Pensacola Runners Association Donates $5,458 To Northview High Track
September 21, 2021
The Northview High School track team has received a large donation from the Pensacola Runners Association.
The $5,458 donation will be used to purchase a new high jump pit that has been needed for years, according to coach Douglas Godwin.
“I would like to say thank you, on behalf of our track program and Northview High School, to the Pensacola Runners Association because it is programs like theirs that help out high school athletic teams when there is a need,” Godwin said. “We would not have been able to purchase a brand new high jump pit without their help.”
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No. 1 UWF Gets Win Over No. 13 Texas A&M Commerce (With Photo Gallery)
September 19, 2021
Top-ranked UWF scored 21 unanswered points and held No. 13 Texas A&M Commerce to 67 yards of total offense after halftime in a 35-17 win at Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
UWF (3-0) had 434 yards of total offense with a 6.5 yards per play average. A&M Commerce (1-2) finished with 231 yards of offense.
For a photo gallery, click or tap here.
Austin Reed threw for 274 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while leading the Argonauts to scoring drives on five of their eight possessions before ending the game in victory formation inside the Lions’ 10-yard line.
Shomari Mason powered an aggressive rushing attack with 94 yards on 17 carries and a touchdown. Jervon Newton and Anthony Johnson, Jr. each ran for a score as the trio combined for 169 yards on the ground and 4.6 yards per rush. Seven of UWF’s 12 live ball first downs in the second half were on the ground.
The UWF defense was stout all game long but put on a clinic in the second half. In addition to limiting A&M Commerce to 231 yards of total offense on the night, they sacked Jaiave Magalei five times and forced two turnovers in the fourth quarter. Trent Archie had eight tackles and two sacks, while Stephon Williams had eight stops and a sack as well.
The Lions played deliberate, ball control offense in the first half, using 17:53 of time of possession to build a 17-14 lead, including taking advantage of a muffed punt in the final minute of the half that led to a field goal. But UWF’s defense forced A&M Commerce to punt after drives of six and three plays, allowing the explosive Argo offense to get going.
Reed led scoring drives of eight plays, five plays and five plays while building the big lead. Newton and Mason each got to the end zone and David Durden was untouched as he caught a 19-yard crossing route in the end zone.
The win extended the UWF winning streak to a record nine games, while establishing new benchmarks for consecutive road wins and consecutive wins over ranked opponents, both of which are now at six games apiece. It was also the team’s fifth-straight road win over a ranked team as they improved to 10-5 all-time on the road against top-25 opponents.
UWF returns home next week for its first game at Blue Wahoos Stadium in 2021. The Argos will play host to the University of Fort Lauderdale (0-2) at 6 p.m. Tailgate lots at Community Maritime Park open at 2 p.m. and stadium gates open at 5 p.m.
The Blue Wahoos Stadium Box Office opens at 3 p.m.
For a photo gallery, click or tap here.
Photos: Courtesy Morgan Givens/UWF for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Navarre Tops Tate 35-14
September 18, 2021
The Tate Aggies were off to a strong start Friday night on the road at Navarre but could not keep the momentum going. The Navarre Raiders topped Tate 35-14.
Andre Colston was in with a touchdown to put the Aggies up 7-0 in the first quarter.
The Raiders answered with a 40-yard touchdown run with 7:20 remaining in the first. After a missed Raiders extra point, and Tate was holding on to a 7-6 advantage.
With about nine minutes remaining in the half, Colston scored a big 80-yard touchdown, growing the Aggies lead to 14-6. And that closed out Tate’s scoring for the night in Navarre. The Raiders were up 20-14 before going on to their 35-14 win.
The Tate Aggies will be at the Escambia Gator’s Emmitt Smith Field next Friday night.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Jennifer Repine, click to enlarge.
North Escambia Area Football Final Scores
September 18, 2021
Here are football final scores from around the North Escambia area:
FLORIDA
- Escambia Academy at Northview* (canceled, more info below)
- Navarre 35, Tate 14 [Read more...]
- West Florida 51, Arnold 0
- Pine Forest 41, Pensacola 0
- Washington 28, Escambia 24
- Sweet Water (Ala.) 39, Jay 7
- Gulf Breeze 28, Milton 21
- Niceville 41, Pace 13
- Pensacola Catholic (bye week)
*Escambia Academy at Northview High in Bratt was canceled due to weather and field conditions. GoFan is expected to issue ticket refunds in 1-3 days. Northview Principal Mike Sherrill said that it appears unlikely that teams will be able to make up the game at a later date due to scheduling conflicts.
ALABAMA
- Escambia Academy at Northview* (canceled, more info above)
- Flomaton 21, Chickasaw 14
- Williamson 42, W.S. Neal 0
- T.R. Miller 14, Bayside Academy 0
- St. Michael 44, Atmore 12 (Thursday night)
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Wahoos Postseason Aspirations Suffer Major Blow After 4-0 Defeat
September 16, 2021
Christopher Molina (W, 6-1) pitched a season-high eight shutout innings allowing just one hit and striking out 10 as the Wahoos fell 4-0 on Wednesday night at Toyota Field.
