Spring football: Navarre wins rain-soaked game

By TRAVIS DOWNEY

travisd@nwfdailynews.com

NAVARRE - After spending the previous three weeks working tirelessly in the heat, Navarre's players and coaches alike were enjoying the overcast skies and cooler temperatures that greeted them for Friday night's spring game with Pensacola Catholic.

The feeling didn't last long.

Heavy rains and severe lightening in the area forced officials to send both teams inside while coaches from each side debated their next course of action.

The decision to finally postpone the game came around the time that the third quarter was set to start, but by then, the only thing standing on the Raiders' home field was large puddles of water.

"For your kids, this is a reward," Navarre coach Chad Lashley said afterwards. "The spring game is a reward for us and we don't get the full reward (now)."

"The good news is we're going to practice next week and we're going to finish up next Friday with our intra-squad game."

Lashley noted that both sides were hopeful of rescheduling for next week, preferably pushing the game back to next Wednesday or Thursday.

At the time of postponement, Navarre had battled from a 6-0 deficit to claim a 7-6 lead after the Raiders answered the Crusaders' score with a lengthy 10-play scoring drive.

After back-to-back penalties against the Raiders threatened to stall the Navarre drive, running back Michael Pettus broke through the Pensacola Catholic defense for a 33-yard run to the Crusaders 9-yard line.

Two plays later, Adam Hamilton cut his way through the left side of the Crusaders' defense for a four-yard scoring plunge to knot the score at 6-6 with 7:35 remaining in the second quarter.

"You hate stupid penalties but the good thing is we overcame those stupid penalties," Lashley said.

Hamilton's ensuing point after try put Navarre ahead 7-6.

Only moments later game officials waved both schools into the field house as a storm front moved over the stadium.

 "I liked the effort and the enthusiasm we played with," Lashley noted. "I liked our ability to adjust defensively."

On the very first play from scrimmage, Pensacola Catholic sophomore quarterback Shaun White scrambled to his right and completed a 33-yard pass to junior receiver Bobby Hall.

"We flushed (White) out of the pocket but lost containment," Lashley said. "It was a mental lapse."

Afterwards, Lashley said that despite the shortened scrimmage, he and his staff would have ample film to review over the weekend.

"We got enough in where we can make some evaluations with our one's and two's."

Navarre's Maroon-White scrimmage is set for 5 p.m. Friday.