talk about what would be great to see happen over the next 360-plus days.

How about we start with some better athletic fields in Navarre?

The fields at the NYSA Soccer Complex aren’t in the best shape, and no matter what you do in terms of upkeep, overuse is always going to win that battle.

An additional athletic complex would be a great thing. That’s not something that can probably be accomplished in a year but it’s something that needs to be done at some point.

Could we please get the playoffs expanded in college football?

Going from four to eight teams seems to be the popular idea. I’d be happy if it just went to a baseball format where you have a wild card round.

Give the No. 1 team a bye and let the fifth and sixth best teams battle it out in a play-in game.

It’s not going to dilute the playoffs or deflate the importance of every game meaning something.

Every game already doesn’t mean something. Just ask UCF. It has gone unbeaten the last two years and has zero playoff berths and one fake national championship.

It would be great to see the University of West Florida football team return to prominence. The 2018 season was tough. The Argonauts finished 6-5 a year after playing in the national title game.

But this will hopefully be their bounce-back year and we’ll see Navarre’s own Quentin Randolph play a big role in leading the Argos back to the championship game.

While we are on the topic of football, here’s hoping Michael Carter enjoys a winning season at North Carolina for once. The running back has had two solid years with the Tar Heels, but the team has struggled to win. Here’s hoping this year is different because Carter expects greatness and it would be nice to see his team be great as well.

Jordan Leggett finally had a chance to play this season, shaking off the injuries he battled last year, and while he didn’t achieve his Pro Bowl dream this year, perhaps next season will be the one in which the former Navarre Raider establishes himself as the best tight end in football.

And on the high school level, how cool would it be if Navarre could win both the girls and boys weightlifting championships?

The girls have won the last four titles and have a great shot at a fifth next month.

The boys were the state runner-up a year ago and are a legit contender to win it all this time.

It would be an impressive accomplishment, and Navarre would then be known as the weightlifting capital of Florida.

Speaking of championships, I’m hoping all the Navarre teams play at the highest level possible and put themselves in a position to contend for titles.

And while we are on the topic of seeking greatness, here’s hoping C3 Sports continues its rise. The sports clothing company owned by Dwayne, Michael and Josh Carter has dreams of being bigger than Nike, and I, for one, won’t bet against them on it. Those guys understand what it takes to be great on and off the field and have already taken the company a long way.

Enjoy the new year. It will go quick. Make it the best it can be.