Meet NYSA, NHS Raiders on Friday

Area football fans are invited to “Meet the Raiders” – all of them – beginning at 6 p.m. Friday at Navarre High School.

Players from 11 Navarre Youth Sports Association teams in five age groups – mighty mites, mini mites, mites, midgets and juniors – will be introduced at Bennett C. Russell Stadium, followed by introductions for the sophomore, junior and senior Navarre High players. The older Raiders will begin stretching and warming up while the freshmen are introduced.

The high school freshmen, junior varsity and varsity players then will square off in the annual Maroon-White scrimmage, what Raiders head coach Chad Lashley called a sort of “formal practice.”

There is no admission to the annual event.

“We just want people to come out and meet the players and show them some appreciation before the season starts,”  Lashley said today. “These guys have been working hard getting ready to play.”

The Raiders, coming off back-to-back 3-7 seasons, will host Pace at 7 p.m. next Friday, Aug. 27, in an exhibition “Kickoff Classic.” Navarre will play Fort Walton Beach in its season opener at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 3, also at Bennett C. Russell Stadium.