Pensacola Catholic allowed two special teams touchdowns, but otherwise dominated the Raiders in a 45-22 win Friday at Navarre’s Bennett C. Russell Stadium.
The Raiders split preseason matches against Washington and Pine Forest at Tate High School on August 22. If the match against Pine Forest is any indication of how exciting the volleyball season will be, then it could be a memorable year.
Count on Navarre High School football coach Jay Walls to keep Friday’s exhibition loss to Milton in perspective. “It’s a kickoff classic,” he said after the Panthers’ varsity outscored his Raiders 14-7 in two quarters at Bennett C. Russell Stadium. “It is what it is.”
With a strong offense that can put numbers up on the scoreboard, the big question for the 2013 Raider football team is can the defense do their part? “We lost eight or nine players through graduation from last season’s defense,” middle linebacker Monty Thompson said. Fortunately, the Raiders have six returning seniors that played significant roles on the squad last year.
The Florida High School Athletic Association will review its policies on performance-enhancing drugs following an allegation that its athletes were among the customers of the shuttered clinic at the center of the baseball scandal.
The Raiders have had a 1,000 yard runner the last three years in a row. The secret to that kind of production is an outstanding offensive line. A strong running game balances a passing attack and is vital to keep a defense honest.
Allison ‘Cat’ Pettigrew was drawn to be a pitcher from an early age. “When I watched my older sister Emily play, I was mesmerized by the pitcher’s windup,” Pettigrew said. “At five or six years old, I would walk around the house, practicing that windup motion. There was just something about it.” When she was eight, Pettigrew began using that motion as she pitched for her NYSA team.
