UWF Drops Home Game To West Alabama, 45-21
October 30, 2016
The UWF Football team dropped a 45-21 decision to a very strong West Alabama squad at Blue Wahoos Stadium Saturday.
UWF (5-4, 3-3 Gulf South Conference) finished with 349 yards of total offense and quarterbacks Kaleb Nobles and Grey Jackson combined to throw for 248 yards on 31-of-59 with two touchdowns.
The loss before another impressive crowd was the first in four home games during the inaugural 2016 season. Saturday’s attendance was 6,088, giving UWF an average of 6,388 with one home date remaining.
UWA (6-3, 6-1) scored 38 unanswered points to break a 7-7 tie and grab a 45-7 lead on its way to a fifth-consecutive victory. The Tigers outgained the Argonauts 536-to-349 and had 490 through the air. Austin Grammer was 41-of-56 for 493 yards and three touchdowns.
UWA got out to a 7-0 lead five minutes into the game when Grammer connected with Barnard McGhee from 20 yards. UWF knotted it up 2:29 later on a Nobles-to-Antoine Griffin strike from 32 yards.
The teams then failed to score on the next seven possessions before the Tigers grabbed the lead for good when Lakendric Thomas scored from three yards to cap a 12-play, 87-yard drive. Grammer found McGhee two more times for scores before the half to send the visitors in the locker room with a 28-7 advantage.
UWA scored 17 points in the third quarter while putting up 181 yards of offense in the frame.
UWF scored a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter, with Jackson leading both drives. He scampered 22 yards up the middle on the second play of the quarter before hooking up with Ishmel Morrow on a 14-yard pass to complete the scoring.
Griffin and Tate Lehtio led the Argo receiving corps with six catches for 59 yards apiece. Morrow caught four balls for 50 yards and Anas Hasic recorded five catches for 33 yards. Jackson was the team’s leading rusher, piling up 73 yards on five carries.
On defense, Leroy Taylor had a game-high eight tackles, a fumble recovery and a pass break up.
UWF will return to action next Saturday when it travels to Florence, Ala. to take on No. 7 North Alabama (6-1, 5-0) in its final road game of the year.
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Missing Senior Citizen Found Near Century
October 29, 2016
An elderly Beulah woman missing for a week was found Saturday afternoon near Century.
Shirley Cooey, 83, had been missing since last Saturday night from the 8700 block of Rebel Road.
Family members said she was severely dehydrated, both otherwise in good condition. She was transported to an area hospital for evaluation.
Crash And Burn: One Injured In Highway 97 Wreck
October 29, 2016
One person was injured in a crash and burn accident late Friday night south of Walnut Hill.
The accident happened about 11 p.m. on Highway 97 just north of Tungoil Road. The driver of a SUV lost control, ran off the roadway and overturned in ditch. The adult male driver was able to escape the vehicle before it burst into flames. The driver suffered non-life threatening injuries and was transported to Atmore Community Hospital by ambulance.
The accident remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. Further details have not been released.
The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue, Atmore Ambulance and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also also responded to the crash.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Teen Driver Uninjured In Highway 97 Rollover Crash
October 29, 2016
There were no injuries in a single vehicle rollover accident early Saturday morning near Walnut Hill.
The 17-year old driver of a Nissan Maxima was northbound on Highway 97 just north of Gobbler Road about 3:20 a.m. when she lost control, left the roadway and became airborne after hitting a concrete culvert. The vehicle came to rest upside down in a culvert. The driver refused medical treatment.
The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. Further details have not been released.
The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and Atmore Ambulance also responded.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Tate Heading To Playoffs After Win Over Pine Forest
October 29, 2016
The Tate Aggies defeated the Pine Forest Eagles 28-23 Friday night to give the Aggies a second place finish in District 1-6A.
The Aggies first points came on a Jack Henry to Raymond Freeman touchdown pass.
By the fourth quarter, the game was tied at 21 when a pass from Henry was deflected into the hands of Corey Young who ran it in from 45 yards out and the go-ahead score.
Tate (8-2, 3-1) has an open date next week for the final game of the regular season before heading into the playoff series on November 11 at the Gulf Breeze Dolphins.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Jennifer Repine, click to enlarge.
73-Year Old Sex Offender Arrested On Child Porn Charges
October 29, 2016
A registered sex offender in Escambia County was arrested Friday for child pornography.
