Florida Gas Prices Rise Over The Past Week, AAA Says
September 30, 2024
Florida gas prices increased nine cents on average over the last week, according to AAA.
The average price per gallon of regular unleaded Sunday night statewide was $3.22, up from $3.13 a week ago.
In Escambia County, the average price per gallon was $2.90, an increase of six cents from a week ago. In North Escambia.cim a low of $2.87 could be found at a station on Highway 29 in Cantonment Sunday night. Pensacola prices were as low as $2.67 on Pine Forest Road and $2.69 on East Nine Mile Road.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Tate Aggies Win Bulldog Invitational In Five Straight Matches
September 29, 2024
The Tate High School Aggies volley team won five straight matches Saturday to win the Bulldog Invitational at Crestview.
The Aggies won all of their matches but one in two straight sets.
Tate defeated:
- Bay 2-0 (25-15, 25-13)
- Crestview 2-0 (28-26, 25-18)
- Fort Walton Beach 2-1 (25-11, 19-25, 15-3)
- Walton 2-0 (25-11, 25-11)
- Destin 2-0 (25-22, 25-22)
Pictured: The Tate Aggies won the Bulldog Invitational at Crestview Saturday in five straight matches. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
UWF Takes Road Loss to No. 2 Grand Valley
September 29, 2024
by Bill Violona
After sustaining its worst regular-season loss Saturday in six years, UWF’s football team finds itself in uncommon territory, searching for solutions.
No. 2-ranked Grand Valley State opened up a close game at halftime with 17 points in the third quarter and rolled to a 31-7 victory against the No. 21 Argos, turning a marquee matchup into a one-sided showcase, delighting a crowd of 10,458 at Lubbers Stadium.
“I’m disappointed with how we played, especially on offense,” said head coach Kaleb Nobles during the post-game radio broadcast aired on ESPN-Pensacola. “We have to get better. “It’s completely on us. I take full responsibility with this one. It’s frustrating. But we’ve got to bounce back.”
That opportunity awaits UWF (1-2) with two home games – against winless Mississippi College and fierce rival Delta State – the next two weeks at PenAir Field.
In perspective to how great UWF’s success has been, this is the Argos’ only losing record at any point in a season since the inaugural 2016 season.
It’s also the first back-to-back losses since 2018, which was followed by the 2019 historic national title season when Nobles was on the coaching staff.
Facing one of the most tradition-rich programs in NCAA Division II, one with four national titles and the most wins the past 52 years of any D-2 or FBS (formerly Division 1-AA) team in the country, the Argos struggled from the outset against Grand Valley State.
The unbeaten Lakers (4-0), who now have three consecutive wins against ranked teams, took their first possession and went 85 yards in seven plays for a touchdown and emotional edge they kept the whole game.
This game’s statistical summary reflected how difficult Saturday became for UWF. Grand Valley amassed 436 yards total offense, including 312 rushing yards. The Lakers entered No. 3 in D-2 for rushing offense with 312 yards.
Meanwhile, Grand Valley’s defense held the Argos to only 121 total yards that included minus-7 yards rushing and just 56 yards total offense at halftime.
The Argos offensive line was overwhelmed by Grand Valley’s defense, which entered ranked No. 4 nationally in D-2 for fewest yards allowed.
UWF quarterback Marcus Stokes was under siege the entire game. He was sacked eight times, knocked to ground multiple other times, forced into two interceptions and completed 10 of 27 attempts for 102 yards.
Nearly every time Stokes dropped back to pass, there were defenders charging him. Nobles indicated in the post-game radio interview the need to address things on the offensive line.
“We have to find who our best guys are and get them on the field,” Nobles said on the offensive line. “We think we know, but those guys did not play as well today. We got to keep pushing those guys to get better.”
The Argos defense kept UWF in the game the first half and produced the Argos longest play of the game when senior defensive lineman Byron Puryear picked up a fumble and returned it 37 yards for a touchdown with 2:27 left before halftime.
Unfortunately, Puryear was hurt during a pass rush tackle in the third quarter concluding a positive day for the senior that included three tackles.
The fumble was caused by sophomore defensive back Kamrin Canterbury, who jarred the ball loose from Grand Valley quarterback Avery Moore during a tackle in the backfield. The scoop and score tied the game at the time.
