UWF Debuts At No. 12 In 2024 AFCA Preseason Coaches Poll
August 27, 2024
The UWF football team will open the 2024 season ranked No. 12 following the release of the AFCA Division II Preseason Coaches Poll.
The Argonauts are among three Gulf South Conference teams in the poll, with Valdosta State at No. 7 and Delta State at No. 18.
UWF’s week four opponent, Grand Valley State, was slotted at No. 4 with one first place vote.
UWF went 8-4 a year ago and advanced to the NCAA Division II Playoffs for the fifth time in the last six seasons. The Argos were ranked 23rd in the final poll a year ago.
UWF is 64-25 all-time with five NCAA postseason appearances in seven seasons. The Argos have reached the national semifinals three times and the national championship twice, winning the title in 2019. Since 2019, UWF’s 42 victories rank fifth among all Division 2 programs.
The Argos open the 2024 season on Thursday, September 5 when they host McKendree at PenAir Field on the UWF campus. Kickoff for the game is at 6 p.m.
Photo Scott A. Miller/UWF for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos Swept Out of Tennessee Despite Late Comeback
August 26, 2024
written by Erik Bremer
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos (62-56) mounted a late comeback in Sunday’s finale versus the Tennessee Smokies (74-45), but fell victim to another late home run and lost in walk-off fashion 9-5. The defeat marks the Wahoos’ 11th loss in 13 games and their first time being swept in a six-game series since August 8-13, 2023 in Chattanooga.
Both teams scored early and often to begin Sunday’s game. In the bottom of the first inning, Tennessee struck first against Pensacola righthander Jeff Lindgren (5.0 IP, 8 H, 4 ER) when third baseman Jonathon Long drove home right fielder Christian Franklin with a single. The Wahoos answered with three runs in the top of the second when center fielder Shane Sasaki doubled home the tying run before second baseman Johnny Olmstead singled home two more to give Pensacola a 3-1 lead.
The Smokies tacked on another run in the second, then jumped ahead in the third inning when Jonathon Long hit a two-run home run to give the Smokies a 4-3 lead. Neither team scored again until the bottom of the sixth when Tennessee tacked onto its lead when left fielder Parker Chavers singled home catcher Casey Opitz.
Trailing 5-3, the Pensacola offense came to life in the late innings. In the top of the seventh, Johnny Olmstead smacked his second home run of the series to cut the lead to 5-4. In the eighth, third baseman Graham Pauley followed up with a solo home run of his own to tie the game 5-5.
In the ninth, the Wahoos put a man on but could not score against Smokies righthander Zac Leigh (W, 2-2). In the bottom of the ninth, Pensacola lefthander Chandler Jozwiak (L, 3-4) took the mound for his second inning of relief following a scoreless eighth. Tennessee immediately put men aboard via a leadoff bunt single from second baseman Reivaj Garcia and a walk to right fielder Felix Stevens. Following a fielder’s choice and a one-out walk to load the bases, Smokies first baseman Haydn McGeary stepped to the plate and hit a 2-2 pitch for a walk-off, series-ending grand slam. The homer marked the third time in as many games that Tennessee hit a go-ahead home run in the eighth inning or later.
The 9-5 defeat marks the Wahoos’ eleventh loss in 12 regular season games versus Tennessee. Pensacola has three series and 18 total regular season games remaining this season.
The Wahoos return home on Tuesday to begin a series versus the Mississippi Braves. First pitch from Blue Wahoos Stadium is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. CT.
Youth Football Takes Center Stage at NWE Jamboree (With Gallery)
August 25, 2024
Fans descended upon Northwest Escambia’s Greg Gibson Field for a Saturday jam-packed with youth football excitement
It’s estimated that several thousand fans attended a kickoff jamboree Saturday at Northwest Escambia’s Greg Gibson Filed in Walnut Hill.
The kick-off jamboree stretched over 10.5 hours, featuring a series of 25-minute scrimmage games between local teams. The NWE Chiefs, Cantonment Cowboys, Ensley Chiefs, Perdido Bay Bucs, and Pensacola Seahawks all took to the field, showcasing their skills and kicking off the upcoming season.
Click here for a photo gallery featuring games from Cantonment and NWE U6 and U14 teams.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Another Late Smokies Homer Condemns Wahoos to 5-4 Defeat
August 25, 2024
written by Erik Bremer
For the second straight game, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos endured a game-breaking Tennessee Smokies homer in the eighth inning on Saturday night in a 5-4 loss.
Just minutes after Blue Wahoos catcher Joe Mack had tied the game 4-4 in the top of the eighth with his 21st home run of the season, Pablo Aliendo put Tennessee ahead for good with a solo home run of his own.
