On a wind-swept Monday in May, the dust on the practice field kicked up often as offensive and defensive linemen battle in the trenches and running backs and receivers make plays, Navarre’s football team is back at it with the start of spring football.
Navarre and Milton played like two baseball teams not wanting their seasons to end Monday night.
In the bottom of the 10th inning, three hours after the first pitch, Jayden Smith ended the game with a clutch home run and kept Navarre alive in the District 1-6A tournament for at least one more day.
In the warm-up line before her first collegiate game last November, Rachel Leggett couldn’t shake the nerves the way she shook off defenders so often during her prep career at Navarre.
“Oh man, I was so nervous,” Leggett said.
At least based on how things have gone since the 2022 season came to a close for the Navarre Raider football team, head coach Jay Walls has reason for optimism heading into the spring.
David Durden is headed to the NFL.
The University of West Florida wide receiver signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Dallas Cowboys on April 29.
With the ups and downs of the regular season in the rear-view mirror, area teams now gear up for the district tournament, harboring hopes of playing beyond the first week of May.
Baseball and softball teams from Navarre, Pace, Milton, Jay and Central are all in action this week, starting with opening round action Monday night.
Evan Fitterer had a successful Double-A debut. He threw six scoreless innings, allowing only one hit as the Pensacola Blue Wahoos defeated Montgomery 5-0.
Renee Harris-Toliver wasn’t all in with track as a freshman, admitting she didn’t take it too seriously.
But there was a sense of obligation to compete in the sport because of a gift from her mom.
Terence Marshall isn’t new to the 400 relay team gearing up for next Friday’s Region 1-4A meet at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville.
He’s been with the squad from the jump this season, but when two of the four runners on the relay transferred mid-season, it left a couple of voids that needed to be filled.
Dwayne Clark Jr. hadn’t even heard of lacrosse prior to his high school days at Navarre.
Now he’s set to play the sport in college, signing a national letter of intent with NCAA Division III Huntingdon, where he will also play football for the Hawks this fall.
