Raiders ride big plays to beat GBHS
Navarre scores two fourth quarter TDs to pull away; Dolphins finish 2-8
BY JASON THOMPSON Gulf Breeze News jason@gulfbreezenews.com

File Photo Friday's game with Navarre was also the final game for trainer Leah Palmer, who has accepted a full time position at the Andrews Institute.

The game of football is a game of inches, but it can also be a game of big plays.

The Gulf Breeze Dolphins found that out the hard way Friday as the Navarre Raiders scored four touchdowns on plays of 20 yards or more, while the Dolphins had two big gains negated on penalties in a 35-14 season ending loss to the Raiders.

The win for Navarre was only their second in school history over the Dolphins (2-8) and their first since Chris Nemith took the Dolphin job in 2003.

"Those first and 20s are hard to overcome," Nemith said.

The Raiders scored four of their five touchdowns on plays of 31, 28, 21 and 32 yards. Gulf Breeze had a touchdown called back on a penalty, as well as a 60-yard run that ended inside the Raiders' 10-yard line.

The two teams traded punts twice before the Raiders scored the game's opening points. Austin Grimm, who threw for 228 yards and ran for 64, scored from five yards out. Adam Hamilton's extra point made it 7-0 with 59.4 seconds left in the opening quarter.

File Photo Career night in season finale Junior quarterback Kyle Schnackenberg threw for a career-high 278 yards in the Dolphins' 35-14 loss to Navarre Friday.

Michael Pettus caught a 20-yard pass in the drive - the only third down conversion the Raiders had the entire game.

The Dolphins, who had a 62 yard run by Jeff White negated on a personal foul penalty, went 81 yards in 11 plays to tie the game.

The drive began when Kyle Schnackenberg, who threw for a career-high 273 yards, threw a short pass to Dorlag. The senior did the rest, darting left and right, cutting through Raider defenders for a 31 yard gain. The completion was one of his 21 in the game. He was 21-for-28.

An 11-yard pass to Stuart Franklin, following by a roughing the passer on another third down kept the drive alive. Justin Hurd, who missed the entire second half with an ankle injury, scored on a six-yard run with 8:57 left in the second quarter. Thomas Farmer's point after tied it.

B.J. Rotolo/Special to the News Stuart Franklin chases a Navarre ballcarrier Friday.

"You know if Bro Hurd said he can't go, he can't go, because he's a stalwart," Nemith said.

The teams traded punts again before Seth Hewerdine forced a Raider fumble that was recovered by Stuart Franklin. But GBHS would punt back four plays later.

Two plays after that, Navarre was in the end zone again on a 31-yard pass from Grimm to Jett Bryan. Hamilton's PAT with 1:34 left in the half made it 14-7.

The Raiders had the ball three times in the second half, scoring touchdowns on all three.

After forcing a Dolphin three and out, Grimm threw a 28-yard pass to Kyle Irby - on a fourth and 21 play. Hamilton's PAT made it 21-7 with 6:39 left in the third quarter.

Gulf Breeze answered with a 16-play, 80-yard scoring drive. Schnackenberg was 6-for-8 on the drive, converting three-of-four on third down and one fourth down conversion. Cody Warford, who caught six passes in the game, hauled in two of them on the drive, including a 21-yard touchdown with 11:01 left in the game. Farmer's PAT made it a 21-14 game.

The Dolphins were set to get the ball back two minutes later, but Navarre's Jeff Torres recovered a Dolphin fumble on the ensuing punt.

Three plays later, Chris Weaver hauled in a 21- yard touchdown pass from Grimm. Hamilton's PAT with 8:44 left made it 28-14.

Warford caught passes of 11 and 17 yards on the next drive and also caught a 32-yard touchdown pass from Schnackenberg, but that was called back on a penalty. The Dolphins turned it over on downs with 4:59 left in the game.

Navarre posted runs of seven, six and six yards on each of their three first downs of the following drive before Pettus scored from 32 yards out to close out the scoring with 44 seconds left.