Century Basketball Association Hosts Annual Banquet, Celebrates Undefeated Teams
March 24, 2025
The Century Basketball Association held its annual banquet on Friday, March 21, 2025, at 6 p.m. at the Century Community Center, drawing over 150 attendees, including Century Town Councilwoman Sandra McMurray-Jackson.
League President Tony Robinson led the evening’s program as master of ceremonies. The event featured a prayer by Elder Idainer W. Bradley, uplifting praise music performed by Mr. Kenneth Newton and his band, and a prayer delivered by Pastor and League Vice President Kris Chancery.
As the evening progressed, players received awards from their respective coaches in recognition of their hard work and achievements throughout the season. The coaches presenting awards included Pre-Training Coach Clay Hoffman, Training League Coach Charles Wesley, Junior Varsity Girls Coach Kris Chancery, Junior Varsity Boys Coach Chris Robinson, Varsity Girls Coach Casey Price, Varsity Boys Coach Chris Robinson, and Varsity Boys Assistant Coach Alex Bradley, who stood in for Coach Greg Bush.
This season marked an exceptional year for Century Basketball, with seven teams competing and four finishing with undefeated records. Championship rings were awarded to the Junior Varsity Girls (Chancery), Junior Varsity Boys (Robinson), Varsity Girls (Price), and Varsity Boys (Bush), celebrating their perfect seasons.
The evening concluded with a special dinner, planned and prepared by Coach Casey Price and her assistants, bringing the community together in a spirit of camaraderie and celebration.
Looking ahead, the Century Basketball Association aims to expand its impact beyond sports. Plans are in motion to introduce a STEM program and a computer coding course, offering middle school students free access to valuable educational resources.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northview Lady Chiefs Win J.U. Blacksher Invitational Tournament Championship
March 23, 2025
The Northview Chiefs claimed the championship in the J.U. Blacksher Invitational Tournament this weekend with a 6-4 win over T.R. Miller.
During the tournament, three Lady Chiefs slammed home runs. Daviona Randolph and Avery Stuckey each had a homer during the tournament at the Arrowhead Park in Poarch as Northview beat Thomasville 8-3.
Bailey Burkette had her first career home run against Elberta, scoring two runs with her homer to centerfield.
The Lady Chiefs will host West Florida on Monday and Pensacola Catholic on Tuesday.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Bailey Burkette
Daviona Randolph
Avery Stuckey
Ice Flyers Fall 4-2 To Bulls (With Gallery)
March 23, 2025
Despite a late third-period rally led by Ice Flyers forward Lukas Jirousek, the Bulls secured another victory 4-2 Saturday night.
Bulls forward Kolten Olynek opened the scoring early in the first period, and forward Filimon Ledziankou extended the Bulls’ lead to two before the first intermission.
Midway through the second period, Jirousek and the Bulls’ Kyler Mathews dropped the gloves in a fight. Later, Andrew Bellant scored to extend the Bulls’ lead to three.
After a tripping penalty against Nikita Kozyrev of the Bulls, Jirousek capitalized with a power play goal. Minutes later, when the Bulls received a holding penalty, Jirousek struck again, narrowing the score to 3-2.
Ice Flyers’ Matt Wiesner received a game misconduct and major penalty for elbowing, putting the Bulls on a power play for most of the remaining third period. The Bulls capitalized with Kolten Olynek’s second goal of the game, making the score 4-2.
Fans can bid on autographed goal pucks from this weekend on Dash.
The Ice Flyers play their final home game of the season on Sunday, March 23.
Scoring Summary
First Period
BHM 1, PEN 0
2:12 Kolten Olynek (17) – Nikita Kozyrev, Andrew Bellant
BHM 2, PEN 0
16:09 Filimon Ledziankous (12) – Arkhip Ledziankou, Carson Rose
Shots on goal: BHM 9, PEN 0
Second Period
BHM 3, PEN 0
18:04 Andrew Bellant (4) – Nikita Kozyrev, Kolten Olynek
Shots on goal: BHM 9, PEN 6
Third Period
BHM 3, PEN 1
4:39 Lukas Jirousek (3) – Jake Hamilton
BHM 3, PEN 2
6:03 Lukas Jirousek (4) – Matthew Gilbert
BHM 4, PEN 2
15:09 Kolton Olynek (18) – Unassisted
Shots on goal: BHM 14 PEN 9
Total Shots: BHM 32, PEN 23
Tate Falls To First Academy In Aggie Classic Championship (With Gallery)
March 21, 2025
On a cold, windy night in the Aggie Nation, Tate fell 13-7 to The First Academy Royals of Orlando in the 30th Annual Aggie Classic championship game.
The Royals took a 6-2 lead in the second with five runs on five hits, including a two-run homer to right field.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Kaden Posta went 3-4 for the Aggies at bat. Nathan Connors had two RBIs to lead Tate, as he went 2-5 for the night, and Kaleb Posta went 2-4.
