New Law Provides Heat Stroke Protections For Florida Student Athletes
June 25, 2020
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday signed a bill that will require schools to do more to protect student athletes from heat strokes.
Known as the “Zachary Martin Act”, the bill requires health illness training and life saving equipment like AEDs for all schools that are members of the Florida High School Athletic Association.
Zachary Martin died in July 2017, after he suffered a heat stroke following summer high school football practice in South Florida heat. His mother, Laurie Giordano spent two years lobbying Florida lawmakers and the FHSAA for the protections.
The law goes into effect on July 1 requiring public schools to have a tub or other container that is full of cold water on the sidelines at all practices and games. Defibrillators will be required, and school personnel will be required to learn how to recognize heat illnesses including heat strokes and take immediate life saving actions.
Pictured: Washington at Tate, October 2019. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Check Fishing Regulations, ID Your Fish With New FWC App
June 19, 2020
Out fishing and need to check the rules for your location?
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has announced a new partnership with the Fish Rules App to make that easier.
Right now, the app only contains Florida saltwater fishing rules, by FWC says freshwater information should be added later this summer.
Fishing regulations change depending on your location. Enable location services in Fish Rules App and the app will automatically show you regulations for your actual location. The app is also partnering with the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council that manage fisheries off Florida in federal waters.
Unsure of what species you’ve caught? The app also helps with fish identification. Swipe left or right on pictures of fish to see more pictures and clues on how to identify a fish. You can even sort fish by name or by picture.
UWF’s Pete Shinnick Named Gulf South Conference Coach Of The Decade
June 17, 2020
In four years of competition, it’s safe to say the UWF football program has been a difference maker in Division 2 college football. More proof of that came to fruition on Tuesday when the Gulf South Conference named its Football All-Decade Teams for the 2010s, which featured three Argonauts and head coach Pete Shinnick being named the Coach of the Decade.
Marvin Conley was named to the First Team, while Tate Lehtio and John Williamson were voted onto the Second Team.
Shinnick has been the architect of one of the most inspiring startups in the history of college athletics, taking UWF to the NCAA D2 Playoffs twice in the first four years of the program. The Argonauts reached the title game in their second year and won the national championship last December in year four – becoming the second-fastest startup to win a football title in NCAA history.
The Argonauts are 35-17 all-time and own the highest postseason winning percentage in NCAA history at .900 with a 9-1 record with a minimum of 10 games. Shinnick was named the National Coach of the Year by multiple outlets in both 2017 and 2019.
Conley is a 2-time All-America selection from Tampa, Fla. who is UWF’s career leader in interceptions, interceptions returned for a touchdown, solo tackles and pass break-ups. He is second with 212 total tackles and was a 2018 First Team All-GSC selection when he had 62 tackles, two interceptions and three PBUs.
Lehtio ended his career as the program leader in receptions with 215 and receiving yards with 2,463, including 70 catches for 733 yards and seven touchdowns in postseason play. He is second with 4.13 receptions per game, 14 touchdowns, and 90 points scored. He was a 2019 All-Region and First Team All-GSC honoree. The Parkland, Fla. native finished national
championship season with 1,120 receiving yards and 80 yards per game. He was also 3-time GSC Fall All-Academic selection, a CoSIDA Academic All-District choice and a NFF Hampshire Honor Society recipient.
Williamson was one of the most dominant defensive linemen of the decade. He started for two seasons at defensive end for UWF, compiling 110 tackles, 32 tackles for loss and a school-record 21.0 career sacks, which ranked fifth in GSC history at the time (currently seventh). He was particularly nasty in the 2017 national runner-up season when he set the league single-season sacks record with 14.5, earning him All-America, All-Region and All-GSC honors. The Stockton, Ala. native was a 2-time CoSIDA Academic All-District and 2-time GSC Fall All-Academic performer.
Rogan Wells of Valdosta State and Tavarius Wilson of North Alabama were named the Offensive and Defensive Player of the Decade, respectively.
High School Football Teams Begin Conditioning
June 16, 2020
High school football workouts got underway for the first time Monday under guidelines due to COVID-19.
Players and coaches will follow social distancing guidelines, as many activities as possible will be held outdoors, and there will be extra cleaning of indoor facilities.
Pictured top and bottom photo: Football workouts at Tate High School. Pictured first two photos below: Workouts at Tate High School. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
UWF & Texas A&M-Commerce Announce Home-And-Home Football Series
June 16, 2020
UWF and Texas A&M-Commerce have announced a home-and-home football series between the programs for the 2020 and 2021 seasons on Monday.
The teams will open the 2020 season on Thursday, Sept. 3 in Pensacola in a rematch of the 2017 NCAA Division II National Championship Game. The schools will also play Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021 in Commerce, Texas.
For UWF, the game replaces the game with West Virginia Wesleyan after the Mountain East Conference chose to play a conference-only season this year. A&M-Commerce was slated to play Simon Fraser – the only Canadian D2 member – in week one.
