Chiefs Suffer Tough 59-13 ‘Self-Inflicted’ Loss To Blountstown (With Gallery)
September 16, 2017
The Blountstown Tigers defeated Northview 59-13 Friday night in Bratt. The Chiefs, 1-3, have now lost three straight games.
For a photo gallery, click here.
“It was a tough night,” Northview head coach Derek Marshman said. “That was a great football team we played tonight. Make no mistake about it but a lot of our wounds tonight were self-inflicted.”
The Chiefs were first on the board with a touchdown from Ontario Minor with 9:09 on the clock in the first quarter, with Blountstown answering with a touchdown of their own.
“You know I thought we came out on the first drive and did what we thought we could do and marched right down the field and scored. They responded with a touchdown and then we started kind of self-inflicting some things. We had a blocked punt, multiple turnovers, multiple big plays. They had a fake punt for a touchdown,” Marshman said.
The Chiefs’ only other score of the night came at 5:49 on the clock in the second on a pass from Seth Killam to Ray Bush.
Blountstown was on an unstoppable roll scoring 21 in the first quarter and 30 in the second to make it 51-13 at the half. The Chiefs held the Tigers to just eight points in the third before a scoreless fourth quarter.
“We are an improving football team but we are not good enough to hedge the other team out especially a team like Blountstown. A lot of things here were self-inflicted but like I said a lot of credit goes to them too,” the coach said.
Next week, Northview hits the road to Blountstown to take on the Blue Devils of Holmes County (2-1).
“We will get back to the drawing board next week. We’re not going to quit. We are going to keep fighting. I know this coaching staff is going to fight for these guys day and night. We will be back up here this weekend getting ready. Holmes County is a really good football team as well. We are going to keep fighting. There’s no quitting this program. There’s no quitting this team. There’s no quitting this coaching staff so we are going to keep fighting,” Marshman said.
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Ernest Ward Middle Eagles Defeat W.S. Neal Eagles
September 15, 2017
In their home opener in Walnut Hill, the Ernest Ward Middle School Eagles defeated the W.S. Neal Eagles Thursday night, 16-14. Next week, the Ernest Ward Eagles will host Perdido (AL) Middle School at 7 p.m. Ernest Ward’s Eagles are the only middle school football team in Escambia County, FL.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Register Now For Lil Aggies Cheerleading Camp
September 15, 2017
The Tate High School Cheerleaders are hosting their annual Lil Aggie Fall clinic on Saturday, September 23. The Lil Aggies will be able to cheer the first quarter of the Aggies’ home game against Washington on Friday, September 29.
The Lil Aggies will learn proper stretch techniques, cheers, chants, and jumps. The clinic is open from kindergarten to eighth grade. There will be a traditional and elite camp to serve all levels of cheerleaders.
The deadline to register is Monday, September 18th. Visit Tatehighcheer.com for a form or email tatehighcheer@gmail.com.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Everyone Wins: Welcome To The Miracle League
September 13, 2017
In a park where hundreds of Escambia County area athletes play baseball, softball and t-ball every year, one set of baseball diamonds stands out from the rest. A rubber surface covers what would normally be clay and grass on three of the fields at the county-owned John R. Jones Jr. Athletic Complex on Nine Mile Road, providing a safe, fun place for everyone who wants to play ball.
And for the Miracle League of Pensacola, “everyone” truly means everyone.
It’s a place where every player plays, hits, gets on base, scores and wins – every game. Operating out of the John R. Jones Jr. Athletic Complex, the Miracle League of Pensacola provides physically and mentally challenged children and adults an opportunity to play baseball, softball and t-ball just like anyone else, all in a spirited and secure environment.
“The most exciting thing is getting to see the kids,” said Miracle League of Pensacola President and Co-Founder Larry Thompson, who started the program in 2002 with his late wife Donna. “In a sense, we’ve watched them grow up. They’re more than just players to us – they’re part of our family, too.”
Thompson said the program has grown from 28 players at its inception to about 250 for the current fall season.
The Miracle League of Pensacola relies on its many volunteers or “buddies” to keep the program going, along with community partners including the Escambia County Parks and Recreation Department.
