Navarre Welcomes Familiar Face

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There was a time last season – after an overtime loss to Pensacola Catholic – and a setback to power Pensacola Forest that Navarre felt pretty good about the season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As head coach <strong>Jay Walls</strong> and his team would run off seven straight wins and grab the attention of football fans across the state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Raiders' downfall at the end of the season was the defense, which yielded 48 in a win against Gulf Breeze, but a regular season ending 63 to Niceville and 67 to St. John's Bartram Trail in the opening round of the state playoffs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When the season ended, Walls, a longtime coach and figure in the region, decided to step down for a position in Georgia.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Waiting in the wings was <strong>Garrett Bagley</strong>, who had been on the staff for 18 years, going back to <strong>Larry Olson </strong>in 2006.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With the hire of Bagley, this program keeps a vital cog. Someone who not only led the girls' weightlifting program to seven state titles, but also has made the football program and other boys' sports better as a weightlifting coach as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As this team heads toward the spring, there is a feeling that plenty was learned last season, and with a returning class of rising seniors (2025), there is talent and plenty of leadership.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Among that group includes <strong>Braxton Barr</strong> (DL, 6-2, 230 – 3.5 GPA), <strong>Jacob Crowder</strong> (TE, 6-2, 183 – 3.55 GPA), <strong>Tyler Daniell</strong> (K, 5-10, 153),&nbsp;<strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1130785' first='Ezkiel' last='Gaska']</strong> (LB, 5-9, 180 – 3.25 GPA), <strong>Jack Helton</strong> (TE, 6-0, 170 – 4.0 GPA), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='275812' first='Connor' last='Mathews']</strong> (RB, 5-8, 205 – 3.73 GPA),&nbsp;<strong>Will Payton</strong> (DE, 6-1, 201 – 4.66 GPA), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='773168' first='Andre' last='Spence']</strong> (LB, 5-9, 150 – 3.25 GPA), <strong>Vinny Villanova</strong> (LB, 5-10, 180 – 3.72 GPA), and linebacker <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1132102' first='Josh' last='Wilson']</strong> (5-8, 170 – 3.77 GPA).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>WHAT ABOUT THE FUTURE!</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As gifted as this rising senior class appears to be, all eyes will be on the rising junior class (2026), where <strong>Jaedon Boatner</strong> (OL/DL, 6-1, 275), <strong>Ali Bryant</strong> (WR, 6-1, 160), <strong>Logan Hand</strong> (LB, 5-7, 152), <strong>Kyle Hughes</strong> (OL, 6-0, 270), <strong>Travynn Ippolito</strong> (WR/LB, 5-11, 152), and offensive lineman <strong>Zeavan Jones</strong> (5-10, 262) are ready to impact the program this spring and into the summer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In addition, there are <strong>Roman Marshall</strong> (QB, 5-9, 152), <strong>Logan Pope</strong> (WR, 6-0, 155 – 3.24 GPA), <strong>Curtis Sanders</strong> (WR, 5-8, 147), <strong>Roan Strom </strong>(LB, 5-11, 194), and versatile <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1788592' first='Marquez' last='White']</strong> (WR/DB, 5-8, 151)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Raiders also have 2027 rising sophomores <strong>Ezekial Burgess </strong>(DB, 5-11, 185), <strong>Payton Robinson</strong> (OL, 6-1, 284 – 4.0 GPA), and defensive end <strong>Bruce Wheeler</strong> (5-10, 203 – 4.0 GPA).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Statewide Coverage Daily.</strong> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/florida/">https://prepredzone.com/florida/</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>You Can Contact Larry Blustein with prospect or team information at:</strong> Floridakids1@aol.com.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->