“Following Florida Tech’s announcement to drop football and then the MEC’s decision to play only conference games, we felt it was very important to our student-athletes and fans to get a fourth home game back on the schedule,” UWF Director of Athletics Dave Scott said. “With the addition of Texas A&M-Commerce, not only do we get to play an opponent our fans are familiar with, but we now have one of the most attractive home schedules in our history.”
UWF went 13-2 and won its first NCAA Division II Football National Championship last season. The Argonauts have won 30 games in the last three seasons with a 9-1 mark in two NCAA Playoff appearances.
UWF is ranked No. 1 nationally in preseason polls by both Street & Smith’s and Lindy’s Sports magazines in their college football preview editions.
“I am very thankful for the hard work done by both athletic directors to get this done on short notice,” UWF head coach Pete Shinnick said. “It will be great to open the season at home against one of the best teams in the country.”
A&M-Commerce is ranked No. 3 by Street & Smith’s and No. 8 by Lindy’s Sports. The Lions have qualified for the NCAA Division II Football Championship the last five seasons, which is the third-longest active streak in the division.
UWF’s 2020 home schedule also includes three Gulf South Conference games – Shorter on Sept. 26, Valdosta State – ranked No. 5 & 3 in the two publications as well – on Oct. 10 and West Georgia on Oct. 31.
FHSAA Approves Rule Allowing Football Players To Play Varsity And JV Games Each Week
June 10, 2020
Beginning this season, high school football players in Florida may be allowed to play in varsity and junior varsity games during the same week.
The Florida High School Athletic Association voted Tuesday for a new policy that will waive the one game per week policy and allow players to participate in six quarters per week.
It’s not automatic; each individual school must apply by the Monday of week three of the regular season in order to use the new six-quarter rule. Before approval, the FHSAA football administrator will consider program history along with current and past roster size of the school.
Many smaller schools across the state fail to consistently play junior varsity games for fear of not having enough back up players for their varsity games. That, according to the FHSAA, limits participation and development for players that are not ready to play at the varsity level.
“These lost opportunities to play make it harder to develop younger players and makes it harder to keep 9th and 10th graders engaged in the sport,” FHSAA said.
Pictured: Baker at Northview, September 2019. NorthEscambia.com photos.
Molino’s Jarrett Parker Looking To Take Family Racing To New Heights
June 5, 2020
by Chuck Corder
From his newlywed doing the work of “four pit crew” members to the pastor who officiated his wedding spotting for him, Jarrett Parker’s Pro Late Model team is built around his family and friends.
The grassroots approach is fitting for the 25-year-old Molino driver, who works for the family business – Parker Roofing – and later this month will close on purchasing his grandparents’ home, the first house he ever lived in as a boy.
After tremendous success in the WCIparts.com Pro Trucks series – in which he won two of the last four Snowball Derby Pro Trucks races, including last year’s edition – Parker is looking forward to running a full schedule in the Allen Turner Pro Late Model (PLM) division this season.
Fan Tip: Look for the NorthEscambia.com “NE” just behind the front tires on Parker’s No.46 car.
He and his father, Scottie Parker, bought Chris Davidson’s PLM, which only had five races on it. Jarrett Parker will race under the watchful, hawk eyes of Late Model legend Mike Garvey this year.
“I’m really excited, the whole family is excited,” Parker said. “I’m just itching to go. It’s a good car and Chris has been awesome about sharing information. Mike Garvey is my mentor, and I feel fortunate to be able to use his knowledge. If our first tests are any indication for how the rest of the season will play out, I think we’re gonna be really happy.”
He will be a part of the first Allen Turner PLM 100 of the adjusted season Friday at Five Flags Speedway. Also expected in the field will be teenager Grant Thompson, who will make his PLM debut in an Augie Grill Grand American Race Cars LM.
The PLMs will share the marquee with the Faith Chapel Outlaws and Lloyd’s Glass Pure Stocks. Gates open at 5 p.m. Friday with admission being $15 for adults; $12 for seniors, military, and students; and free for children ages 11-and-under.
Although Parker’s PLM program might seem homespun, he has plenty of veteran experience to lean on in Garvey.
“Whenever he talks about something, it’s like, ‘Oh why didn’t I think of it,’ ” Parker said of his crew chief’s vast expertise with LMs. “It’s second nature to him. If you pay attention to what he’s doing when he’s working on something, you learn way more.
“He’s like an open book right there in front of him and I’m turning the pages and finding out new things I didn’t know. I’m blessed to have him right there with this. He’s on top of everything, learning the new technology.”
Parker actually drove Garvey’s old PLM – the familiar yellow Tracy Goodson No. 1 repainted white with Parker’s No. 46 on the side – in a handful of races over the last four years. But that car met its end during a horrific accident at the Snowflake 100 last December.
As Parker went into Turn 3 late in the race, the car dropped its fuel cell and ignited a streak of fire that Justin Bonnett barreled through just moments later. Parker escaped unscathed while Bonnett had to be transported to a Mobile-area hospital to treat his burns.
“It was just a fluke accident that Justin was just an innocent bystander for,” Parker said. “It’s just a part of racing, but I’m extremely sorry he got hurt.”
