Blog: We Love Our Northview Chiefs!
December 4, 2010
While the Northview Chiefs fell short of their shot at a state championship game, fans rallied behind the team before, during and after Friday night’s loss to Trinity Christian in Jacksonville.
Prior to the game, the Chiefs were guests of honor at a huge sendoff pep rally (read more), and a large group of dedicated fans made the cross-state trip to Jacksonville for the game, including two “spirit buses” (read more.). During the game, the visitor’s bleachers at Trinity Christian were near standing room only.
The Chiefs were not winners according to the scoreboard in Jacksonville. But the scoreboard is not the only measure of winning.
Their whole season stands as a testament to gridiron grit and determination. Blood. Sweat. And tears. They were not running backs, defensive linemen and quarterbacks. They were a team. It brings the Kenny Chesney “Boys of Fall” song to mind, “It’s I got your number, I got your back when your back’s against the wall…You mess with one man you got us all…The boys of fall.”
Two years ago, our Chiefs were 2-8. The fans were there. Granted, an extreme amount of spirit was hard to muster at times, but the fans were there. This year, at 11-2 and going to a playoff level never achieved by Northview the fans where there. And the spirit was obvious in the school, and in our communities.
Many fans never hear the post-game chant as the players, coaches and cheerleaders gather on the field after each game. It begins likes this:
“I’ll be a Chiefs, till the day I die…”
Fans are fans until the end. That’s school spirit. Sure, tears were shed after the loss and a win would have been great, but losing can be one of those life lessons. When boys become men and a team, cheerleaders, band, ROTC, fans, and a community become one.
It was when our Northview Chiefs earned the right to be called champions.
Within minutes of the game ending Friday night, our comments section and Facebook page became a testament to the fact that we are all proud to be part of the Northview Chief family. There was nothing negative, only praise for our champions. We wanted to share the thoughts of our Facebook fans, all posted within minutes of the game’s end:
- Sharon Martin-Dudley — great job Northview!
- Carl Emmons — WTG Northview Chiefs on an Awesome season !!!!!!
- Deni Deron — Great job Northview! You guys are awesome!!
- Gina Chandler Robbins — Awesome job our guy’s did playing this year..Go Northview!!!
- Jenn Castor — Way to go on an AWESOME season, Chiefs — proud of ya!
- Tammy Turner Amison — Great season Chiefs. Hold your head’s high!!!
- Terry Emmons — So proud of all you guys. Proud to be a Chief. Go Chiefs!!!!
- Brigitte Ward — Aww sad
but good job NHS! - Ashley Bonner — So proud of the guys & to be a Northview Chief! Yall had an awesome season! Go Chiefs!
- Kimberly Navarro Edmonson — Whether you won the last game or not ~You guys are Champs!!
- Brad Johnson — Great season Chiefs!
- Karen Driver — Proud of you Chiefs you had a great season.
- Laura Ziglar Gross — Win or lose I’m still proud to say I’m from Bratt home of the Northview Chiefs!
- NorthEscambia.com — We love our Northview Chiefs!
Hold your heads high. We are all proud of our Champion Northview Chiefs.
Trinity Conquers Northview In State Semifinal Game (With Three Photo Galleries)
December 4, 2010
The Northview Chiefs’ state championship dreams were crushed Friday night by the Conquerors of Trinity Christian in Jacksonville, 49-14, in the Class 1A State Semifinals.
The finals stats were good for the Chiefs, controlling the ball three times more than Trinity, three times the running plays and twice as many passes. But five Conqueror drives in five minutes gave Trinity over three times the points on the board.
For more photos from the game, click here.
For a second photo gallery, click here.
For submitted fan photos, click here.
The Chiefs (11-2) took the lead with 5:47 to go in the first quarter on a 12-yard touchdown run from Dustin Yuhasz to cap an 80-yard, six minute drive. The point after kick was blocked, and Northview held a 6-0 lead. But on the next sequence, Trinity answered with a 12-yard touchdown run of their own and a good kick. The Conquerors were on top 7-6 at the end of the first quarter.
In the second, the Trinity advantage increased to 14-6 with a 22-yard touchdown pass with 8:35 on the clock.
“We did what we needed to do in the first half,” Northview Head Coach Sid Wheatley said.”We controlled the ball about 18 of 24 minutes in the first half. Taking the lead with that first touchdown was big, and overall we controlled the ball well.”
The first few minutes of the third were also looking up for the Chiefs. Trinity scored on a 15 yard run on the opening drive of the second half. Down 21-6, a 2-yard touchdown scramble from Roderick Woods put it at 21-12. The Chiefs were successful on a two point conversion attempt, put Northview within reach at 21-14.
But then there was the last five minutes of the third. “In those next five minutes, we lost the game. We didn’t play well at all during those five minutes,” Wheatley said.
