Ernest Ward Middle Defeats Atmore (With Photo Gallery)
September 14, 2022
The Ernest Ward Eagles defeated the Escambia County Middle School Eagles of Atmore 8-0 Tuesday night in Walnut Hill.
The game was tied 0-0 at the half. With 3:21 to go in the third quarter, Kintrell Brooks scored from about 65 yards out for the Eagles. With a good 2-point conversion, the Eagles took the lead.
Ernest Ward has the only middle school football program in Escambia County, Florida.
Up next, the Ernest Ward Eagles will host the Jay Royals at 6 p.m. on September 20. Escambia County Middle will host Jackson Middle on September 20 at 6 p.m.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos Fall 7-2 To Biloxi Shuckers
September 14, 2022
After a successful two-week road trip to Chattanooga and Tennessee, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos began their final series of the regular season with a 7-2 loss to the Biloxi Shuckers on Tuesday night.
Zach King (L, 2-6) blew past his previous Double-A high with nine strikeouts over 4.2 innings, but allowed a two-run double to Jackson Chourio and a solo homer to Garret Whitley as the Shuckers took an early lead and kept it for the remainder of the night.
Pensacola got on the board with a Bubba Hollins RBI double in the second and a Marcus Chiu RBI single in the fourth, but that was all they could muster against Biloxi starter Carlos Luna (W, 5-5).
The Shuckers broke the game open in the sixth, scoring four runs against Brady Puckett. Jason Lopez hit an RBI single and Corey Ray hit a two-run double to turn a 3-2 lead into a 6-2 lead. Chourio, a top Brewers prospect making his Double-A debut at just 18 years old, capped the inning with a sacrifice fly for his third RBI of the night.
Josan Mendez gave Pensacola 3.0 scoreless innings of relief, but the Blue Wahoos couldn’t manage any offense against Taylor Floyd and Ryan Middendorf as the two Biloxi relievers combined to close out the game.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Shuckers on Wednesday evening
by Erik Bremer, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Wahoos Seek Local Youth Field To Renovate
September 13, 2022
For the 11th consecutive year, the Blue Wahoos and Waste Management have partnered to renovate an area youth athletic field and are accepting nominations from the community to select the field to be restored.
“We are very excited to continue our partnership with Waste Management and help renovate a local ballfield,” Blue Wahoos community relations manager Lauren Scott said. “Our mission is to improve the quality of life in our community, and helping provide children a great place to play sports locally will benefit families across our community.
The Blue Wahoos will be accepting nominations to choose a field to receive a makeover until September 20. Any local citizen or organization can submit a field by emailing Scott at LScott@BlueWahoos.com and including photos or video of the field and a short explanation of why the field should be considered. Fields must be within 40 miles of Blue Wahoos Stadium to be selected.
Pictured: The Wahoos renovated fields in 2017 at Cantonment (top), in 2018 at Century (first below) and in 2019 at NWE in Walnut Hill (bottom). NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Bonus Photos: Tate And Northview Cheerleaders, Bands, Fans And More
September 12, 2022
The Tate Aggies hosted the Northview Chiefs on a rainy Friday night.
For a photo gallery with the cheerleaders, fans, ROTC, bands, fans and more, click or tap here.
For a story with game details and action photos, click here.
(Editor’s note: Due to the rain, the bands did not perform on the field.)
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
FWC Hunter Safety Course This Week At Molino Library
September 12, 2022
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is offering a free hunter safety internet-completion course in Molino on Wednesday, September 14 at 6 p.m.. Hunter safety courses are designed to help students become safe, responsible and knowledgeable hunters and learn about conservation.
Participants must take the online course before attending this class.
All firearms, ammunition and materials are provided free of charge. Students should bring a pen or pencil and paper. An adult must accompany children younger than 16 at all times.
Anyone born on or after June 1, 1975, must pass an approved hunter safety course and have a hunting license to hunt alone (unsupervised). The FWC course satisfies hunter-safety training requirements for all other states and Canadian provinces.
Those interested in attending a course can register online and obtain information about future hunter safety classes at MyFWC.com/HunterSafety or by calling FWC safety instructor Paul Averill at (850) 982-8070 for more information.
Blue Wahoos Rally For Extra-Inning Win In Smokies Road Finale
September 12, 2022
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos charged back late to win their regular season road finale on Sunday afternoon, defeating the Tennessee Smokies 7-5 in 10 innings.
Trailing 4-3 in the ninth, back-to-back doubles from J.D. Osborne and Marcus Chiu forced extras before Nasim Nuñez and Osborne hit RBI singles in the 10th as the Blue Wahoos secured a series win over the Smokies.
