July 2023 – Page 7 – Irish Bill's Sports

43 Days to Kickoff – Navarre Raiders

July 13, 2023 by irishbillsports

43 days to kickoff of the 2023 Florida HS football season as the Navarre Raiders will host the Catholic Crusaders on 25 Aug 2023 at the comfy confines of Bennett C. Russell Stadium.

43 games ago – Navarre 49. Milton 12 (2018)

Milton…6 6 0 0 – 12
Navarre…7 21 14 7 – 49

The Raiders got back to their winning ways as Marlon Courtney III passed for 204 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 60 yards on 11 carries and another score as well. Navarre rushed for five TDs on the night, Chris Williams (2), Joshua Carter and Jaydin Antonio. Dante Wright hauled in five receptions for 140 yards and a 78-yard touchdown.

Gabe Davis (6 tackles, 2 TFLs) and Carter (6 tackles, TFL, caused fumble) led the Raiders defensively. Williams added a third TD on a 75-yard kickoff return. Navarre was 7-7 on extra points, Kevin Taich went 4-4 and Wright went 3-3.

43rd win in school history – Navarre 42, Mosley 35 (2007)

Navarre secured their fourth straight win to start the season (first time in school history). This was the first meeting ever between these two teams.

Raiders that have worn #43:
DB Josh Johnston – Class of 2004
TE Ryan Daeges – Class of 2017
WR Michael Smith – Class of 2018
WR Logan Collinsworth – Class of 2021
DB Jonathan Brogan – Class of 2023

Navarre statistics that involve #43:
43 – total tackles (solo/assists) in a season – Kevin Cohan (2013)
43 – total tackles (solo/assists) in a season – Michael Sandle (2014)
43 – points scored in a game against Dothan (Week 1 – 2015)
43 – tackle points in a season – Aaron Mitchell (2015)
43 – tackles for loss (25) & sacks (18) in a career – Xavier Fernandez (2014-16)
43 – solo tackles in a season – Bailey Huston (2019)
43 – assisted tackles in a season – Hunter Crowder (2021)

Navarre is 30-13 in their last 43 games and leads the overall series against Milton, 13-9.

44 Days to Kickoff – Navarre Raiders

July 12, 2023 by irishbillsports

44 days to kickoff of the 2023 Florida HS football season as the Navarre Raiders will host the Catholic Crusaders on 25 Aug 2023 at the comfy confines of Bennett C. Russell Stadium.

44 games ago – Escambia 37, Navarre 27 (2018)

Navarre…0 7 7 13 – 27
Escambia…20 0 7 10 – 37

For the second consecutive season the Gators gave the Raiders their first and only loss of the regular season.

Marlon Courtney III threw for 307 yards and three touchdowns on 20-35 passing, but it was not enough as the Escambia defense stymied the Navarre rushing attack. Chris Williams hauled in four receptions for 101 yards and Dante Wright grabbed five for 98 yards and two touchdowns.

Joshua Carter led the Raiders defense with 12 tackles and Jordan Jefferson added nine tackles, two quarterback hurries and two tackles for loss.

44th win in school history – Navarre 26, Choctaw 24 (2007)

Navarre rebounded after a tough loss on the road to Fort Walton Beach to beat Choctaw and improve to 5-1 on the season.

Raiders that have worn #44:
Matt Stephens – Class of 2000 – 1st graduating class
DL Jon Hermance – Class of 2007
LB Trey Palombo – Class of 2009
LB Devin Colonel – Class of 2013 – passed away in May of 2022
LB Caleb Dale – Class of 2018 – played at Samford University (AL)
LB Wyatt Bucey – Class of 2021
DB Jacob Herrera – Class of 2023

Navarre statistics that involve #44:
44 – assisted tackles in a career – T. J. Williams (2003-05)
44 – receptions in a season – Kyle Irby (2007)
44 – assisted tackles in a career – Nolan Lemaitre (2009-10)
44 – points scored in a game against FWB (Week 8 – 2012)
44 – points scored in a game against Escambia (Playoffs – 2014)
44 – points scored in a game against Milton (Week 7 – 2016)
44.5 – tackle points in a season – Royce Thomas (2016)
44 – solo tackles in a season – Dante Wright (2017)
44 – completions in a season – Hunter Pfeister (2021)

Navarre is 31-13 in their last 44 games and leads the overall series against Escambia, 7-3.