In those five minutes, the Conquerors conquered the Chiefs with successive TD’s — a 20-yard pass, a 23-yard pass and a 23-yard fumble return — to end the quarter at 49-14. The fourth quarter was scoreless.
It was 1979 when the Eagles of Ernest Ward High School last brought the only modern time Class A football championship back to the area. Ernest Ward would later merge with the Century Blackcats to create Northview. Friday night marked the first ever Semifinal appearance by a Northview team.
“I”m extremely proud of the season we had. They were the first team to go that far in the playoffs, and that says a lot,” Wheatley said. “We are going to work hard and build on it next year.”
- For more photos from the game, click here.
- For a second photo gallery, click here.
- For submitted fan photos, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos on this page an in first listed gallery by Will Dickey, the Florida Times Union, click to enlarge. To purchase photo reprints from this article, visit jacksonville.com. Photos in the second gallery by Heather Leonard for NorthEscambia.com. Photos in fan photo gallery courtesy Megan Carroll and Wayne Holland for NorthEscambia.com.
Despite Rain, Area Still In A Moderate Drought
December 4, 2010
Despite recent rains, the North Escambia area still remains in a drought. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor map published this week, most of the area is in a moderate drought, while a small part of Escambia County, Ala. remains in an extreme drought. The U.S. Drought Monitor is published by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln using a variety of climatic data. Graphic by NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
All 4 Area Teams Out Of The Florida Playoffs; Final Night In Alabama
December 4, 2010
Here is a complete roundup on state football playoff action from Friday night:
Florida Semifinals And Region
Class 1A State Semifinal: Jacksonville Trinity Christian 49 — Northview 14 [Read more...]
Class 2B State Semifinal: Ocala Trinity Catholic 21 — Pensacola Catholic 14
Region 1-3A Final: St. Augustine 7 — Pensacola High 3
Region 1-4A Final: Tallahassee Lincoln 34 — Navarre 33 (3 OT)
Alabama State Finals
Class 1A: Sweet Water 36, R.A. Hubbard 0
Class 2A: Leroy 34, Reeltown 7
Class 3A: Leeds 42, Hamilton 32
Class 4A: Thomasville 59, Deshler 34
Class 5A: Spanish Fort 14, Briarwood Christian 0
Class 6A: Daphne 7, Hoover 6
U.S. Marshals Nab Murder Suspect At Shopping Center
December 4, 2010
The U.S. Marshals Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force nabbed a suspected murderer at a Nine Mile Road shopping center late Friday afternoon.
Daniel Levi Ward, 22, is suspected of shooting and killing Linda Tate inside of her home on Blue Angel Parkway in October of 2008. He is being held in the Escambia County Jail without bond.
Ward was taken into custody today at 2:45 p.m. in the parking lot of a strip mall located at Chemstrand and Nine Mile Road in Pensacola.
Task Force Officers from Escambia and Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Offices, Florida Department of Law Enforcement and U.S. Marshals had been working this case non-stop since they were recruited to help on Tuesday, according to Chris Welborn, spokesperson for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. About 2 p.m. Friday, an Escambia County investigator assigned to the Task Force made contact with Ward and convinced him to meet with him to just to talk.
“As far as we know he had no idea about the murder warrant,” said Inspector Dominic Guadagnoli, spokesman for the Task Force. “We really turned up the heat and I think his curiosity got the best of him.”
When Ward showed up he was arrested without incident. At the time of his arrest Friday, Ward was already out of jail on a $25,000 bond for selling drugs, according to Welborn.
Christmas Parades Today in Molino, Atmore, Flomaton
December 4, 2010
There are three big Christmas parades in the North Escambia area today:
- Flomaton Christmas Parade was held Saturday morning.
- Molino Christmas Parade was held early Saturday afternoon.
- Atmore Twilight Christmas Parade: 5 p.m. Saturday. Atmore City to Main Street to Lindberg Avenue.
Join NorthEscambia.com Sunday morning for hundreds of parade photos.
Pictured above: Santa Claus make an appearance Saturday morning during the Flomaton Christmas Parade. Pictured below: The Flomaton High School Band. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Funeral Services Held For Hunter Fromm, 11
December 4, 2010
Funeral services were held today for 11-year old Michael “Hunter” Fromm, the young boy who died after a freak accident in Molino on November 26. The Ransom Middle School student struck his head on a tractor after jumping from a horse at a relative’s Molino home. He was transported to a Pensacola hospital where he later died.
Funeral services for Fromm were held at 1 p.m. Saturday at Marcus Pointe Baptist Church with Reverend Gordon Godfrey officiating. Burial followed at Holy Cross Cemetery.