Pensacola scored their first two runs without the benefit of a hit, as Will Banfield brought home Cobie Fletcher-Vance with a sacrifice fly in the first and Thomas Jones scored on a throwing error from Smokies starter DJ Herz in the third. In his Double-A debut, Blue Wahoos starter Luis Palacios allowed a two-run homer to Cole Roederer in the second inning but completed 5.0 innings with a 3-2 lead thanks to a Demetrius Sims RBI double in the top of the fifth.
The Smokies claimed a 4-3 lead in the sixth, putting a pair of runners on against Tyler Mitzel before Chandler Jozwiak surrendered a two-run double to Chase Strumpf.
The Pensacola bullpen held serve until the ninth, when the doubles from Osborne and Chiu sent the game to the bottom of the inning tied 4-4. Robinson Martínez (W, 2-1) stranded the winning run at third to force extra innings, where the Blue Wahoos pushed across three runs against Samuel Reyes (L, 4-1) to secure the win.
After an off day Monday, the Blue Wahoos return home for a six-game series against the Biloxi Shuckers on Tuesday evening.
by Erik Bremer, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Conine Hits Record-Breaking Blast As Blue Wahoos Fall 6-4
September 11, 2022
Griffin Conine solidified his place atop the Pensacola Blue Wahoos’ single-season home run leaderboard, but it wasn’t enough as the Blue Wahoos dropped their game to the Tennessee Smokies 6-4 on Saturday night.
Conine blasted an opposite-field two-run shot in the sixth inning for his 24th home run of the season, surpassing Peyton Burdick’s 2021 total to become the franchise’s home run king. Conine also tied Aristedes Aquino, who hit 37 home runs for Pensacola in 2017 and 2018, atop the club’s all-time home run list with seven games to play in the regular season.
The Smokies took an early 1-0 lead against Cody Mincey (L, 5-6) in the first inning, as Zach Davis singled and stole second before Bryce Ball drove him in with an RBI double. Pensacola tied it up in the second with a solo homer from Will Banfield, but Tennessee jumped ahead for good in the third with a two-run homer from Chase Strumpf and RBI single from Andy Weber.
Pensacola finally mounted a threat against Tennessee starter Ben Brown (W, 3-0) in the fifth inning, loading the bases with one out. Demetrius Sims lifted a sacrifice fly to bring home one run, but Brown struck out Nasim Nuñez to strand the potential tying runs in scoring position.
Miguel Amaya provided some insurance for the Smokies in the fifth with a solo home run, and it proved useful as Conine’s two-run homer against Kyle Johnson in the sixth drew Pensacola to within a run at 5-4. Tennessee would get a run back in the seventh on a sacrifice fly from Cole Roederer, and Bailey Horn (S, 4) got the final six outs to earn the save in a 6-4 final.
The Blue Wahoos wrap up their series against the Smokies on Sunday afternoon.
by Erik Bremer, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Northview Beats Tate In ‘Summerford Bowl’ (With Photo Gallery)
September 10, 2022
Officially, it was the FFA Ag Bowl with a cowbell as the big trophy Friday night. But it was also unofficially the “Summerford Brother Bowl” as the Northview Chiefs beat the Tate Aggies 34-25 at Tate.
The game featured younger brother Wes Summerford as the three-year head coach of the Northview Chiefs, a 1R team from the smallest public school in Escambia County, and Rhett Summerford as the first-year head coach of the Tate Aggies from the largest school in the area.
For an action photo gallery click here. (Cheerleaders, fans, band and more coming by Monday.)
Wes Summerford said he received a text with a photo a few hours before the game that took him back to 2008. It was the first year ever coaching for Wes, right there with his four-year older brother Rhett on the field at Tate High School. “It was a lot of reminiscing and thinking about the things we’ve done together. Even tonight, even though we are on opposite sidelines…I think we both got it after tonight, so a little competition.”
“It’s a special thing for our family,” Rhett Summerford said. “I’m sure dad’s had a good night; you know both sons…”
Rhett paused, brother Wes to his side. His voice broke with emotion. “I love this guy. We’re close.”
Friday night, it rained. It poured. And then it rained some more.
The field was a wet, sloshy mess. And that might have been a little advantage for the Chiefs, Wes Summerford said. For the past three weeks, they’ve been practicing on a wet, sloshy, slippery, muddy field at Northview in Bratt.
“It was a great game. It was what you want in a football game, rain’s coming down” Rhett said.”We are just trying to get better at the ball.”
“I knew it was going to be a war,” Wes said. “I would expect nothing less. Tate did a great job of preparing for us. I’ve got all the respect in the world for their coaching staff and what they do. Those guys are going to be good. They are getting there.”
“Big win for our guys. I challenged them all week, playing a 7A team, it’s a big win for our program. It may be the biggest win we’ve had since I’ve been here,” Wes said.
Northview’s Jamarkus Jefferson had five touchdowns for the Chiefs. His first touchdown followed a 24-yard run from quarterback Kaden Odom down to the 1-yard line.
