Photo Gallery: Northview Falls To Baker

November 21, 2021

The Northview Chiefs football season came to an end with a tough 46-35 loss to defending station champion Baker Friday night in the Class 1A regional semifinals.

For a game action photo gallery, click here.

For a game action story, click here.

For a photo gallery with the band, fans and cheerleaders, click here.

NorthEscmabia.com photos, click to enlarge.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News, Sports, TOP sports

UWF’s Season Ends In Heartbreaking 33-30 Overtime Loss in NCAA First Round

November 21, 2021

by Bill Vilona, UWF Argos Senior Writer

The stadium fell silent. The home crowd stared ahead in shock. The players fell to their knees, many fighting back tears.

A season of high expectations and cresting momentum for the No. 2-ranked University of West Florida football team came to a stunning, heart-breaking end Saturday, after unranked Newberry College pulled off a 33-30 overtime upset in the first round of the NCAA Division II playoffs at Blue Wahoos Stadium.

“I’m sick for our whole team. I’m sick for Pensacola,” said UWF coach Pete Shinnick, following the first time UWF hosted a post-season game. “I thought it was a great day to host a home playoff game. This is a very, very difficult way to end the year.”

On this day, the script was flipped. The tables were turned.

The Argos (9-2) entered 9-0 in non-championship, playoff games. They were the defending national champions from 2019. They had just rung up a 19-point victory against the former No. 1-ranked team, then-unbeaten Valdosta State, on this field a week ago by scoring 61 points.

They had the confidence. But Saturday, the Argos’ two-touchdown lead evaporated in the fourth quarter by continued miscues. The Argos were then forced to kick a field goal with their overtime possession.

That was all Newberry (10-2) needed to reel off eight rushing plays from the 25 – the final being a 1-yard sweep run by Mario Anderson – for the walk-off win. It was Newberry’s third overtime game this season, which helped provide more resolve when it reached that point.

“I’m a little bit in awe of the outcome,” said Newberry coach Todd Knight, in his 14th season at the rural South Carolina school. “I know the young men played their hearts out today and I’m extremely proud of ‘em. We are extremely happy that we got lucky and came out on top.

“This is an unbelievable opportunity that we had, coming to an amazing place. We are from a small, southern town in South Carolina. We don’t have anything that compares to what West Florida has.”
The Wolves, playing in the first post-season game since 2016 and advancing past the first round for only the second time, pulled this off by starting fast, creating turnovers, and making UWF’s high-octane passing game get knocked off-rhythm.

With its offense, Newberry scored on the game’s second play and the final play.

The first sign of trouble for UWF arrived instantly after the opening kickoff. On the game’s second offensive snap, the Wolves turned a five-yard, sideline pass to Bryce Woodruff into a 66-yard touchdown, after he eluded the tackle and outraced UWF defenders.

“At Newberry we teach grit,” said Woodruff, who finished with 11 receptions for 131 yards. “From the start to the finish we always say we’re going to play 60 minutes, so there was never a doubt in my mind.

“There were ups and downs in the football game, but I thought we could win the whole time.”

The Wolves took a 14-0 lead less than six minutes into the first quarter, after a fumbled kickoff return pinned UWF deep and the Argos three pass attempts were incomplete. With field position, Newberry used it to create more positive emotion and force UWF to climb from a two-touchdown deficit.

“We gave them life. We talk all the time, don’t give a team life,” Shinnick said. “They threw a five yard pass and we miss a tackle. We had a couple chances on offense where we just missed on a couple balls.

“In that first five minutes, I felt like we were just kind of running in mud. I don’t know why. It will be something for a very long time we will be thinking about.”

From that point, UWF’s defense rose up. It enabled UWF to trail just 14-10 at halftime, then take 27-14 lead early in the fourth quarter.

All seemed right again.

And then it wasn’t.

The Wolves’ Ke’Shoun Williams blocked a punt at the UWF 36 that he returned for a touchdown with 12:09 remaining. On the ensuing possession, after a long kickoff return by UWF’s Marcus Clayton, Argos’ sophomore quarterback Austin Reed threw his third interception on a deflected pass.

Newberry drove in for the tying touchdown. It was a struggling day for Reed, who completed just 11 of 35 passes for 134 yards – the least productive game in his great career at UWF.

“Obviously, I didn’t play well at all,” he said. “I put that on me.”

Time and again, the Argos normally potent passing game wasn’t clicking. Either with overthrown passes or dropped passes. Newberry had two veteran cornerbacks and their pass rush put UWF’s offensive line in a challenging position to help create problems.

