UWF Argos Close Out Season In GSC Title Game Loss To No. 1 Valdosta
November 17, 2024
by Bill Vilona, Argos correspondent
A season of promising expectations for the UWF football team ended Saturday night with a final roadblock.
Unbeaten, top-ranked Valdosta State jumped to a 21-0 lead in the third quarter and cruised its way to a 28-7 victory against the No. 16-ranked Argos to clinch the Gulf South Conference title and No. 1 region seed for the NCAA Division II playoffs.
After six consecutive wins that followed a 1-2 start, the Argos (7-3) will likely miss the playoffs for the first time since 2018.
UWF hoped it could recapture some road magic at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium where the Argos beat the Blazers in 2022 to help seal a playoff berth, then in 2019 in post-season on way to UWF’s historic national championship run.
But after a scoreless first quarter, the Blazers (10-0) seized control on their senior night. They scored touchdowns on consecutive possessions in the second quarter for a 14-0 halftime lead. They added a third TD midway through the third quarter to further solidify a grip on the game.
“Didn’t play well,” said UWF coach Kaleb Nobles, who returned to his alma mater for the first time as a head coach. “We just didn’t do enough. I take full responsibility. I didn’t do enough, personally. Our guys gave everything they had. We have to find ways to keep getting better.”
The Argos gained a brief surge of hope when quarterback Marcus Stokes broke free on a 31-yard touchdown run with 4:53 left in the third quarter.
After UWF’s defense forced a stop, the Argos drove near midfield and faced 4th-and-5 from the 48. But on the conversion attempt, running back T.J. Lane was stuffed two yards shy of the first down.
VSU then methodically drove nine plays, 50 yards and ate up 5:18 on the clock to score on Alfonso Franklin’s 1-yard run to put the game away. The drive was part of the Blazers’ 204 yards rushing, led by Blake Hester who had 118 yards on 21 carries and one touchdown.
“They ran the ball pretty well, did stuff in the run game that I don’t think they’ve done all year and we didn’t answer the call,” said Nobles, a 2015 Valdosta State graduate, who then used his post-grad year in 2016 to be the Argos quarterback in their inaugural season.
The Blazers produced 358 yards total offense in the game. UWF’s defense entered ranked No. 2 nationally in Division II, yielding just 205.9 total offense yards per-game.
VSU senior quarterback Sammy Edwards completed 14 of 20 passes for 154 yards and two scores. Neither team had a turnover Saturday.
Edwards was one of 30 seniors that VSU honored before the game.
“I’ll give (VSU) offensive line credit. They’re a good team and do a lot of things well,” Nobles said. “This one definitely hurts.”
Meanwhile, the UWF offense struggled the entire night. Stokes completed 11 of 24 passes for 129 yards. He was sacked twice.
Javon Swinton was UWF’s leading receiver with three catches for 47 yards, including the longest pass play for UWF on a 33-yard reception.
Stokes became the Argos leading rusher with 57 yards on nine attempts. The Blazers held the Argos’ tailback tandem of TJ Lane (33 yards) and Jay Sharp (16 yards) in check.
“We didn’t win some down-field throws and had a couple missed blocks on our offensive line that really affected us,” Nobles said. “When you do those things against a good team, those things get exposed. We know we can’t do that against a good team like Valdosta State.”
The Argos returned home following the game Saturday and will have post-season meetings beginning Monday as they now plan for the 2025 season.
UWF was seeking its first outright GSC title Saturday. The Argos would have won the tiebreaker with a win.
The Blazers celebrated their 12th outright GSC title and first since getting back-to-back conference championships in 2018 and 2019 seasons. The win elevated VSU to its fifth undefeated regular season in school history.
UWF ends with its seven consecutive winning season in the program’s eight-year history. The Argos have won seven or more games in six of those years.
“The message is, I’m just proud of them,” Nobles said. “Everybody wrote us off and didn’t think we had a chance to do anything after we lost to Grand Valley State (on September 28). I told the team I’m proud of them for how they responded, giving themselves to be in this game. I told the seniors how proud I am of them, and how excited I am to be their head coach.”
