Tate Takes Two From West Florida, Northview Splits With Milton; Tate Softball Over Escambia
March 2, 2022
Tate 14, West Florida 3
The Tate High School Aggies beat the West Florida Jaguars 14-3.
The Aggies sealed the win with eight runs in the fifth inning.
Josiah Glodfelter earned the win for the Aggies, going four innings with no runs on one hit and striking out nine. Tucker Griffin thew one inning in relief.
Clif Quiggins, Jackson Penon and Frankie Randall led the Aggies at the plate with three hits each.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Tate 18, West Florida 9 (JV)
Northview 13, Milton 0
Milton 14, Northview 2 (JV)
SOFTBALL
Tate 15, Escambia 2
Pictured: Tate High Aggies defeated West Florida 14-3 Tuesday night. NorthEscambia.com photos by Laura Glodfelter, click to enlarge.
Firefighters Battle Brush Fire Threatening Cantonment Neighborhood
March 1, 2022
Firefighters battled a brush fire threatening a Cantonment neighborhood Tuesday afternoon.
The brush fire was burning on Madrid Road south of Muscogee Road in an area that backs up to a subdivision on Twin Pine Circle.
Firefighters prevented the fire from crossing into the subdivision, and no structure damage was reported. The fire was initially estimated at about 1.5 acres, according to the Florida Forest Service.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Firefighters Battle House Fire, Brush Fire And Aid Vehicle Wreck Victims In Cottage Hill
March 1, 2022
Firefighters battled a house fire, extinguished a brush fire and aided victims in a vehicle crash on Highway 95A in Cottage Hill midday Tuesday.
Escambia County Fire Rescue said a trash fire spread to a yard and before sparking the house fire on Highway 95A at McKenzie Road. The fire also extended into a wooded area behind the home.
There were no injuries, but firefighters did rescue a dog from the home and reunite it with its family. Escambia Fire Rescue said the home was not a total loss but would be inhabitable with extensive repairs.
The Florida Forest Service and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also responded.
Just before the house fire, Escambia Fire Rescue responded to an unrelated two vehicle rear-end type crash also on Highway 95A at McKenzie Road, almost directly in front of the home. There were no serious injuries reported, and the Florida Highway Patrol investigated.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Pensacola Man Critically Injured In Highway 29 Wreck Near Bogia
March 1, 2022
A 47-year old Pensacola man was critically injured in a single vehicle crash Tuesday morning near Bogia.
The man’s vehicle left the roadway and struck a tree about 8:30 a.m. along northbound Highway 29 about a half mile north of Bogia Road. The Florida Highway Patrol said he failed to negotiate a slight curve.
The man was airlifted by ShandsCair helicopter to Sacred Heart Hospital were he was listed in “very critical” condition, according to FHP.
There were no passengers in the vehicle.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
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.