Lance Brady opened the mound for the Aggies, giving up seven hits and six runs in one inning as he walked one and struck out one. Keelan Beasley threw four and a third innings in relief, surrendering three hits and five hits (three earned) while walking four and striking out five. Conners went for one and two-third innings, allowing two runs and two hits.
Following spring break, Tate returns to action with a trip to the Pine Forest Eagles on March 25.
NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate Advances To Aggie Classic Championship With 12-2 Win Over BTW
March 20, 2025
The Tate Aggies advanced to the championship game of the 30th annual Aggie Classic with a 12-2-win Wednesday night over the Booker T. Washington Hornets of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Kaleb Posta earned the win for Tate, surrendering one run on two hits (one earned) in five innings, walking one and striking out three. Bryton McLellan pitched one shutout inning in relief, allowing one hit.
Hunter Clayton had two hits and four RBIs at the plate for the Aggies. Nathan Connors and Cal Foxworth each added two hits for Tate.
Tate will host First Academy Royals from Orlando at 7 p.m. for the Aggie Classic championship.
Here is the complete Aggie Classic schedule for Thursday:
Tate High School
- 4:00 Bixby, OK vs Olympia, FL
- 7:00 First Academy, FL vs Tate, FL
Gulf Breeze High School
- 7:00 Broken Arrow vs Gulf Breeze, FL
Catholic High School
- 4:00 Blanchard, OK vs Neal, AL
- 7:00 Catholic vs Charles Page, OK
Washington High School
- 4:00 Washington, OK vs Noble, OK
- 7:00 Yukon, OK vs Washington, FL
Tate Downs Yukon (OK) 11-1 On Day Two Of The Aggie Classic
March 19, 2025
The Tate Aggies beat the Yukon Millers of Yukon, Oklahoma, 11-1 Tuesday night on day two of the Aggie Classic.
On the mound, Tate’s Zane Warrington struck out 10, allowing three hits and one run in six innings while walking two.
Nate Connors went 4-5 for the Aggies at the plate with two runs batted in, and Tatite Davis went 2-4 with one RBI.
Up next, the Aggies will face Washington OK Wednesday night at 7:00. WHS is coming off a 10-0 loss to Gulf Breeze.
Tate Opens Aggie Classic Play With 5-4 Win Over Oklahoma Team
March 18, 2025
The Tate Aggies opened their play Monday in the annual Aggie Classic with a 5-4 win over the Charles Page Sandites of Sand Springs, Oklahoma.
Sheppard Edgar opened the home game on the mound for the Aggies, surrendering four runs and four hits in three innings while walking one and striking out three. Keelan Beasley earned the win for the Aggies, giving up no hits and no runs in four innings, while walking two and striking out four.
Taite Davis went 1-4 at the plate with two RBIs. Kaden Posta went 3-3, and Cal Foxworth was 2-2.
Up next, Tate will host the Yukon Millers of Yukon, Oklahoma, at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Yukon beat W.S. Neal of East Brewton, Alabama, 13-3 Monday night.
Here’s a complete list of Monday Aggie Classic scores:
It’s Spring Break – That Means The Annual Aggie Classic
March 17, 2025
It’s spring break, and that means it’s time for the 30th annual Harvester’s Credit Union Aggie Classic with teams from three states facing off across Pensacola.
Tate, Washington, Gulf Breeze and Pensacola Catholic will take part in the tournament, as will W.S. Neal from East Brewton, Alabama. The remainder of the teams are from across Florida and Oklahoma.
Admission is $10 daily or a tournament pass is $35. Cash and Square are accepted at the game. Regular season passes will not be accepted for entry.
Monday’s schedule is as follows:
Tate High School
- 1:00 PM – W.S. Neal vs Yukon, OK
- 4:00 PM – Broken Arrow, OK vs Olympia
- 7:00 PM – Tate vs Charles Page, OK
Washington High School
- 4:00 PM – First Academy vs Washington, OK
- 7:00 PM – Washington vs Bixby, OK
Gulf Breeze High School
- 4:00 PM – Gulf Breeze vs Blanchard, OK
- 7:00 PM – Gulf Breeze vs Yukon, OK
Catholic High School
- 4:00 PM – NO GAME
- 7:00 PM – Pensacola Catholic vs Noble, OK
Last year, the Pace Patriots claimed the Aggie Classic title with a win over the host Tate Aggies.
The complete list of teams participating this year is as follows:
Florida Teams:
- Tate High School
- Washington High School
- Gulf Breeze High School
- Catholic High School (Pensacola Catholic)
- First Academy
- Olympia
Oklahoma Teams:
- Yukon
- Broken Arrow
- Charles Page
- Noble
- Blanchard
- Washington
Alabama Teams:
- W.S. Neal
Pictured: 2024 Tate Aggie Classic championship game action. NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Ice Flyers Fall To Quad City Saturday NIght
March 16, 2025
by Bill Vilona Ice Flyers.com Correspondent
The Ice Flyers figured to have an edge in a quest to gain ground in their weekend series against the team ahead for the final playoff spot.