“Nothing ever surprises me with that guy,” Wes Summerford said of Jefferson. “Every coach that has coached against him will tell you the same thing…that he is our ‘Mr. Do It All’. He does a great job. He battles his butt off, and he’s a winner at the end of the night.”
“It’s not just Jamarkus though. Their quarterback is phenomenal,” Rhett Summerford said, adding that Northview QB Kaden Odom is who he would name as player of the game. “The quarterback kept us off balance in order for Jamarkus to get the run. It was Jamarkus, Jamarkus, and then you think you’ve got Jamarkus tired, and all the sudden they go quarterback the other way. That was like a dagger everytime it happened.”
Tate scored when quarterback Taite Davis found senior Carmelo Campbell for a 51-yard touchdown. Davis also hit Diego Dukes, and he was in for another TD from 12-yards out. Andre Colston had touchdowns of 10 and 53 yards to round out the Aggie scoring.
The Tate Aggies (1-2) will host Navarre (2-1) next Friday. It’s homecoming next week for the Northview Chiefs (3-0) as they take on Elberta (0-3) in Bratt.
And a footnote. As Friday night’s winner, Wes is expecting to see Rhett wash the dishes after this week’s Summerford Sunday dinner.
For an action photo gallery click here. (Cheerleaders, fans, band and more coming by Monday.)
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
High School Football Score Recap
September 10, 2022
Here’s a recap of Thursday and Friday night football scores from across the North Escambia area:
FLORIDA
- Northview 34, Tate 25 [Story, photos...]
- Pace 42, West Florida 14
- Jay 37, Franklin County 0
- Milton 47, Washington (delayed to Saturday)
- Escambia 12, Gulf Breeze 10
- Navarre 37, Rickards 6
- Pensacola Catholic 49, St. Stanislaus (Miss.) 27
- Baker 21, Bozeman 20
- Pine Forest 41, Pensacola 8 (Saturday)
ALABAMA
- St. Michael Catholic 42, Escambia County (Atmore) 13
- T.R. Miller 32, Jackson 29
- W.S. Neal 41, Monroe County 12 (Thursday)
- Cottage Hill Christian 20, Flomaton 16 (Thursday)
- Banks Academy 23, Escambia Academy 12 (Thursday)
Pictured: Northview beat Tate 34-25 Friday night. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Conine Ties Home Run Record As Blue Wahoos Sweep Doubleheader
September 10, 2022
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos swept their doubleheader from the Tennessee Smokies on Friday night, winning 5-4 in a tense game one and exploding for a 12-7 win in game two.
Griffin Conine launched his 23rd home run in the first inning of game two to tie the record for the most home runs in a single season in Blue Wahoos history, equaling Peyton Burdick’s total in 2021. Conine also claimed the top spot on the franchise’s RBI leaderboard with 70 RBI on the year, passing Travis Mattair’s 69 RBI in 2014.
In game one, Dax Fulton was dominant with eight strikeouts over 4.0 hitless innings before Marcus Chiu broke a scoreless tie with a solo home run in the fifth. Demetrius Sims added an RBI single before Conine forced in another run with a bases-loaded walk to put Pensacola ahead 3-0.
After a long layoff, Fulton came back out for the bottom of the fifth and promptly served up a three-run homer to Jake Washer to tie the game 3-3. Zack Leban (W, 1-3) allowed a leadoff walk to come around in the sixth on a Bryce Ball sacrifice fly to put the Smokies in front 4-3, but in the top of the seventh and final inning Will Banfield delivered one final big hit for the Blue Wahoos. Down to their final two outs, the catcher took Jarod Wright (L, 0-1) deep for a go-ahead two-run home run as the Blue Wahoos took a 5-4 lead for good.
In game two, Conine’s early blast was countered by a four-run second for the Smokies against A.J. Ladwig (W, 8-5). Chase Strumpf hit an RBI single, Cole Roederer hit a two-run homer, and Zach Davis scored on a Conine throwing error as the Smokies took a 4-2 lead. Miguel Amaya extended the lead to 5-2 with a solo home run in the third.
In the top of the fourth, the Blue Wahoos charged back to tie the game on a two-run double from Bubba Hollins and an RBI single from J.D. Osborne. Knotted up 5-5 going to the sixth, Pensacola took advantage of erratic control from the Smokies bullpen to push across seven runs on only four hits. Osborne brought home the first run of the inning when Ben Hecht (L, 1-2) hit him with a pitch with the bases loaded, and RBI singles from Davis Bradshaw, Paul McIntosh, Norel González and Bubba Hollins contributed to Pensacola’s biggest inning since late May.
Friday marked Pensacola’s first doubleheader sweep after splitting their first six twin bills of the season.
by Erik Bremer, Pensacola Blue Wahoos