Photo: Emily Miller/UWF for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Star Wars Night: Ice Flyers Fall To Huntsville Havoc
November 17, 2024
The Pensacola Ice Flyers faced off against the Huntsville Havoc on Saturday night to finish off their weekend series. The Ice Flyers started strong, with Natan Vertes energizing the crowd of 6,341 by scoring just four minutes into the first period. The momentum continued when Matt Wiesner scored a short-handed goal, his fifth of the season, giving the Ice Flyers a 2-0 lead.
However, the Havoc responded. Huntsville’s Austin Alger found the back of the net with 1:19 left in the first period, narrowing the gap to 2-1. The second period saw Cayden Cahill extend the Ice Flyers’ lead with his second goal of the season. The period ended with some tension as Tim Faulkner and Giovanni Procopio engaged in a heated exchange.
For a photo gallery, click here.
The third period proved to be the Ice Flyers’ undoing. Despite physical efforts from Sam Dabrowski, the Havoc seized control of the game. They capitalized on two power-play opportunities, with Austin Alger scoring his second goal to tie the game. Giovanni Procopio then gave Huntsville the lead with just 2:44 left in the game.
In a last-ditch effort, the Ice Flyers pulled their goalie, but the Havoc took advantage. With 58 seconds remaining, they sealed their victory with an empty-net goal, silencing the once-jubilant crowd.
Despite the loss, the night had its highlights. Fans were also treated to entertaining blindfolded light-saber battles, adding a lighthearted touch to the evening.
The Ice Flyers will now set their sights on their upcoming weekend series in Peoria.
What’s Next?
Next Game: Friday, November 22 at Peoria
Next Home Game: Wednesday, November 27
EREC Members See Small Monthly Fee Added, But Rates May Drop In December
November 17, 2024
Escambia River Electric Cooperative (EREC) has implemented rate adjustment in the form of a small monthly fee but expects overall electric rates to drop by even more on December.
EREC added a flat increase of $3 per month on the facility service charge portion for electricity and water and a $10 flat increase for commercial electric members beginning immediately.
“While prices have been on the rise, Escambia River Electric Cooperative has worked to minimize controllable expenses to keep up with inflation instead of raising rates for members. Unfortunately, the time has come when we are not able to cut controllable costs and keep up with the rising costs. We need to make a modest adjustment to address the rising costs of delivering reliable electric service,” EREC CEO Ryan Campbell said. “After an extensive analysis of our financials, we determined that rising costs are outpacing our revenue projections. Therefore, this adjustment became imperative to continue fulfilling our mission of providing reliable and resilient energy to all our members.”
“After an extensive analysis of our financials, we determined that rising costs are outpacing our revenue projections. Therefore, this adjustment became imperative to continue fulfilling our mission of providing reliable and resilient energy to all our members,” he added. “Our not-for-profit business model prioritizes the interests of members over profits for shareholders. We exist to provide a service, not to generate profits. In other words, we are solely focused on the needs of those who use our service.”
But Campbell said the member owned cooperative expects the average member’s bill to go down by more than the monthly fee.
The decrease is because the EREC system peak usage in January 2024 (when temperatures fell into the teens). caused the next 11 months’ bills to be higher because of the cost of generation during that peak. EREC and its members will benefit from the decrease, as long as there is not another really cold period.
NorthEscambia.com graphic.
Homeowner Reportedly Opens Fire On Known Attackers In Bratt Assault
November 16, 2024
An investigation is continuing after shots were fired during a reported disturbance in Bratt.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s responded to a reported assault the 3400 block of West Highway near C.W. Caraway Road Thursday night where the homeowner told deputies that he had been attacked and severely beaten in his home by two individuals that he has personally known for many years.
“The victim stated that he defended himself by shooting his firearm at the men and that he may have struck one of the suspects with one of the rounds he fired in self-defense,” ECSO Sgt. Melony Peterson said.
She said deputies located several spent shell casings and a firearm but were unable to locate the suspects. Area hospitals were contacted, but none had treated a gunshot victim.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
FPL Seeks To Raise Bills For All Of 2025 To Cover Hurricane Costs; Here’s How Much
November 16, 2024
Florida Power & Light customers could soon see higher bills to cover the utility’s hurricane restoration costs.
