Navarre Raider head boys lacrosse coach Jonathan Jones was really hoping to see his team take the field against Niceville Tuesday night.
He couldn’t emphasize that enough in an interview after the game had to be canceled due to the referees not showing up.
Navarre’s flag football team won a program record 15 games last season, finishing as the district runner-up and advancing to the second round of the regional.
But the Raiders are hungry for so much more in 2025.
Navarre’s girls lacrosse team finished strong last season, winning three of its last four, and the Raiders hope to use that momentum, as well as their experience factor, to their advantage in 2025.
Vinny Villanova had a few options on the table as far as college football was concerned, but the Navarre Raider senior standout decided the University of West Florida was the place for him.
Lulu Kerns walked over to her sister, Kennedy, who was sitting on the bench, and the two heartbroken siblings shared a long embrace.
A similar scene played out across the Navarre Raider girls soccer sideline, and on the field, players in tears, doing their best to console one another.
Welcome to the Sweet 16.
That’s what the Navarre Raider girls soccer team will play in tonight as it faces off against rival Niceville for the right to advance to the Region 1-6A final.
Navarre’s boys soccer team faced a tall order playing top-ranked Mandarin in a Region 1-6A quarterfinal Tuesday night in Jacksonville.
For one half, the eighth-seeded Raiders were in the game, keeping it scoreless through the first 40 minutes, an impressive feat in itself considering the Mustangs were unbeaten, ranked in the top five nationally and had scored five or more goals 11 times.
Three Navarre Raiders signed national letters of intent last Wednesday at a national signing day ceremony at the high school.
Two of the athletes are football players. Vinny Villanova is taking his talents to NCAA Division II University of West Florida. Jacari Thomas will play junior college football at Community Christian College in Detroit.
Lacey Riley knocked down her fourth 3-pointer of the night, pulling Navarre’s girls basketball team within six with a little over three minutes to play in a thrilling District 1-6A quarterfinal against rival Pace on the road.
Once down 19 points in the third quarter, the Raiders refused to fold Tuesday night. Riley wouldn’t let it happen. Neither would her teammates.