45 Days to Kickoff – Navarre Raiders

July 11, 2023 by irishbillsports

45 days to kickoff of the 2023 Florida HS football season as the Navarre Raiders will host the Catholic Crusaders on 25 Aug 2023 at the comfy confines of Bennett C. Russell Stadium.

45 games ago – Navarre 49, Pace 30 (2018)

Navarre…7 14 14 14 – 49
Pace…10 7 0 13 – 30

Marlon Courtney III completed 14-22 passes for 194 yards and three touchdowns and added 86 yards on the ground on nine carries. Chris Williams found the end zone three times as he carried the ball ten times for 102 yards.

Tyler England contributed 124 yards on seven receptions and two scores while Quinn Caballero pitched in seven receptions for 70 yards and a TD.

Joshua Carter led the Raiders defense with 14 tackles and a cause fumble and Matthew Downey tallied nine tackles. Dante Wright was a perfect 7-7 on extra points and added a 54-yard rushing TD in the win.

45th win in school history – Navarre 42, Crestview 23 (2007)

Raiders got back to their winning ways at home and finished the 2007 home schedule with a 5-1 record. Navarre would not have much time to enjoy this win over the Bulldogs, as they had a Monday night make-up game against QB Dustin Land and the Milton Panthers.

Raiders that have worn #45:
WR Josh Livingston – Class of 2003
RB Jeff Elliott – Class of 2008
LB Walter Hill – Class of 2009
LB Michael Arnold – Class of 2011
LB Troy Moxley – Class of 2021
LB Slade Kleiner – Class of 2025

Navarre statistics that involve #45:
45 – points scored against West Florida (2006)
45 – assisted tackles in a season – Robert Roux (2007)
45 – receptions in a season – Jordan Leggett (2011)
45 – solo tackles in a season – Damontell Thompson (2012)
45 – total tackles (solo/assists) in a season – Michael Sandle (2013)
45 – assisted tackles in a career – Tommy Leggett (2014-15)
45 – touchdowns scored in a season – Michael Carter (2016) – school record
45 – solo tackles in a season – Aaron Mitchell (2016)
45 – tackle points in a season – Marc Struck (2016)
45 – assisted tackles in a career – Jordan Jefferson (2017-18)
45 – receptions in a season – Derek Percivalle (2021)
45 – assisted tackles in a season – Devin Wright (2021)
45 – total tackles (solo/assists) in a season – Trey Bragg (2022)

Navarre is 31-14 in their last 45 games and leads the overall series against Pace, 14-7. Coach Walls is 13-0 in his tenure against the Patriots.

46 Days to Kickoff – Navarre Raiders

July 10, 2023 by irishbillsports

46 days to kickoff of the 2023 Florida HS football season as the Navarre Raiders will host the Catholic Crusaders on 25 Aug 2023 at the comfy confines of Bennett C. Russell Stadium.

46 games ago – Navarre 26, Pine Forest 25 (2018)

Pine Forest…6 6 6 7 – 25
Navarre…3 13 3 7 – 26

On a Fall rainy night in the Panhandle of Florida, the game came down to the final play of the night on a fourth down conversion.

A heavy dose of Chris Williams (30 carries, 181 yards, TD) and Marlon Courtney’s 204 yards passing and a touchdown got it done for the Raiders. But even with their efforts it would have all been for naught if Courtney wouldn’t have found Tyler England in the back of the end zone on fourth and goal. Dante Wright added the extra point for the win.

Isaiah Heyward and Joshua Carter led the Navarre defense with seven tackles each. The Raiders forced four turnovers (3 fumbles/interception) in the game. Wright went 2-3 on FGs and 2-2 on extra points.

46th win in school history – Navarre 35, Gulf Breeze 14 (2007)

Navarre scored four touchdowns on plays of 20 yards or more. This was the last win for HC Larry Olson, finishing off a six year stint as the Raiders head coach at 30-29. He led Navarre to their first two playoff appearances (2006 & 2007) in school history.

