UWF Knocks Off No. 1 Valdosta State 38-35 In Last Six Seconds
December 1, 2019
Anthony Johnson, Jr. scored from a yard out with 6.9 seconds remaining to lift 20th-ranked UWF to a 38-35 win over.No. 1 ranked Valdosta State in the second round of the 2019 NCAA Division II Playoffs at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium Saturday.
Johnson’s score came following VSU scoring three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to take a 35-31 lead with 2:12 to play.
Quarterback Austin Reed and the school’s all-time leading receiver Tate Lehtio connected on four-consecutive plays, including a 15-yarder on fourth-and-eight near the start of the drive. A pass interference call put the ball at the nine before two incompletions made it third down. A pass to Lehtio, who had 140 receiving yards on a school-record 14 receptions, put the ball at the 1-foot line after his dive for the endzone was stopped inches shy of the goal. Both teams called timeout with 10 seconds left, setting up the final fourth down play.
UWF (10-2) improved to 6-0 all-time in road playoff games and snapped VSU’s Gulf South Conference record 25-game winning streak. The Blazers also had their 13-game home streak ended.
“Our guys believed and fought and to get our guys to go that last drive,” UWF head coach Pete Shinnick said. “Tate (Lehtio) was unbelievable and just said ‘I’m not going home; I’m not losing’ and to go and be able to make that happen was just phenomenal.
“I’m so happy for our guys, happy for our senior class to find a way to beat number one in the country. Just a great game.”
On Saturday, UWF scored first when Austin Williams made a 27-yard field goal 5:28 into the contest. The Blazers answered four plays later on a 69-yard touchdown pass from Rogan Wells to Lio’undre Gallimore.
UWF put together two scoring drives of 5-plus minutes in the second quarter, scoring on a Johnson 1-yard run early in the period and a 33-yard Austin Reed to Ka’Ron Ashley 12 seconds before halftime for a 17-7 lead.
Coming out of the intermission, the Argonauts extended their lead to 24-7 in the third quarter when they capitalized on a Blazer fumble that Andre Duncombe, Jr. returned 44 yards to the VSU 22. Jervon Newton carried the ball three times and scored from a yards out.
Each team scored on their next possessions – Seth McGill on a 12-yard run and Johnson on 4-yard rush – to set up the Blazers’ 21-unanwered points that led up to UWF’s final drive.
Reed was 25-for-37 for 298 yards and completed passes to six different receivers. In addition to Lehtio’s effort, Quentin Randolph had 72 yards receiving and Ashley had 52 to lead UWF.
UWF ran for 136 yards and was spearheaded by Johnson’s 73 yards on 18 carries with three touchdowns.
VSU (10-1) outgained UWF 501-to-434 and had 335 passing yards.
The Argos defeated the Blazers for the first time in five meetings by controlling the time of possession, using a strong ground game for 35:13 of the clock, including 20:15 in the first half alone.
The Argonauts advance to next week’s Super Region 2 title game against No. 6 ranked Lenoir-Rhyne (13-0) at Moretz Stadium in Hickory, N.C. Kickoff time will be announced in the coming days.
NWE Wins National Turkey Bowl Championship
December 1, 2019
The NWE 6U Chiefs defeated Team Pensacola Saturday to win the Battle of the South Youth National Turkey Bowl Championship. The NWE 6U Chiefs have been invited to play for the National Youth Football Championship later this month in Atlanta. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
NWE Freshmen Playing For Turkey Bowl Championship
November 30, 2019
The NWE Freshmen defeated the Northwest Florida League champions Wedgewood 6-0 Friday. NWE will play in the Battle of the South Youth National Turkey Bowl Championship on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at Magee Field, 2422 Davis Highway in Pensacola. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Playoffs: Escambia Wins; Baker, T.R. Miller Lose
November 30, 2019
Here are Friday night’s high school football playoff scores from around the North Escambia vicinity:
FLORIDA
6A State Semifinal
Escambia 45, Gaither 21
1A State Semifinal
Blountstown 21, Baker 13
ALABAMA
3A State Semifinal
Mobile Christian 41, T.R. Miller 21
NorthEscambia.com photo.
Defense Building On UWF Foundation For Saturday’s Playoff Game
November 29, 2019
Maybe the most defining moment in the University of West Florida football season occurred in the fourth game, just when an emotional edge had switched to the opposite sideline.
Mississippi College had used a 13-play, 89-yard drive in the final 3:39 to forge a 21-21 tie on a running play as time expired. UWF was now facing its first overtime game in team history.
Head coach Pete Shinnick never hesitated. He sent the Argos defense back on the field.
“I looked at them and said, ‘Hey we’re going to stick our defense back out there.’ That’s how much I believed in them,” Shinnick said.
Faith was rewarded. The Argos got a quarterback sack and stop. No points. The Argos took their possession and won the game 27-21.
Since then? Six wins in seven games, leading into Saturday’s NCAA Division II Super Region Two semifinal game at 1 p.m. (EST) in a road rematch at No. 1 ranked, unbeaten Valdosta State.
