FHSAA Switching Football Classes To Metro, Suburban And Rural; Moving from RPI To MaxPreps Rankings
March 1, 2022
The Florida High School Athletic Association Board of Directors voted Monday to revamp high school football in the state, dividing member schools into Metro, Suburban and Rural classification and creating nine state championships.
The metro classification will include the eight Florida counties with the highest population — Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Orange, Duval, Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Seminole.
Most teams in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties will fit into the new Suburban classification, while smaller and rural teams like Northview, Jay and Central will be in the Rural class.
A more specific breakdown will be released at a later date.
In the Metro and Suburban classes, for 4A-2A there will be four regions and 16 districts with district play required. District champs will advance, along with the next four at-large in the region.
In 1A for all classes, including Rural, there will be four regions and no districts. The top six in each district will advance to the playoffs.
The new classifications will be in place for at least the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
Another big change will come in playoff rankings. Football will move away from the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) rankings that were implemented in 2019. The FHSAA Power Rankings, handled by MaxPreps, will instead decide playoffs.
Here are how the classifications will break down:
Metro Classification
(only those eight large counties listed above)
- 4A: 2356+ (64 schools)
- 3A: 1675-2355 (64 schools)
- 2A: 601-1674 (64 schools)
- 1A: 600 and below (36 schools)
Suburban Classification
- 4A: 1893+ (68 schools)
- 3A: 1443-1892 (68 schools)
- 2A: 601-1442 (68 schools)
- 1A: 600 and below (30 schools)
Rural Classification
- 1A: 600 and below (33 schools)
NorthEscambia.com file photos.
Second Suspect Charged With Theft Of Items From Barn Valued At $8,000
March 1, 2022
A second suspect has been charged in connection with the alleged theft of items from a barn near Century.
Cody Eugene McNeal, age 23 of Atmore, was charged with felony burglary of an unoccupied structure and felony grand theft. Kelsey Alanna Taylor, 25, was arrested about a week and half ago on the same charges. She was described as McNeal’s girlfriend by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Taylor and McNeal allegedly took a 54-inch Grasshopper zero turn mower, air compressor, shop fan and a string trimmer from an Escambia County barn. The victim told the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office that at no time did anyone have permission to remove items valued at $8,000 from the barn.
Taylor and the second suspect told deputies that they were given permission to remove items from the barn to replace items they already had stored in the barn that were damaged by water. Both admitted to taking the fan, string trimmer and air compressor with permission, but denied that they removed the lawnmower, according to an arrest report. At last report, the mower had not been recovered.
The air compressor and shop fan were sold for $200, the report states.
McNeil and Taylor were both released on $10,000 bonds.
Taylor was arrested in Escambia County, Alabama, and later extradited to Florida to face the charges against her. She was later released from the Escambia County (FL) jail on a $10,000 bond.
UWF Moves All Home Football Games To Campus, Leaving Blue Wahoos Stadium
March 1, 2022
The University of West Florida Argonauts will play its entire 2022 football home schedule at Pen Air Field on the UWF campus for the first time in program history, beginning with a home season opener against Warner University on Sept. 3, 2022.
Previously, UWF Football played home games at Blue Wahoos Stadium in downtown Pensacola. Complications surrounding the newly installed artificial turf and the ability to schedule games at the stadium arose, prompting the program to move home games to the UWF Pensacola campus. Last season, the University hosted its first-ever home game at Pen Air Field, resulting in record on-campus event attendance.
“We appreciate the support from the City of Pensacola and the Blue Wahoos organization for the opportunity in creating a positive game day environment for the UWF Football program,” said Dave Scott, director of UWF Intercollegiate Athletics. “Blue Wahoos Stadium served as a unique venue and offered a great experience for college football over the past five seasons. We are excited to begin playing home games on campus, enhancing student life and providing a traditional on-campus college experience for students, alumni, faculty, staff and the community.”
The UWF football program will play five home games and face four Gulf South Conference opponents at home in the 2022 schedule. Among the Argonauts’ 7-game GSC slate will be home contests against Delta State, Mississippi College, North Greenville and West Alabama.
UWF will open the season with a pair of non-conference games. Following the season opener against Warner University, the Argos will make the second-longest regular-season trip in program history to Bolivar, Missouri to face Southwest Baptist on September 10. UWF defeated the Bearcats 63-14 last season in the first-ever on-campus football game before more than 5,000 fans.