Raiders that have worn #46:
DB James McCloskey – Class of 2015
LB Ameer Rustom – Class of 2023

Statistics that involve #46:
46 – assisted tackles in a career – Lloyd Heflin (1999-2000)
46 – tackle points in a season – Jacob Kendall (2013)
46 – pass attempts in a game – Matthew Webb (2014) – School Record
46 – assisted tackles in a career – Jay Klosinski (2014-15)
46.5 – tackles points in a season – Ryan Diamco (2015)
46 – solo tackles in a season – Tyson Brown (2016)
46 – total tackles (solo/assists) in a season – Jordan Jefferson (2017)
46.5 – tackle points in a season – Nolan Garrett (2017)
46.5 – tackle points in a season – Matthew Downey (2018)
46 – total tackles (solo/assists) in a career – Connor Eastwood (2019-20)

Navarre is 32-14 in their last 46 games and trail in the series against Pine Forest, 5-4.

47 Days to Kickoff – Navarre Raiders

July 9, 2023 by irishbillsports

47 days to kickoff of the 2023 Florida HS football season as the Navarre Raiders will host the Catholic Crusaders on 25 Aug 2023 at the comfy confines of Bennett C. Russell Stadium.

47 games ago – Navarre 53, Choctaw 7 (2018)

Navarre…17 15 14 7 – 53
Choctaw…0 7 0 0 – 7

Marlon Courtney III only completed seven passes (7-11), but averaged 30.1 yards per completion (211 yards) and two touchdowns. Quinn Caballero had two receptions for 89 yards and a 69-yard TD reception and Jaydin Antonio had a 77-yard TD reception on his only catch.

The Raiders produced five rushing touchdowns from five different players (Antonio, Dante Wright, Joshua Carter, Jebari Mitchell and Chris Williams) in the lopsided win.

The defense held the Indians to 124 total yards of offense (77 passing/47 rushing). Carter and Xayvion Thomas contributed seven tackles on the night.

47th win in school history – Navarre 20, West Florida 3 (2008)

West Florida…3 0 0 0 – 3
Navarre…0 20 0 0 – 20

Andrew Velasquez threw for 236 yards and two touchdowns and Ronnie Wesson led the defense with eleven tackles.

Raiders that have worn #47:
LB Brandon Wilhelm – Class of 2017
LB Dusty Rogers – Class of 2017 – didn’t play senior season; played baseball at Waldorf College (IA)
DB Caden Nutt – Class of 2025

Raider stats that involve #47:
47 – touchdowns scored in a career – Dwayne Carter (2009-11)
47 – points scored against Choctaw (Week 6 – 2011)
47 – tackle points in a season – Marcus Mays (2013)
47 – receptions in a season – Blake Malter (2013)
47 – solo tackles in a season – Will Robinson-Pettus (2013)
47 – solo tackles in a season – Christian Gill (2013)
47 – points scored against Gulf Breeze (Week 9 – 2015)
47 – tackle points in a season – Matthew Downey (2017)
47 – solo tackles in a season – Joshua Wilson (2022)

Navarre is 33-14 in their last 47 games and leads the overall series against Choctaw, 9-7.

48 Days to Kickoff – Navarre Raiders

July 8, 2023 by irishbillsports

48 days to kickoff of the 2023 Florida HS football season as the Navarre Raiders will host the Catholic Crusaders on 25 Aug 2023 at the comfy confines of Bennett C. Russell Stadium.

48 games ago – Navarre 41, Crestview 35 OT (2018)

Crestview…21 7 0 7 0 – 35
Navarre…0 0 7 28 6 – 41

This game was a tale of two halves. Crestview jumped out to a 28-0 lead going to the half, but Navarre rebounded and ran off 35 straight points to take the lead before the Bulldogs tied it late to send it to overtime.

Dante Wright would score the game winner (his 4th rushing TD on the night) after Joshua Carter intercepted a Jack Corbin pass in OT. Carter produced two rushing touchdowns as well in the win.

