Tate Names Brad Naggatz As New Head Coach
February 21, 2012
The Tate High School Aggies have named Brad Naggatz at the their new football head coach, Principal Rick Shackle announced Tuesday afternoon.
Naggatz has been at Tate since 2006 where he has served as both offensive and defensive coordinator. He previously worked as offensive coordinator for Pensacola High School, and head coach at Catholic High School for about a decade.
Naggatz replaces Ed Rigby who had been at Tate for six seasons before resigning in January.
Rigby and Naggatz joined the Tate coaching staff at the same time, leading the the Aggies 22-39 overall performance with a playoff appearance in 2008.
The Aggies were winless during the 2011 season.
Bill Draws Opposition Over High School Sports Recruiting Concerns
February 21, 2012
Past concerns about recruiting players by high school teams is running square into the desire to foster school choice. A bill intended to open up public school sports programs to more kids who don’t go to public schools drew heavy debate Monday and opposition from organizations involved in scholastic athletics, who fear it may unintentionally open the door to more high school recruiting.
One of the main thrusts of the bill is to broaden the mechanism by which students at small independent and private schools can participate in interscholastic sports.
Right now, some students – those at really small schools that are too little to even contemplate fielding many athletic teams, and which in fact don’t offer sports programs – can play on their zoned public school team while attending the private school. Homeschoolers can too.
The bill would say that students at larger private schools could also play for their local public school. Another part of the bill changes the benefit of the doubt in cases in which a student changes schools within the school district in the middle of the school year to presume that the student wasn’t changing schools because he or she was recruited.
Under current rules, students who change schools mid-year when their family hasn’t moved, must sit out at their new school for a period if there’s an accusation of recruiting. The bill changes that to allow students who transfer to continue to play.
Officials with the Florida High School Athletic Association and the Florida Council of Independent Schools said the measure would increase recruiting of high school athletes by rival coaches.
But the response shouldn’t be to punish the players, said the bill sponsor, Rep. Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland.
“I understand that recruiting is a big problem,” said Stargel. “But let the student play until you prove he’s been recruited.” The bill passed the committee and now goes to the Education Committee, its last stop before the floor.
NorthEscambia.com file photos.
Story by The News Service of Florida
Lady Chiefs Beat Catholic: McCall Homers (With Video)
February 18, 2012
The Northview Lady Chiefs opened their regular season Friday afternoon with a 6-1 win over the Catholic Crusaders.
Senior Lauren McCall hit her first-ever home run for the Lady Chiefs (video below), while junior Misty Doran recorded 15 strikeouts for the win.
The Lady Chiefs will be action again next Tuesday as they play host to the Cougars of Escambia Academy. The junior varsity begins at 3:30, while the varsity is slated for 5:30. The Lady Chiefs will round out next week on the road Thursday against the Baker Gators.
Pictured above: Senior Lauren McCall with her first ever homer against Catholic Friday night in Bratt. Submitted by Zach Barrow for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
If you do not see the video above, it is because your home, work or school or firewall is blocking YouTube videos.
Northview, Flomaton’s ‘Dig Pink’ Volleyball Honored
February 14, 2012
Northview and Flomaton high schools’ Dig Pink volleyball match last October to raise breast cancer awareness has received an award.
The Lady Chiefs and Lady Canes were together able to raise over $1,000 for the Side-Out Foundation which promotes breast cancer awareness as well as funding toward finding a cure.
“We would like to thank our students, faculty, staff, and communities for your help in this endeavor. Our players know through your participation that they live in communities that care not only for athletes, but for the advancement of breast cancer awareness,” said Barbara Luker, Northview assistant coach.