Despite Birmingham and Montgomery’s contest being postponed due to weather, tonight’s loss sets the Wahoos three games behind the Barons with only four to play. With Birmingham owning the tiebreaker over the Wahoos, Pensacola playoff odds are now incredibly unlikely.
Both pitchers were off to flying starts to open the ball game. Max Meyer (L, 6-3) retired the opening 12 Trash Pandas to begin his outing. However, things went south for the Wahoos in the bottom of the fifth. After a leadoff single, Michael Cruz hit into a fielder’s choice; however, Demetrius Sims’s throw hit off the helmet of David MacKinnon and ricocheted into left field, setting up runners on the corners with nobody out. Torii Hunter Jr. immediately followed with an RBI double, giving Rocket City runners on second and third with nobody out and a 1-0 lead.
After a strikeout, Carlos Herrera hit a ground ball to second with the infield in. Sims came home with the throw, but his effort was slightly wide of the mark, forcing catcher Brian Navarreto to reach towards the first base side of the plate to make the catch before reaching back to tag the runner. In the process, Navarreto collided into Michael Cruz, dislodging the baseball, and ultimately forcing the Wahoos catcher to exit the game with a potential neck injury.
The Trash Pandas scored three in the frame and added a fourth run in the bottom of the sixth. Pensacola offensively was held to a lone hit on the night, and only had runners in scoring position once. Meyer left the game having thrown six innings and having surrendered four unearned runs while striking out seven. In his first season of professional baseball, Meyer posted a 2.41 ERA in 101 innings. He struck out 113 and only walked 40.
Pensacola will look to rebound on Thursday night with RHP Zach McCambley (1-6, 5.18). He will be opposed by RHP Sam Bachman. (Thursday night game was postponed by weather.)
Northview Loses District Match To Baker (With Gallery)
September 15, 2021
The Baker Gators beat the Northview Chiefs in three sets Tuesday night in volleyball district play in Bratt.
Baker defeated Northview 25-10, 25-20, 26-24.
With the loss, Northview sits at 0-1 in the district but 4-2 overall for the season. Baker is 4-1, 3-0 in the district. Northview travels to Jay on Thursday.
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Ninth-Inning Homer From Sims Keeps Wahoos Alive In Postseason Hunt
September 15, 2021
Demetrius Sims broke a 2-2 tie in the top of the ninth with a solo home run as the Wahoos came from behind to win the series opener 3-2 on Tuesday night at Toyota Field.
With the win, coupled with Birmingham’s loss to Montgomery, the Blue Wahoos are now 2.5 games out of the final AA-S playoff spot with only five games remaining in the season.
In the top of the ninth the Trash Pandas brought in Zach Liginfelter (L, 0-1) to try and keep the game at 2-2. With one out, Demetrius Sims belted a solo home run to right center to give Pensacola the winning run. Even though it was only Sims’s fourth home run of the season, it is the second time in two weeks that Sims has hit a go-ahead home run in the ninth inning.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, Colton Hock (S, 19) grinded his way to his league-leading 19th save of the year. After back-to-back one-out singles in the bottom of the ninth, Hock turned a spectacular double play to end the game. Luis Aviles Jr. smashed a ground ball up the middle that Hock somehow stopped with the glove. After a clean throw to second, Sims threw out Aviles out at first for a game-ending double play.
The Blue Wahoos took the lead in the bottom of the first thanks a double from Kameron Misner and a sac fly from JJ Bleday. Misner now has four doubles in his last three games for the Wahoos.
Pensacola’s 1-0 lead was short lived. After a leadoff single from Aviles, the Trash Pandas used a hit-by-pitch and a pair of walks from Kyle Nicolas to score Aviles and tie the game at 1-1.
After Rocket City took a 2-1 lead, the Wahoos tied the game in the top of the fourth. With Griffin Conine at third, Sims singled to right to bring home Conine and tie the game at 2-2. Sims finished the night with three hits tying his season high.
Kyle Nicolas grinded through five innings for the Blue Wahoos in what appears to be his final start of 2021. He allowed two runs on two hits in five innings of work. Despite walking five he also struck out five in the no decision.
The Blue Wahoos will try to make it four wins in a row in the Wednesday’s contest. Pensacola ace RHP Max Meyer (6-2, 2.56) will make his 20th start of the year and he will be opposed by RHP Christopher Molina (5-1, 4.36).
Northview Volleyball Defeats Pine Forest (With Photo Gallery)
September 14, 2021
The 1A Northview Lady Chiefs varsity volleyball team improved to 4-1 Monday night with a win over the 5A Pine Forest Lady Eagles.