Xayvion Thomas led the Raiders defense with eight tackles and two tackles for loss and Carter, Cameron Thomas and Isaiah Heyward contributed seven tackles each.

48th win in school history – Navarre 28, Milton 7 (2008)

Navarre improved to 2-2 on the season.

Raiders that have worn #48:
LB Chris Day – Class of 2004
DB/WR Mike Hagewood – Class of 2007 – played at Cumberland University
WR Keith Munday – Class of 2008
LB Matt Burrell – Class of 2010
LB Damontell Thompson – Class of 2014
LB Isaiah Heyward – Class of 2019

Statistics that involve #48:
48 – solo tackles in a career – Andre Mahone (2000-02)
48 – assisted tackles in a career – Chris Anderson (2008-10)
48 – solo tackles in a career – Howie Walker (2012-13)
48 – total tackles (solo/assists) in a season – Jacob Kendall (2013)
48 – extra points made in a season – Luke Morton (2014)
48 – points scored in a season – Matthew Webb (2014)
48 – assisted tackles in a season – Bo Hering (2014)
48 – total assisted tackles in a career – Charlie Alevras (2015-16)
48 – points scored in a game against FWB (Week 4 – 2016)
48 – points scored in a season – Caine Adamson (2016)
48 – total tackles (solo/assists) in a season – Matthew Downey (2017)
48 – tackle points in a season – Cameron Thomas (2017)
48 – tackle points in a season – Grady Kelly (2020)
48 – points scored in a season – Terence Marshall (2022)

Navarre is 34-14 in their last 48 games and leads the overall series against Crestview, 12-7.

51 Days to Kickoff – Navarre Raiders

July 7, 2023 by irishbillsports

51 days to kickoff of the 2023 Florida High School football season as the Navarre Raiders will host the Catholic Crusaders on 25 Aug 2023 at the comfy confines of Bennett C. Russell Stadium.

51 games ago – St Augustine 52, Navarre 21 (Playoffs – 2017)

Navarre…7 7 7 0 – 21
St Augustine…21 7 24 0 – 52

Sage Chambers went 17-25 for 272 yards and three touchdowns and Dante Wright hauled in four receptions for 157 yards and two scores. Quinn Caballero added eight receptions for 91 yards and a TD, but it was not enough as the high powered Yellow Jackets offense was running on all cylinders.

The Raiders defense game up 640 yards of total offense (253 passing/387 rushing). Dexter Brown went for 365 yards rushing on 19 carries and four touchdowns.

James Segrest and Cade Taylor led the Navarre defense with seven tackles each and Matthew Downey had an interception.

50th win in school history – Navarre 13 , Escambia 10 (2009)

Navarre…0 7 6 0 – 13
Escambia…3 0 7 0 – 10

The Raider defense was the star of this game as the held the Gators to 167 total yards (113 passing/54 rushing).

Raiders that have worn #51:
Robert Brockman – Class of 2000 – first graduating class
DL Troy Rivera – Class of 2003
LB A.J. Carroll – Class of 2006
OL/LS Jarrod Bauldree – Class of 2009
OL Marvin Darby – Class of 2013
DL Cameron Myers – Class of 2015
LB Kyle Kaschak – Class of 2020
LB Kamal Rustom – Class of 2022
LB Marcus Sweet – Class of 2024

Statistics that involve #51:
51 – solo tackles in a career – Troy Rivera (2000-02)
51 – points scored in a game – vs. West Florida (Week 2 – 2007)
51 – points scored in a game – vs. Escambia (Week 7 – 2010)
51 – assisted tackles in a career – Will Robinson-Pettus (2012-13)
51 – total tackles (solo/assists) in a season – Anthony Miller (2015)
51 – solo tackles in a season – Lee Jones (2016)
51 – total tackles (solo/assists) in a season – Nolan Garrett (2017)
51 – assisted tackles in a career – Nolan Garrett (2017-18)
51 – receptions in a season – Tyler England (2019) – 5th All-Time

Navarre is 37-14 in their last 51 games and is tied in the series against St. Augustine, 1-1.