That’s what made Saturday’s 3-0 loss against the Quad City Storm so baffling to Ice Flyers coach Rod Aldoff.
“This was not the team I had seen since coaching them,” said Aldoff, who returned on February 21 for his third return behind the bench.
After coming back from a two-goal deficit to win Friday’s game, the Ice Flyers again fell behind 2-0 in the second period Saturday, only to come up empty in a deflating loss before a crowd of 4,491 at the Pensacola Bay Center on St. Patrick’s Celebration Night.
There was no four-leaf clover found. Just the opposite. The weekend split kept the Ice Flyers seven points behind the Storm for eighth place, but now with just seven games left in the regular season.
“We just didn’t have legs, we weren’t moving, we weren’t getting to pucks, we weren’t supporting the puck,” Aldoff said. “In the third period there were spurts that were better, but you can’t play one period or 10 minutes and win a game.
“First period (Friday) we had no legs, which I understood because we had a goofy schedule with very little ice and no games last week. I somewhat expected it might take a period to get into and we did. I expected much better legs (Saturday).”
Instead, they were outshot 15-7 in the first period and trailed 1-0. Less than five minutes into the second period, a game-defining sequence occurred.
Quad City defenseman Dillon Fournier was assessed a major penalty (5 minutes) and ejected on a game misconduct for a vicious cross-check against the Ice Flyers’ Sam Dombrowski, who crumbled against the boards.
But the five-minute power play became a turning point. The Storm’s Leif Mattison, the league’s second-leading scorer, got a zone-clearing pass from former Ice Flyers forward Weiland Parrish and turned a breakaway into a shorthanded goal for a 2-0 lead with 13:53 left in the period.
The crowd in the Bay Center groaned, and the Ice Flyers never found a spark.
In the third period, the Ice Flyers had several good looks but couldn’t get a goal, which forced pulling Ice Flyers goaltender AJ Ruskowski with 1:46 left. The Storm forced a turnover in the Ice Flyers’ zone and got an empty-net goal with 51.5 seconds left to end the game.
“I have not seen that (Ice Flyers) team play yet,” Aldoff said. “The rest of the games we’ve played, I’ve been impressed. The guys have pounded and worked. I thought the first weekend (Feb. 21-23 when he returned to coach) we deserved six points. The work ethic was there. The execution was there.
“(Saturday) we had nothing. We were spinning our wheels.”
The Ice Flyers will play three home games next weekend, beginning Friday against the Birmingham Bulls and ending with a Sunday game against first-place Peoria.
After losing six of their last seven games, the Ice Flyers will need to win six of their last seven and get help to have a realistic chance of overcoming Quad City.
“We’re not out of it,” Aldoff said. “But this was a four-point swing (Saturday).”
Here’s a quick recap.
First Period
Before getting tossed from the game, Fournier assisted on the first Quad City goal. He set up Nick Pennucci, who fired a wrist shot through traffic into the upper right corner of the net with 15:10 left in the period.
The Ice Flyers killed the only penalty in the first period.
Making his fourth start, Ice Flyers goaltender Ruskowski stopped 14 shots in the period dominated by the Storm.
Second Period
The Ice Flyers outshot Quad City 12-2 in this period, aided by the five-minute power play, but could not get a tying goal.
Fournier’s penalty was the only one of the period.
Third Period
There were several sequences where the Ice Flyers swarmed the net but could not get a rebound shot past Quad City goaltender Brent Moran, who stopped all 28 shots he faced.
WANT TO GO?
WHAT: Ice Flyers Final Weekend Home Games
WHO: Birmingham Bulls vs. Ice Flyers (March 21-22), Peoria Rivermen vs. Ice Flyers (March 23).
WHEN: Friday and Saturday games start at 7:05 p.m. The Sunday finale is at 4:05 p.m.
Northview Falls To T.R. Miller In Friday Night Battle
March 15, 2025
The Northview Chiefs couldn’t overcome an early deficit Friday night, falling 5-1 to the T.R. Miller Tigers in front of a home crowd in Bratt.
T.R. Miller struck first in the opening inning with a double to bring in a run. The Tigers extended their lead in the third with two RBI singles, making it a tough climb for the Chiefs.
Northview junior Braynt Mason delivered a strong performance on the mound, allowing just one earned run while striking out nine over five and two-thirds innings
Kelan Jury and Cole Davis each had a hit for Northview, with Jury driving in the team’s lone run as he went 1-3 for the day. The Chiefs played clean defense, committing no errors, with Luke Chavers leading the team with 10 fielding chances.
Northview will take spring break off before returning to action March 24 at Baker.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.