“The only thing I can really say at this point is that I’m sorry,” said Reed, who led the Argos to their national title season in 2019 as a redshirt freshman. “I let a lot of seniors down. I let UWF fans down. I should have found a way in this game and I didn’t and I apologize.

“Coach Shinnick did a great job getting us ready, getting us right, and we didn’t perform as players. He shouldn’t take any of the blame whatsoever for this loss. It falls 100 percent on us.

“(Newberry) just had a good gameplan. They came out and executed really well. We’re up 27-14 at one point and really could have ended it. We just didn’t do what we needed to do to end a game.”

An interception by Reed near the goal-line right before halftime thwarted a chance to take the lead earlier.
But he guided the Argos offense into a pair of touchdowns and a field goal with possessions in the third quarter.

Until that blocked punt, everything was going in the right direction.

“(Reed) has been one of the best quarterbacks in the country,” Shinnick said. “(Saturday) was just an ugly day offensively. We knew (Newberry) would create some issuesand they probably created more than we anticipated.

“They disrupted what we do. We could not get any rhythm going.”

With time now a factor in the game, Newberry took a early fourth quarter chance with a certain formation UWF was in and sent punt blockers rushing up the middle. That special teams play helped change the game.

“Good tactic by them. Something we’ve been working on and just didn’t perform it the way we were practicing,” Shinnick said. “We knew it was one of the things they were going to do.

“That was the momentum swing that kept them in the game.”

Saturday’s stunning playoff loss occurred in UWF’s third postseason trip in its five-year history, which is a feat itself. And it followed two incredible playoff runs. The Argos reached the national title game in 2017 with four road wins, then won the title in 2019 with five road wins.

It created a special legacy for the Argos senior class, some of whom were involved in all three playoff trips.

“It is sickening that it ends this way,” Shinnick said.

Photo: Morgan Givens/UWF for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News, Sports, TOP sports

Operation Christmas Child Collections Thru Monday At Highland Baptist, First Baptist Bratt

November 21, 2021

National Collection Week for Operation Christmas Child continues through Monday at two North Escambia churches — the First Baptist Church of Bratt and Highland Baptist Church in Molino.

The shoe boxes are distributed by trained local pastors and volunteers around the world…right where the children live. The children that receive the box are invited to participate in a 12-step bible study called The Greatest Journey translated into their native language and taught by local people the children know.

Collection week at Highland got underway when the First Baptist Church of Cantonment dropped over 105 boxes. The church’s Kids Klub held a church-wide packing party, packing nearly 250 boxes in one night.

Remaining collection hours at the First Baptist Church of Bratt are:

Monday, Nov. 22: 8-10 a.m.

And at Highland Baptist Church:

Monday, Nov. 22: 9:30-11:30 a.m.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News

Escambia County Unemployment Rate Decreases Slightly

November 21, 2021

The unemployment rate in Escambia County declined by half a percentage point last month, according to newly released data from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.

The unemployment rate in Escambia County was 4.1% in October, down from 4.2% in September. That represented 6,381 people out of work out of a county workforce of 154,298. One year ago, Escambia County’s unemployment rate was 4.8%, or 7,001 people.

The area’s private sector employment added 7,200 new private-sector jobs over the year, a 4.7% increase. The Pensacola area labor force in October 2021 increased by 15,058 over the year, a 6.6% increase. The industry gaining the most jobs over the year was leisure and hospitality, increasing by 2,100 jobs.

Florida’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.6 percent in October 2021, down 0.2 percentage point from the revised September 2021 rate, and down 1.2 percentage points from a year ago

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News

Escambia Reports 94 New COVID-19 Cases In Last Week

November 21, 2021

There were 94 new COVID-19 cases reported Escambia County over the last week by the Florida Department of Health.

Here is the latest data:

Escambia County cases:

Total cases: 53,957 (+94)
Positivity rate last week: 3.5%
People vaccinated: 157,446 (+1,046)
Vaccination rate (age 5+): 57.6%
New hospital admissions: 19
Total deaths last 7 days: less than 10 (CDC data)

Santa Rosa County cases:

Total cases: 32,593 (+72)
Positivity rate last week: 3.7%
People vaccinated: 91,782 (+576)
Vaccination rate (age 5+): 52%
New hospital admissions: 3
Total deaths last 7 days: less than 10 (CDC data)

Statewide cases:

Florida resident cases: 3,677,968 (+10,828)
Case positivity rate: 2.5%
Deaths: 61,081 (+37)

FDOH has moved from daily to weekly reports and removed the COVID-19 dashboard. The state is now releasing a weekly report with local data limited only to number of cases and positivity rate The number of deaths by county or cases by local cities and communities is no longer provided by FDOH.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News

Fire Destroys Cantonment Home; Occupants Escape Uninjured With Pets

November 20, 2021

There were no injuries when fire destroyed a large two-year old brick home in Cantonment Friday night.

