Connor Mathews sat on a bench in the football fieldhouse late Friday night cutting tape off his ankles, the sting of a 34-27 overtime loss still fresh on his mind, the look of disappointment mixed in with the sweat on his face.

Mathews, running with all-out effort, often plowing through defenders for extra yards, had scored two touchdowns in a season opener against Catholic here on a brutally hot and humid evening at Bennett C Russell Stadium.

Earlier in the week, the Navarre High gym may as well have been a sauna. A lack of working air conditioning, coupled with the extreme August heat, made for slippery floor conditions and the Raiders being forced to call Tuesday’s match against Choctaw early.

But Thursday night, the AC worked and the Raiders rolled, holding off a tough Baker team in three sets, 25-17, 25-20, 25-15 for their first win of the season.

Jennifer Seward had it in her mind that maybe she’d use her extra year of eligibility she had in her pocket because of the pandemic in 2020.

But the Navarre alum’s decision to come back one last year and play Division I soccer at Samford was sealed late last season when she broke her leg.

Terence Marshall has spent most of his offseason battling back from a shoulder injury. Yet, even when he couldn’t be on the field, the senior wide receiver stepped up as a leader.

“I made sure the young guys were doing well and helped them out anyway I could,” Marshall said. “I also did a lot of mental reps to make sure I’m ready to go when I do return.”