“I think that was a signature stop for us,” said UWF defensive coordinator Darian Dulin, the architect behind a defense which has progressed with the infancy of the program. “That last drive our guys were really upset about giving up that score.
“From that moment on, they kinda took the attitude that, hey, we can control our destiny from here on what this going to look like. And we’re going to play with a different mindset. From that point on they have really been playing good football.”
Just as the Argos improbable and magical 2017 run to the D-2 national title game was buoyed by defensive prowess, this season includes similarities.
Even with the lone aberration in the 48-37 shootout win against West Alabama – a game two weeks ago when the teams’ offenses combined for 1,091 yards – UWF’s defensive numbers stand among national leaders in several categories.
UWF is eighth nationally in scoring defense, yielding 15.3 points per-game. The Argos are tied for 10thin red-zone defense, giving up just 11 touchdowns in opponents’ 31 trips inside the 20. They are 16thin passing efficiency defense, which includes 10 interceptions.
“You gotta have a great defense to compete,” Shinnick said. “And I have felt great about our defense. It’s been that way all season.”
The Argos (9-2), fresh off a 38-17 playoff win at Wingate where they led 31-3 in the fourth quarter, face a repeat challenge against Valdosta State (10-0), which ranks No. 4 nationally in total offense, averaging 523.2 yards-per game.
In the first meeting Nov. 9, the Blazers amassed 526 yards against UWF, but were held to just two touchdowns through three quarters in their eventual 26-21 victory. After scoring touchdowns in two of their first three possessions, UWF later forced field goals with stops at their own 2 and 3, which changed the entire game for the second half.
“It kept us in the game,” Shinnick said. “So that was huge. But we also kept (UWF defense) on the field a long time. We’ve got to get them off on some third downs, we’ve got to get them off, earlier.”
Led by junior quarterback Rogan Wells, who has passed for 2,315 yards and 17 touchdowns, while rushing for 680 yards and six scores, the Blazers have one of the most dynamic, dual-threat, quarterbacks in Division II.
He has triggered a offense which carried the Blazers to a 14-0 record in 2018 and the D-2 national title.
“It’s probably going to go down as one of the better offenses in the history of Division II, two years in a row averaging over 500 yards a game,” Shinnick said. “That’s tough to do at any level, at any place. (Wells) is going to go down as an All-American, a Harlon Hill finalist (the D-2 version of Heisman Trophy).
“I think this is a unique collection of players that Valdosta has. What they have done offensively to average the yardage they have over the last 25 games… not many people can do that.”
UWF, however, rallied from a 20-0 deficit at halftime of the previous game to have a chance to take a lead in the fourth quarter.
The Argos’ defense has been a reflection of its coach, third-year defensive coordinator Darian Dulin, whose impact has helped UWF make rapid progression with a roster that has gone through natural.
Defensive back Trent Archie, one of the charter members from UWF’s inaugural season, has joined with linebacker Andre Duncombe to help bridge the transition. Archie has embraced Dulin’s defensive philosophy and his constant intensity on the sideline.
“If you have a defensive coordinator that is not fired up, are you really going to get fired up on the field?” said Archie, who was the team’s third leading tackler in 2017 and now second-leading tackler in 2019. “I think coach Dulin really adds to that. Once we see him get hyped, we get hyped and we feed off that. I think that leads to success.
“He’s been a very aggressive coach. He likes to bring pressure. Likes to get in your face as a defense. We like that.”
Archie can remember how all of this started, back when UWF was just trying to have introductory practices on converted intramural fields with a post-practice therapy area at the Skeeter Carson Tennis Center.
From that basic start, the program four years later is back in the playoff field in Division II.
“We were just some young’uns out there, just trying to play, having a dream,” Archie said. “Now the dream has come true.
“Coach Shinnick had a big impact on it. When he came in, he made us believe in his culture and everything with it, along with having integrity.”
Both Shinnick and Dulin had a sense in the summer this team’s defensive group could be special, provided injuries were at a minimum and newcomers could make smooth transitions.
“I think you always hope, and you pray, that’s what you’re going to have when you put it together,” Dulin said. “We felt like we did a good job recruiting. We got some guys we felt fit our needs and some guys we had coming back who we knew could be great.
“But you always worry about how this is all going to jell together. Are these guys going to pick up our system and all that stuff? I think our guys have done a great job of getting better every day and playing hard.”
Shinnick, who had not coached with Dulin prior to hiring him, has seen Dulin’s influence for three seasons.
“He’s been a great ambassador for UWF and what we believe in and what we are trying to do,” Shinnick said. “Great energy. Great excitement. He takes every rep serious and our guys know that and they want to go out and play well for him.
It’s led to UWF preparing for another playoff game on Thanksgiving week.
“Nothing better than that. In D-2 football, to be practicing on Thanksgiving is a great thing,” Shinnick said.
