Raiders roll past Niceville, will meet Pine Forest (PHOTO GALLERY, VIDEO)
NICEVILLE – In a season already filled with feel-good stories and historic feats, the Navarre football team authored yet another chapter to this seemingly too-good-to-be-true tale of 2010.
Behind an offensive line that paved the way for 270 rushing yards and a defense that forced four turnovers, Navarre shocked reigning Class 4A state runner-up Niceville in Eagle Stadium with an emphatic 28-7 triumph that marked the program’s first playoff win in school history.
View action photos from the game »
Raiders’ running back Dwayne Carter ran roughshod over, around and through the Niceville defense for 170 yards and one touchdown. Quarterback Colton Kane completed 9-of-16 pass attempts for 122 yards and two touchdowns while running for another.
Navarre, which last week reached a new plateau for wins in a regular season with nine, will now advance to the regional semifinals for the first time ever.
After building a 14-7 lead at the half, the Raiders (10-1) added to their lead late in the third when Kane, who also rushed for 85 yards on the night, keyed an eight-play 80-yard drive that ended when the senior barreled in from five yards out.
Niceville threatened late in the fourth, still trailing 21-7, when the Eagles reached the Raiders’ 11. But the drive fizzled when quarterback Kyle McDorman’s pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage and fell into the arms of Raiders’ defensive lineman Victor Byers, who raced down the visitor’s sideline before being knocked out and into the arms of a raucous Navarre sideline.
McDorman ended the night with 251 yards passing and two interceptions and one touchdown rushing.
The first 24 minutes went as well as Navarre could have ever envisioned.
Navarre capped the games opening drive with a 35-yard touchdown pass from Kane to Joel Beauchemin on what looked to originally be only a minimal gain. But when Beauchemin side stepped an Eagle defender who was bearing down on him near the Raiders’ sideline, he was free to race untouched to the end zone.
Navarre’s offense was back on the field in a matter of seconds, as Niceville fumbled the ensuing kickoff at its own 13. Michael Arnold recovered for the Raiders and just three plays later Kane delivered a bullet to receiver Bradley Leggett on a five-yard slant to give Navarre a 14-0 lead.
Niceville clawed back into it in the waning minutes of the first half, as a 29-yard pass from McDorman to Terrell Nichols and a 35-yard pass to Brandon Burke gave the Eagles a first-and-goal at the Raider 3 with 1:02 left. McDorman ran around the left end for the score to bring it to 14-7 with just 48 left before half.
Following a Raider fumble and recovery by McDorman, it appeared Niceville would draw closer – if not even altogether – as the Eagles lined up first and goal at the 3 following a 38-yard pass to Burke. But a pair of incomplete passes and little time forced Niceville to settle for a 13-yard field goal that was partially blocked as time expired.
Navarre 28, Niceville 7
Navarre 14 0 7 7—28
Niceville 0 7 0 0—7
First quarter
NAV – Joel Beauchemin 35 pass Colton Kane (Stephen Householder kick); 9:51
NAV – Bradley Leggett 9 pass Kane (Householder kick); 8:33
Second quarter
NIC – Kyle McDorman 3 run (Andrew Mitchell kick); :48
Third quarter
NAV – Kane 5 run (Householder kick); 3:52
Fourth quarter
NAV – Dwayne Carter 1 run (Householder kick); 1:02
Navarre Niceville
First downs 15 21
Rushes-yards 37-270 35-112
Passing yards 122 285
- 9-16-0 15-31-1
Fumbles-lost 2-1 2-2
Penalties-yards 6-85 1-15
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING—Navarre: Dwayne Carter 20-170, Colton Kane 13-85, Will Posey 107, Jay Warren 1-7, Nolan LeMaitre 1-7. Niceville: Spencer Pullen 10-41, Joe Hudson 5-24, Marquis Pratt 7-17, Kyle McDorman 10-16, Andrew Mitchell 1-16, Denzel Applewhite 1-(-1), Chris Chapman 1-(-1).
PASSING—Navarre: Colton Kane 9-16-0 122. Niceville: Kyle McDorman 231, Andrew Mitchell 3-4-0 54.
RECEIVING— Navarre: Joel Beauchemin 4-71, Dwayne Carter 1-17, Trey Chandler 1-13, Bradley Leggett 3-19. Niceville: Brandon Burke 5-117, Terrell Nichols 4-85, Marquis Pratt 2-37, Hayden Meyer 3-35, Johnston Watkins 1-11.
