Welcome to Tateville: Tate Baseball Outs The Grinch In Christmas Parade
December 13, 2022
Everyone down in Tateville loved Christmas a lot.
Except the Grinch, who lives outside North Escambia, did not.
The Tate Aggies baseball team had made
The choice to march in the Pensacola Christmas Parade.
In their “Welcome To Tateville” float they were a go.
Who better tossing beads than a baseball team that knows how to throw.
But there too was the Grinch
Trying to steal Christmas in a pinch.
But in a big Christmas triple play,
Tate Baseball saved the day!
In a big Christmas grand slam play,
It was a Merry Christmas parade day.
Merry Christmas to all,
From Tate Aggie baseball.
For more photos, click or tap here.
Pictured: Tate High Baseball’s “Welcome to Tateville” float in the Pensacola Christmas Parade. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
UWF Head Football Coach Pete Shinnick Resigns
December 12, 2022
The University of West Florida has announced Sunday that Pete Shinnick has resigned as the school’s head football coach to accept the same position at Towson University. The announcement came the day after UWF’s semifinal loss Saturday to Ferris State.
Shinnick has spent the past eight years at UWF building the program from the ground up. He was hired as the first coach in school history in 2014 and compiled a 56-21 record in six seasons. During that time, he created a culture that was second-to-none and made UWF a top destination for student-athletes from across the country.
UWF won the 2019 Division II National Championship in just its fourth season of play, matching the NCAA record for fastest startup to win a title. The Argonauts appeared in the NCAA Playoffs four times, advancing to the national championship twice and were one of just two teams to advance to the semifinals three times in that span.
“My family and I have enjoyed every moment of our time at UWF and in Pensacola,” Shinnick said. “This university has supported us in so many ways and the success on and off the field is a direct result of that. A special thank you to Dr. Bense for wanting to start football, Dave Scott for believing in me to be the man to do that and Dr. Saunders for her continued support of our program. Arete! Go Argos.”
“We are grateful for Coach Shinnick and thank him for the dedication he has shown the Argo football program,” UWF Athletics Director Dave Scott said. “It is no easy feat to build a program from the ground up, but Coach Shinnick did just that — accomplishing much in the program’s six seasons.
“We look forward to the future of Argo football and the new opportunities that are to come. We are committed to finding a head coach who embodies the Argo spirit and will continue the legacy of building champions for life, on and off the field.”
Shinnick has a 159-67 career coaching record, which includes a 50-24 record in seven seasons at UNC Pembroke from 2007-13, and 53-22 in seven seasons at Azusa Pacific from 1999-2005.
Photo: Morgan Givens/University of West Florida
Proud To Be A Chief: Northview Falls To Hawthorne In State Championship Game (With Gallery)
December 11, 2022
The Northview Chiefs made an incredible run at the school’s second-ever state football championship.
The Chiefs had won 13-straight, but Saturday night that streak came to an end.
You could see the excitement on their faces, and the faces of over 1,000 Northview Chiefs fans headed into the game.
For a photo gallery, click or tap here. (More photos and more coverage to come later this week.)
But you could see the pain on their faces as the game ended with Hawthorne winning 13-2. They were the underdogs headed into Gene Cox Stadium. Just a little team from a little place called Bratt, from a stadium that sits next to a cotton field and behind the FFA’s cow pasture.
A band of brothers with a family of Chiefs behind them who put up a heck of a fight for the FHSAA 1-Rural state title.
A state championship was the ultimate goal, but head coach Wes Summerford said his Chiefs should still be proud of the winningest season in school history.
“You know number two in the state ain’t bad in the state of Florida. We are one of the top four or five states in football,” he said. “They’ve got a lot to be proud of…not every year you are going to get to come to this…I think they’ll remember the trip anyways for the rest of their lives. Even though we didn’t come on top and didn’t do what we wanted to do.”
It was the first game of the entire season in which Northview did not score a touchdown.
Jamarkus Jefferson was held to just 35 yards rushing, 49 yards receiving. Quarterback Kaden Odom had 132 yards passing and 40 yards rushing.
Hawthorne had 218 yards rushing; Northview just 86 net yards rushing on 30 attempts. With 132 yards passing, Northview had 218 total offensive yards while the Hornets had 257.
