Escambia County Blue Devils Top The Northview Chiefs
September 2, 2023
The Escambia County Blue Devils downed the Northview Chiefs 26-14 Friday night in Atmore.
Down 14-0, the Chiefs had a 27-yard run by Devin Kelly to make it 14-7. In the third quarter, Northview tied it up at 14-14 with a 30-yard touchdown run from Wyatt Scruggs, but the Blue Devils then added a dozen unanswered points.
Northview head coach Wes Summerford said the Chiefs simply had too many costly mistakes.
“I just think we gave them too many opportunities on offense,” Summerford said. “Our defense was on the field all night. We turned the ball over. We’ve done that two games in a row. You can’t make those kind of mistakes. We played two good football games, and you can’t do that. We’re going to have to fix it.”
When asked what the Chiefs can take from this game moving forward, Summerford said the little things from the contest.
“We’ll get better at that,” he said. “We’ve got a young group. We’ve got some young guys playing, and we’ve got to grow up in a hurry. It’s going to take some games under our belt, but we’ll get better.”
Next week, it’s a battle of the brothers as the Rhett Summerford’s Tate Aggies (1-1) host Wes Summerford’s Northview Chiefs (0-2) Thursday night in Cantonment. The Aggies beat Pensacola High School 54-0 Friday night.
The Blue Devils (2-0) will travel to Satsuma next Friday night.
Photos by Andrew Garner/Atmore Advance for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
No. 7 UWF Silences Kentucky Wesleyan, 35-3, In Game One Of Kaleb Nobles Era
September 2, 2023
In a year defined by newness, seventh-ranked UWF played like the best version of its old self in a 35-3 blowout win over Kentucky Wesleyan in the season opener for both squads Friday night.
West Florida (1-0) dominated in every phase of the game, racking up 403 yards of total offense while holding the Panthers (0-1) to just 168. The Argos out-rushed the run-heavy Panthers 142 yards to 128 and out-passed them 261 to 40.
“Super excited about how our team played,” first-year head coach Kaleb Nobles said. “They did a great job of competing, chasing the football, what I’ve talked about all fall camp since I’ve been here. Just did a great job of being relentless on defense, being very efficient on offense – running the ball like I thought we should.”
The Argos were a model of methodical success on offense, getting off 66 plays from scrimmage despite the best efforts of Kentucky Wesleyan to burn clock with a deliberate, run-based offense.
Senior quarterback Peewee Jarrett completed 19-of-22 passes for 230 yards and a touchdown and rushed for a pair of first-half scores.
Jarrett, who wowed Pen Air Field crowds with his immense arm in 2022, was a bit more judicious with the deep ball Friday night, partially due to a Panther secondary that erred on the side of preventing big plays.
He still completed his share of deeper throws, including a 51-yarder, but was more willing to take what the Kentucky Wesleyan defense gave him. The end result was an efficiency that served as an early indicator that Jarrett is on his way to achieving one of his and Nobles’ primary goals for 2023.
“Coach Nobles came to me right away and one of the first conversations we had he said I probably left 600 to a thousand yards on the field last year,” Jarrett said. “Plays I could have made getting the ball out quicker, so that was something. If the defense is going to give it, we’re just going to take it.”
Jarrett added, “They were playing really off, didn’t want us to beat them over the top, and we just took everything underneath.”
The West Florida defense proved as dominant as its offensive counterpart, limiting the Panthers to just 10 first downs, forcing four fumbles, and sacking Kentucky Wesleyan quarterback Christian Arrambide twice.
Defensive back Virgil Lemons, a newcomer making his first appearance for UWF after transferring in from UNC-Pembroke, hauled in a key early interception that set up the Argos’ first score.
But it was junior linebacker and UWF mainstay Will Breland who paced the UWF defense, registering seven tackles.
Byron Puryer and John McMullen, both transfers making their Argo debuts, added four tackles and a sack apiece.
“We were all very eager about getting this first game,” Breland said. “We have a lot of athletes, a lot of great players, but we haven’t played together yet. So, it was really good to get that first game under our belt playing together, rushing to the ball. Made some mistakes, but … did a lot of great things. We’re going to clean up on it and come back even better next week.”
It was a big night for Nobles, too, as he made his head coaching debut before a sellout crowd of 4,068 at Pen Air Field.