Canterbury had a sensational game as UWF’s top performer. He had 16 tackles including seven solo stops. Ralph Ortiz was UWF’s next highest tackler with nine.
After that defensive score, however, Grand Valley answered with an eight-play, 74 yard drive, aided by two pass interference penalties, to take a 14-7 lead before halftime.
There’s obviously some things we have to clean up on defense overall,” Nobles said. “And we have to stop the run better.”
When the Lakers got the opening kickoff to start the second half, their 80 yard drive pushed the lead two scores and forced UWF to try and make plays against Grand Valley’s stout defense.
Jamontez Woods was UWF’s leading rusher with just 15 yards on eight carries. Da’Moni Brown, who had a big game last week against West Alabama, was held to one catch for 26 yards.
Former Milton High standout Raymond Cotrell saw his first action late in the game and had two catches for 18 yards.
This was the first meeting between the teams, but not UWF’s first time to Grand Valley State. The Argos practiced at Lubbers Stadium during the 2019 run to the championship when beating Ferris State in Big Rapids, Michigan.
UWF is hoping to arrange a return trip by Grand Valley to Pensacola in a future season.
WHAT’S NEXT
WHO: Mississippi College (0-4) vs. UWF Argos (1-2).
WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 5, 4 p.m.
WHERE: PenAir Field
Photo Jon Rose/UWF for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Navarre Upsets Tate For The Aggies’ First Loss Of The Season (With Gallery)
September 28, 2024
The Navarre Raiders upset the Tate Aggies 30-27 at Pete Gindl Stadium Friday night in Cantonment. It was the first loss of the season for the Aggies, now 5-1.
The Aggies started strong in the district game when quarterback Taite Davis found Carson Secchiari for a 23-yard touchdown on the opening drive for Tate. The kick was blocked, and the Aggies led 6-0 on Carl Madison Field. Navarre answered with a TD of their own.
Laquarius Bradford added a 30-yard touchdown for Tate with 3:30 to go in the first quarter. The PAT was again blocked, leaving Tate with a 12-7 advantage.
For a photo gallery, click here. Look for band, cheerleaders and other bonus photo by next week on NorthEscambia.com.
With 4:51 to go in the half, David threw to Elijah West with an impressive touchdown catch (pictured above). Carson Secchiari added a 4-yard touchdown run with 8:08 to go in the game.
“They had a good plan,” Tate head coach Rhett Summerford said. “I guess we did not play very well tonight but hats off to them. We lost one that we should have won. but that’s football. That’s high school football.
The Aggies will be off next week before returning to action October 11 at the Pace Patriots.
“It was a bye week, and then you are going to play a big one,” Summerford said. We’ve got two weeks to work on it. We’ve got to plan a little better. But we are not out; the season is not over.”
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Atmore Blue Devils Defeat Northview 14-0 (With Gallery)
September 28, 2024
The Escambia County High School (Atmore) Blue Devils defeated the Northview Chiefs 14-0 Friday night in Tommy Weaver Memorial Stadium in Bratt.
The game stood at zero-all headed into the locker room at halftime.
For a photo gallery, click here. Look for band, cheerleaders and other bonus photo by next week on NorthEscambia.com.
The Blue Devils scored with 10:19 to go in the third on a 50-yard touchdown run by Jovaughntai Henderson. Ronald Jackson added a 3-yard rushing touchdown for Atmore with 5:17 remaining in the game to seal the win.
“Just a disappointing loss,” Northview head coach Wes Summerford said. ” I think we had them most of the game and really needed one more stop, needed to hold them up and it just didn’t happen… I just don’t think we came out in the second half. I don’t think we came out at all second half.”
Escambia County (2-4) will travel to Orange Beach (4-2) next Friday night. The Chiefs (2-4) will celebrate homecoming next week as they host the Baker Gators (5-1) in a district game.
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEsccambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
High School Football Scoreboard
September 28, 2024
Here are Friday night football scores from around the North Escambia area.
FLORIDA
- Navarre 30, Tate 27 [Read more, photos...]
- Escambia County (Atmore) 14, Northview 0 [Read more, photos...]