In addition to Escambia County donating the land at the park for the Miracle League to use, the Parks and Recreation Department has assisted with sidewalks, bleacher areas and perimeter areas to the newest Miracle League field. Recently, the department also coordinated with Miracle League to provide additional field safety netting and enhanced parking options.
Escambia County Parks and Recreation Director Michael Rhodes said the Miracle League of Pensacola has been a great community asset, and the county is honored to be able to support the organization’s mission.
“I’ve witnessed the joy on their faces and the sense of accomplishment on players’ faces over my years at the county,” Rhodes said. “I’ve witnessed the feeling of inclusion by those players when they’re getting to play a game that some probably thought they’d never get to play.”
District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry also spoke to the organization’s positive impact.
“The success and growth at the Miracle League is a fantastic example of a volunteer board and nonprofit organization changing the lives of not only our players, but also their families and all of our player buddies and our coaches,” Barry said. “Many of our volunteers, buddies, and their families have given thousands of dollars and thousands of hours to support our players and I thank them.”
And while Escambia County Parks and Recreation plays a role in Miracle League, Rhodes said the real credit belongs to the Miracle League volunteers who work hard on a daily basis to keep the program going.
“We’re happy to do the part that we can to provide the park, to provide the location and to assist with improvements at the facility, but the volunteers that provide assistance at the Miracle League provide such a key element to that organization’s mission and the success they’ve had over the years,” Rhodes said.
Commissioner Lumon May, who represents District 3 where the park is located, agreed that the county is pleased to support Miracle League and what it brings to the community.
“Miracle League of Pensacola provides an opportunity for all athletes to participate in the great game of baseball, which can be life-changing for those who might not have been able to play otherwise,” May said. “Youth sports are such a fundamental part of childhood, and nobody should be excluded from participating based on their ability.”
Thompson said one of the most rewarding parts of Miracle League is getting to witness the smiles on the players’ faces and watching them overcome physical limitations to achieve things they may have once considered impossible.
“I’ve seen kids come in with cerebral palsy that can’t hit a pitched baseball,” Thompson said. “We used to use a tee 90 percent of the time when we started, and now you may see us use a tee 10 percent of the time. It’s amazing to think you can take the same group of kids and see them hit a pitched ball – people who didn’t think they could even play ball.”
The Miracle League of Pensacola strives to facilitate a sense of inclusion for all who play, Thompson said, with the age of participants ranging from 3 years old to 61 years old.
“The Miracle League is built at a regular baseball park,” he said. “It’s not where I play ball – it’s where we play ball.”
To learn more about the Miracle League of Pensacola or how to become a volunteer, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Tate Aggies Reschedule Homecoming
September 12, 2017
The Tate Aggies have rescheduled their “Music Fest” Homecoming to next week.
The Aggies will face Milton on Friday night, September 22 in their homecoming game.
There will be no dress up days this week, and the Homecoming Dance has been moved to Saturday, September 23.
Homecoming Events
The Pep Rally will be Friday, September 22 at 8:50 a.m. with float parade, games and a skit by a special guest. The parade will be Friday, September 22 at 6 p.m. with floats, candy, Senior Court parade, underclassmen Homecoming Court presentation and, for the first year, the Showband of the South.
The game, Tate versus the Milton Panthers, will kickoff at 7 p.m. Tickets will be $5 at lunches, $7 at the gate. The Homecoming Queen will be crowned at halftime.
The Homecoming Dance will be Saturday, September 23 at 8 p.m. Tickets are on sale during lunches, $20 per student. Forms for non-Aggies are located outside room 422.
Theme Days
- Monday, Sept. 18 – Mathlete vs. Athlete
- Tuesday, Sept. 19 — Tacky Tourist Tuesday
- Wednesday, Sept. 20 — Woodstock Wednesday
- Thursday, Sept. 21 — Music Fest Character Day
- Friday, Sept. 22 — Battle of the Classes Class Color Day: 12 – Blue, 11th – Red, 10th – White, 9th – Pink
Pictured: Gloria Jones was crowned homecoming queen last year at Tate High School. NorthEscambia.com file photo.
