There were smiles on the sideline among the players and energy in the stands, especially from a student section decked out in camo, full of life, tossing around an inflatable dolphin.


Little has gone right for the Navarre Raiders on the football field this season, but on this mild mid-October Friday evening at Bennett C. Russell Stadium, they celebrated.

Even in a year when neither Navarre nor Gulf Breeze has a winning record, the Beach Bowl still means something.

There was little that could be said after Navarre’s football team lost 41-0 to Crestview Friday night at Jack Foster Stadium.


The Raiders lost their seventh game of the season, remaining winless and still searching for answers to flip the script, even if for just one night.

Down two sets to none, Navarre needed a spark. The Raiders found it in a hard-fought third set against Choctaw, surviving 25-23, to keep hope for a senior night win alive last Thursday night.

Earlier this week in practice, the Navarre Raiders tried to ramp up the competitive fire among the player with competitions.


The hope is that it provides an added spark for Friday’s District 1-6A battle with Crestview at Jack Foster Stadium.

Navarre’s boys and girls cross-country teams both took first place at the Wildcat Invitational Saturday at the University of West Florida.


Jaelee Placke led the charge for the girls, running a 21.40 to place first overall, while Brody Bruce crossed the finish line in first place as he clocked in with a time of 16:59.