“I’m just very blessed to be here,” Nobles said. “Very excited to be here. But, really, it’s because of the players. I’m super excited to be here because of guys like Peewee, guys like Will Breland. Everybody downstairs in that locker room. So excited to be the leader of them … I told them yesterday that I am so proud to be their head coach. And I tell them all the time that I love them, because I want them to know that I care about them more than just what they are doing on the field. This is a great opportunity and great university to have the chance to be the head coach.”
The game was all but decided by half as the Argos scored twice in the first quarter and once in the third and took a 21-3 lead into the break.
C.J. Wilson, whose 540-yard, 12-touchdown 2022 made him the most experienced returning tailback for West Florida, carried the ball nine times for 39 yards and a touchdown.
In the receiving corps, John Jiles, a senior transfer from Virginia Union, caught six passes for 75 yards and a touchdown while Caden Leggett (4-34), Zac Offord (3-48), and KJ Franklin (3-47) gave the Panther secondary fits all game.
Next up for the Argos will be a Sept. 9 visit to McKendree in Lebanon, Illinois.
Photo Emily Miller/UWF for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Mesa’s Walk-off Homer Sends Wahoos To 6-4 Win
September 2, 2023
Victor Mesa Jr. has enjoyed a flair for dramatics at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
The centerfielder did it again in a big way Friday night following a lengthy rain delay and tied game, blasting a towering, 2-out, 2-run, walk-off home run over the right field wall to lift the Blue Wahoos to a 6-4 victory against the Chattanooga Lookouts.
It was his second homer of the game and his second walk-off homer this season. On July 22, he blasted the first walk-off grand slam in franchise history in a 12-8 win against the Rocket City Trash Pandas. It also became the Blue Wahoos’ third walk-off win via a home run this season.
This one, however, may have been the most satisfying.
After taking a 4-1 lead into the sixth inning, the Blue Wahoos were tied in the eighth inning when a massive storm struck the ballpark. It happened after the Lookouts were retired in order in top of the eighth.
A 1-hour, 9-minute delay ensued.
Blue Wahoos reliever Jefry Yan earned his third win with some clutch pitching in the ninth inning and a great defensive play by Blue Wahoos left fielder Tanner Allen, a Mobile native.
Yan allowed a lead-off single, then committed a balk to move the Lookouts’ Matheu Nelson into scoring position at second. But Yan got next batter James Free to pop out. The Lookouts’ Ivan Johnson followed with a liner to left that Allen caught with a sensational dive, then threw out Nelson before he got back to second to end the inning on a double play.
With two outs, none on in the bottom of the ninth, Nasim Nuñez drew a walk. Nuñez was playing in his first game in more than a week after sustaining an injury against Biloxi. He came back by going 3-for-4, all singles, plus reaching on the pivotal walk in the ninth.
Mesa followed by hitting a low fastball from reliever Steve Branch high into the thick air, then having the wind continue to carry the moon shot over the right field wall to end the game.
The Lookouts’ right fielder Rece Hinds, a former Niceville High star returning to Northwest Florida for the first time, had a big night with a pair of solo homers that helped Chattanooga back into the game.
The Blue Wahoos jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first inning on Mesa’s solo blast over the right-center wall before newcomer Jake Thompson connected on a two-run single. He joined the club Friday from the Miami Marlins’ High-A affiliate, the Beloit Sky Carp.
Cody Morissette provided the Blue Wahoos their fourth run with a solo homer in the fourth inning. But the Lookouts bullpen kept Pensacola in check until the ninth.
It was only the Blue Wahoos’ second win in nine games against the Lookouts, who suffered a six-game sweep three weeks ago in Chattanooga and won the Southern League North Division first half title.
The game was stopped at 8:43 p.m. before the Blue Wahoos batted in the bottom of the eighth inning. The grounds crew consisting of Blue Wahoos front office staff raced to get the tarp on the field before the rain fell.
The Blue Wahoos will now try to win another in the fifth game between the teams on Saturday. Blue Wahoos lefthander Jonathan Bermúdez (3-5, 5.07 ERA) will go against Chattanooga righty Chase Petty, making his Double-A debut.
by Bill Vilona, photo Nino Mendez / Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Grocery Tax In Alabama Lowered By 1%; Walmart Error Double Taxes Customers Friday
September 1, 2023
The tax on food in Alabama was lowered by 1% on Friday under a bill passed by the Alabama legislature.