Pictured top: Members of the Northview High School volleyball team (front, L-R) Hannah Fiellin, Josie Doucette, Shelley Mothershed, Taylor Roberson, Paeton Hadley, Makayla Flowers, Mikaela Santos, (back row, L-R) Assistant Coach Barbara Luker, Lily Townson, Tiffani Pritchett, Misty Doran, Morgan Payne, Kyndall Hall, Rebecca Masitias, Danielle Steadham, Rebecca Grim, Penny, and Coach Betty Heaton. Pictured inset: The Dig Pink award. Pictured below: Action from last year’s Dig Pink game at Northview. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Love Baseball? Chiefs Diamond Club To Meet, Seeks Members
February 14, 2012
The Northview High School Diamond Club will meet Thursday and is looking for new members.
The Diamond Club supports Northview’s JV and Varsity baseball programs by purchasing equipment, maintaining or improving the facilities, providing transportation and meals, volunteering at the concession stand and participating in fundraisers.
“We need parents’ involvement for Northview to continue to have successful seasons and programs,” said Diamond Club member Tricia Vaughan.
Membership dues are $10 per family. All parents are encouraged to attend and to volunteer.
The Northview Diamond Club will meet Thursday at 6 p.m. in the Northview Media Center. For more information about the Diamond Club, contact Tricia Vaughan at (251) 359-4209.
Lloyd Barrow Field Dedicated In Honor Of Longtime Little League Coach
February 12, 2012
Lloyd Barrow Field was dedicated in Century Saturday morning in honor of longtime Little League coach Lloyd Barrow.
Barrow had a winning record as coach for the Century Blackcats in the Tri-County Little League from 1958 to 1973, including a 17-1 run in 1967. The original Tri-County Little League was comprised of teams from Century, Walnut Hill, Jay and Flomaton.
“We had a lot of good teams; we had a lot of good guys,” Barrow said Saturday as he reminisced about his days as a coach. One team he mentioned in particular was the 1963 10-Year Old All Stars.
“We just whipped up on all those other guys in Pensacola,” he said. “And we did it in ‘63, ‘64 and ‘65, three years straight.”
He was instrumental in establishing and building the Little League field at 580 Church Street that now bears his name.
Century Mayor Freddie McCall recognized Barrow “as a pillar of the community that has supported Century all his life” and for “instilling and building Blackcat Pride in the young athletes of Century”.
For more photos of Lloyd Barrow Field and the dedication ceremony, click here.
Pictured top: Lloyd Barrow at the dedication of Lloyd Barrow Field in Century Saturday morning. Pictured inset: A 1967 Major League Champions trophy marking a 17-1 run. Pictured below: A portion of the small crowd braved a cold wind for the dedication. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Century Honors Baseball Coaching Legend Floyd Adams
February 7, 2012
The Town of Century honored legendary baseball coach Floyd Adams Monday night with a proclamation highlighting some of his Century-area accomplishments.
Adams was head baseball coach at Century High School from 1968 to 1970 where he enjoyed a winning record and won the Escambia River Conference in 1969 and 1970. He was also named the conference’s coach of the year in 1969 and 1970. Adams also served as Northview High School’s coach during the 1996-1997 school year.
“The Mayor of the Town of Century, Florida, honors Floyd Adams for instilling and building Blackcat Pride in the young athletes of Century,” the proclamation presented Monday night states.
“I was honored to coach the very best wherever I went, and Century was no exception,” Adams said.
Last month, Adams was inducted into the Alabama Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame for his accomplishments in Alabama. At Jefferson Davis Community College in Brewton, Adams had a 10-season record of 303-149.
Adams also served as assistant coach for two years at Tate High School before moving up to serve as head coach for the Aggies for seven years.
Adams is a 1952 graduate of Escambia County High School in Atmore. He has been retired from coaching for over a decade.
Pictured top: Century Mayor Freddie McCall (right) presents a proclamation Floyd Adams Monday night. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge. Pictured below: Adams at the Tate Aggies head coach in an undated photograph.
Northview Awards Top Girls’ Weightlifting Team Members
February 6, 2012
Northview High School held their annual Girls’ Weightlifting banquet recently, honoring several team members.
