Northview Lady Chiefs Celebrate Senior Night
January 20, 2016
The Northview Lady Chiefs basketball team celebrated Senior Night Tuesday, honoring seniors (pictured below, L-R) Jada Tucker and Lexy Small.
For more photos of the Lady Chiefs’ game against Milton, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Lawmakers Tee Up Debate On High School Sports
January 15, 2016
The battle between lawmakers and the Florida High School Athletic Association started again Thursday, with House and Senate committees approving measures that the organization says would hurt it financially.
The House Education Committee unanimously approved one version (HB 31), clearing the way for that bill to move to the House floor. In what was arguably a bigger defeat for the association, the Senate Education Pre-K-12 Committee overwhelmingly approved the Senate counterpart (SB 1026) on a 9-1 vote.
The Senate’s bill still has two committee stops to go, and a fiercer fight over the legislation is expected to take place. The FHSAA did not address the bill before the House committee.
“It appears as if the efforts are being focused on the Senate side,” said House sponsor Ross Spano, R-Dover.
The proposals would allow schools to join the FHSAA on a per-sport basis and limit how much can be charged for some association-sponsored competitions. Currently, a school that joins the FHSAA in any sport has to be a member in every sport.
“The practical effect of (the association’s rule) is that smaller schools who just can’t field competitive teams for the larger sports end up suffering,” Spano said.
The legislation would allow those schools to “have a choice of where their kids belong,” in the words of Stuart Weiss, president of the Sunshine State Athletic Conference. Schools in Weiss’ organization play football separately from the FHSAA, but still have to be members and have to honor the larger association’s rules.
“We believe that schools should have choice and control of their sports,” Weiss said.
But Roger Dearing, executive director of the FHSAA, said the proposal could undermine the association financially. Much like college athletics, high-school sports use revenues from major programs like football and basketball to offset losses in less popular sports.
“Our concern is, it’s the revenues from those postseason games that go to pay for all the sports,” Dearing told the Senate committee. “So if they’re not going to contribute any money on the postseason games but still expect us to oversee the expenses for tennis and golf and soccer and all those, that’s where that part comes in.”
The association is going along for now with a separate Senate bill (SB 684), by Sens. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, and Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland, that has a per-sport membership provision for private schools. An amendment approved by the Senate panel on Thursday removed language from Gaetz and Stargel’s bill that would have allowed that provision to apply to public schools as well.
That measure would ease some restrictions on student-athletes who transfer while strengthening penalties for recruiting, which is banned under FHSAA guidelines. It was approved unanimously by the Senate committee.
by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
Northview Chiefs Celebrate Senior Night
January 13, 2016
The Baker Gators defeated the Northview Chiefs 63-40 Tuesday night in Bratt.
It was Senior Night for the Chiefs as they honored Bradley Van Pelt, the only senior on the varsity Northview team. It was also the last home game of the regular season for the Chiefs. They are on the road January 14 at Freeport, January 15 at Jay and January 21 at W.S. Neal. The district tournament begins February 1 in Freeport.
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Lady Gators Down NHS
January 13, 2016
The Baker Lady Gators defeated Northview 60-43 Tuesday night in Bratt.
The Lady Chiefs are next on the road against Freeport on January 14 followed by Jay on January 15.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Three Tate Aggies Named To All-State Football Team
January 9, 2016
Three Tate High School Aggies were named to the All-State Football Team. Dallas Ditto was named first team, Jake Henry was named second team and Sawyer Smith was name third team. Pictured are (L-R) Tate Principal Rick Shackle, Jake Henry and Dallas Ditto. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Bill Would Shield Personal Hunting, Fishing License Info
January 6, 2016
Raising concerns about identity theft, Sen. Alan Hays, R-Umatilla, is seeking a public-records exemption for information that people submit to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission when applying for such things as hunting and fishing licenses. Hays’ proposal (SB 1364), filed Tuesday, will be considered during the legislative session that starts next week.