The 3,500 square foot structure was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived just after 8 p.m. in the 400 block of Broadleaf Circle, off Highway 297A near Kingfield Road.

Two people were at home at the time of the fire, but they were able to escape with their pets, according to Escambia County.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The Cantonment, Ensley, Beulah, Bellview, Brent, Ferry Pass, and Osceola stations of Escambia Fire Rescue were dispatched to the fire, along with fire units from Santa Rosa County, Escambia County EMS and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.

For additional photos, click here.

NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News

Northview Falls To Baker 46-35 In Regional Semifinal

November 20, 2021

The Northview Chiefs football season came to an end with a tough 46-35 loss to defending station champion Baker Friday night in the Class 1A regional semifinals.

When they met during the regular season, the Gators won the 42-41 overtime thriller. Northview fans turned out in full force Friday night at Baker, cheering on their Chiefs as they fought hard to the very end.

For a game action photo gallery, click here.

For a photo gallery with the band, fans and cheerleaders, click here.

“It was just a fight for four quarters,” Northview head football coach Wes Summerford said. “I thought our kids played hard. There was several times that they could have gave it up, and we fought to get back in it to the end.”

Kayleb Wagner — the Gator standout that broke Derrick Henry’s Florida high school football single-game rushing record earlier this season– gave Baker an early 7-0 lead over Northview on an 88-yard touchdown run.

Northview’s Wyatt Scruggs intercepted a Gator pass on their own five and ran it in to make it 7-7 after a good Brandon Ferguson kick with 3:10 remaining in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, junior quarterback Kaden Odom found a wide open Luke Bridges, and he was in from 20 yards out to give the Chiefs a 14-7 lead with 11:44 remaining in the half. Baker answered with a 49-yard touchdown run with 9:12 in the half for a 14-14 tie.

The Chiefs regained the lead at 24-14 as Odom fought his way into the endzone on a short quarterback keeper with 5:54 remaining in the second quarter. Baker made it 21-20 with under a minute to go in the half and on their way to a playoff win.

“These guys fought hard. I thought we had some opportunities in the ballgame just to get it back even or maybe even stay on top,” Summerford said. “You’ve got to tip your hats to Baker. They are well coached, and good luck to the next round.”

The Baker Gators will host Chipley next Friday night. The Northview Chiefs season ended at 6-5.

For a game action photo gallery, click here.

For a photo gallery with the band, fans and cheerleaders, click here.

NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News, Sports, TOP sports

USDA Announces $2.85 Million Loan For Beulah Academy Of Science Gym

November 20, 2021

The Beulah Academy of Science Middle School is currently building a gym with a $2.85 million USDA loan.

The 17,000 square foot ability will enable the students to have access to indoor health and wellness activities during extreme heat and poor weather conditions and will also add three additional classrooms for ag science, culinary arts and engineering classes.

While construction on the gym is already underway, the Beulah Academy of Science loan was one of five rural community infrastructure projects in Florida announced Friday by the USDA.

“The projects announced today are all aimed at improving the quality of life in Florida’s rural communities,” Acting USDA State Director Jason Brower said. “Through its grant and loan programs, USDA is making investments in rural Florida to help provide essential services for our residents.”

USDA is investing in projects through the Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program. The assistance will fund essential community services that will help keep rural America resilient in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News

Escambia Schools Name Principal, Assistant Principal Of Year

November 20, 2021

The Escambia County School District has name its principal and assistant principal of the year.

West Pensacola Elementary School Principal Christine Baker (pictured above) was named ECSD Principal of the Year. Because there is a large autistic student population at West Pensacola, Baker can often be found in autism classrooms, as well as teaching in general education classrooms, when substitutes are not available.

Pine Forest High School Assistant Principal Latasha Jordan was named ECSD Assistant Principal of the Year. Under her leadership, PFHS’s graduation rate has reached an all-time high of 87.6%. Although she would never take credit, her efforts in leading the curriculum efforts at PFHS have been unparalleled, according to the district.

Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.