The Navarre Raiders entered their tilt with the Gulf Breeze Dolphins with six consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with seven. Navarre slipped by Gulf Breeze 49-48 on Friday. Given Navarre's advantage in MaxPreps' Florida football rankings (they are ranked 91st, while Gulf Breeze is ranked 233rd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Navarre was led to victory by Connor Mathews and Hunter Pfiester. Mathews rushed for 133 yards and three touchdowns, while Pfiester rushed for 144 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 9.0 yards per carry.
When it comes to explaining why Gulf Breeze lost, one person who can't be blamed is Battle Alberson. Despite the final result, he rushed for 100 yards and three touchdowns, and also threw for 261 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 11.3 yards per attempt. The team also got some help courtesy of Bryson Rouillier, who picked up 150 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Navarre's win was their fourth straight at home, bumping their overall record up to 7-2. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 43.5 points per game. As for Gulf Breeze, they have been struggling recently, as they've lost four of their last five games, which put a noticeable dent in their 3-6 record this season.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Navarre will square off against Niceville at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. As for Gulf Breeze, they will head out on the road to face off against West Florida at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. West Florida knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with flashy point totals in its past four matches -- so hopefully Gulf Breeze likes a good challenge.