“I’m just proud of these guys,” Northview head coach Wes Summerford said. “The stuff that goes on behind the scenes, and the stuff that they have been through, and just battled back from that. I just told them we played a good team tonight and it wasn’t our night. Hawthorne is a good team, been here three times, and we just didn’t do the stuff we needed to do to win a football game tonight.”
“I’m proud to be a Northview Chief.”
For a photo gallery, click or tap here. (More photos and more coverage to come later this week.)
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
UWF’s Special Season Ends In National Semifinal Loss To Ferris State
December 11, 2022
The amazing post-season magic that UWF’s football team was always able to generate this time vanished at the worst possible time.
After rallying from a 17-3 deficit in the second quarter to tie the game at halftime, the Argos committed mistakes on their first three, second-half possessions, and it led to a 38-17 loss Saturday against defending national champion Ferris State in the NCAA Division II national semifinal at Top Taggart Field.
The Argos (12-2) had won all nine previous road playoff games – many of those in comeback fashion — including the one at Ferris State in the 2019 semifinal game that vaulted UWF to its historic national title.
But in this match of the past two champions – there was no D-2 title in the 2020 season halted by the coronavirus – it was Ferris State seizing control in the second half.
“Obviously, this moment is bitter, but I am extremely pleased with the season and what we were able to do,” said UWF coach Pete Shinnick, whose team had won its last 16 road games overall. “Not many teams get to play this far and just disappointed the way this thing ended.”
The big picture, however, is that UWF played in its third national semifinal in the six-year history of the program. Each time the Argos advanced this far, the semifinal game was on the road in a cold-weather place. Twice before, the Argos flew back to Pensacola with a championship game berth.
Game time temperature Saturday was 33 degrees and snow began to fall in the final minute of the game. But UWF was unfazed by the conditions in coming back from a sizeable deficit in the first half. The Argos scored two touchdowns in the final seven minutes of the second quarter to gain the emotional edge at halftime.
“I thought we could create from the first half and I thought we could be right where we wanted,” Shinnick said. “But the opening drive didn’t go the way we hoped, and they just kept capitalizing on things and it hurt us. Not the second half we hoped for.”
Ferris State (13-1) rushed for 325 yards and scored all five touchdowns on the ground. Marcus Taylor had 182 yards on the ground with a score, and Carson Gulker added 64 with three touchdowns.
UWF traveled home Saturday night after a season where the Argos came back from a double-overtime, home loss to Delta State to win 10 consecutive games in reaching this stage.
“A phenomenal season,” Shinnick said. “And hard to reflect on that when this thing (Saturday loss) is just present in your mind right now. But our guys did so much this year and accomplished so many things and I couldn’t be prouder of them.”
The game changed on two plays early in the second half.
UWF got the ball coming out of halftime and was on a 13-play drive when failing to convert on a 4th-and-2 play at the Ferris State 34. UWF quarterback Peewee Jarrett misfired a pass to David Durden.
Ferris State’s offense took over again. The Bulldogs took the lead in just nine plays on a 3-yard run.
On the ensuing possession, the Argos then committed a game-changing turnover when quarterback Peewee Jarrett was sacked by Caleb Murphy, his 25th of the season and Murphy was able to dislodge the ball.
Ferris State safety Travis Miracle recovered at the UWF 36. Mylik Mitchell, who threw just nine passes, had his biggest one on a 24-yard competition to the 1. It led to a third rushing touchdown by freshman backup quarterback, Gulker, who proved to be a force the entire game against UWF.
That gave Ferris State a two-touchdown lead just 31 seconds into the fourth quarter. On UWF’s next possession, the Argos tried to fake a punt from their 42 on a 4th-and-5 situation, but Ferris State’s defense snuffed it out.
The Bulldogs were back in the end zone eight plays later with the game-sealing score.
The Argos were only able to generate 298 yards total offense in the game, including just 83 yards in the second half. They entered the game as the second-most prolific offense in Division II, averaging 453 yards per-game. Included in that total was 243.2 yards rushing.
Saturday, the Argos had just 113 yards on the ground. The Argos also did not get a turnover, after forcing 42 in their previous 14 post-season games, including six turnovers, four of which were returned for touchdowns, in last week’s blowout win against Wingate in the Super Region 2 championship game in Pensacola.
