Raiders rout Gators

Halloween is Sunday, but the Beasts of Bennie Russell rampaged across the gridiron Friday in Navarre.

“I thought we played great defense,” Navarre High School football coach Chad Lashley said after the Raiders dismantled District 1-4A rival Escambia 51-7 at Bennett C. Russell Stadium. “We were gap-sound and had great hustle to the ball.”

Great hustle to the ball that resulted in five Tiger fumbles, a blocked punt, an interception, seven sacks and three tackles for loss. Escambia’s only score came on an 85-yard kickoff return in the third quarter, after Navarre had built a 44-0 lead.

The Raiders (5-2, 2-1) and Tigers (4-3, 1-2) entered the game with identical records — 4-2 overall and 1-1 in the district. But a 30-point second quarter — including three touchdowns in the final 78 seconds of the half — boosted Navarre to a comfortable 37-0 halftime lead and helped the Gators to their third-straight loss.

For more on this story, check out the Oct. 28 edition of the Navarre Press or subscribe online.