District play is back a year after the COVID-19 pandemic created a situation where there were no districts in 2020.

The new year also means a new-look district for Navarre, which will have a few familiar foes as well as a newcomer as the Raiders get ready to contend for their seventh district crown.

Under the lights on a Saturday night at Pen Air Field, practice for the University of West Florida football team wraps up with a celebration.

With music playing, the players get caught up in a dance competition, jumping around, chanting and clapping. One player even does a backflip.

Ask golf coaches Clark Brown and Tish Boozer about their expectations for the season ahead, and both believe their teams have a shot at making a statement.

The boys and girls squads are taking aim at moving beyond the district for the first time in a while.

Names on the roster change. The depth of the talent pool fluctuates. But what has remained a constant at Navarre over the past nine seasons is winning football games.

On the heels of a 6-1 campaign shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic, the focus of the Raiders as they prepare for another year remains locked in on continuing its tradition of success.

Over the past two years, Navarre’s swim team has had to deal with seven- or eight-hour trips to compete in both its district and regional meets.

But the arrival of the 2021 season signals a return to a more localized district that makes more sense and features the majority of the area teams.

Athena Hicks is the first runner to arrive for an early-morning practice on a hot August morning.

Not that it’s a surprise. The sophomore standout really hasn’t slowed down since last season ended and she’s ready to run into a new season.