After an open week, GSC play will commence with back-to-back home games against Delta State on September 24 and North Greenville on October 1.
The following two weeks the Argos will make a pair of road trips to the Peach State, taking on West Georgia on October 8 and Shorter on October 15. In the 5-game series with the Wolves, the road team has won every game and the Argos have defeated the Hawks all five times.
The Argos will entertain Mississippi College for Homecoming festivities on October 22. UWF is unbeaten against the Choctaws in five meetings, including a thrilling 27-21 overtime decision in 2019 in Pensacola.
UWF will honor its senior class on October 29 with a visit from West Alabama. The Argos have won three of the last four games in the series, including wins in each of the last two seasons. This will be just the third game in Pensacola in the 7-game series history.
The GSC regular-season will come to an end against Valdosta State when the Argos head to Valdosta, Georgia on November 5. The teams have been the class of the GSC the past few years, combining for the last three league titles and representing half of the Division II National Championship game participants the past four seasons.
New for 2022 will be a GSC Regional Game that will have the Argonauts face a conference member for a second time in an effort to aid the resumes for postseason consideration across the league. That game will be announced November 6, 2022.
The NCAA Division II Championship Playoffs begin on November 19 and end with the title game on December 17.
Free Soup Saturday At Century Park
March 1, 2022
St. Luke’s Missionary Baptist Church will hold a Free Soup Day, Saturday, March 5 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. at Nadine McCaw Park in Century.
There will be free cooked soup, crackers and soda for everyone in attendance while supplies last.
Visitors should stay in their vehicles for service, or sit in the park. Nadine McCaw Park is located at the corner of North Century Boulevard and Hecker Road.
File photo.
Trooper Seriously Injured When Box Truck Hits His Patrol Vehicle On I-10
March 1, 2022
A Florida Highway Patrol trooper was seriously injured Monday when his stopped vehicle was struck by a box truck on I-10 in Okaloosa County.
The trooper noticed a white SUV abandoned on the side of the roadway and pulled over to investigate, activating his emergency lights. A short time later, a box truck driven by a 40-year old Escambia County an swerved off the roadway and sideswiped the trooper’s patrol car and the SUV.
The state trooper was transported to Ft Walton Medical Hospital.
“The trooper is in good spirits with family and friends as well as fellow troopers at his side.”
Charges are pending against the driver of the box truck, according to FHP, according to a FHP report.
FDOH Escambia Offers Free HIV Testing
March 1, 2022
The Florida Department of Health in Escambia County (FDOH-Escambia) offers free HIV rapid testing at the After-Hours Clinic, held on the first Thursday of each month. The next After-Hours Clinic is this Thursday, March 3, at FDOH-Escambia’s 1295 West Fairfield Drive location.
The testing is open to the public, with no appointment needed.
- What: Free HIV Rapid Testing After-Hours Clinic
- Who: Open to the public, no appointment needed
- When: Thursday, March 3, 2022 between 4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.*
- Where: FDOH-Escambia, 1295 W Fairfield Dr, Pensacola, FL
- How: The rapid HIV test gives highly accurate results in as little as 15 minutes. All testing is confidential and conducted in a private clinic setting.
Free HIV rapid testing is also available Monday thru Friday from 8a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at FDOH-Escambia.
Pickup, School Bus Collide Near McDavid
February 28, 2022
There were no serious injuries in a crash involving a school bus and pickup truck Monday morning near McDavid.
There were no students on the Escambia County school bus at the time of the 9:10 a.m. crash on Highway 164 about 1.3 miles east of North Pine Barren Road.
The Florida Highway Patrol said a 75-year old Atmore man attempted to pass the bus, before his vehicle collided with the lug nuts on a wheel of the bus. The pickup truck then overturned into a wooded area. The pickup truck came to rest on its side, and the driver was able to climb out of the vehicle.
Both drivers refused transport by Escambia County EMS. Escambia County Fire Rescue also responded.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Fire Destroys SUV In Highway 29 Median
February 28, 2022
Fire destroyed an SUV early Monday morning near Molino.
The vehicle was reported on fire in the median about 4:10 a.m. on Highway 29 near Barrineau Park Road. The SUV was reportedly not involved in a collision.