It would shield from disclosure information such as names, dates of birth, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, driver’s license numbers and Social Security numbers.
The exemption would apply to information submitted for such things as hunting licenses, fishing licenses, hunter-safety certifications and boating-safety certifications.
“Under current law, personal information that applicants must provide to the commission in order to apply for such licenses, permits, or certifications is a public record available for any purpose,” the bill says. “Such information can be obtained and used to perpetrate identity theft and other invasive contacts.
The public availability of this personal information needlessly increases the risk of identity theft and invasive contacts with those applying to the commission for such licenses, permits, or certifications.”
by The News Service of Florida
In-Person Registration Begins Today For Cantonment Softball, Baseball
January 2, 2016
Registration begins today for baseball and softball at the Cantonment Sportsplex.
In-person registration dates will be every Saturday in January (including this today, January 2) and the first two Saturdays in February from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Teams will be available for ages 3-14. The registration fee will be $85.
Online registration is available at www.cantonmentbaseball.org/Register.
Donations of new and gently-used equipment will be accepted on registration Saturdays.
Registration Underway, Discount Available For Cantonment Baseball, Softball
December 31, 2015
A limited time discount is available as registration is underway online for baseball and softball at the Cantonment Sportsplex.
In-person registration dates will be every Saturday in January (including this Saturday, January 2) and the first two Saturdays in February from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Teams will be available for ages 3-14. The registration fee will be $85.
Online registration is available at www.cantonmentbaseball.org/Register, and there is a $15 discount for registering online by January 1.
Donations of new and gently-used equipment will be accepted on registration Saturdays.
Baseball, Softball Returning To Cantonment
December 21, 2015
Baseball and softball are returning to Cantonment this spring.
It’s been about three years since organized baseball or softball was played at the county-owned Cantonment Sportsplex on Well Line Road, but baseball and softball will be back in 2016.
In-person registration dates will be every Saturday in January and the first two Saturdays in February from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Details with other registration dates and online registration information will be released soon.
Teams will be available for ages 3-14. The registration fee will be $85.
Donations of new and gently-used equipment will be accepted on registration Saturdays.
More details will be shared on NorthEscambia.com as registration begins and the seasons nears.
Pictured: Volunteers were hard at work this weekend cleaning up the facilities at the Cantonment Sportsplex in anticipation of the return of baseball and softball in 2016. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northview Grad Neiko Robinson Signs With South Alabama Jaguars
December 17, 2015
Northview High School graduate Neiko Robinson signed Wednesday with the South Alabama Jaguars.
All total, six junior-college transfers — all but one on the defensive side of the ball — signed National Letters-of-Intent with the University of South Alabama football program on Wednesday and will enroll in school in January.
Cornerback Robinson played the last two seasons at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, where he helped the Bulldogs finish in the top-10 of the final NJCAA poll each year while winning eight contests.
As a sophomore, Robinson posted a total of 44 tackles and broke up six passes, with the latter figure the second-best on the team, while recording 42 stops and five passes defended his first year with the program. In 2014 he was credited with a career-best eight stops in a Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges semifinal contest against No. 2 East Mississippi Community College with a season-high seven tackles in the Bulldogs’ win at Southwest Mississippi Community Colege.
Robinson — who is 6-foot, 175 pounds and from Century — was a first-team all-state selection each of his final two seasons at the high school level. Robinson was a member of the Northview Chief’s first-ever state championship team in 2012.
The South Alabama Jaguars finished 5-7 last season while facing a schedule that included seven opponents that would go on to earn an invitation to a postseason bowl, including a 34-27 overtime victory at eventual Mountain West Conference champion San Diego State.
Pictured top: Neiko Robinson (14) played the last two seasons with Mississippi Gulf Coast Community. Courtesy photo. PiIctured below; Robinson celebrates after the Northview Chiefs won the 2012 Class 1A station championship in Orlando. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