The Blue Wahoos have tied a season high with five losses in a row, and now trail the Biloxi Shuckers in the fight for a playoff spot by 3.5 games with 20 to play pending the results of Biloxi’s game in Birmingham.
The Blue Wahoos jumped ahead 2-0 in the second on a two-run homer from Nathan Martorella, his third of the series and ninth of the season. Tennessee starter Matthew Thompson allowed another run in the fourth on a bases-loaded RBI single from Jacob Berry, though another run was cut down at the plate as Graham Pauley was thrown out trying to score by a strong throw from right fielder Felix Stevens.
Pensacola starter Robby Snelling was perfect through 3.2 innings, but allowed three consecutive hits with two outs in the fourth as Luis Verdugo lined a two-run single to draw the Smokies to within a run.
Snelling, afforded an opportunity to pitch into the sixth for the first time since joining the team, was unable to protect Pensascola’s 3-2 lead. A leadoff walk to Brett Bateman was followed by a two-run homer to Jonathon Long, just out of the reach of Berry in right field.
The Wahoos got the clutch hit they were looking for in the eighth, as Mack turned around a Blake Whitney (W, 8-0) offering and sent his team-leading 21st homer of the season off the glove of the leaping Stevens in right field to tie the game 4-4.
After a scoreless seventh, Matt Pushard (L, 3-4) was sent out for the eighth to try and keep the game tied for the Blue Wahoos. Aliendo gave the Smokies their second go-ahead eighth-inning homer in as many days, following a dramatic Stevens homer on Friday with a solo blast of his own to put Tennessee ahead 5-4.
Martorella led off the ninth inning with a single, but pinch-runner Shane Sasaki was thrown out stealing second by Aliendo in a strikeout-double play to end the game and hand Cayne Ueckert (S, 2) the save.
The Blue Wahoos have now dropped 10 of their past 12 games, including three games in Tennessee’s final at bat this series.
The Blue Wahoos wrap up their series and look to avoid being swept by the Smokies on Sunday. First pitch from Smokies Stadium is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. ET/1:00 p.m. CT.
King Scores Three TDs As The Northview Chiefs Dominate Destin, 26-7 (With Gallery)
August 24, 2024
Dane King led the Northview Chiefs to a decisive 26-7 opening night victory over the Destin Sharks on Friday night at Tommy Weaver Stadium.
The junior had three touchdowns for the Chiefs — short runs from 3 and 1 yard in the first quarter and another 1-yarder in the third. Moses Delarosa added a 1-yard touchdown run to seal the win on what a was really comfortable football Friday night by August standards.
For a photo gallery, click here.
(Look for another photo gallery with cheerleaders, fans, the band and more in the next few days)
Despite the win, Northview head coach Wes Summerford saw areas for improvement.
“There are some things that we need to clean up,” he said. “Every time we had a chance to hit a stride, whether it’s a penalty, or we turned it over or something like that. The defense had a couple of missed assignments. Stuff we can clean up. I think the kids know that and that’s good. I’m glad that we’ve got that confidence.”
The Chiefs capitalized on several turnovers by the Sharks. Sam Reid intercepted a pass late in the first quarter, while Colby Pugh and Nate Duffy added interceptions in the second and third quarters, respectively. Northview also recovered a fumble in the third quarter.
With the win, the Chiefs stand at 1-0 on the young season. They will travel to Opp, Alabama, next week to face the Bobcats, who also opened their season with a victory, 31-29 over Bonifay.
Summerford acknowledged the challenge ahead.
“It’s a new team on our schedule,” the Northview coach said. “It will be a tough task for us; it’s a good program.”
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Friday Night Football Scoreboard
August 24, 2024
Here are Friday night high school football scores (and a few Thursday night scores) from around the North Escambia area:
FLORIDA
- Tate 24, Fort Walton Beach 0 [Story...]
- Northview 26, Destin 7 [Story, Photo Gallery...]
- Jay 34, Vernon 0
- Escambia 45, West Florida 12
- Pensacola at Pine Forest
- Williamson (Ala.) 52, Washington 0
- Navarre at Pensacola Catholic
- Crestview 42, MIlton 7
- Pace 17, Mary Montgomery 14
- South Walton at Gulf Breeze (Saturday)
ALABAMA
- Flomaton 23, Clarke County 15 (Thur)
- T.R. Miller 28, Reeltown 7 (Thur)
- Alabama Christian 30, Escambia County (Atmore) 26
Pictured: The Northview Chiefs beat the Destin Sharks 26-7 Friday night in Bratt. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Tate Aggies Roll Past Fort Walton Beach Vikings, 24-0
August 24, 2024
The Tate Aggies kicked off their 2024 regular season with a convincing 24-0 victory over the Fort Walton Beach Vikings on the road.