The state’s sales tax was lowered from 4% to 3% on food items. Most counties and municipalities add additional sales tax, making the full tax over twice as much. On September 1 of next year, the tax on food items will be lowered another 1% if conditions are met — if the growth from other tax sources is up by at least 3.5% for the Education Trust Fund.
On Friday, Walmart and Sam’s Clubs across the state were mistakenly double taxing items.
“Earlier today, some Walmart customers and Sam’s Club members across Alabama were incorrectly overcharged sales tax while shopping with us. Effective Sept. 1, the sales tax rate on food decreased by one percentage point statewide. Our systems mistakenly charged both the old rate and the new rate at the time of sale,” according to Walmart. “The situation is being corrected, and we’re asking potentially impacted customers to take their receipts to their nearby stores or clubs for a refund of the higher sales tax.”
Before Friday, Alabama was one of three states that charged full tax on groceries. There is no tax on groceries in Florida.
Pictured: A Walmart receipt from Friday, September 1 showing a customer in Alabama double taxed on a food purchase. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Man Accused Of Burglarizing Chemstrand Road Store Twice In The Same Day
September 1, 2023
An Escambia County man is charged with burglarizing a Chemstrand Road store twice in the same day.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said 25-year old Christian Alexis Melendez was wearing “distinctive clothing” and was caught on video prying open the front door and making entry into the store in the 10000 block of Chemstrand Road during the early morning hours. Deputies said he caused about $1,000 in damage and stole about $400 worth of tobacco products.
He returned a second time while the store was closed and forced his way through the front doors again, stealing $600 in tobacco products and $200 from the register after causing another $2,000 in damage, deputies said.
“Melendez was arrested at his home, where a search revealed the suspect’s unique clothing and the stolen tobacco products from the store,” ECSO said. “Deputies also located marijuana, Xanax pills, handguns, an AR15 short barrel rifle, and cash.”
Melendez was charged with both burglaries of the business, criminal mischief, grand theft, petit theft, possession of marijuana over 20 grams, possession of controlled substance without prescription and a weapons offense. He remained in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $72,000.
EREC Crews To Help Restore Power After Hurricane Idalia In The Big Bend Area
September 1, 2023
Escambia River Electric Cooperative crews deployed Thursday to assist with power restoration following Hurricane Idalia.
They will assist Tri-County Electric Cooperative restore power in Jefferson, Madison and Taylor Counties, including Perry, Steinhatchee, Monticello, Madison and Lee, Florida, in the Big Bend from the Georgia state line to the Gulf of Mexico. A full 100% of their system was reported to have been impacted in some way by Idalia, leaving 20,000 members without power.
EREC sent two bucket trucks, a digger truck and a supply truck with crew members Christian Kent, Jacob Polk, Philip Gandy, David Deese, Brandon Smith and Matthew Reynolds. David Hatfield, EREC’s warehouse supervisor, will assist Tri-County’s materials management to keep linemen and other crews supplied with the materials they need to restore power.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Bonus Photos: Northview, Flomaton Bands And Cheerleaders
September 1, 2023
The Northview Chiefs took on the Flomaton Hurricanes last Friday night.
For a bonus photo gallery with the bands and cheerleaders, click here.
For a game action story and photos, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Fire Rescue Deploys Team For Hurricane Idalia Search And Rescue
September 1, 2023
Members of the Escambia County Fire Rescue Light Technical Rescue Team deployed Wednesday to Madison, Florida, to assist with rescue efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia. ECFR’s crew will spend up to 14 days performing search and rescue operations.
The team that deployed to Madison is composed of eight personnel specially trained in technical rescue. The team receives several hours of additional training in five disciplines: Vehicle and machinery rescue, structural collapse, trench rescue, rope rescue and confined space rescue. Some of the personnel also have specialized training in flood water rescue.
“ECFR is fortunate to have these specialized rescue teams and the equipment to serve our citizens,” said Deputy Chief Paul Williams. “These specially-trained personnel serve the citizens of the county daily, and we are proud to assist other agencies and citizens of Florida in the hurricane-ravaged areas.”