There were no injuries reported. The vehicle fire and a resulting grass fire were extinguished by the Molino Station of Escambia County Fire Rescue.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Sparkleberry: FPL Plans Molino Solar Farm, The Third In North Escambia
February 28, 2022
Florida Power & Light (FPL) is considering a third solar farm in North Escambia on hundreds of acres in Molino.
The Sparkleberry Solar Energy Center is planned for 555 acres south of the end of Pilgrim Trail. According to FPL, over 200,000 solar panels will generate nearly 75 megawatts — enough energy to power 15,000 homes.
The Sparkleberry site in Molino is just entering the development review process in Escambia County, prior to any construction permits being issued.
The Molino solar farm is roughly the same size as two others in North Escambia.
The 300,000 solar panels at the Cotton Creek Solar Energy Center on Bogia Road near McDavid have been in operation since the first of the year, producing up to about 75 megawatts.
The First City Solar Energy Center, the second FPL solar site to be built in North Escambia, off Holland, Cox and Roach roads in McDavid is not yet operational. It also has a planned output of 75 megawatts.
NorthEscambia.com graphic showing the proposed location of the Sparkleberry Solar Energy Center in Molino, click to enlarge.
FWC Report: Fishing Without License, Night Hunting, Deer Woes
February 28, 2022
The Florida FWC Division of Law Enforcement reported the following activity:
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
Officer Specialist Ramos was on patrol and observed a subject actively casting a rod and reel at a local boat ramp attempting to catch fish. When the officer contacted the subject and asked to see his fishing license, the subject admitted he didn’t have one. Officer Ramos researched the person’s prior history and discovered that the subject was also issued a citation in the summer of 2021 for failing to have a fishing license. Furthermore, the man was ineligible to purchase a license since 2019 because of his failure to fulfill financial obligations awarded by the court system. The subject was issued a notice to appear for fishing while his license was suspended due to financial
obligations.
While on patrol, Officer Specialist Ramos observed a suspect harvesting blue crab from traps after midnight in an unregistered homemade motorized vessel that did not display any navigational lights. It is a violation of law for any person to pull blue crab traps one hour after sunset until one hour before sunrise. After maintaining surveillance on the suspect, Officer Ramos conducted a resource inspection. The suspect had previously been charged with violating various Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission resource regulations. The suspect was unable to prove he was the owner of the crab traps and was in possession of blue crab and several species of fish. Each of the crab traps failed to meet four separate trap specifications according to law. Officer Ramos documented 10 violations pertaining to vessel and blue crab trap requirements. The suspect was issued a notice to appear in court as well as two non-criminal citations and seven warnings for the violations.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
Officers Oliver and Mullins were patrolling in Blackwater Wildlife Management Area (WMA) when they encountered two subjects hunting in the forest. They conducted a hunting and resource inspection on the two subjects and further inspection led them to finding one subject without proper licenses and two deer that were previously killed and not logged or reported. Through the course of an investigation, it was discovered that one of the deer was a small buck not meeting the antler requirement for legal size. The subjects were issued the appropriate citations, the illegal deer head was seized and destroyed.
Officer Mullins was working illegal night hunting activity and observed subjects in a truck shine lights in a clearing showing an apparent search for deer. The officer continued to watch the vehicle and observed them shine another area for deer. Officer Mullins contacted four occupants in the truck, who each said they did not have a gun with them. While searching the vehicle a rifle was found in the back seat hidden under a jacket by the passenger’s feet. Further inspection revealed a large magazine and 22 rounds of ammunition thrown under the seat. Officer Bower arrived and assisted with the investigation. Each subject was issued a notice to appear for night hunting. The rifle,
two large flashlights, and twenty-two rounds of ammunition were seized as evidence.
Officers Oliver and Mullins were on patrol checking hunters at a game checkpoint in Blackwater Wildlife Management Area (WMA). They contacted a hunter that had fresh blood on him and was extremely winded. Upon speaking with the hunter, they found that the subject had shot a deer. Officers Oliver and Mullins conducted a hunting and resource inspection and located a short horn buck in the rear of his SUV. The subject stated that it was his first deer he had killed and that he had only been hunting a handful of times. The subject was mistaken on the requirements for antler size, despite knowing the buck was close to legal size. The subject was issued a notice to appear citation for the short horn buck deer.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.