Bonnett, of course, understood that and held no animosity toward Parker. In fact, the two talk regularly and their mothers have developed a friendship over social media as a result of the accident.
Parker has been monitoring Bonnett’s recovery closely, and anticipated Bonnett’s return to racing earlier this year before COVID-19 and another unforeseen surgery forced Bonnett to shelf those plans.
“It’s not the best way to make a new friend,” Parker said, joking about their wreck. “It was just one of those weird deals.”
Because of the accident, Parker and his team are taking extra precautions when it comes to fire gear.
“I’ve got a fire hood, a sock that goes over my head and neck,” he explained. “We’ve looked at the fireproof underwear, too. It’s gonna be hot, but it doesn’t hurt to be extra safe. Plus, working on roofs conditions me for the heat, I believe.”
An accomplished go-kart champion from the age of 8, Parker said his PLM feels like an adult go-kart. He explains that by pointing to the PLM’s rigid style as compared to the Pro Trucks class.
Perhaps, too, it’s because Parker hasn’t strayed away from the driver he has always been – one surrounded by those close to him.
When Garvey isn’t making major adjustments to the vehicle, it’s Parker, his wife Minnie, his father, and family friend Scott Steadham doing most of the work at the Parker family shop in Molino.
Minnie Parker works “extremely hard” and “doesn’t mind getting her hands dirty,” Jarrett Parker said. That comes as no surprise for someone who got hitched on a convenient date.
“We got married on April 6, 2019. April 6 is 4/6, and my number is 46,” Jarrett Parker explained. “That way I won’t forget it. That was part her idea, too. I got extremely lucky when I found her.”
Marrying them was longtime friend Keith Thorpe. Thorpe will be in “Spotterville” this Friday night, directing Parker around the famed half-mile asphalt oval in his No. 46 that is sponsored by Parker Roofing, Grocery Advantage, Heely-Brown Company, Extreme Pump and Septic, A1 Small Engines, and Mike Garvey Racing.
Parker is confident that his team has a top-five car for Friday. But the expectations are so much grander – family-sized, one might say.
“We definitely hope to win a race this year,” Parker said. “We feel that good going into it. There’s something about having a fresh car that makes me feel more confident.”
Pictured: Jarrett Parker at Five Flags Speedway Thursday evening. Photos by Tammy Parker – also known as Jarrett’s mom – for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate Aggies Name Maum As New Quarterback Coach
June 5, 2020
The Tate High School Aggies have named Garrett Maum as the team’s new quarterback coach.
For the past five seasons, Maum has been the QB/WR coach at Donaldsonville High School in Louisiana. He was also the head baseball coach at Donaldsonville for the past three years. His team was previously ranked No. 8 in the state of Louisiana 3-A before the coronavirus lockdown. G
Maum is from Baton Rouge and is a graduate of LSU. His wife, Kristin will be teaching English at Tate High School. She was selected Ascension Parrish School Board High School Teacher of the Year for the 2015-2016 school year.
Northview Chiefs Name New Head Football Coach. He’s A Former Coach At West Florida And Tate.
June 3, 2020
Northview High School has named their new head football coach.
He is Wes Summerford, who has been the assistant head coach and defensive coordinator for the West Florida Jaguars since 2017.
“I’m just excited to have this opportunity,” Summerford told NorthEscambia.com. “I’ve been looking forward to becoming a head coach since I got into coaching, and I could not think of a better school than Northview. It’s a great program…and I look forward to getting started with the players.”
Summerford’s coaching experience also includes a defensive coach at Tate High School from 2015-2017, outside linebacker coach at West Florida from 2011-2015 and defensive assistant at Tate in 2008.
Wes Summerford is the brother of West Florida Jaguar Head Coach Rhett Summerford.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
High School Sports, Band To Resume In Escambia County. Here’s The Schedule.
June 2, 2020
The Escambia County School District has announced plans for resuming athletic and band participation for students.
Through June 15, student athletes should obtain updated physicals (EL2) and Parent Consent and Release Forms (EL3,) which must be submitted prior to participation in district sports. On Saturday, June 6, the Andrews Institute in Gulf Breeze, will offer free student athlete physicals. Parents and students must coordinate with their coaches to set appointments for these free physicals.
On Monday, June 15, coaches will resume conditioning for those student athletes with current physicals and release forms. Conditioning will include use of weight rooms, gymnasiums, and athletic fields, while utilizing social distancing protocols and proper sanitation measures for training equipment.
“Students who have been inactive over the past 60 days or so due to COVID-19 requirements will need proper conditioning and training in order to participate in school sports,’ stated Superintendent Malcom Thomas. “Social distancing protocols will be followed, as well as the proper sanitation steps by district personnel. This will be a team effort by all participants.”
High school band students may begin on campus activities starting Monday, June 15. Band camps will begin Monday, July 6. Parents and students should refer to their school band director for band camp schedules and guidelines. There will be no middle school band activities this summer.
Pictured: “Midnight Madness” — last season’s first full contact practice that began at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, August 3, 2019, at Northview High School. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
