Corey Banfield isn’t going to panic about the Pensacola Ice Flyers’ challenging start to the season, a start that has left the reigning Southern Professional Hockey League champs with a 2-4-3 record through their first nine games.
No matter how things played out Friday night between Tate and Gulf Breeze in their 6A playoff game, Navarre was going to get a shot at revenge this week as long as it took care of business against Escambia in its playoff opener.
If anyone was looking for a sign that expectations have been raised for Navarre’s boys soccer team, look no further than the Raiders’ reaction to having to settle for a tie in their season opener against area power Niceville last Tuesday night at the NYSA Soccer Complex.
All year, well, really you could go back to last season’s devastating playoff loss to Tate, the Navarre Raiders have had a state championship on their minds.
John McLean set himself up for success as a pro hockey player two years ago when he took advantage of an opportunity to play with the Pensacola Ice Flyers straight out of college.
Taf Bentley could spend all day talking about everything last year’s Navarre boys basketball team accomplished. The fourth-year head boys basketball coach of the Raiders could point to the school-record 17 wins, the district runner-up finish and the first trip to the regional in more than a decade.
Unfinished business has been the theme of Navarre’s football team this year. The Raiders still remember the sting of having their season end in the opening round of the playoffs a year ago when Tate came into Bennett C. Russell Stadium and stunned Navarre 23-22 in double overtime.
Behind the closed doors of Navarre’s locker room Friday night, there were no worries stemming from a 14-point deficit, no fear that a victory was out of reach.