The Agges got on the board early following a 15-yard touchdown pass from Taite Davis to Christian Neptune.
The Aggies got on the board early in the game when quarterback Taite Davis connected with Christian Neptune for a 15-yard touchdown pass. Davis continued to shine in the second quarter, finding Elijah West on a long pass to the three-yard line before keeping the ball himself for another touchdown to give Tate a 14-0 lead at halftime.
Senior Carson Secchari added to the Aggies’ tally in the second half with a 15-yard touchdown run to seal the victory.
Tate will remain on the road for their next two Friday nights under the lights, traveling across the bay to Gulf Breeze on August 30 and across town to Pensacola High on September 6.
Pinch-Hit Stevens Homer Sends Wahoos To 5-3 Loss
August 24, 2024
written by Erik Bremer
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos continued their late-game struggles on Friday night, falling 5-3 to the Tennessee Smokies.
Leading 3-2 with two outs in the eighth, Justin King (L, 2-1) surrendered a long three-run homer to pinch hitter Felix Stevens that sent the Blue Wahoos to their fourth consecutive loss.
With the loss, the Blue Wahoos trail the Biloxi Shuckers in the fight for a playoff spot by 2.5 games with 20 to play, pending the results of Biloxi’s game in Birmingham.
The Blue Wahoos took a 1-0 lead in the third on Jakob Marsee’s seventh homer of the season, a solo shot off Tennessee starter Jimmy Endersby. The Smokies answered back with two of their own against Pensacola starter Jacob Miller in the bottom half of the inning, turning a Fabian Pertuz RBI double and Cole Roederer RBI single into a 2-1 advantage.
Miller worked 5.0 innings in his fourth career Double-A start, allowing two runs on four hits and striking out three.
Pensacola used some small ball to tie the game 2-2 in the sixth, as Johnny Olmstead drew a leadoff walk against Ben Leeper before advancing to second on a balk and scoring on a two-out RBI single from Graham Pauley.
In the seventh, Nathan Martorella gave the Blue Wahoos a 3-2 lead with a solo homer to right field. Shane Sasaki followed with a single, but was stranded at second base as Zac Leigh (W, 1-2) got the final two outs of the inning.
After two effective innings of relief from Woo-Suk Go, the Blue Wahoos turned to Justin King in the eighth. A leadoff walk was followed by a Pablo Aliendo fly ball into shallow right field, dropped by Shane Sasaki on a running attempt and ruled a bloop single. King bounced back with a pair of strikeouts, but Stevens was called upon to pinch hit and blasted a 435-foot three-run homer just fair above the left field foul pole to put Tennessee in front for good.
Blake Weiman (S, 5) worked a quiet ninth to lock down the win for the Smokies.
Pensacola has now dropped 9 of their past 11 games, including three losses in which they led after their eighth-inning at-bat.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Smokies on Saturday. First pitch from Smokies Stadium is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. CT.
Bonus Photos: Tate Cheerleaders, Fans And More
August 23, 2024
Here are bonus photos from last Friday Tate vs. Pine Forest Jamboree at Pete Gindl Stadium in Cantonment.
For photos and a game story, click here.
(Our apologies for the delayed posting of this gallery due to circumstances beyond our control and our election coverage this week.)
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Walks Haunt Wahoos in 7-3 Loss to Smokies
August 23, 2024
written by Erik Bremer
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos dropped their third in a row to the Tennessee Smokies on Thursday night, falling by a 7-3 final.
With the loss, the Blue Wahoos trail the Biloxi Shuckers in the fight for a playoff spot by 1.5 games with 21 to play, pending the results of Biloxi’s game in Birmingham.
The Smokies jumped ahead early, scoring four runs in the first inning to take the lead for good. Blue Wahoos Evan Fitterer (L, 6-5) walked four men and allowed four runs in just 0.1 innings, departing with 34 pitches thrown after a two-run single from Fabian Pertuz.
Adam Laskey kept the game within reach for the Blue Wahoos with 3.2 scoreless innings of relief, but the Pensacola offense didn’t activate until the late innings. Smokies starter Chris Kachmar (W, 7-3) worked 5.0 scoreless innings to earn the win.
Trailing 6-0 in the seventh, the Blue Wahoos pushed a pair of runs across with a Harrison Spohn RBI groundout and Jakob Marsee RBI single. They were poised to chip away even more in the eighth, drawing four walks against Daniel Missaki to force in a run and draw the score to 6-3, but Blake Whitney (S, 5) coaxed an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded to end the threat.
After Pertuz hit a solo homer in the eighth against Dale Stanavich, capping a four-RBI night, Whitney returned for the ninth to seal the Smokies win.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Smokies on Friday. First pitch from Smokies Stadium is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. CT.