Game Time! Raiders gear up for spring game against rival Dolphins

“Everyone is excited. It’s game week,” Walls said. “We get to play Gulf Breeze and that’s always good. It’s a good rivalry.”

The Raiders started spring practice May 1 and have held two scrimmages leading up to this week’s game at 7 p.m. at Dolphin Stadium.

Navarre held its first scrimmage May 6 and Walls thought the starters did a great job in terms of performance. But there is still work to do.

“The first scrimmage wasn’t bad. I definitely saw some good things, especially with the ones (starters),” Walls said. “But for the twos and threes, we have work to do. It’s just going to take time because they are young and more inexperienced.”

That said, Walls likes the overall approach the team has had to the spring so far.

“I feel great about the attitude and effort,” Walls said. “We’ve gotten a little better every day.”

Navarre was 8-3 last season and won the district championship, earning a berth to the playoffs, and it went into the spring feeling as if it had an opportunity to build on that momentum. Walls believes the players have done that up to this point.

The spring game, of course, will provide a big test for the Raiders. Gulf Breeze, like Navarre, will be a contender in the district again this season.

The plan is to play the starters in the opening half and give the backups the chance to get quality time in the second half.

“The kids are definitely excited,” Walls said. “We’ll work the ones and twos and threes and see where they are at. It’s a chance to evaluate guys against a real opponent.”

As much as football is the focal point, coming out of the game injury free is important, too.

“The last two years we’ve had key players tear ACLs,” Walls said. “We hope we don’t have that. I have my fingers crossed, I’m knocking on wood and everything. We don’t want to have anyone have a serious injuries.”

As for the game itself, the players are ready.

“We’re really excited about it,” rising senior Tyrell Marshall said. “We always look forward to playing them because it’s a rivalry game.”

Spring Football Game

What: Navarre vs. Gulf Breeze, 7 p.m.

When: May 19 at Dolphin Stadium

What to Watch: The game will be set up in a format where varsity starters play the opening half and JV and varsity backups play the second half.

Worth Noting: Navarre and Gulf Breeze played for the district championship last season. The Raiders won the wild back-and-forth battle 28-24 in Gulf Breeze to claim their first district crown since 2018 as well as winning the Beach Bowl trophy for the 13th time.