FPL has asked the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) to approve a temporary surcharge on customer bills in 2025 to recover restoration costs after four hurricanes battered Florida in less than 14 months.
For FPL customers in Northwest Florida, the a typical bill for residential customers using 1,000 kwh would increase $8.07 from $135.38 to $143.45 each month of 2025 for a total of $96.84 . For FPL customers in the rest of Florida, that typical bill would increase $12.02 to $133.99.
The petition filed with the PSC seeks to recover restoration expenses for Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton, which ripped through Florida this year. It also seeks $150 million to replenish the company’s storm reserve, which was primarily depleted by Hurricane Idalia last year and then wiped out after Hurricane Debby in August. If approved by the PSC, the temporary surcharge would reimburse FPL about $1.2 billion.
Category 3 Idalia struck Florida in August 2023. This year, Category 1 Debby hit Florida in August, then Category 4 Helene and Category 3 Milton pounded the state less than two weeks apart in September and October. The four hurricanes caused more than 3 million combined outages to FPL customers with damaging winds, storm surge and – in the case of Milton – dozens of powerful, long-track tornadoes.
“FPL worked relentlessly to quickly restore power to our customers in the aftermath of each of these hurricanes,” FPL President and CEO Armando Pimentel said. “We’re mindful that customers pay these restoration costs, which is why we continue to invest in storm hardening and smart grid technology. This avoids many outages, speeds restoration and reduces restoration costs while helping customers bounce back faster, from getting kids back to school to getting Florida’s economy back up and running.”
Capt. Chandra Newman Assumes Command Of NAS Pensacola
November 16, 2024
Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola Commanding Officer Capt. Chandra “Mamasan” Newman assumed command of the “Cradle of Naval Aviation” from Capt. Terrence “Village” Shashaty Friday during an official ceremony at the National Naval Aviation Museum (NNAM) onboard the installation.
Shashaty retired after the ceremony, completing a 26-year U.S. Navy career.
Shashaty, a native of Brooklyn, New York, earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics in 1998 from the U.S. Naval Academy. He was selected as one of four U.S. officers to enroll in the Naval Staff College, the U.S. Naval War College’s program for mid-grade international naval officers representing 39 countries from across the globe, where he earned a Master of Arts in
National Security and Strategic Studies.
Designated a Naval Aviator in October 2000, Shashaty completed four operational carrier deployments flying the EA-6B Prowler and oversaw the transition to the the Indo-Pacific area.
Newman, a native of Inverness, Florida, received her wings of gold in August 2004, serving with Helicopter Sea Combat (HSC) squadrons. She most recently served as the Commander, Naval Air Forces (CNAF) Leadership, Education, Growth, Advocacy, Culture, and Youth Outreach (LEGACY) director.
NAS Pensacola, referred to as the “Cradle of Naval Aviation,” is designed to support operational and training missions of tenant commands, including the Naval Aviation Technical Training Center (NATTC); Naval Aviation Schools Command (NASC); the Center for Information Warfare Training (CIWT); Marine Aviation Training Support Groups (MATSG) 21 and 23 and serves as the headquarters for Naval Education and Training Command (NETC).
U.S. Navy photo by Garrett Dipuma for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate Falls To Nease In Playoff Opener (With Photo Gallery)
November 16, 2024
The No 8 Tate Aggies fell to the No. 1 Nease Panthers 42-14 Friday night in the Region 1-6A quarterfinals Friday night in Ponte Vedra, Florida.
It was the first playoff appearance for Tate since 2020.
With a season ending at 7-4, 2024 was the best for the Aggies since they also went 7-4 in 2017.
For a photo gallery, click here.
In other Region 1-6A quarterfinal action Friday night, Pace defeated Oviedo 49-21. The Patriots will travel to Buchholz in Gainesville next Friday night.
NorthEscamia.com photos by James Vernacotola, click to enlarge.
Byrneville Elementary School Names Students Of The Month
November 16, 2024
Byrneville Elementary School recently named their October Students of the Month.