Last Teams Standing: Friday Night’s Football Playoffs
November 26, 2019
Here are Friday night’s high school football playoff games in the North Escambia vicinity:
FLORIDA
6A State Semifinal
Gaither (Tampa) (12-1) at Escambia (13-0) , 7:30 p.m.
1A State Semifinal
Baker (11-1) at Blountstown (1-0), 7:30 p.m.
ALABAMA
3A State Semifinal
T.R. Miller (10-4) at Mobile Christian (8-4), 7 p.m.
Pictured: T.R. Miller’s Darius Webb with a touchdown catch last Friday night as the Tigers defeated Flomaton. NorthEscambia.com photo.
Tate High’s Avery Beauchaine Signs With Pensacola State College
November 25, 2019
Tate High School senior Avery Beauchaine has signed to continued to education and softball career with Pensacola State College. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate Varsity And JV Cheerleading Teams Earn Bid To Nationals
November 24, 2019
The Tate High School varsity and junior varsity cheerleading teams have both earned a bid to the 2020 UCA National High School Cheerleading Championships. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
UWF Opens NCAA Playoffs With 38-17 Rout Of Wingate
November 24, 2019
The 20th-ranked UWF Argonauts scored 31 unanswered points and forced three turnovers to defeat fourth-seeded Wingate, 38-17, in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Division II Playoffs Saturday.
Anthony Johnson, Jr. ran for 109 yards on 19 carries as UWF (9-2) advanced to the second round for the second time in as many appearances. The Argos rushed for 195 yards and outgained the Bulldogs 360-264 overall.
Austin Reed threw for 165 yards with eight completions and three of those going for touchdowns. Tate Lehtio led the team with five receptions for 81 yards a score.
Quentin Randolph followed last week’s career game with two more touchdowns on two catches Saturday. He has now caught five touchdowns in his last nine receptions.
After Wingate made a 24-yard field goal on its opening drive, the Argos capitalized on a muffed punt that setup a 37-yard boot of their own by Austin Williams.
Two possessions later, Reed found Randolph down the left sideline for a 56-yard touchdown. UWF got another score right before halftime when Johnson reached the blue and gold checkerboard end zone from five yards out as part of a 9-play, 60-yard drive in just 1:56.
Wingate received the second half kickoff and Andre Duncombe, Jr. intercepted Shaw Crocker’s third-down pass and returned it 12 yards to the 13. Two plays later, Reed connected with Tate Lehtio to put UWF up 24-3.
The Argonauts then began running the ball and consuming large chunks of time off the clock. Their next scoring drive was the longest all season and lasted 7:51, before Reed and Randolph connected again, this time on a 7-yard pattern with 4:11 left in the third.
The Bulldogs scored twice in the fourth quarter as they bookended a 16-yard Jaden Gardner run with 6:18 to play that extended the UWF lead to 37-10.
Wingate (10-2) managed just 131 rushing yards after entering the game averaging 199. Their 264 yards were the second lowest this season.
Henry Montgomery had a career-high 11 tackles to lead the UWF defense.
UWF opened its 2017 playoff run with a 31-0 win over the Bulldogs at Irwin Belk Stadium. Prior to Saturday’s outburst, that was the most points scored in playoff history for the Argos.
With the win, UWF advances to the second round where it will meet top-ranked and defending national champion Valdosta State (10-0) next Saturday in Valdosta, Ga.
T.R. Miller Knocks Off Defending 3A Champion Flomaton (With Photo Gallery)
November 23, 2019
The T.R. Miller Tigers knocked off the defending 3A state champion Flomaton Hurricanes Friday night.
The Hurricanes took a 12-0 lead, but could not hold on in the 3-A quarterfinals in front of a packed house in Flomaton.
For a photo gallery, click here.
T.R. Miller’s Blake Jernigan was dragged down by Flomaton’s Alex Cash, forcing a fumble on the Tigers’ first possession. Flomaton’s Nicholas Turner then returned it deep into Miller territory, setting up a Daquan “Money” Johnson touchdown from two yards out on third and goal (second photo at bottom). After a missed two-point conversion, the Hurricanes were on top 6-0.
In the second quarter, it was Travon Brown ended an 85-yard, 15-play drive with an eight-yard touchdown at the pylon for the Canes (pictured left). Another missed two-point attempt and Flomaton was up 12-0.
The Tigers answered with a six yard touchdown run from Narkavis Campbell. The Tigers made the extra point to cut the Hurricane’s lead to 12-7.
With 11 second to go in the second quarter, a T.R. Miller’s Miller Hart found Darius Webb in the air between two Hurricane defenders for a 29-yard touchdown (first photo below). A good kick gave the Tigers a 14-12 advantage.
Johnson ended the night with 124 yards on 22 carries and 11 yards to two passes. Brown had 13 carries for 57 yards
The Flomaton Hurricanes ended their season at 11-2 record. T.R Miller marches on with their first trip to the semifinals since 2008 next Friday night at Mobile Christian.
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
