Northview Wins: Womack Homers In Softball; Portwood Hits Two Homers In Baseball
March 13, 2026
SOFTBALL
Northview 3, Niceville 1
The Rural Division state runner-up Northview Chiefs beat the 5A state runner-up Niceville Eagles 3-1 Thursday night in Niceville.
Northview’s Peyton Womack put the Chiefs on the board first with a solo home run to center field. Womack and Avery Stuckey each added two hits. Stuckey had two RBIs, while Womack had one.
Mikayla McAnally went the distance in the circle, surrendering four hits and one run in a seven-inning complete game, walking one and striking out five.
The Northview Lady Chiefs will return to action after spring break, hosting Baker on March 24.
BASEBALL
Northview 4, T.R. Miller 1
Jase Portwood hit two home runs to drive in three as the Northview Chiefs beat the T.R. Miller Tigers 4-1 Thursday night. Northview’s other run came on a wild pitch in the fourth.
On the mound, Jackson Bridges earned the win for the Chiefs, giving up one hit and one unearned run in five innings, walking four and striking out seven. Bryant Mason pitched two innings, allowing no hits and no runs while striking out two.
The Chiefs will look for another win Friday at 6 p.m. as they host L.E.A.D. Academy.
Over 500 Student Athletes Compete In 18th Annual Special Olympics At Tate High
March 12, 2026
The 18th annual Escambia County Special Olympics Spring Games were held at Tate High School on Wednesday with schools from across the county taking part.
The day included the Special Olympics Torch Relay around Carl Madison Field in Pete Gindl Stadium, along with numerous Olympic events.
For a photo gallery, click here.
There were 578 Tate High students who volunteered as “buddies”, paired with 534 student athletes.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Connors Strikes Out 12 As The Tate Aggies Shut Out Pine Forest
March 12, 2026
Tate 10, Pine Forest 0
The Tate Aggies shut out the Pine Forest Eagles 10-0 on Wednesday at Tate.
Pitcher Nathan Connors earned the win, giving up no hits and no runs in four innings, striking out 12 and walking three. Aiden Bramblett pitched one hitless, scoreless inning, striking out two.
Evan Taylor and Cal Foxworth each had two hits for the Aggies. Foxworth and Brody White each had two RBIs for the Aggies.
Up next, the Tate Aggies (9-4) will host the Milton Panthers (4-8) at 7 p.m. Thursday.
A JV game scheduled for Wednesday was canceled.
McAnally, Womack Pitch Northview Shutout Of Miller; NHS JV Wins; Tate Drops Two To Navarre
March 11, 2026
Northview 9, T.R. Miller 0
Mikayla McAnally and Peyton Womack combined to throw a shutout as the Northview Chiefs defeated the T.R. Miller Tigers on Tuesday night in Bratt. The game opened with McAnally in the circle, allowing one hit and no runs while striking out seven and walking one. Womack threw two no-run innings in relief, surrendering one hit while striking out three and walking one. Bolen led the Lady Chiefs with three RBIs as she went 2-3. Brooklynn Allen and Avery Stuckey also both went 2-3 at the plate.
Northview 10, T.R. Miller 2 (JV)
The junior varsity Northview Chiefs beat T.R. Miller 10-2 on Tuesday. Allen went a complete game five innings, allowing one hit and two runs (none earned) while striking out eight and walking one. Katie Jones led the JV Lady Chiefs, going 2-2 at the plate. Jones and Kiley Webb each had two RBIs.
Navarre 6, Tate 3
The varsity Tate Aggies fell 6-3 to the Navarre Raiders on Tuesday night. Sarah Mitchell pitched a complete game for the Lady Aggies, allowing two hits, six earned runs, walked 12 and struck out six. Madison Smillie led Tate at bat, going 3-4, while Jordyn Banks went 2-3 with two RBIs. Ke’Anna Smith had one RBI.
Navarre 5, Tate 3 (JV)
In junior varsity action on Tuesday, the Navarre Raiders topped the Tate Aggies 5-3. Bailey Parden was in the circle for three and a third innings for Tate, allowing four hits, three unearned runs, and striking out one. Khloe Gibson went for one and a third innings, surrendering two hits, two earned runs, and walking two. Melanie Ramirez, Mckynleigh Montano, Kaylyn Relstab, and Bailey Parden each had one hit for Tate, while Ramirez, Montano, and Parden each had one RBI.
Tate Varsity Slips To WFHS; Tate Freshmen With Big Win
March 11, 2026
West Florida 5, Tate 1
The Tate Aggies slipped to West Florida 5-1 on Tuesday.
Bryton McLellan went five innings for Tate, allowing eight hits and five runs (four earned) while striking out four and walking one.
Nathan Connors, Griffin Cook, Kannon Ham, and Connor Dethlefs each contributed one hit for the Aggies.
Tate 11, Elberta 1 (Freshmen)
The Tate Aggies freshmen earned a big 11-1 win over the Elberta Warriors on Tuesday.
Grayson McLellan earned the win for Tate, allowing two hits and one unearned run while striking out one and walking one.
Trent Madden and Sean Smith each tallied two hits for the Aggies, while Jackson Turner had two RBIs.
Tate Boys And Girls Tennis Beat Escambia
March 11, 2026
Tate boys tennis beat Escambia 7-0 on Tuesday, as the Tate girls earned their first win of the season 4-3 over the Gators.
Next up is a showdown at undefeated Gulf Breeze on Thursday.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northview Chiefs Overpower J.U. Blacksher 12-2
March 10, 2026
The Northview Chiefs beat the J.U. Blacksher Bulldogs (Uriah, Alabama) 12-2 on Monday night, in Bratt.