ERC Football Scores
September 10, 2017
Here are week 2 scores from ERC youth league football:
Senior scores:
- NWE- 32, Jay- 8
- Excel- 56, Flomaton- 6
- Straughn- 21, Neal- 0
- Baker- 2, Poarch- 0 (forfeit)
- Brewton- 2, Uriah- 0 (forfeit)
Junior scores:
- NWE- 27, Jay- 6
- Excel- 25, Flomaton- 6
- Straughn- 26, Neal- 0
- Poarch- 19, Baker- 7
- Brewton- 20, Uriah- 0
Sophomore scores:
- NWE- 19, Jay- 6
- Flomaton- 12, Excel- 6 OT
- Neal- 31, Straughn- 0
- Poarch- 25, Baker- 0
- Brewton- 25, Uriah- 13
Freshman scores:
- Jay- 6, NWE- 0
- Flomaton- 33, Excel- 0
- Neal- 20, Straughn- 0
- Poarch- 32, Baker- 0
- Brewton- 27, Uriah- 0
Northview Toppled By South Walton
September 9, 2017
The 1-A Northview Chiefs fell 23-18 on the road at the 4-A South Walton Seahawks Friday night.
The Chiefs were coming off a 41-14 home opener loss last week against Escambia Academy of Canoe, AL.
Northview took the lead Friday night with 4:51 to go in the first quarter on a quarterback keeper from junior Seth Killam. With a miss on the point after kick, the Chiefs were up 6-0 in Santa Rosa Beach.
The Seahawks answered with three passing touchdowns of their own in the second quarter to take a 21-6 lead over the visiting Chiefs as they headed into the locker room at halftime.’
But Northview was out to dominate the scoring in the second half.
The Chiefs added another touchdown on a pass from Killam to Tim Bush with 6:30 on the clock in the third.
With 9:27 left in the fourth quarter, freshman Jayden Jackson ran 83 yards to score another Northview touchdown. The Chiefs missed their two point conversion attempt.
The Seahawks went on to win it 23-18.
The Northview Chiefs (1-2) will be back home in Bratt next Friday night as they host the Blountstown Tigers (1-1) next Friday night at 7:00.
Reader submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Friday Night Football Finals
September 9, 2017
Here are final scores from Friday night football action in the North Escambia area:
South Walton 23, Northview 18 [Read more...]
Washington 21, Pensacola 14
West Florida 34 D’Iberville (MS) 26
FLORIDA CANCELED GAMES
Gulf Breeze at Tate
Rocky Bayou Christian at Jay
Pace at Pine Forest
Milton at Fort Walton Beach
Navarre at Crestview
Catholic at Choctaw
Snook at Baker
Rummel (LA) at Escambia
ALABAMA SCORES
Escambia Academy 49, Pickens Academy 14
Hillcrest Evergreen 29, Flomaton 12
Thomasville 36, WS Neal 19
TR Miller 40, Cottage Hill 34 OT
UMS-Wright 41, Escambia County (Atmore) 8
Pictured: Northview at South Walton. NorthEscambia.com photo by Kimberly Harigel, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Win First Championship In Franchise History
September 9, 2017
Pensacola right fielder Aristides Aquino delivered a 400-foot homer and then a single to right field that both put the Blue Wahoos ahead in Friday’s Southern League playoffs.
It was his line drive single in the top of the 12th inning that gave the Pensacola Blue Wahoos its first Southern League championship in its history with a, 5-4, victory over the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp in front of 3,689 Friday at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
The players sprinted out to the mound and then all took a knee. After a moment of calm, pandemonium broke out. Pensacola manager Pat Kelly got a bucket of ice cold water dumped over his head. Players rubbed hitting coach Gookie Dawkins bald head with alcohol and poured champagne and beer down pitching coach Danny Darwin’s back. No one escaped without getting drenched with champagne and beer.
Aquino got two chances to win the game and delivered both times. His single drove in left fielder Gabriel Guerrero, his teammate who does a little jig with him after every home run at the top of the dugout steps.
“I don’t have words to explain it,” said a dripping wet Aquino through catcher Chad Tromp who translated for him. “It was an amazing and wonderful year.”
Pensacola first baseman Gavin LaValley and Aquino hit back-to-back home runs to left field in the top of the eighth inning to take the lead for the first time in Friday’s Southern Division playoff game, 4-3.
