Sports Archive

The UWF women’s soccer team is picked to finish as the runner-up in the Gulf South Conference this season.

The Argos are coming off a year where they went 14-3-3 and reached the regional final of the NCAA tournament. That postseason appearance was their 18th in program history.

The University of West Florida men’s soccer team heads into the new season as the favorite to win the Gulf South Conference championship.

Former Navarre Raider Jack Patching is on the roster for the Argos, who went 12-3-4 last season and reached the NCAA tournament for the eighth time in program history.

Taylor Gardner tore a patellar tendon in the spring and the injury left him facing a long road back.

But as the Navarre kicker and punter gears up for his senior season, he is thankful to be back at it doing what loves and is all in on making this year his best one yet.

Navarre head coach Mary Moorer lets her swimmers know they only have eight laps to go during an early morning practice session at the Pullum YMCA.

Her swimmers don’t see that as being too much to handle, but when added out-of-pool work is mixed into the workout, it changes things.

Julia Irmen is confident in her ability as a setter.

And she should be. Over the last two seasons, the junior standout has racked up nearly 800 assists while running the Navarre Raider offense.

Steve Alford’s voice won’t be booming over the speakers at Bennett C. Russell Stadium on Friday nights this fall.

Alford, the long-time public address man for the Navarre Raider football team is stepping away from a role he loves to watch his son, Everette, coach football at Lighthouse Private Christian Academy.

It doesn’t appear the heat will be turned down anytime soon on the recruiting trail for Navarre football standout Zavier Hamilton.

Offers continue to roll in, including the latest from Michigan State, and while there was talk he would commit prior to the season, the four-star recruit is holding off on that decision.

Hunter Wallace originally planned to spend her post-high school days playing soccer in England.

That still could happen at some point down the road for the former Navarre Raider, but for now, Wallace is headed to NCAA Division II Valdosta State to continue her career.

With the sun still shining bright on a hot and humid Saturday evening in late July, Pete Della Ratta stood on the turf of Blue Wahoos Stadium reminiscing with former teammates about their days with the Pensacola Pelicans.

Della Ratta, now the assistant principal at Holley-Navarre Middle School, spent a year of pro baseball as a player and manager for the independent league team.

Lee Jones was golfing one day with former teammate and friend Everette Alford when he asked him about the possibility of coaching football at Lighthouse Private Christian Academy.

Alford got Jones a meeting with then head coach Skyler Mayo, and the Navarre alum soon had himself his first high school coaching gig.