On the mound, Jack Boutwell earned the win for the Chiefs, giving up one hit and two unearned runs in five and one-third innings, walking two and striking out seven. Gauge Harrison went two-thirds of an inning in relief with no hits, no runs, and one strikeout.
At the plate, Grayden Sheffield went 2-3 for the Chiefs with one RBI. Harrison, Bryant Mason, Grayson Burns, Dane King, Easten Odom**,** and Jase Portwood each added one RBI.
Next up, Northview will host T.R. Miller on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Back-To-Back: Troy Wins 2026 Sun Belt Men’s Basketball Championship In Pensacola
March 10, 2026
Troy defeated Georgia Southern, 77-61, in the championship game of the 2026 Visit Pensacola Sun Belt Conference Men’s Basketball Championship presented by Air Force Reserve on Monday evening at the Pensacola Bay Center.
The Trojans punched a ticket to their fourth NCAA Tournament in program history and became the Sun Belt’s first back-to-back champions since Georgia State in 2018 and 2019. They will learn their seeding and regional destination during the NCAA Selection Show which will be televised nationally on CBS on Sunday, March 15 at 5 p.m. CT
Junior forward Thomas Dowd registered his 17th double-double of the season with a game-high 23 points and 13 rebounds on 8-for-12 shooting while adding three assists. He was named Sun Belt Tournament Most Outstanding Player as, senior forward Jerrell Bellamy added 15 points on 7-for-11 shooting to earn All-Tournament Team honors.
Troy shot 30-for-51 (.588) from the field, owned a 35-18 rebounding advantage and outscored Georgia Southern, 50-22, in the paint and 11-2 on second chances.
Georgia Southern scored the first basket of the game on a 3-pointer by graduate guard Tyren Moore, but Troy responded with eight-straight points capped by a transition basket in the paint from Bellamy.
Troy led for the remainder of the half and created its first double-digit lead of the night, 32-18, on a 10-2 scoring run capped by a 3-pointer off the hand of redshirt junior guard Cobi Campbell with 2:31 left before halftime. The Trojans shot 15-for-26 (.577) from the floor and outscored the Eagles, 26-8, in the paint whole holding them to just 8-for-26 (.308) shooting at the intermission.
Georgia Southern’s offense found a groove early in the second half, trimming its deficit to just four, 39-35, on a trey by graduate guard Jefferson Koulibaly with 16:07 to go.
Troy got the margin back to double digits, 49-39, on a Victor Valdes basket at the 12:34 mark. The advantage remained in double-digits for the rest of the night, as the Trojans shot 60 percent from the field in the second half.
James Madison Top Troy To Win Sun Belt Women’s Basketball Title In Pensacola
March 10, 2026
James Madison defeated Troy 69–52 on Monday afternoon to take the 2026 Visit Pensacola Sun Belt Women’s Basketball Championship title.
James Madison claimed its second title in four years, after winning their first tournament title in 2023. Earning the league’s auto bid James Madison will make its 14th NCAA tournament appearance.
Peyton McDaniel led the Dukes with a 28-point, 11-rebound, double-double, adding on four steals and four assists. A four-time Sun Belt All-Tournament Team honoree, McDaniel caps her Sun Belt tournament career being named the event’s Most Outstanding Player. The redshirt-senior averaged 25 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.0 steals and 3.0 assists per game through the Dukes three tournament games.
Teammate Ashanti Barnes was also named to the All-Tournament Team, producing a dominating 19-point, 10 rebound performances in the title game.
James Madison wasted little time taking control, opening the game on an 11–0 run fueled by McDaniel, who scored five of the Dukes’ first 11 points. The early surge forced Troy to burn a quick timeout as JMU set the tone on both ends of the floor.
The Trojans responded late in the first quarter. After falling behind by 14, Troy strung together a 6–0 run while the Dukes went cold offensively, trimming the deficit to single digits. James Madison still held a 20–12 lead heading into the second quarter.
A steal and full-court layup from Jackson pulled the Trojans within five, 23–18, and the momentum forced the Dukes to regroup as Troy threatened to cut the lead to just one possession midway through the quarter.
McDaniel halted the rally before halftime. The Dukes guard knocked down a deep three-pointer and followed it with a baseline layup, as the Dukes carried a four-point lead into the break.
James Madison seized control early in the third quarter scoring eight-straight points to start the half, pushing the Dukes’ advantage back to 14. The Trojans were unable to comeback and JMU maintained command, entering the fourth quarter with a 58–44 lead.
James Madison opened the fourth with eight-consecutive points, stretching the lead to 22. Troy made one last push, but the Dukes defense held for the 69-52 win.
James Madison enters the NCAA tournament with a 26-8 record overall. The team will learn of their March Madness opponent during the selection show on Sunday March, 15th at 7 p.m CT/ 8 p.m. ET.
Hundreds Attend Roy Hyatt ‘Night Of Nature’ In Cantonment
March 9, 2026
Hundreds of people attended the Roy Hyatt Environmental Center’s “Night of Nature” on Friday in Cantonment.
About 450 visitors and volunteers came out and enjoyed an evening full of family fun. They met reptiles, blasted off into space in the planetarium, met cool creatures of the night, peered at Jupiter through telescopes, saw birds of prey, played bird matching games, participated in science and birding activities, took night hikes through the woods while learning about foxes, salamanders, opossums, and owls, ate, used microscopes to observe all kinds of microscopic organisms, and toured the beach house visiting with all of the aquatic creatures living there.
The Roy Hyatt Environmental Center on Tobias Road is owned and operated by the Escambia County School District.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