He is survived by his father and stepmother, Jay Forrest Fromm and Stacie Meredith Fromm, and his mother, Katherine Scott Fromm; siblings, Tristan Wyatt Fromm 13, Farrah Anniston Fromm 8, Ali Karsten Orlando 4; and a host of other relatives and friends.
For the complete obituary, click here.
Tommy L. Burkett
December 3, 2010
Tommy L. Burkett, 72, of Atmore died Wednesday, December 1, 2010, in Pensacola.
He was retired from the City of Atmore, as a Mechanic, born in Walnut Hill, Fla. on December 5, 1937, to the late Comer and Lela Bruce Burkett. He retired from the City of Atmore in 1996 and was a loving husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather. He was also a member of Calvary Baptist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Nellie Ree Burkett; a son, Evans “Danny” Burkett, both of Atmore; six brothers, Ira Gene Burkett, James E. Burkett, Floyd E. Burkett, Wayne
Burkett, Johnny Ray Burkett and Michael Wade Burkett, all of Atmore; four sisters, Ruby Grace Sandspree and Frances Mae Godwin, both of Atmore, Claudia Mae Powell of Perdido and Shirley Ann Boatwright of Atmore; four grandchildren, Victoria Lynn Burkett of Walnut Hill, Fla., Nickolas Aston Mills, Ashleigh Ann Geck and Colby Duane Burkett, all of Atmore and two great grandchildren, Trenton Jax Brown and Emily Lynn Brown.
Services will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 4, 2010, from Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. C.L. Langford officiating. Interment will follow in Oak Hill Cemetery.
Active Pallbearers will be his brothers, Ira Gene Burkett, James E. Burkett, Floyd E. Burkett, Wayne Burkett, Johnny Ray Burkett and Michael Wade Burkett. Honorary pallbearers will be Kenny Smith and Kenny Boatwright.
Family will receive friends from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. on Friday evening, December 3, 2010, at Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home, Inc. is in charge of all arrangements.
Century Man Slams SUV Into Highway 97 Home (With Photo Gallery)
December 3, 2010
It was a close call for a Molino family Thursday night as a SUV driven by a Century man slammed into their mobile home.
The accident happened about 10:10 p.m. at the intersection of Gibson Road and Highway 97. The driver of a northbound Ford Explorer left the roadway just north of the intersection and missed several trees as it crossed the front yard of the home. The SUV then struck a tree and corner of the mobile home where it became wedged.
The driver, 22-year old Toby Hitchcock of Century, was transported by ambulance to Sacred Heart Hospital with minor injuries. Alcohol was not a factor in the crash, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The FHP did not specify what charges, if any, Hitchcock faces as a result of the accident.
The three occupants of the mobile home were not injured. It was a frightening experience for a 16-year old resident of the mobile home; she was watching TV in her corner bedroom when the SUV slammed into the corner of the home, shattering a window. The impact slammed the television off a shelf into the room. The homeowner said the entire trailer was shifted on its foundation.
For more photos, including a photo from inside the house, click here.
The Molino Station of Escambia Fire Rescue, Escambia County EMS and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the call.
NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
Evers, Broxson Behind Bills To Stop Septic Tank Inspection Law
December 3, 2010
North Escambia’s legislative members are standing behind bills that seek to repeal the septic tank inspection program signed into law by Governor Charlie Crist earlier this year.
A bill was filed in the Florida Senate Wednesday by Greg Evers, whose district includes northern Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
“These are very difficult times for Floridians and we should be looking for ways to reduce the burden of government, not require people to pay more into a bureaucratic, one-size-fits-all program, said Evers. “This bill is the first step in the right direction to reverse this concerning law. SB 168 will repeal all the septic tank inspection provisions that were passed into law during the 2010 regular session and return to a sensible approach of fixing only failing systems – an approach that was already codified in law.”
Over the Florida House, HB13 is sponsored by Marti Coley, with co-sponsors that include Clay Ford and Doug Broxson, whose district also includes northern Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. The bill is the first co-sponsored by Broxson since his election in November.
“This is an issue that the counties need to resolve locally, the state doesn’t need to dictate a solution,” Broxson said. “The local governments can investigate this matter and determine if there are any pollution problems in their county.”
Earlier this month, the Legislature put a six month hold on the law that would require property owners to pay for inspections on their septic tanks every five years.
The septic tank inspection requirement, which opponents say could cost property owners $500 per inspection, was part of a larger environmental bill scheduled to kick in January 1 to improve water quality in Florida’s freshwater springs. Crist signed the springs bill (SB 550) in the spring, so it took a new bill to delay its scheduled January 1 implementation until July.
“Eliminating this government overreach remains my top priority,” Coley, the sponsor of the House bill, said. “I filed legislation to repeal this burdensome requirement altogether in the 2011 regular session. Government should be lifting financial burdens from homeowners, not placing more on them. I’m committed to making sure that some commonsense is put back in our environmental regulations.”