- Flomaton 24, Jay 17
- Pace 56, Crestview 25
- Escambia 48, Washington 14
- Bay at Pensacola High
- Freeport at Pensacola Catholic, 7:30 p.m.
- Niceville 41, Gulf Breeze 7
- Mosley at Milton (rescheduled to Monday)
- Central at Rocky Bayou Christian (Saturday, 6 p.m.)
ALABAMA
- Flomaton 24, Jay 17
- Escambia County (Atmore) at Northview
- Escambia Academy 50, Snook Christian Academy 10
- T.R. Miller 28, UMS-Wright 14
- W.S. Neal 37, Blountstown 6
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Tate Football Game Postponed Until Friday Night
September 25, 2024
Due to weather uncertainty, Thursday night’s Navarre at Tate game has been postponed to Friday night.
The Aggies will host the Raiders at 7 p.m. in Pete Gindl Stadium.
The Aggies will head into the game with a perfect 5-0 record.
Northescambia.com photo.
Argos Valiant Comeback Falls Short in Double OT Loss to UWA
September 22, 2024
by Bill Vilona
The dramatic finish UWF’s football team waged late Saturday night ended in heartbreak.
But not without promise.
Trailing 20-10 in the fourth quarter, the 12th-ranked Argos tied the game on their final possession, then twice produced overtime touchdowns, only to fall on a missed two-point conversion attempt to extend the game, as No. 23-ranked West Alabama held on for a wild 35-33 win at Pen Air Field.
This season’s Gulf South Conference opener for both teams became memorable. Just for different reasons.
“Obviously it’s frustrating to lose like that, double overtime…physically exhausting,” said Argos head coach Kaleb Nobles. “But I am so proud of the team with how they played – four quarters. I love them to death. I tell them that every day, but they showed me today that they love each other. It hurts to lose. It should hurt to lose. But this team has heart. This team has fight.”
It was the Argos second double-overtime loss on this field. They sustained a 45-42 loss on Sept. 24, 2022 against GSC rival Delta State in a season where UWF quickly recovered and reached the NCAA Division II national semifinals.
No way to tell, of course, how this season might evolve, but Nobles gained some insight about his team’s makeup two games into the schedule.
After a 16-day gap from UWF’s season-opening win Sept. 5, the Argos’ offense battled through three sluggish quarters, then a display of grit at the end.
“We just came up one play short,” Nobles said. “That’s part of football, part of life. These guys are resilient, they will learn and I promise you we will be better, because of this game.”
The enthralling finish left West Alabama (4-0) unbeaten and with back-to-back season wins against UWF. The Tigers head coach Brett Gilliland is a Pensacola native and former Escambia High School quarterback star when playing for his father, Ronnie Gilliland.
Both men were star players in different eras for West Alabama. After his father passed away in February 2023, this was Brett’s first win against UWF in returning to his hometown.
As UWF (1-1) might have feared, the longest break between games in team history had its effects in the first half on the Argos offense and first-year starting quarterback Marcus Stokes.
The Argos had only two of their six offensive possessions result in first downs. They finished the half with less than 100 yards of total offense as the unit looked to find its rhythm.
But they only trailed 7-3 at halftime. West Alabama got a 9-yard scoring pass early in the second quarter, then UWF kicker Cade Lombardo – a Gulf Breeze High graduate – converted a 28-yard field goal with 2:23 left in the half.
The first five minutes of the second half became a different kind of game. And a preview of what would ensue later.
West Alabama scored on its first second-half possession to take a 14-3 lead and keep the crowd of 5,000-plus mostly quiet.
The Argos then hit the game’s longest play when Stokes threw a perfect deep ball to Corey Scott, who caught the pass in stride, then juked his way pass the defender for a 73-yard scoring play.
After a pair of field goals from West Alabama’s Elijah Guyton, the Tigers had a two-score lead (20-10) on the first play of the fourth quarter.
The Argos then finished a nine-play, 74 yard drive to get back in the game when Stokes connected with Jackson Blalock on a 12-yard scoring pass.
“(West Alabama) played some different stuff (on defense),” Nobles said. “They changed it up, we knew they would give us something different just because Marcus is a 19-year-old redshirt freshman (quarterback). They’re going to do everything to mess with him and we have to keep improving with everyone around him. But I thought we woke up in the second half and played very well and took what they gave us. I love this team. I can’t say it enough.”
