RAIDERS WIN GOING INTO BIG GAME NEXT WEEK

Oct 31, 2021

All photos © 2021 by Stu Camp can be purchased in high resolution at https://stuartcamp.smugmug.com/

Scoring started immediately, but the outcome of the Raiders-Bulldogs football game was decided in the last second.

Navarre’s football team carries a little momentum going into next week’s matchup with Gulf Breeze, who is coming into the season-finale with a two-game losing streak. The Raiders also have a 3-1 record in the 1-7A district.

“We needed that,” Raider head coach Jay Walls said after the 29-22 victory, and who is still hoping for a playoff berth.

Derek Percivalle had quite a night against the Crestview Bulldogs (6-4, 2-2 in 1-7A), although he didn’t technically show up in the scorebook. He took the opening kickoff to a gimme-length touchdown perpetrated by Kyle Chambers and Terence Marshall. He blocked a punt, which was good for two points. The senior receiver caught a long, drive-sustaining pass to set up a Hunter Pfiester-to-Jadon Reese four-yard touchdown pass to take a 15-9 lead into halftime. And he played defensive back against a potentially-dangerous Crestview offensive unit.

Yeoman’s work was performed by the Raider defense, as they came up against a Bulldog running attack that linebacker Christian Caballero admitted struggling against.

It was that same defense that forced Crestview into a hasty last-ditch drive, which ended with a low-thrown pass ruled incomplete in the end zone. It could’ve meant defeat, if the Bulldogs succeeded on a two-point conversion.

IF.

Gulf Breeze dropped their week-9 clash with Escambia, 21-14.

The rivalry match will kickoff at 7 p.m. in Navarre’s home field.