Royals Advance Toward State With Win Over Northview
May 8, 2010
It was all the things that good playoff games are made off Friday night in Jay as a capacity crowd watched the Jay Royals take on the Northview Chiefs the Region 2A Semifinals.
In the end, the Royals beat the Chiefs 1-0. Along the way, it was a game of great pitching, great hitting and equally great fielding.
The only RBI of the game came from Rush Hendricks in the bottom of the third with a single up the middle to score Sawyer Gandy.
It was the end of one of the best seasons ever for the Chiefs (18-10). The Royals (17-7) will advance to the Region 2A Finals at 7:00 Friday night in Jay.
Hunter Brown pitched seven for the Royals, allowing two hits, no runs, one walk and striking out three. Austin Reid pitched seven for the Chiefs, allowing five hits, one run, four walks and striking out six.
Northview hitters included Brad Lower 1-2 and Dakota Stuckey 1-2.
Jay hitters included Sawyer Gandy 2-2 with a run and Rush Hendricks 1-1 with an RBI.
Photos courtesy WEAR for NorthEscambia.com.
Four More Tate Aggies Sign With Brewton’s Jeff Davis
May 7, 2010
Four Tate Aggie seniors signed letters of intent to play baseball for Jefferson Davis Community College in Brewton.
Joey Hedden, Tyler Moore, Lee Hunter and Cole Vickery signed with the Warhawks Thursday afternoon. They joined Brandon Blackwelder who signed with JDCC back in March.
Pictured: Five Tate Aggies have signed to play with Jefferson Davis Community College in Brewton. They are: (standing, L-R) Tate Coach Todd Boyd, JDCC Coach Darrell Blevins; (sitting, L-R) Lee Hunter, Tyler Moore, Brandon Blackwelder, Cole Vickery, Joey Hedden. Pictured below, top to bottom, are the family signing photos of: Cole Vickery, Joey Hedden, Lee Hunter and Tyler Moore. Submitted photos by Deeann Lee for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northview Beats Bonifay, To Face Jay Friday
May 6, 2010
The Northview Chiefs beat Bonifay Wednesday night to advance to the Region 2A finals Friday night against Jay.
Senior Austin Reid pitched seven for the Chiefs in their 4-1 victory over Bonifay. Reid allowed just one hit and one run while striking out 11.
The game was scoreless until the fourth inning, when the Chiefs put two on the board and Bonifay added one. Northview added two more runs in the sixth.
Hitters for the Chiefs were Austin Arrington, 1-3 with one run; Dabney Langhorne, 2-4 with one run, and RBI and a double; Austin Reid 1-4; Austin Lowery with one RBI and one run; Brandon Sheets 1-2 with one run; and Dakota Stuckey 1-2 with a double, and two RBIs.
Northview will play Jay at 7:00 Friday night in Jay.
Becky Lowery photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
FHSAA Considers New Division For Small, Rural Schools Like Northview, Jay
May 3, 2010
A Florida High School Athletic Association committee has given preliminary approval to creating a new division for for small, rural schools like Northview and Jay. Schools in the rural division would compete within their own division and have their own playoff series for boys and girls basketball, baseball, football, softball and girls volleyball.
The recommendation from the FHSAA Urban/Rural Committee came about a year after Northview, Jay and nearly 20 other high schools in the Florida Panhandle met to discuss forming a new independent athletic league outside of the Florida High School Athletic Association.
“We all just want to see our teams have a level playing field,” Northview Principal Gayle Weaver told NorthEscambia.com at the time the smaller Panhandle schools were meeting. “Sometimes our students say we are playing for second best, because they know that they could never win state.”
The problem lies with smaller schools in the FHSAA that are forced to compete at the playoff level with private schools and academies located in cities like Pensacola. Those private schools are able to recruit the best players with scholarships and other incentives, making the chances of a small, rural public school winning a state playoff unlikely.
“It’s a good idea because it keeps these private schools out,” Northview Athletic Director Sammy Day said. “You’ve got a lot of private schools that recruit…if they get them coming to school because they live in their area, that would be fine. But they don’t.”
“A new division of participating schools (public and private) needs to be created,” the FHSAA Urban/Rural Committee wrote in a recommendation for full FHSAA board approval.
“We have a number of member schools that need issues addressed in terms of equitable competition,” said Executive Director Roger Dearing. “We need to make sure people know this is not a public-private issue. This is an issue of small rural schools that do not draw their student populations from larger urban areas or outside the state or country, and have a difficult time competing against those that do. There is a way for all schools to exist and succeed with the advent of this new division.”
The committee, which was commissioned in Fall 2009, traveled throughout the state to gather feedback from parents, coaches and other stakeholders at public meetings about issues of concern regarding participation. From this feedback, the committee developed the following recommendations:
- to create a new division of participating schools, private and public, which have been designated as rural by the Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development, and whose student enrollments are 500 or less. This classification shall be limited to the following sports: boys and girls basketball, baseball, football, boys and girls soccer, softball and girls volleyball.
- to ensure penalties for an offense of recruiting, or any violation(s) of eligibility bylaws, are very severe, including but not limited to: program and/or school suspension from the Association; program and/or school restrictive probation, including exclusion from state series playoff events; and increased financial penalties.
- to investigate the use of a “clearinghouse” system for international student eligibility, with no more than one international student being eligible to participate on each varsity-level team.
- to seek input from member schools regarding reclassification and redistricting processes.