The Argos got the ball back with 5:43 left in the game. They used 11 plays and erased most of the game clock to tie the game on Lombardo’s 28-yard field goal.
Overtime followed. The Argos scored first, needing just two plays from the 25 to take a lead after Jamontez Woods scored from 3-yards out. But the Tigers answered with a six-play drive and converted the PAT to tie.
The overtime rules for a second OT require teams to go for two points. West Alabama produced a 25-yard scoring pass from quarter Spencer Arceneaux, a Mobile native, Arceneaux then converted the two-point play in a uncertain way as he slid and reached the ball over the pylon.
Nobles challenged the call. The GSC officials spent considerable time in the replay tent before confirming the two-point play was good.
“It’s tough to win a challenge a lot of times in the GSC because of maybe they don’t have the right angle, things like that,” Nobles said. “But in my mind, a two point conversion is worth a challenge as opposed to keeping a timeout. We fell like his knee was down and maybe with a tough angle it’s hard to see.”
The Argos were down to their final play. They faced fourth down from the 12. Stokes bought some time and hit Da’Mani brought for the touchdown. But on the two point attempt, Stokes rolled to his right and his pass toward the end zone was batted down by the Tigers’ defensive front.
Nobles instantly consoled Stokes as the quarterback walked toward the sideline. Stokes finished completing 13 of 37 passes for 197 yards and three touchdowns, two interceptions.
“I told him, ‘Hey man, I love you to death.’ And big picture is we took a chance on Marcus Stokes,” said Nobles, of the former Florida Gators recruit. “We didn’t have to take him, we didn’t have to recruit him, but I love the kid, I love how he’s growing up as a man with so much that people don’t see. I told him I love how you played. Because he didn’t quit. He didn’t play perfect, but he did what he had to do to give us a chance. And we came up one play short. He gave us a chance.”
Woods led UWF’s rushing game with 40 yards on 14 carries.
“Like coach said, we’re going to fight. I love my teammates to death. I’ll fight with them every day,” Woods said.
The Argos will now turn attention to next Saturday’s marquee matchup against Grand Valley State in Allendale, Michigan. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. ET/2 p.m. CST at Lubbers Stadium.
Photo Emily Miller/UWF for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northview Chiefs Fall Short In Close Battle With Holmes County
September 21, 2024
In a contest that went down to the wire, the Northview Chiefs narrowly fell to the Holmes County Blue Devils by a score of 34-27 Friday night.
The Blue Devils lit up the scoreboard with about eight minutes to go in the first quarter. With a failed two-point attempt, Holmes led the Chiefs 6-0.
But the first quarter would not end without an answer from the visiting Chiefs. With about a minute to go in the first, quarterback Dane King connected with Sam Reid for a 30-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter. With a good kick, the tables turned with the Chiefs on top 7-6.
The teams traded blows throughout the game, with Northview’s Moses Delarosa adding a 10-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.
In the final minutes of the game, Northview made a late push, with King scoring two rushing touchdowns to bring his team within striking distance but short on time with just 37 seconds on the game clock. The Holmes County Blue Devils were able to hold on and secure the victory.
The Northview Chiefs (2-3) will be back at home next in Bratt Friday night against the Blue Devils of Atmore’s Escambia County High School (1-4).
Pictured top: Northview’s Dane King. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Tate Aggies Off To Best Start In Decades; Defeat WFHS 42-7 (With Gallery)
September 20, 2024
The Tate High School Aggies are off to their best start in over 20 years, winning their fifth straight game with a convincing 42-7 victory over the West Florida Jaguars on Thursday night.
Seniors Carson Secchiari and Demorion Clay, Jr. led the way for the Aggies with two touchdowns apiece. Laquarius Bradford and Elijah West also added touchdowns.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Tate dominated the first half, taking a 35-7 lead into the locker room.
The win improves Tate’s record to 5-0. The Aggies will look to keep their history-making winning streak going when they host the Navarre Raiders in a district game next Thursday night at 7:00 p.m.. The Raiders are currently 0-3 as they head into a Friday night game against 0-4 Milton on Friday night.
Look for a bonus photo gallery with the cheerleaders, Showband of the South and more in the coming days.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