For LaValley it was his second homer in two games after not hitting one since July 7. The 22-year-old was 4-for-14 in the series with two homers and three RBIs. He finished the season with 20 homers, including his first half with the High-A Daytona Tortugas.
“It feels good to win the playoffs,” LaValley said. “That’s all that matters. It’s the ultimate goal.”
Meanwhile, Aquino set the Pensacola franchise record with 18 homers in a season, surpassing outfielder Juan Duran who blasted 17 in 2014.
Down, 4-3, in the bottom of the ninth inning, Jacksonville rallied when left fielder Austin Dean hit a two out, ground ball single up the middle to drive in catcher Rodrigo Vigil to tie the game, 4-4, and send it into extra innings.
It didn’t seem to matter to Jacksonville that Hurricane Irma was bearing down on Florida’s east coast and requiring the Jumbo Shrimp to play as the home team in Game 3 of the playoffs on Pensacola’s home field. If needed Game 4 and 5 were scheduled to be played in the Biloxi Shuckers’ MGM Park. The Jacksonville team is waiting out the hurricane in Pensacola.
Pensacola won the last three games of the final series with Jacksonville and then swept them in the playoffs, 3-0.
“They had a lot of things they were thinking about,” Kelly said. “But they weren’t about to let us win this game.”
Kelly said he told his team to expect ups and downs in the best-of-five playoff series against Jacksonville.
It was the second championship for Pensacola Blue Wahoos manager Pat Kelly in his 25th season coaching minor league baseball. His other championship came in 1996 with the Washington Nationals Double-A affiliate Harrisburg Senators in the Eastern League. Kelly, who has managed in the Cincinnati Reds organization for 12 years, has taken nine different teams to the playoffs.
The Blue Wahoos, which have played in the Southern League playoffs for three straight years, finally won a Southern League title. It is the first Reds’ Double-A affiliate to win a championship since the Chattanooga Lookouts earned a Southern League championship in 1988.
Besides Aquino another hero of the game was the little used left-handed reliever Andrew McKirahan, who threw two innings for the first time for Pensacola in 10 appearances this season. The 27-year-old missed the 2016 season following his second Tommy John surgery.
The southpaw retired all six Jumbo Shrimp batters he faced, including getting Braxton Lee, who won the Southern League batting crown with a .309 average, to bounce out to second base in the bottom of the 12th inning. McKirahan picked up the win to finish 1-0 with Pensacola.
“That’s the first time I’ve gotten the last out of the season,” said McKirahan, who like many of his teammates experienced his first championship. “I’ve been a reliever all my life and that’s how you dream it up.”
Also instrumental in Pensacola’s first championship was Josh VanMeter, who Kelly played at all four infield positions and left field to keep his clutch hitting in the lineup. VanMeter was 7-11 in the first playoffs of his professional career for a .636 batting average with a homer and four RBIs.
“We had a roller coaster season,” VanMeter said. “It feels great to win it in front of our fans.”
Lee, who was 2-14 in the playoffs, singled to center field to drive in second baseman Alex Yarbrough in the seventh inning to go up, 3-2.
Jacksonville took the lead for the first time in 35 innings against Pensacola when Yarbrough singled in third baseman David Vidal for a 1-0 lead in the second inning. The Jumbo Shrimp tacked on another run to go up, 2-0, when catcher Rodrigo Vigil hit a sacrifice fly to left field to drive in shortstop KC Serna.
Pensacola starting pitcher Austin Ross helped himself out at the plate nailing a line drive to center field with the bases loaded and one out to drive in Aquino to trail Jacksonville, 2-1 in the fourth inning. Pensacola third baseman Arismendy Alcantara then hit a sacrifice fly to short center field that scored shortstop Blake Trahan to tie it, 2-2.
Ross couldn’t stop smiling after the Blue Wahoos won the Southern League championship, which was his first, too. He worked 6.2 innings and gave up three runs on seven hits and three walks. He finished the year 9-0 with a 2.00 ERA, and has now won his last 18 games in a row. The seven-year minor league veteran last loss on July 5, 2016 with the Triple-A Colorado Springs Sky Sox.
“(Manager) PK (Pat Kelly) is awesome,” Ross said. “He’s the best I’ve ever played for. You don’t get to the playoffs very often. It’s tough to win. I’m glad to finish it here.”