They are:
- Kindergarten: Price Miller and AJ Sutton
- 1st Grade: Evelyn Gould and Jani’la Durant
- 2nd Grade: Kenzie Burkett and Wykel Thomas
- 3rd Grade: Tylaisa Dees and Kase Calloway
- 4th Grade: Grace McKenna and Veronica Walker
- 5th Grade: Lucas Jordan and Gemma Roberson
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
High School Football Playoffs Scoreboard
November 16, 2024
FLORIDA
REGION 1-6A
- Pace 49, Oviedo 21
- Nease 42, Tate 14 [Story, photos...]
REGION 1-4A
- Escambia 29, Riverside 28
- Ed White 26, Pine Forest 13
REGION 1-2A
- Walton 28, Pensacola Catholic 24
RURAL
- Fort White 23, Jay 2
ALABAMA
4A
- Fairfield 23, W.S. Neal 22
3A
- T.R. Miller 21, Trinity 7
Pictured: The Tate Aggies fell to Nease Friday night. NorthEscamia.com photos by James Vernacotola, click to enlarge.
Cat Country 98.7 Is The 2024 CMA Radio Station Of The Year (With Gallery)
November 15, 2024
Next week, Cat Country 98.7 will receive the 2024 Country Music Association (CMA) Radio Station of the Year Award in Nashville. This is the third time the station has won this prestigious CMA Station of the Year award, having previously won in 2017 and 2019.
And that’s a big deal.
The CMA Radio Station of the Year Award is based on not only how they sound, but also ratings and community involvement.
This week, NorthEscambia.com sat in-studio with Brent, Mel, and Jordan during The Cat Park Morning Show to learn a little more about what makes the locally owned station deserving of the national award.
For a photo gallery, click here.
“What a what a treat to be recognized for serving our community at a national level,” Brent Lane said.
“It never gets old to be recognized by other professionals for the hard work that we put in all year round,” Mel added. “So, on that level, knowing that people that voted on this award, recognize what we try to strive to do every day in our community and give back. And then also sharing the country music story but we weave those two together and be recognized for that is huge.”
If there is a local community event, or a community need in the Pensacola metro, adds are you’ll find Cat Country involved. And that’s a point of pride for Brent and Mel.
“It’s a success through service model. We’re lucky to be locally owned and in doing the expectation is that we’re going to be community helpers. So, every opportunity that there is to give back, we have continued to give back,” Brent said.
“In our industry, it is rare that we are live and local, and so we live here. We are your neighbors,” Mel added. “We are experiencing everything that our community members are experiencing. So, we’re here; we’re not just some syndicated voice that has no idea what your town and your community is like.
“We actually show up, and we live next door to you. We can help you, and that’s I think super important for people to know — that we’re here to help them, no matter what whether it’s, hey, you’re having a lonely day and we’re here, you can make that phone call, or it’s a hurricane relief drive, or any of those type of events. We want to make sure we’re there, and we’re not only just a radio show, but we’re your friends and we’re your neighbors too.” she said.
This week, Pensacola has faced tremendous traffic problems thanks to CSX railroad crossing closures, with very little information made available in advance by the company. During our visit, there was a big focus on community-sourcing crossing closure information in order to share and make the morning community a little bit easier for listeners.
“What’s happening this morning with the railroad tracks is a major source of frustration for local drivers, and so to be able to talk about that in real time and give back is, is always continuing to double down on what we say we do which is be live, local and supportive,” Brent said. “so, whether it’s the railroad tracks being down, or a CSX train that goes off the tracks, or whatever that looks like to be able to have an opportunity to stand in front of you, and then be good stewards of the goodwill that you might give.”
And there are no plans to change that community focus anytime soon.
“As far as what we do in the morning, we’re going to continue to do. What you hear, what we are trying to do, Brent and Mel will be your morning friends,” Brent said. The, with a laugh, adding “And Jordan is your morning jester of traffic.”
For a photo gallery, click here.
WYCT, better known as Cat Country 98.7, is locally owned by Dave and Mary Hoxeng.
The winners of the 58th Annual CMA Awards will be honored during a Wednesday, November 20 ABC telecast (to be aired locally on WEAR 3) from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. The CMA Awards show will also be available on Hulu beginning Thursday, November 21.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