The current team deployed to Madison consists of ECFR members from the McDavid, Brent and Pleasant Grove fire stations. In addition, members of Escambia County Emergency Management have deployed to Tallahassee to provide logistical support.
Wahoos Quieted By Aguiar, Lookouts In 7-1 Loss
September 1, 2023
If not for three misplaced fastballs, Luis Palacios had a pitching line as good as any of his starts this season.
Unfortunately for him, that trio decided the game.
A rough first inning that included two home runs was later followed by a two-run bomb in the seventh in the Chattanooga Lookouts’ eventual 7-1 victory at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
In between those two innings, Palacios faced the minimum 15 batters. He allowed just one hit – a second inning single by Ivan Johnson, who was thrown out trying to stretch the play into a double. It was part of five consecutive innings when Palacios retired Chattanooga in order.
At that point, the Blue Wahoos trailed just 3-1. Will Banfield hit a fourth inning homer in his 2-for-4 night at the plate.
The Blue Wahoos managed just four hits off Lookouts starter Julian Aguiar, who worked into the eighth inning, striking out 12 of the 23 batters he faced. He did not allow a walk, improving to 4-3 with 3.47 earned run average.
The Lookouts tacked on a pair of unearned runs against Blue Wahoos reliever Chandler Jozwiak in the eighth, after a leadoff walk and a pair of infield errors.
With their win, the Lookouts (67-55 overall) took a 2-1 lead in the series that now shifts to the weekend.
by Bill Vilona, photo Nino Mendez / Pensacola Blue Wahoos
FHP Ride Along: Drivers Cited For School Zone Violations, Speed In North Escambia
August 31, 2023
An elementary school teacher will be going before a judge to explain her speed in a Highway 97 school zone.
Her Acura MDX was clocked by laser at 53 mph northbound in Walnut Hill when she passed a flashing school zone sign for Ernest Ward Middle School. At 53 mph in a 20 mph school zone, it’s a mandatory court appearance.
NorthEcambia.com was along for the ride Wednesday afternoon with Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Zach Cupples for traffic enforcement.
In the EWMS school zone, it did not take long to stop violators.
We were parked in a driveway near the Walnut Hill Fire Station, the black and tan FHP Dodge Charger clearly visible to oncoming southbound traffic. The flashing school zone sign almost directly across the highway. The driver of a F150 belonging to an Atmore business was clocked at 40 mph, 20 mph over. If convicted, the driver is facing a $456 ticket.
Another driver, with a child in their Honda Pilot ,was stopped at 23 mph over in the school zone. That’s also a $456 ticket.
For more photos, click or tap here.
Florida takes school zones seriously, Cupples said. When FHP scheduled the NorthEscambia.com ride along, the original plan was to work the school zone and follow a few school buses in light of a photo we published last week that showed a chemical tanker truck passing a school bus that was stopping for students to board on Highway 97. The trooper was so busy writing school zone violations Wednesday afternoon that we missed the bus, literally.
So we set out for a few other locations that our readers have complained about across the area.
We took Highway 99 North to Highway 164. With some portions only about eight-feet wide, Highway 164 has been the site of several crashes attributed to the road width. There were few vehicles on the road that time of the afternoon and no traffic stops.
Cupples ran LIDAR — essentially like radar but using a distance sight and a precise laser beam — on Highway 29 in the general area of Hecker Road in the heart of Century.
A Pontiac GT was ticketed for 50 in a 35 mph one. A Dodge Charger was stopped for 53 mph in a 35 and ticketed for no proof of insurance. A BMW X7 driver was pulled over for 56 mph in the 35 zone.
While southbound on Highway 29 at 35 mph in Century, the driver of a GMC Sierra pickup truck quickly changed lanes dangerously close to the marked FHP unit and sped up to about 45 mph. As we followed directly behind, he reached speeds up to 51 mph the 35 zone before the blue lights came on. The driver was also cited for no proof of insurance; the most recent insurance card he could provide was from 2020.
We also made several passes through a Highway 29 construction zone in Century where four lanes are shifted into two. We also sat stationary and clocked vehicle speeds. Vehicle after vehicle passed with none exceeding the speed limit by more than a couple of mph.
All drivers in this story are innocent until their admission of guilt or conviction.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