Wahoos One Win Away From Co-Championshp
September 8, 2017
Pensacola starting pitcher Jose Lopez delivered the second straight eight inning outing for the Blue Wahoos in the Southern League South Division Championship Series.
Behind Lopez’s three-hit, nine-strikeout performance, Pensacola defeated the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, 6-3, Thursday in front of 3,256 at Blue Wahoos Stadium. The Blue Wahoos have won the first two games of the playoff and are one game away from becoming the Southern League co-champions.
Lopez’s outing came after Pensacola starting pitcher Deck McGuire threw eight scoreless innings with a career-high 13 strikeouts.
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly called the game Lopez turned out “outstanding,” giving the Blue Wahoos a five game winning streak over Jacksonville.
“It was a really, really tremendous job,” Kelly said. “Deck (McGuire) did great yesterday and he did just as good.”
It was the second playoff appearance for Lopez, who pitched for the Billings Mustangs in 2015 in the Pioneer League playoffs. To add even more pressure, in his past two starts against Jacksonville, Lopez is 0-1 with a 6.59 ERA and lasted 4.2 and 4.0 innings. He allowed six earned runs on eight hits and 10 walks and struck out 11.
“It was just a mental thing,” Lopez said about his first two outings. “It’s fun to win. The playoffs make it a little more special.”
Austin Ross, who is 9-0 with a 1.87 ERA, takes the mound for Pensacola in the third game of the best-of-five series at 1:05 p.m. Friday that is free to fans, who are requested to donate for Hurricane Irma Relief. The Blue Wahoos have come to rely on their starting five this season with the second-best ERA in the Southern League at 3.14.
“I can’t think of a better guy to have on the mound to clinch it,” Kelly said.
Speaking of clutch players, Pensacola left fielder Josh VanMeter clubbed a two-run homer in the seventh inning with center fielder Gabriel Guerrero on base to give Pensacola a 6-1 lead. It was his first in the playoffs and sixth of the season. In the first two playoff games, Van Meter is 7-for-8 with a home run and four RBIs. The utility player also has a double and a stolen base.
“Definitely, this is the time to get hot,” said VanMeter, who hit .375 and drove in 27 runs with two outs and runners in scoring position this year. “I’ve been pretty good in clutch situations. These are the games you live for.”
Kelly said VanMeter’s home run came with all kinds of benefits, such as allowing Pensacola to save Zack Weiss and other relievers for Friday’s game. That’s because reliever Robert Stock gave up a two-run homer in the ninth inning that would have made the game a 4-3 nail biter, instead of a still comfortable 6-3 lead.
“It took the air out of (Jacksonville’s players),” Kelly said. “There are a lot of things involved right there.”
Pensacola first baseman Gavin LaValley launched a high flyball for a two-run home run to right field into Hill-Kelly hill with VanMeter on base to put the Blue Wahoos ahead, 2-0, in the second inning. His fourth homer for Pensacola was LaValley’s first since July 7 and 19th this season counting his first half with the High-A Daytona Tortugas.
“That was huge to get a lead on (Jacksonville pitcher Matt) Tomshaw right there,” Kelly said.
Blue Wahoos shortstop Blake Trahan added one more run in the inning when he lined a single to center to drive in Aquino to make the score, 3-0.
Jacksonville rallied with two outs in the third inning to get a run, when center fielder Braxton Lee doubled to left field and left fielder Austin Dean smacked a single to left to drive him in and trail Pensacola, 3-1.
Arismendy Alcantara hit his first home run for Pensacola when he belted a fly ball over the fence to right field to extend the Blue Wahoos lead to, 4-1.
Blue Wahoos co-owner and PGA Tour player Bubba Watson already proved he could motivate the Pensacola ball players when he gave a pep talk before Thursday’s playoff game. Then, the two-time Masters Champion donned the roach costume for the Lewis Critter Gitter Roach Race and looked like he could pinch run, if Pensacola needed him.
“It was pretty cool considering his status and who he is,” VanMeter said. “He is so down to earth. He came in and treated us like he knew us.”
Kelly said Watson’s talk to the players was great.
“I think it means a lot,” Kelly said. “You could see his passion. He loves not only his sport, but he loves our sport, too.”