Jay Warren is the latest Navarre High School player recruited to play football at the highest level of college competition. The senior running back last week signed a national letter-of-intent to play at Florida Atlantic University, joining 2012 teammate Jordan Leggett and former Raiders Sterling Lovelady and Billy Mitchell at NCAA Football Bowl Series (formerly known as Division I) programs.

The 2012 Navarre High School football team had plenty to celebrate. Two months after the school’s greatest gridiron season yet ended with a state semifinal loss to Gainesville, the Raiders and their supporters could set aside that disappointment and appreciate their accomplishments.

Navarre High School’s softball team opened the season with 12-1 and 11-1 preseason home wins against Gulf Breeze and Milton, respectively. Both games ended early because the “mercy rule” was in effect. As the scores might indicate, the Raiders’ pitching was spectacular and the defense played errorless ball.

Navarre High School’s boys’ soccer team followed up an outstanding 2-1 upset win Jan. 30 at Tallahassee Chiles with an even better effort Feb. 2 against Niceville. Unfortunately, as well as the Raiders played, they lost to the Eagles by a 1-0 score. Ironically, the Raiders lost in almost the exact circumstances in which they won against Chiles. In both games, there was slightly less than four minutes remaining. The ball was knocked down inside the box and bounced around before a player knocked home the winning goal from close range.