Awards included:
- Lakelyn Parker and DeeDee Johnson — Most Improved Lifters. Both girls increased their combined weights by 30 pounds from the beginning to end of the season.
- McKenzie Nasser — Most Valuable Lifter. She earned the most points for Northview at their half dozen season meets.
- Madalyn Coon — Coaches’ Award. She earned Northview points, made improvements and was dependable, according to the coaches. Her positive influence was evident as she attended all practices, meets and the team’s fundraiser.
- Senior Award — Brittany Thompson.
Pictured top: Northview Weightlifting team members (L-R) DeeDee Johnson, Lakelyn Parker, Madalyn Coon and McKenzie Nasser. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Locals Run The Double Bridges (With Results)
February 5, 2012
The 15th annual Pensacola Double Bridge Run was held Saturday with a 15K run, a 5K run and a 5K walk.
Rusty Branch of Cantonment wast the top North Escambia finisher at number 16 overall in the 15K run with a time of 57:09. Jessica Nesmith of Atmore was top local finisher at number three overall in the 5K walk with a time of 33:36.
Numerous North Escambia area residents took part. They were as follows:
Pensacola Double Bridge 15K Run
16. Rusty Branch Cantonment, 57:09
77. James Dillard Cantonment, 1:05:24
114. Matt Dobson, Jay, 1:08:19
136. Hank Colburn Cantonment, 1:08:19
149. Cory Phelps Cantonment, 1:08:41
202. Steve Black Cantonment, 1:11:12
273. James Stinson Cantonment, 1:14:17
277. Ryan Conner Cantonment, 1:11:29
329. Thomas Pierce Cantonment, 1:14:35
361. Thomas Rollins Cantonment, 1:15:28
428. Gayla Rowland Cantonment, 1:17:08
515. Beth Hammond Cantonment, 1:19:33
528. Brad Collins Cantonment, 1:19:42
560. Andrew Kim Cantonment, 1:20:30
591. Stacey Lowe, Jay, 1:21:23
600. Amy Stachowicz Cantonment, 1:21:35
656. Amanda Jensen Cantonment, 1:22:49
661. Timothy Montgome Cantonment, 1:23:17
696. Jeb Hunt Cantonment, 1:23:25
745. Brooke Rowell Cantonment, 1:23:08
817. Terry Goen Cantonment, 1:26:09
819. Roger Dobson, Jay, 1:26:38
854. Jason Weber Atmore, 1:24:26
882. Chad Hetheringto Cantonment, 1:25:49
890. Geoff Cook Cantonment, 1:28:06
1013. Jason Beck Cantonment, 1:26:49
1014. Matt Powell Cantonment, 1:26:49
1016. Joshua Moralita Cantonment, 1:31:46
1045. Christopher Raws Cantonment, 1:28:41
1046. Bill Buck Cantonment, 1:26:07
1066. Beth Anne Whitfield, Jay, 1:30.08
1140. Joshua Tucker Cantonment, 1:33:14
1146. Ashley McCormick Cantonment, 1:31:05
1174. Mark Gibson Cantonment, 1:32:50
1185. Ashley Brewster Cantonment, 1:32:44
1192. Corrie Lenn Cantonment, 1:32:33
1226. Ruth Grissom Cantonment, 1:35:28
1241. Darcy Conner Cantonment, 1:33:38
1264. Lace Raney, Jay, 1:34.28
1273. Brian Moore Cantonment, 1:35:05
1325. Gary Summitt Cantonment, 1:32:26
1392. Shirley Raney, Jay, 1:37:41
1441. Donna Hassebrock Molino, 1:36:43
1493. Dana Stumfall Cantonment, 1:34:37
1521. Melanie Jacobi Molino, 1:38:21
1602. Dominick Mondell Cantonment, 1:39:50
1609. Johnny Mondello Cantonment, 1:40:05
1652. Jennifer Little Cantonment, 1:43:12
1880. Janie Cobb Cantonment, 1:54:39
1899. Lindsey Milam Cantonment, 2:00:18
1907. Michelle Chan Cantonment, 1:54:02
1908. Nicholas Chan Cantonment, 1:54:06
1928. Brittny Abrahams Cantonment, 1:55:38
1940. Julie Spurlock Cantonment, 1:56:59
1946. Cinda Skaggs Molino, 1:55:55
