The Navarre Raiders weren't able to beat the Patriots in Friday's K.O. Classic season opening fray at Pace, but Coach Chad Lashley was pleased with the effort and determination the players showed on the field.

 The Navarre Raiders weren't able to beat the Patriots in Friday's K.O. Classic season opening fray at Pace, but Coach Chad Lashley was pleased with the effort and determination the players showed on the field.
 The overall score, counting the first two quarters played by first the freshman and then the junior varsity teams was 35-15, a bit closer that last year's 55-13 season ending contest. 
 The Raider varsity took a 3-0 lead off the foot of kicker Billy Mitchell who drove the ball through the uprights from 30 yards out following a Pace punt fumble and Navarre recovery on the 14 yard line. 
 Navarre held on to that slim three point lead for the rest of the third quarter, but led by their outstanding quarterback Aaron Munoz, Pace scored three times to give the home varsity team a 21-3 second half win.
 "Our kids played hard and with a lot of enthusiasm," said Lashley, "and considering that many of them were playing their first varsity game I have to be pleased.  We made some mistakes that they capitalized on and we didn't take advantage of the mistakes that they made."
 Some of the Navarre mistakes that Coach Lashley referred to may have been several  hand off miscues in the backfield and three or four dropped passes thrown by new quarterback Andrew Velazquez that were right on target, but that the receivers failed to hold on to.
 In the first quarter the Navarre freshmen, under the guidance of coach Murray Worsham, jumped out to a 6-0 start, but led by fullback, Devon Varney's two touchdowns the Patriot freshman perservered.   "I was pretty pleased with the overall play of our youngsters," said Worsham and I think it bodes well for the Raider future."
 The Navarre junior varsity upheld the Raider pride with two outstanding goal line stands to give Navarre a 6-0 second quarter edge.  Will Posey scored Navarre's touchdown from two yards out.