Agents with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, with assistance from Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and Department of Homeland Security arrested Hobart Arthur Simpson, 73, of 6763 Rickwood Drive on one count of possession of child pornography and one count of transmission of child pornography.
FDLE agents executed a search warrant at Simpson’s residence Friday morning and several items of digital evidence were recovered for forensic examination.
Simpson was booked into the Escambia County Jail.
Baker Beats Northview; Chiefs Still In Playoffs
October 29, 2016
The Baker Gators beat the Northview Chiefs 38-0 Friday night in Baker. With the win, the Baker Gators claimed the 1-1A title, dropping the Chiefs into the runner-up spot.
The Chiefs earned consecutive district titles in 2012 with a 40-6 blowout over Baker, but the Gators have now claimed four straight titles from the Chiefs.
Friday night’s loss was not even a close one, with the Gators dominating the Chiefs in every aspect.
“It was not a good game in any phase of it,” Northview Head Coach Derek Marshman said. “We didn’t play good enough to win. We didn’t coach good enough, we didn’t execute good enough…there’s no excuses for it. They were the better team tonight in every facet of the game.
Next Friday night, the Chiefs have an open date for the final week of the regular season as they prepare for their shot at the road to Orlando.
“We have two weeks to go back and focus on us,” he said. “That’s the beauty of having a bye week right before the playoffs. We don’t have to worry about an opponent next week. It’s like having a faceless opponent that will allow us to focus on getting better at what we do.
In the first round of the playoffs on November 11, the Chiefs (6-4, 1-1) will travel to Graceville (6-3, 4-1) while Baker will host Cottondale. The two winners will face off on November 15, setting up a possible rematch between Northview and Baker.
Look for additional photos by Monday.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Groundbreaking Held For Beulah Middle School
October 29, 2016
A groundbreaking ceremony was held Friday for the new Beulah Middle School on West Nine Mile Road, setting into motion a much larger plan that will see major changes for West Florida High, Ransom Middle and Woodham Middle schools.
Beulah Middle School, home of the Beulah Bears, will be constructed at 6001 West Nine Mile Road on the former Coastal Airport property. The $45 to $48 million dollar school will have a capacity 1,100 to 1,300 students.
Students will be relocated to the new school from Woodham Midde, while hundreds will be rezoned from the overcrowded Ransom Middle.
A new $25 million, 800 student elementary school will be constructed adjacent to Ransom Middle School on property already owned by the district. It will help alleviate overcrowding at Beulah and Pine Meadow elementary schools. The Ransom property currently being used by Tate High School for agriculture and by the Roy Hyatt Environmental Center will not be affected.
Both schools will be funded with Local Option Sales Tax dollars and should be ready for classes by the 2018-2019 school year.
The current Woodham Middle facility will be renovated for $3 to $5 million to house West Florida High School, providing the school with improved athletic facilities including a stadium and field house. Brown Barge Middle School and PATS Center students will be relocated to the current West Florida High campus adjacent to Pine Forest High School.
Photos by Kim Stefansson, ECSD, for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Football Star Trent Richardson Spotted At Girls Softball In Walnut Hill
October 29, 2016
Football star Trent Richardson was in Walnut Hill Friday night, enjoying girls softball action at Northwest Escambia’s Bradberry Park as the Diamond Divas hosted Perdido Key. Richardson was there cheering on his daughter who is playing her first year of softball for Perdido Key.
Richardson is pictured with Diamond Divas player Jamison Gilman.
Richardson, an Escambia High School grad, played college ball at Alabama where he was an All-American and member of two BCS National Championship teams. He went on to play for the Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts and signed with the Oakland Raiders before being released in August 2015. He signed with the Baltimore Ravens in April 2016 but was waived in August 2016. He is currently a free agent.
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Winning $105K Fantasy Five Ticket Sold In North Escambia
October 29, 2016
Someone is over $105,000 richer this morning after purchasing a winning Florida Lottery Fantasy 5 ticket in Cantonment.
The ticket sold at the Winn Dixie, 1550 South Highway 29, was one of two winning tickets sold for Friday night’s drawing worth $105,937.07 each. Another winning ticket matching all five numbers was sold in Miami.
The 358 tickets matching four numbers won $95 each. Another 11,219 tickets matching three numbers are worth $8.50 each, and 10,735 tickets holders won a Quick Pick ticket for picking two numbers.
Friday’s winning numbers were 07-08-10-16-25.