1947. Scotty Skaggs Molino, 1:55:56
1986. Jennifer Collins Cantonment, 1:59:56
2018. Rebecca Corneliu Cantonment, 2:05:20
2020. Kency Summitt Cantonment, 2:07:03
Pensacola Double Bridge 5K Run
42. Randall Kelley, Jay, 24:13:00
71. Teresa Hendricks, Jay, 25:25:00
121. Haley Malone, Cantonment, 26:55:00
148. Alex McCrory, Cantonment, 27:45:00
209. Todd Stachowicz, Cantonment, 28:52:00
233. Jeffrey Bretana, Cantonment, 29:23:00
242. Brad Faulk, Century, 29:31:00
244. Adrian King, Century, 29:32:00
261. Sherry Glover, Cantonment, 29:52:00
263. Michael Leblanc, Cantonment, 29:55:00
269. Kendall McCrory, Cantonment, 29:57:00
273. Courtney Clarke, Cantonment, 29:58:00
326. Gene King, Century, 30:52:00
335. Glen Weber, McDavid, 31:03:00
389. Allison McCrory, Cantonment, 32:17:00
391. Kim Brown, Cantonment, 32:18:00
392. Susan Stromberg, Cantonment, 32:18:00
404. Patrick Wilkcs, Cantonment, 32:27:00
405. Kathy Stinson, Cantonment, 32:27:00
427. Allison Miller, Cantonment, 32:49:00
432. Waleed Kader, Cantonment, 32:56:00
438. Chris Reiter, Cantonment, 33:02:00
454. Clif Strickland, Cantonment, 33:18:00
482. Kelly Gary, Molino, 33:57:00
485. Bridgette Clancy, Cantonment, 33:59:00
534. Stephanie Godfrey, Cantonment, 34:49:00
538. Madison Whitfield, Jay, 34:54:00
550. Bruce Pope, Cantonment, 35:15:00
572. Judy King, Century, 35:37:00
588. Franklin Alexander, Cantonment, 35:53:00
648. Louis Lanier, Cantonment, 37:06:00
660. Dawn Thomas, Cantonment, 37:30:00
679. Kim Golden, Cantonment, 38:09:00
686. Robyn Hoffman, Cantonment, 38:22:00
733. Debi Luke, Cantonment, 39:56:00
768. Whitney Bretana, Cantonment, 41:14:00
793. Jeremy Evans, Cantonment, 42:16:00
802. Amber Wise, Cantonment, 42:41:00
805. Sharon Colburn, Cantonment, 42:49:00
814. Sandra Long, Cantonment, 43:40:00
846. Debbie Stewart, Cantonment, 45:19:00
847. Anna Gilg, Cantonment, 45:20:00
881. Mrs. Wilkcs, Cantonment, 49:05:00
898. Kimberly Kelly, Atmore, 52:02:00
899. Lori Eddins, Cantonment, 52:32:00
Pensacola Double Bridge 5K Walk
3. Jessica Nesmith, Atmore, 33:36:00
7. Sonny Manning, Cantonment, 36:14:00
17. Kim McLean, Cantonment, 38:50:00
19. Candace Gibson, Cantonment, 39:24:00
22. Wiley Tramble, Cantonment, 39:42:00
45. Darline Jones, Cantonment, 43:11:00
47. Catherine Griffin, Cantonment, 43:14:00
53. Lisa Taylor, Cantonment, 43:39:00
54. Mike Taylor, Cantonment, 43:39:00
135. Michael Clouse, Cantonment, 49:32:00
151. Joan Martin, Jay, 50:58:00
160. Donna Lancaster, Cantonment, 51:20:00
168. Chrystal Pedicord, Cantonment, 51:53:00
169. Carly Haskins, Cantonment, 51:53:00
170. Cindy Walker, Cantonment, 52:00:00
190. Fielding Stephens, Cantonment, 52:50:00
213. Mary Virgini Mills, Cantonment, 54:58:00
229. Jodi Livingston, Cantonment, 57:18:00
140. Haley Murph, Century, 49:58:00
99. Taunia Williams, Molino, 47:31:00
100. Lynda Mabire, Molino, 47:32:00
186. Tracy Yuhasz, Molino, 52:31:00
188. Wesley Partrick, Molino, 52:49:00
226. Robynn Maloney, Molino, 57:16:00
227. Lakota Maloney, Molino, 57:16:00
Pro Ball’s Travis Fryman: Putting Away The Childish Things
February 3, 2012
Travis Fyman appeared to be sitting on top of the world. He has just played in his first American League All-Star Game. He had just met and had his picture taken with the president of the United States. The big money was rolling in for the small town boy in the big leagues with the Detroit Tigers.
