Ernest Ward Middle Beats T.R. Miller (With Photo Gallery)
September 18, 2015
Ernest Ward Middle School beat T.R. Miller of Brewton 18-7 in middle school football Thursday night in Walnut Hill.
Ernest Ward will be on the road against Jay on Thursday, September 24 at 6 p.m.
For more NorthEscambia.com photos, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Northview Volleyball Games Rescheduled
September 17, 2015
Thursday night’s Northview High School volleyball games against Laurel Hill have been canceled. The games have been rescheduled for Monday, September 28 at Northview. The junior varsity will play at 4:30, followed by the varsity at 5:30.
Central Tops Northview; Washington Over Tate
September 16, 2015
Central defeated Northview 3-0 in varsity action Tuesday at Central, 25-8, 25-22, 25-19. Junior varsity results were not available. Northview will host Laurel Hill High School on Thursday. For more photos, click here.
Washington High School defeated Tate 3,0 Tuesday at Tate, 25-23, 25-23, 25-17. Tate will travel to West Florida School on Wednesday.
Pictured: Northview at Central. NorthEscambia.com photos by Gary Amerson, click to enlarge.
UWF Holds First Ever Football Scrimmage
September 13, 2015
Chalk up another ‘First’ for the University of West Florida and it’s football program
Head coach Pete Shinnick put his team through a 90-minute scrimmage at University Park Field Saturday morning, marking the first-ever such event in team history.
Crowd estimates of more than 750 were reported with a large number of student groups and Argonaut fans and boosters were in attendance.
The Argonauts currently have 108 student-athletes on the roster for the 2015-16 academic year.
UWF will hold four more scrimmages this season, with three on campus and one at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium in downtown Pensacola on October 17. The remaining scrimmage dates are October 24 (during UWF Homecoming Week) and November 7. Each scrimmage will begin at 11 a.m.
Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos Out Of Playoffs As Historic Season Ends
September 13, 2015
With one swing, Pensacola 
Blue Wahoos first baseman Marquez Smith cleared up his club’s playoff blues and cleared the bases with a grand slam that rocketed over the left field fence.
In the snap of a finger, Pensacola had five runs in the seventh inning and trailed the Biloxi Shuckers, 7-5, Saturday at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.
Smith’s stroke also ended a Pensacola slump that saw them score just two runs on nine hits through 24 innings and hit .115 (9-78) against one of the best starting rotation in the Southern League, which boasted a 3.17 ERA.
However, the comeback fell short as the Shuckers held on for a 7-5 victory over Pensacola in front of 4,104 fans Saturday. They celebrated with champagne in the dugout as the team’s fireworks show fired up and Biloxi fans chanted “Shuckers!”
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly said Biloxi easily has five position players that are future Major Leaguers, not to mention its stellar pitching rotation.
“That’s a heck of a club,” Kelly said. “They are very talented. Not only can they hit, they got speed and they got defense.”
Smith said he enjoyed playing for the Blue Wahoos all season. He finished the season with nine home runs and 50 RBIs.
“Biloxi is obviously a good team and has a really good staff,” Smith said. “We gave ourselves a chance in the end, we just fell a little short. (Our comeback) says a lot about our guys. That’s a good group of guys in there who are always going to battle.”
It was the first postseason appearance for both franchises. The Blue Wahoos ended the longest drought of missing the playoffs by a Southern League Major League affiliate. The Cincinnati Reds last Double-A team to make the playoffs was Chattanooga in 2006.
The Blue Wahoos, which won a half for the first time since its inaugural season in 2012, came into Saturday’s best-of-five series in a must-win situation after dropping the first two playoff games to the Biloxi Shuckers at MGM Park. But Pensacola quickly fell behind, 7-0.
Biloxi right-hander Tyler Wagner gave up three runs in 6.2 innings and struck out six batters. Meanwhile, the Shuckers were led by a two-run bomb by shortstop Orlando Arcia in a five-run fourth inning.