49 Days to Kickoff – Navarre Raiders

July 7, 2023 by irishbillsports

49 Days (7 weeks) to kickoff of the 2023 Florida HS football season as the Navarre Raiders will host the Catholic Crusaders on 25 Aug 2023 at the comfy confines of Bennett C. Russell Stadium.

49 games ago – Navarre 53, B. T. Washington 12 (2018)

Washington…0 0 0 12 – 12
Navarre…26 14 6 7 – 53

Marlon Courtney III completed 6-8 passes for 112 yards and a touchdown and the Raiders received rushing TDs from Joshua Carter (2), Chris Williams (2) and Jaydin Antonio.

Navarre’s defense held the Wildcats to 181 yards of total offense and were led by Isaiah Heyward’s six tackles and a sack. Jebari Mitchell added a 91-yard kickoff return and Evan Gourley returned an interception for a score as well.

49th win in school history – Navarre 18, Gulf Breeze 9 (2008)

Navarre beat Gulf Breeze for the second straight year and would go on to beat Gulf Breeze nine straight years before the streak would end in 2016.

Billy Mitchell would sign with the Marshall Thundering Herd; where he would be a 3-year starter at outside/inside linebacker. He attended Navarre as a freshman before his family moved to Oregon for two years (where he was All-State in Track) after Hurricane Dennis hit the Florida Panhandle. But, he would return for his senior year.

Raiders that have worn #49:
RB Kyle Gambera – Class of 2009
TE Logan Willson – Class of 2011 – serving in U.S. Air Force
DB Everette Alford – Class of 2015 – Head Coach at Lighthouse PCA
DL Ryan Struck – Class of 2017 – played at Huntingdon College (AL)
TE Fernando Gomez – Class of 2020
LB Hunter Crowder – Class of 2022

Statistics that involve #49:
49 – career receptions – Kyle Irby (2006-07)
49 – points scored against Holmes County (2006)
49 – points scored against Walton (2009)
49 – points scored against Milton (2010)
49 – points scored against Pace (2014)
49 – points scored against FWB (2014)
49 – points scored against Dothan (2014)
49 – assisted tackles in a season – Bo Hering (2015)
49 – tackle points in a season – Jordan Jefferson (2017)
49 – points scored against Pace (2017)
49 – points scored against Niceville (2017)
49 – points scored against Pace (2018)
49 – points scored against Milton (2018)

Navarre has scored 49 points or more on 23 different occasions and has given up 49 or more points in 14 games.

Navarre is 35-14 in their last 49 games and has never lost in the series against Booker T. Washington, 6-0.

14 Seasons as a Navarre Raider Broadcaster

December 10, 2024July 6, 2023 by irishbillsports

As I get ready to enter my 15th season broadcasting Navarre football in 2023, I look back to what has happened in the previous 14 seasons for me and the Raiders. Here goes…

Head Coaches

Chad Lashley – 3 seasons (19-14) – Raiders first two playoff wins, first trip to a Region Final and Navarre’s first 11-win season in 2010. Record against teams from Santa Rosa County (5-3); vs Gulf Breeze (3-0), vs Milton (1-1), vs Pace (1-2).

Jay Walls – 11 seasons (95-29) – Raiders first 12-win seasons and two trips to the State Semifinals (2012 & 2016) and eleven playoff wins overall (11-9). Record against teams from Santa Rosa County (32-3); vs Gulf Breeze (9-2), vs. Milton (10-1), vs Pace (13-0).

Two Navarre Alum have managed to work their way into the National Football League, both were drafted by the New York Jets. Jordan Leggett was selected with the sixth pick in the fifth round in 2017 out of Clemson and Michael Carter was selected with the second pick in the fourth round in 2021 out of North Carolina.

Leggett spent two years with the Jets, a season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and on the practice team of the Denver Broncos in 2020 and compiled 114 yards on 14 receptions and a TD in his career. While Carter is getting ready to enter his third season with the Jets, in his first two seasons, he has compiled 402 rushing yards with three touchdowns and 288 receiving yards.

I can’t guarantee it, but in my humble opinion, these two will not be the last two Navarre Alum that will make it to the big stage!