“If you met me in 1994, you’d say that this guy is living his dreams,” Fryman told a meeting of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Thursday morning before class at Northview High School. “My life and career at that point in my life were better than my dreams as a kid.”
But appearances can be deceiving and it took Fryman a little more to realize what was wrong amidst all that seemed so right.
As for the picture of him with President George H.W. Bush, that problem was pretty obvious when the glossy photo arrived in the mail. After the All-Star Game, the Secret Service had swept the locker room quickly before President Bush visited and posed for a photo with each player.
“I was in my underwear shaking hands with the president of the United States,” Fryman said, evoking a chuckle from the Northview students. “In all of the excitement, I had forgotten to get dressed.”
What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Matthew 16:26
But there was something much more wrong than the President Bush photo with Fryman’s life.
“I was completely miserable and lost in my life,” he said. “I didn’t enjoy playing baseball; I was never satisfied.”
After watching his parents divorce as a teen, one of Fryman’s top goals in life was a happy marriage. That too was falling apart.
Fryman knew his wife was attending a Bible study group with other baseball wives. What he did not know right away was that she gave her life to Jesus in the parking lot of the Detroit Tigers stadium in 1994, right before major league baseball went on strike and ended the season without a World Series.
“…When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.” 1 Cor 13:11
Fryman, who now lives in Molino, knew something was just not right in his life. He and wife Kathleen began going to his childhood church, Olive Baptist in Pensacola. On February 25, 1995, he knew what was missing.
“I took my wife by her hand, and we walked down to the front of the church,” he said. “Boy that was a long walk.”
When asked by the pastor why he had come forward, Fryman said, “I’m ready to put away childish things and become the man God wants me to be.”
It turned out, however, that there were still realizations to come for Fryman.
The first game of the 1995 season was against the Seattle Mariners in the King Dome. The normally strong hitter had struck out three times. He was up to bat a fourth time. “The drunks over third base were taunting me, pushing for a fourth strike out.” A bad hit and the old Travis Fryman reared its ugly head and he cursed and threw his helmet with enough force to shatter it.
Back at the hotel after perhaps his worst-ever pro game, Fryman unlocked the door with his key card and slipped inside. It was about to be that real life changing moment.
“I fell on my face, and I cried like a baby,” he said. “God, I don’t want to live my life this way.”
“Jesus requires everything from us because he gave everything,” Fryman, who is now the defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Indians, told the Northview FCA members. “You can have a lot of fun in this life but you never know joy until you know God.”
Pictured: Travis Fryman addresses the Northview High School Fellowship of Christian Athletes before school began Thursday morning. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.