Like many games this season, the Argos fell behind early in Saturday’s game. Ferris State used a 13-play, game-opening drive that used 6:28 off the clock to take a 7-0 lead.
The Argos answered with their own drive, attaining a first-and-goal from the 7. But two running plays and incomplete passes forced settling for a Griffin Cerra field goal.
Ferris State then scored touchdowns the next two times the Bulldogs had the ball. They had a 4th-and-2 situation from their own 42 and chose to go for it. UWF’s defense rose up and got the stop.
Two plays later, the Argos were back in the game on Jarrett’s 40-yard touchdown pass to David Durden, who later had to leave the game in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury.
Again, UWF’s defense got a stop. Again, UWF’s offense answered. This time, Jarrett capped a 7-play, 74-yard drive by rushing in from the 10 with 1:22 left in the half.
It seemed another second half comeback win was possible for UWF. But on this day, it never developed at all in the second half.
Jarrett threw for 185 yards on 9-of-16 with one TD pass. He also ran for 35 yards. Shomari Mason had 36 yards on the ground and CJ Wilson had 30. Durden had three receptions for 98 yards.
The Northview Chiefs Head To State (With Photo Gallery)
December 10, 2022
The Northview Chiefs headed toward Tallahassee Friday afternoon for Saturday night’s state football championship.
For a photo gallery, click or tap here.
For a photo gallery from Bratt and Byrneville Elem., click or tap here.
After a big sendoff at the school, the Chiefs traveled to Bratt Elementary School, Ernest Ward Middle School and Byrneville Elementary School to the delight of sign-waving “little chiefs”.
The Northview Chiefs will face Hawthorne (11-0) in the state 1R championship game. Hawthorne is coming off a 28-0 shutout of Blountstown Friday night. The FHSAA 1-Rural state title game will be played at 7 p.m. (EST) on Saturday at Gene Cox Stadium in Tallahassee.
Pictured: The Chiefs sendoff Friday at Northview High School, and fans lined the East Highway 4 in Century. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Chiefs Flashback: Northview’s 2012 Football State Championship (With Photo Galleries)
December 10, 2022
It’s been a decade since the Northview Chiefs brought home their one and only football state championship.
For a NorthEscambia.com 2012 state championship flashback photo gallery, click or tap here.
Northview’s current 2022 quarterback Kaden Odom, a little shorter 10 years ago, was at the game in Orlando, as many of the 2022 Chiefs were with their families.
Northview football and Northview fans are family.
And tonight, the family is looking to do it again the Chiefs play Hawthorne at 7 p.m. (EST) Saturday in Tallahassee.
NorthEscambia.com was there a decade ago. Today, we are looking back at Northview Chiefs 2012 1A state champion with our game story and photos from Orlando.
Here is the NorthEscambia.com story from on December 8, 2012:
Northview Chiefs Win Florida 1A State Championship
The Northview High School Chiefs won the Florida Class 1A football championship Friday night in Orlando, beating the Trenton Tigers 42-21.
The road to Orlando had been oh so long for the Chiefs — losing out the past couple of years at the state semi-final level — making the victory oh so much sweeter Friday night.
The state title is the first ever for Northview, the only Escambia or Santa Rosa County team to make the Citrus Bowl in Orlando this year.
There were 3,609 fans on hand for Friday night’s game — over 1,500 of them making the road tip from North Escambia.
After a scoreless first quarter, La’Mikal Kyles scored for the Chiefs on a 58 yard run with 11:07 on the clock. And the Chiefs were just getting warmed up. Chad Smith was in with 8:25 in the half on a 20 yard blocked punt return.And LaDarius Thomas scored on a two-yard run with just 34 seconds in the half. With good kicks from Kevin Vaughan on all three touchdowns, the Chiefs held a 21-0 dominating lead at the half.
Trenton scored on a three yard run in the third, while Northview scored twice in the quarter. Neino Robinson had a 79 yard kickoff return, and Brannon Freeman added a touchdown with a 28 yard run.
Northview had one touchdown, a six-yard run from Kevin Vaughan, in the fourth, while Trenton scored twice. As the clock wound down, the Chiefs won the 1A championship 42-21.