Northview lost the first match to Pine Forest 21-25, but came back to defeat the Eagles 25-16, 25-13, 25-14 for the win.
Northview has earned victories so far this season over Pine Forest, W.S. Neal, Flomaton, and 6A Escambia. Their only loss was to 4A West Florida.
The Lady Chiefs will be back at home Tuesday at 6 p.m. against Baker (3-1) in their first 1A district matchup of the season.
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Win Home Finale Behind Velez’s Quality Start
September 13, 2021
The team had unfurled a thank you banner Saturday night in appreciation of Blue Wahoos fans.
And then on Sunday, the Blue Wahoos took a bow by completing their five month home schedule in a desired way.
In a game which best crystalized their entire season, the Blue Wahoos received stellar, starting pitching – this time again from Anthony Velez — solid relief and produced just enough runs to beat the Biloxi Shuckers 3-2 in the final, regular-season home game of the 2021 season.
The win improved the Blue Wahoos (56-53) position for an overall winning record. But losses in the first four games of this six-game homestand dampened hopes for reaching the Double-A South playoffs.
“It’s always good when you can bookend a series with a couple of wins,” said Blue Wahoos manager Kevin Randel, whose team beat Biloxi 6-0 Saturday night to end the losing streak.
“Obviously it is sort of a letdown, losing those first four and kinda dropping our chances to get into the playoffs. But it’s always nice to finish strong.”
The weather held up Sunday for a crowd of 3,444 to watch Velez, 24, a left-hander and former Florida State pitcher, to make his third consecutive quality start since joining the team August 17 from the Beloit (Wisc.) Snappers, the Miami Marlins’ High-A affiliate.
Velez, a Miami native and former Tampa Bay area high school star, gave up just four hits in six complete innings. He did not walk a batter and struck out nine to lower his earned run average to 0.50 in Double-A.
“He was really good,” Randel said. “He caught a stretch in Beloit and still is kinda riding that high. He’s a guy that throws strikes and changes speed and if you do that, you’ll pitch for a long time.”
In three Double-A starts, Velez has pitched 18 innings, allowed just one earned run, walked only two and has 18 strikeouts.
He got run support Sunday when centerfielder Kameron Misner, another recent addition from Beloit, led off the first inning with a double and scored on J.J. Bleday’s single to right field. Bleday then led off the fifth inning with a single, stole second base and scored on Lazaro Alonso’s single.
Bleday went 2-for-3 in the game with a walk and RBI, following a 2-for-3 night Saturday with two RBI.
The eventual decisive run occurred in the sixth, after Galli Cribbs Jr. doubled and scored on Misner’s RBI single. Misner went 2-for-5 after going 2-for-3 Saturday with two walks and two runs scored.
“He’s kind of a good all-around player,” Randel said. “He’s got some speed, some power, got a pretty swing from the left side. He’s just a good bat to add to the top of the order where we have been kinda missing that top-of-the-order-batter to get on base.”
The Blue Wahoos know they may have missed chances earlier in the series for more wins and closer position in for a playoff spot.
The Birmingham Barons (62-52) continued their red-hot play to control second place. They swept the Rocket City Trash Pandas to maintain a 3.5-game lead over Pensacola in the race for the other playoff spot. The Barons finish the season on the road against the Montgomery Biscuits.
The Mississippi Braves clinched first place in the Double-A South earlier in the week. The two teams with the best overall record in the Double-A South will meet in a best-of-five championship series starting Sept. 21.
The Blue Wahoos finish the season on the road against the Trash Pandas, whose manager, former major league star Jay Bell, is a Tate High grad and one of the all-time best players from the Pensacola area.
The six-game series begins Tuesday in Madison, Alabama, just outside of Huntsville, where Rocket City has played its inaugural season at newly-built Toyota Field.
The teams played way back on May 18-23 in Pensacola with the Blue Wahoos winning five of six.
“Our chances got limited pretty good,” said Randel, referring to the week. “But you try and win some ballgames (against Rocket City) and hope for the best and the other guys kinda battling it out. If we can just take care of business, hopefully, we’ll get some help and sneak into the playoffs.”
But if not, Randel has good memories of his first season in Pensacola, after coming into Blue Wahoos Stadium in past seasons as visiting manager with Jacksonville, then the Double-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins.
The Blue Wahoos home record (33-27) was their fifth consecutive season with a winning home record. One-third of the home games (20) featured sellout crowds, including the final one on Saturday.
“Playing in Pensacola is great,” Randel said. “We have played well here at home. We had a good home record, one of the better ones in the league.”
by Bill Vilona, Blue Wahoos senior writer
Photos: NWE Football Jamboree
September 12, 2021
Northwest Escambia held their jamboree Saturday at Northview High School.
Participating leagues included NWE, Jay, Neal and Andalusia.
For a photo gallery from sophomore games, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