The Urban/Rural Committee noted in their full recommendation that the student population of 500 is an approximation with the actual number to be determined by the actual number of schools required t o create a competitive division.
To read the full FHSAA committee recommendation, click here (pdf).
Pictured top: Brandon Sheets tries to avoid Jay defender Chris Carrigan during last year’s meeting of two rural schools. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Atmore’s 5K For A Cause; Jay’s Dobson Wins Fiesta 5K
May 2, 2010
About 40 people took part in the second annual Atmore Community Hospital Relay for Life 5K Run/Walk Saturday morning in Atmore. The male overall winner was Keith Bell of Atmore with a time of 20:13. The female overall winner was Georgia Geotter of Bratt with a time of 25:27.
In Pensacola, Matt Dobson of Jay was the overall male winner in the 36th Annual Fiesta of Five Flags 5K. His time was 16:26.
Pictured top and bottom: About 40 runners took part in the second annual Atmore Community Hospital Relay for Life 5K Run/Walk Saturday morning in Atmore. Pictured left: Overall winners Keith Bell of Atmore and Georgia Geotter of Bratt. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Jay Defeats Northview For District 1-2A Championship
April 30, 2010
The Jay Royals defeated the Northview Chiefs 12-2 in six innings Thursday night for the District 1-2A championship in Baker.
The winning pitcher for the Royals was Hunter Brown (6-4). He pitched six, allowing eight hits, two errors, one walk and striking out five.
Jay hitters included Hunter Boutwell 3-4 with one RBI, Hunger Brown 1-3 with two RBIs, Rush Hendricks 1-2, Tyler Prescott 1-2 with 2 RBIs, Conner Weeks 1-2 with 2 RBIs and Sawyer Gandy 2-3.
Northview hitters included Brad Lowery 2-3, Dabney Langhorne 2-3 and Hunter Black with a double.
The Chiefs and the Royals were tied for the spot going into the District 1-2A tournament with Jay getting the number one seed on a coin toss.
The Royals (15-7) will be at home Tuesday against Panama City’s Bozeman Bucks (19-9) as the Region 2A tournament gets underway, and the Northview Chiefs will be on the road in Bonifay Tuesday against Holmes County (23-5).
Holmes County beat Bozeman Thursday night 12-8.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Northview Names 2010-2011 Cheerleaders
April 30, 2010
Northview High School named their 2010-2011 varsity and junior varsity cheerleading squads on Thursday.
The 2010-2011 Northview High School Varsity Cheerleaders are:
- Hillary Byrd
- Tori Chavers
- Lauren Cloud
- Laneicia Gomez
- Megan Ryan
- Brooke Tullis
- Tiffany Chavers
- Lauren McCall
- Charleigh McPherson
- Caroline Prater
- Tori Reid
- Taylor Rigby
- Tori Searcy
- Autumn Slay
- Brittany Thompson
- Ashley Cunningham
- Ariel Holland
- Ashley Mooney
- Jessica Warner
The 2010-2011 Northview High School Junior Varsity Cheerleaders are:
- Abby Odom
- Sandy Rainwater
- Mariah Albritton
- Kaitlynne Calloway
- Anna Fischer
- Tamara Green
- Chloe Leonard
- Rachel Presley
- Rebekah Sepulveda
- Lauryn Walker
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Photo Gallery: Ernest Ward Middle School Track
April 30, 2010
The Ernest Ward Middle School track team competed in their third track meet of the year Thursday afternoon at Warrington Middle School in Pensacola.
Pictured: Members of the Ernest Ward Middle School track team compete Thursday afternoon at Warrington Middle School. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Lady Chiefs Best Season Ever Ends In Regionals
April 28, 2010
The best season ever in the history of the Northview Lady Chiefs came to a tearful end Tuesday night with a 3-2 loss to Sneads in the Region 2A softball tournament.
“It was our best season ever,” Head Coach Sammy Day said. “We could not have asked for anything better, except to win this game. We, overall, just did not hit the ball hard enough tonight.”
The Lady Chiefs (24-4) took an early 2-0 lead in the first and held Sneads scoreless until the fifth. In the fifth, Sneads scored a couple to tie the ballgame 2-2 headed into the sixth. In the sixth inning, Sneads added one, giving them a 3-2 lead.
“They played hard. They gave it all they had, and that was all I could ask,” Day said. “We are coming back at it next year. We are going to be there next year too. We’ll be back.”
For a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from the game, click here.
Losing pitcher was freshman Misty Doran, who walked two and struck out three. Doran finished the season at 19-4. Northview hitters were Doran 2-3 with a triple, Kolbi Cobb 2-3 with a double, Candace Greenwell 1-3 and Amy Clark 1-3.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Northview, Jay Pick Up District Tournament Wins
April 28, 2010
The Northview Chiefs and the Jay Royals both picked up wins Tuesday in Baker in the District 1-2A baseball tournament.
The Northview Chiefs bit the Baker Gators 5-2 Tuesday night.
Winning pitcher was Austin Reid with 14 strikeouts, six hits and two runs.
Brandon Sheets was 1-2 with two runs scored, Brad Lowery was 1-2 with two runs score and one RBI, Dabney Langhorne 1-2 with two RBI’s, Austin Reid 2-2 with one RBI, Austin Arrington was 103 with one run scored, Austin Lowery was 1-3, and Heath Burkett had one RBI.
The Jay Royals beat Ponce de Leon 12-2 in Tuesday’s other district semifinal game.
The Chiefs and Royals will meet for the District championship on Thursday.
Submitted photo by Edie Jackson for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.