Kyles finished the night with 113 yards and one touchdown on 12 attempts. Freeman had a touchdown and 61 yards on 11 attempts, and Thomas also added a TD and 39 yards on 10 attempts.
Trenton covered more artificial turf that Northview in the Citrus Bowl — 270 yards to Northview’s 226.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
What You Need To Know: Northview State Championship Game, Tickets
December 6, 2022
The Northview Chiefs (13-0) will face Hawthorne (11-0) in the state 1R championship game.
Here’s the info game you need to know:
- When: Saturday, Dec. 10 at 7 p.m. (EST)
- Where: Gene Cox Stadium, 601 Paul Russell Road, Tallahassee
- Tickets: $14 in advance, $17 the day off, plus convenience fee. $2 cost of parking is included at the ticket. Purchase only at GoFan. Under age 3 is free.
- Weather: Saturday: Sunny, 74. Saturday night: Partly cloudy, low 54. Sunday: Mostly sunny, 20% rain, high 71.
Look for more pre-game coverage this week on NorthEscambia.com, plus post-game coverage beginning Sunday.
Molino Recreation Baseball, Softball Registration Open
December 6, 2022
Registration is now open for the Molino Recreation Association at Don Sutton Park for the 2023 baseball, softball, and t-ball seasons.
To register, click or tap here.
Registration is open through January 10 for softball and January 22 for baseball and t-ball on a first come, first available basis.
The baseball draft is January 24-27 and practice begins January 30. Opening day is March 4 and games end on May 5.
Tate Varsity Cheerleaders Get Clean Sweep In Tampa; JV Gets National Invite
December 4, 2022
It was a clean sweep for the Tate Aggies varsity cheerleaders in Tampa.
The varsity squad took first place at the UCA Regionals, first place in the traditional routine out of 18 teams and first place in game day out of four teams.
Their performance earned the varsity two bids to Nationals — one in the game day division and one in traditional.
The Tate JV cheerleaders also competed and received a bid to Nationals.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
UWF Advances To National Semifinals With 45-14 Win Over Wingate
December 4, 2022
In another mind-boggling way, UWF’s football team produced its latest gem and newest rarefied place.
The Argos wowed with four defensive touchdowns, a feat which may be unmatched in recent college postseason history, en route to rolling past Wingate, 45-14, Saturday to win the Super Region 2 championship at Pen Air Field. The blowout win, matching the Argos’ biggest point differential in postseason, sends them into the NCAA Division II national semifinals for the third time in UWF’s six-year, program history.
Three of those defensive scores came in succession to start the second half. It meant by the time UWF’s offense actually took a snap in the third quarter, less than a minute remained and it was 45-7.
“What an amazing game,” said UWF coach Pete Shinnick, who then added, jokingly. “Just really disappointed in our offense that only had the ball for 56 seconds in the third quarter. I have never seen a third quarter like we had.
“It might be one of the best, if not the best defensive effort I have ever seen in my life. Fired up about that.”
Adding to the emotional joy, the sixth-ranked Argos (12-1) will play next Saturday at fifth-ranked Ferris State (12-1), located in Big Rapids, Michigan, next Saturday at 11 a.m. (CST) for a chance to reach the Division II national championship game for a third time and extend a record as the fastest startup college football program to attain this kind of success.
UWF won at Ferris State 28-14 on December 14, 2019, in that year’s semifinals to advance to the national title game the Argos won against Minnesota State in McKinney, Texas.
Already, UWF’s third region championship is fifth-best, all-time, among South Region teams in D-2 history.
“It really has been different groups each time,” said Shinnick, who was hired in 2014, two years before UWF’s inaugural first game. “(2017) was a special time with it being the first. We won (national title) in ‘19 and this is a brand new start of another group.
“The University of West Florida is an amazing place. We’ve known that since the beginning. And we just continue to find the right pieces to make this program what it is.”
Seven different UWF players scored touchdowns. Only two were offensive guys. Three were pick-6, interception returns from Anthony Johnson Jr, Keon Voison and Kode Lowe, who combined to tie the NCAA Division II playoff record for interception scores in a game.
“It was something special. I have never seen something like that,” said UWF star linebacker Will Breland, who recovered a fumble, forced a fumble, had an interception and a quarterback pressure that led to one of those pick-6 scores.
