Navarre’s win over Crestview proves as much.
The Raiders trailed by 28 points at halftime to the Bulldogs in a battle of state-ranked teams two weeks ago at Bennett C. Russell Stadium.
Hope was lost. It looked like one of those nights you chalk up to a bad day multiplied by 10.
But Navarre never quits. It outworks teams. It thrives off being relentless. It took that 28-point lead and smashed it into pieces, scoring 35 unanswered points in regulation before securing a 41-35 victory in overtime. The comeback will never be forgotten. It will go down as one of the greatest games in program history. The game people talk about for years to come.
That Crestview team Navarre beat is a statement maker. It is a reminder the Raiders have the potential to achieve the greatness they aspire to reach this season.
The Raiders dominated a very good opponent — we’re talking state-championship caliber opponent — after a disastrous first half. They owned the Bulldogs on both sides of the ball. They outplayed them in every facet of the game and they outlasted them because of better conditioning.
If you’ve ever wondered why the Raiders work so hard in the sweltering summer months, that night against Crestview is the reason.
The hard work paid off with a big win that could go a long way in setting the Raiders up for home field throughout the regional playoffs.
Only time will tell.
What we know right now is Navarre must put this victory, as great as it was, behind it and move ahead. There are still challenges to be overcome, hurdles to be cleared. This Navarre team has only begun to scratch the surface of its potential.
The Raiders understand they must be at their best every week, that teams are going to take their best shot at them because of who they are. Life as one of the best teams in the state can be a burden for some. Navarre has no plans to let that happen.
Not when teams like Pine Forest and Escambia are still on the schedule. Not with district play right around the corner either, a district that includes Pace, Milton and rival Gulf Breeze.
Every game will be a battle. Every game will test this team, opponents determined to put the Raiders on the ropes and not let them back up.
That’s when the Raiders must dig deep. That’s when they must lean on their ability to fight through adversity and overcome it, much the way they did against Crestview two weeks ago.
What we saw against Crestview was a comeback for the ages.
But go beyond the surface of that win and what we really saw was a glimpse of just how great the Raiders can be this season. They have a chance to be special, a chance to use that great comeback as a launch pad to the greatest season in school history.