Michael Sandle is currently working his way through the Houston Astros organization as he was drafted by the Astros in the 10th Round of the 2021 Major League Baseball Draft and is currently playing for the Asheville Tourists of the South Atlantic League (Advanced A).

Navarre Alum that are currently playing or are getting ready to play at the collegiate level:

Jordan Jefferson – LSU
Dante Wright – Temple
Mitchell Hunt – Harding University
Tyler England – Huntingdon College
Joshua Carter – Eastern Kentucky
Elijah Melendez – McNeese State
Zachary Marquis – North Carolina Wesleyan
Bailey Houston – Huntingdon College
Sebastian Melendez – Millsaps College
Devin Wright – University of West Florida
Grady Kelly – Colorado State University
Caden Howard – Huntingdon College
Kyle Chambers – Faulkner University
Derek Percivalle – Webber International
Trent Hall – Webber International
Davion Hardy – Warner University
Dwayne Clark Jr – Huntingdon College
Isaac Cole – Birmingham Southern
Ethan Newman – Kennesaw State University

Who will be the next Navarre Raider to make it to the big stage?

This is why I look forward to every season, to bring you Navarre Raider football on IrishBillSports.com. Once again, Bob Grant will join me in the booth for another exciting year of Raider football.

50 Days to Kickoff – Navarre Raiders

December 10, 2024July 6, 2023 by irishbillsports

50 days to kickoff of the 2023 Florida High School football season as the Navarre Raiders will host the Catholic Crusaders on 25 Aug 2023 at the comfy confines of Bennett C. Russell Stadium.

50 games ago – Navarre 35, Catholic 7 (2018)

Navarre…0 14 14 7 – 35
Catholic…0 7 0 0 – 7

Marlon Courtney III accounted for three touchdowns (2 passing/1 rushing) in his first start for the Raiders. Chris Williams led the rushing attack with 19 carries for 113 yards and a score.

Dante Wright added four receptions for 87 yards and two TDs, Tyler England contributed 87 yards on seven receptions and Quinn Caballero hauled in a 33-yard touchdown.

Nathan Crews led the defense with seven tackles and Joshua Carter added six in the win. Kevin Taich was a perfect 5-5 on XPs.

50th win in school history – Navarre 49, Walton 27 (2009)

Navarre…14 7 21 7 – 49
Walton…0 21 6 0 – 27

On a blustery night in Defuniak Springs, the Raiders managed to find their first victory of the season after five straight losses to start the 2009 campaign.

Sophomore RB Dwayne Carter did most of the damage on the ground (180+ yards).

Raiders that have worn #50:
OL John Simmons – Class of 2003 – played at Delta State University (MS)
DL/OL Mark Gallrein – Class of 2006
LB Brian Baswell – Class of 2009 – serving in U.S. Army
DL/OL Mitch Posey – Class of 2013
OL Sean Dunlap – Class of 2015
OL Matthew McLeod – Class of 2016
LB Connor Brasell – Class of 2019
DL/OL Braxton Barr – Class of 2025

Statistics that involve #50:
50 – assisted tackles in a career – Frank Willis (1999-2001)
50 – assisted tackles in a career – Johnny Robinson-Pettus (2010-12)
50 – points scored in a season – Michael Carter (2013)
50 – solo tackles in a season – Xavier Fernandez (2014)
50 – points scored in a season – Quentin Randolph (2014)
50 – assisted tackles in a career – Jay Klosinski (2014-15)
50 – total tackles (solo/assists) in a season – Royce Thomas (2016)
50 – points scored in a game – vs. Escambia (Playoffs – 2018)
50 – total tackles (solo/assists) in a season – Matthew Downey (2018)
50 – total tackles (solo/assists) in a season – Tyler England (2019)
50 – points scored in a game – vs. Choctaw (2020)
50 – points scored in a season – Terence Marshall (2021)

The first time that the Raiders scored at least 50 points in a game was against Gulf Shores (AL) in 2000, 54-0. The first time Navarre allowed at least 50 points was against Walton in 1999, 62-29.

Navarre is 36-14 in their last 50 games and leads the overall series against Catholic, 13-8.