“Two or three of those defensive scores, I was on the sideline, waiting to get in and right back out there, when we had guys scoring.”
All of this flurry of astonishment occurred after Wingate scored the game’s first touchdown with under five minutes left in the first quarter. UWF only led 10-7 with less than three minutes left before halftime.
And then, dynamite ignited.
As linebacker Lowe applied pressure, Wingate grad-senior quarterback Shaw Crocker rushed a throw that Johnson Jr. swiped out of the air and returned 36 yards for a score to make it 17-7 with 2:33 left.
“I felt that was a big play in the game,” Johnson Jr. said. “We really needed that. We trust our offense always, but sometimes we (defense) have to make plays, too.”
On the ensuing possession from the Wingate 40, Breland intercepted a Crocker pass and returned it 22 yards with 53 seconds left in the first half. Eight plays, two timeouts later, UWF quarterback Peewee Jarrett took a snap with 4.9 seconds left from the 5 and threw a perfect dart to Jakobe Quillen for a touchdown as time expired.
“I was like, okay we owe the defense here and we owe them a couple touchdowns,” said Jarrett, who passed for just 149 yards in the game with limited possessions.
Said Shinnick: “Pewee is on the sidelines (during timeout) telling me, “Coach I will get (pass) off in time. I will get it before 4.9 seconds. And he didn’t… but he threw a touchdown.”
In all, UWF forced six turnovers. The defense outscored the Argos offense 28-17.
“We never really got to do what we planned,” said Wingate coach Joe Reich, whose team was playing in the Super Region 2 championship/national quarterfinals for the first time in team history. “We turned the ball over and It’s like you never get a chance to get started.”
Wingate (11-3) ranked No. 22 entering the game, was UWF’s first-round playoff opponent in 2017 and 2019, both years the Argos went to the national title game.
This Wingate team, however, boasted a defense that had allowed opponents just 10.2 points per-game and was ranked second nationally in scoring defense, third nationally in total defense.
“We’re thinking okay (after scoring first), this is what we expect,” Reich said. “But I had a concern coming into the game, we play really hard and I was concerned about penalties, because we played this song before on occasion.
“And then you add the turnovers into it and it’s a recipe for disaster. And that’s what happened.”
Wingate committed six first-half penalties, four of which were personal fouls, as both teams engaged in post-play jawing and shoving at times.
And when Wingate got the ball to start the third quarter, the Bulldogs committed the first of three turnovers on consecutive possessions to put the game out of reach.
On the seventh play of the second half, Will Breland made a big hit on Crocker to dislodge the ball. Johnson scooped up the fumble and went 37 yards for a touchdown. Wingate ran five plays the next time it got the ball. On the sixth play, Voison made his big interception and went 64 yards for a score.
“We were going good, and I really felt like it was going to be a back-and-forth game and we never got back on track,” Reich said. “Turnovers just crushed us. And we lost some discipline. That’s on me. I take responsibility for that. We got to do better than that.
“Pete Shinnick, we’ve been competing against each other for a long time, and he’s one the best coaches in any division right now. His teams are just phenomenal. So well coached. I give them the credit.”
Lowe’s interception and 31-yard score came with 6:59 left, which meant UWF’s offense with Jarrett taking a snap did not occur until 3:03 left in the third quarter.
“This is the first time I have ever made the playoffs with any team, so to be able to be a factor and help our team win games is great,” said Jarrett.
GAME NOTABLES
— While it was a tough day for UWF placekicker Griffin Cerra, who missed two field goals (he made a 32-yarder to give UWF the lead for good in the second quarter) and had an extra point go awry on a bad snap, he had a heart-warming week.
On Monday, Cerra missed practice and traveled to Seattle, Washington to donate special plasma needed to save a life through the Be The Match. The 4-hour procedure was successful, and Cerra returned the following day.
“He’s had an amazing week,” Shinnick said. “He’s probably done more in a week than any of us will ever do in a week in our lifetime.”
— Since 1990, a school from the Gulf South Conference has advanced to the Division II national semifinals 25 of the last 31 seasons.
— The Argos have now forced 42 turnovers in 14 playoff games.
Photo: Morgan Givens/UWF