The Navarro football team is coming off of a deep postseason run after finishing runner up in District 13-4A-DII to Wimberly in the 2023-24 season.
However, this time around, the Panthers are tasked with overcoming the loss of some key senior leadership and a shake up to their district.
After the University Interscholastic League’s (UIL) realignment and redistricting this summer, District 13-4A-DII features three new teams: Gonzales, Salado and Smithville.
Navarro will rely on its diligent offseason and preseason program to prepare for its new-look district.
“It feels good out here,” said Navarro senior defensive lineman Kade Pugh. “It means a lot to me playing with my boys. We’re going to try and go out strong.”
Meanwhile, the Panthers are looking to its strong junior and sophomore class to lead the effort.
“A lot of teams aren’t working right now, but we are. We’re up here every morning super early, then we come back in the afternoon — get a good workout in and go through our walk throughs,” said Navarro senior halfback/defensive tackle Kaden Guerra. “It’s definitely a lot of work, but we’re so used to it for our freshman year — they started us out getting us in the right mind set. They do a lot to prepare us for this.”
The Panthers open up their 2024 campaign on Friday when they host Floresville at Edwin Lee Field. Kick off is at 7:30 p.m.
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