irishbillsports 
FHSAA Class 1-6A District Finals
Final
Navarre 3, Niceville 2
Lady Raiders improve to 16-5-2 on the season.
Navarre Keeper
Faith Good – 3 saves
Navarre Scoring
12th min – Megan Kirby from Hailey Bastian
67th min – Autumn Slaybaugh PK
69th min – Hailey Bastian from Hunter Wallace
Niceville Keeper
6 saves
Niceville Scoring
22nd min – #10 from #27
37th min – #17 from #27
Next game will be Tuesday, 11 Feb, at home vs. Fleming Island at 7 PM, in the Class 6A Region 1 Quarterfinals.
As long as I can remember, I have always had an infatuation for sports.
Every morning when I was younger, I would get up and hurry downstairs to make sure that I was the first one to grab the sports section; so I could study and memorize all the box scores from the previous nights baseball, basketball, football or hockey games (depending on the season)…I didn’t want to miss a thing.
See, the internet had not come into existence as yet; so I couldn’t just pull up an app to catch up on all of the scores. Newspaper and magazines were my main source of information.
I played baseball, basketball and football growing up (mostly sandlot) while living in a small town in northeastern Indiana just a block from our Elementary School, there was always something to do.
Beside the normal playground equipment, we also had an outdoor basketball court, as well as a baseball field. All you needed to do was pick up the phone and call your buddies and a game broke out.
As time went by I played organized baseball, football and wrestled (but was average at best). Plus, I didn’t reach 5′ tall until I entered the eighth grade. I picked up golf my freshman year and played it throughout my time in high school.
I spent a lot of my free time listening to the Cincinnati Reds on AM 700 WLW during the summer months and switched over to AM 1190 WOWO during the Fall and Winter months to catch Bob Chase’s call of Fort Wayne Komet hockey.
I just knew someday I wanted to broadcast sports; just didn’t know if I would ever get the opportunity.
After graduating East Noble High School in 1981, I went to work at Pizza Hut and the Kendallville News-Sun; then entered the Air Force in 1984 and ended up retiring in 2008.
The year I retired, while attending one of my son’s games in Pace, Florida, there was a man that was handing out flyers for his broadcasting business. He stated that he was looking for a broadcaster in Navarre…this was my opportunity!
Bill Brownell of Panhandle Sports Broadcasting taught me the ins and outs of broadcasting and later introduced me to Robert Williamson (owner of JockJive.com).
Over the last 11 years I have broadcast baseball, basketball, football, soccer and softball via live streaming. For the past six years during football season, you have been able to listen to my own show, Irish Bill’s Twist on Sports from The Twist and Culver’s in Navarre.
This past summer I started up my own website (with assistance from YourTek Professionals) and was invited to come on 100.3 FM, The Ticket Sports Network, on Saturday mornings from 9 AM to 12 PM, for a new show titled, The Southern Gentlemen Sports Show.
Broadcasting has opened up so many new opportunities and friendships for me along the way. I am so honored to be able to share these young athletes stories to those that can not make it to games.
Don’t ever give up on your dreams; you never know when opportunity is going to come knocking.
Players from FCS, D2, D3 and NAIA embarked on Joseph C Carter Park – Orange Bowl Field in Fort Lauderdale this past week. All they were looking for was a chance to perform and possibly catch the eye of a NFL or International scout.
Practices and team meetings took place throughout the day on Monday and Tuesday as well as evening fellowship.
Since there would not be kickoffs or punting during the game on Wednesday, the kickers took center stage on Tuesday afternoon and performed quite well.
D3 Emory & Henry Matt Seals, D2 Missouri S&T Ben Styron and D2 Miles College’s Brady Hammel took part in the three day event.
Even though the game itself was a mismatch; it didn’t take away from the perfection of these three kickers.
Emory & Henry
#4 – Matt Seals (1-1 FGs, 1-1 XPs)
Miles College
#41 – Brady Hammel (2-2 XPs)
Missouri S&T
#41 – Ben Styron (3-3 XPs, 2-2 FGs)
Now it is just a game of wait and see as to what the future holds…
I hope that you enjoyed our new website in 2019!
I want to take this time to wish you all a Happy New Year from my family to yours…may the many blessings that you receive in 2020 be shared with others.
Celtic Blessing
May flowers always line your path and sunshine light your day.
May songbirds serenade you every step along the way.
May a rainbow run beside you in a sky that’s always blue.
And may happiness fill your heart each day your whole life through.
Navarre Alum and UNC RB Michael Carter goes over 1,000 yards rushing (1,003) on the season in the 55-13 win over Temple in the Military Bowl today. He finished the day with 84 yards on 18 carries.
Carter finished the season with 177 carries and 3 TDs; while averaging 5.7 per carry. He also pitched in 21 receptions for 154 yards and a score for the 7-6 Tar Heels.
UWF’s WR Quentin Randolph became the third Navarre Alum to bring home a football National Championship (the first in D2).
Florida State’s offensive lineman Sterling Lovelady was the first in 2013 when the Seminoles took care of the Auburn Tigers, 34-31.
Clemson’s tight end Jordan Leggett became the second when the Tigers defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2016, 35-31.
Quentin’s performance in the 48-40 win over Minnesota State on Saturday was one for the ages. He hauled in 8 receptions for 241 yards and 3 touchdowns in the first half alone. He went on to finish the game with 10 receptions for 254 yards and 3 TDs.
Just like former Raider Jordan Leggett (a 45-40 loss to Alabama in 2015), Quentin had been to this stage previously (a 37-27 loss to Texas A&M Commerce in 2017).
A second opportunity was afforded to them both two years later after their setbacks and neither one of them disappointed their faithful.
Quentin (who came to UWF as a walk-on), promised that if he had another chance to prove himself, that he would not disappoint and on Saturday afternoon in McKinney, Texas…he was a man of his word.
Class 8A – 13 Dec @ Daytona Stadium
Columbus 21, Apopka 20
Class 7A – 14 Dec @ Daytona Stadium
St Thomas Aquinas 28, Edgewater 23
Class 6A – 12 Dec @ Daytona Stadium
Miami Central 62, Escambia 27
Class 5A – 14 Dec @ Daytona Stadium
Miami Northwestern 34, Orlando Jones 17
Class 4A – 11 Dec @ Daytona Stadium
Booker T. Washington 25, Bolles 21
Class 3A – 6 Dec @ Gene Cox Stadium
Chaminda-Madonna 35, Florida High 20
Chaminade-Madonna – RB Thaddius Franklin – 47 carries, 333 yards, 5 TDs
Class 2A – 5 Dec @ Gene Cox Stadium
Champagnat Catholic 35, Victory Christian 14
Champagnat Catholic – QB Ryle Aguila – 16-23, 201 yards, 3 TDs
Class 1A – 7 Dec @ Gene Cox Stadium
Madison County 70, Blountstown 35
Blountstown – RB Tre’ven Smith – 24 carries, 365 yards (Title Game Record), 5 TDs