Pensacola, which finished its season 6-17 against Biloxi, was simply overmatched by the Shuckers, who boasted 11 of the Milwaukee Brewers top 30 prospects, including four of the top 10.
Arcia certainly played against Pensacola like the Brewers top prospect. He went 4-5 with a homer, three doubles and two runs batted in Saturday and for the series batted .615 (8-13) with two home runs, six RBIs, five runs and a triple.
Jesse Winker, who went 1-3 with a single and run, is the Cincinnati Reds top prospect. He was asked about his future and said jokingly he was going home to watch the Buffalo Bills play.
“I have no idea what’s in store for my future,” he said. “I’m going to work hard and just try to get better. Everyone in there (the clubhouse) has a bright future ahead of them.”
Tim Adleman looked to turn around Pensacola’s fortunes. But the tall righty, who entered the game with the third best ERA in the Southern League at 2.64, gave up six runs in his third start in a row, lasting just 3.2 innings.
Adleman allowed 18 runs, 17 earned in 13.1 innings on 22 hits in his last three starts. That’s a very un-Adleman like 11.77 ERA for the Southern League All-Star.
Winker, who played the entire season for the Blue Wahoos, said he enjoyed his second season with the team.
“We went from last place to first place,” said Winker, who led the team in home runs (13), RBIs (55) and batting average (.280). “We’re all proud of that.”
Kelly, who was managing the Blue Wahoos for the first time this year, also said the season was “very fulfilling for me.” He said he was proud of how the team battled in every game all year long.
“You see our turnaround and we basically did it with the same guys,” said Kelly, who plans to manage in the Puerto Rican league this winter. “It’s nice to see them have success and be rewarded for all the hard work they put in.”
1A Northview Chiefs Fall To 6A Gulf Breeze Dolphins (With Photo Gallery)
September 12, 2015
The 1A Northview Chiefs took on their second 6A team of the season Friday night, losing to the Gulf Breeze Dolphins 56-24 in Bratt.
The Dolphins took an early 7-0 lead on their opening drive, but the Chiefs made it 7-6 with a 41-yard interception return from Toney Harrison. Luke Ward then returned a Gulf Breeze punt 58 yards to put the Chiefs up 12-7.
In the second, the Chiefs also scored on an 18-yard pass from senior quarterback Gavin Grant to Neikel Robinson. And Grant also tossed a 3-yard pass in the fourth to Jacob Dunsford.
“There were a lot of things I didn’t like tonight,” Northview Head Coach Sid Wheatley said after loss. “We didn’t tackle well; we were undisciplined….We had so many mistakes; it was not a good showing from the defense.”
“We hit a couple of a plays offensively, then we turned the ball over,” he said. “You can’t turn the ball over in games like this….this was not us tonight.”
Northview hits the road next Friday night to take on Chipley. In the meantime, Wheatley said there’s a lot of work ahead next week for the Chiefs.
“We are going to work them over and over on fundamentals to make sure that we are sound,” he said. “Traditionally (Chipley) is a strong football team, and that’s a hard place to go in and win. So I would expect us to be really challenged. Coming off of this loss, we’ve go to regroup in a hurry to get ready for them.”
For more photos, click here. (Cheerleader, dance and band photos will be published on a future date).
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Drop Second Playoff Game
September 12, 2015
Adrian Houser who threw a perfect game through six innings as 3,168 witnessed his first complete-game gem in a 6-0 victory at MGM Park. Biloxi now leads the best-of-five game series, 2-0. The series heads to Pensacola for a 6:35 p.m. Saturday game that’s a must win for the Blue Wahoos to stay alive.
Pensacola center fielder Phillip Ervin made sure the perfect game ended with a solid line drive single to center to start the seventh inning and extended the Blue Wahoos no-hit streak to 556 games. Despite the hit, the Shuckers fans recognized Houser with loud cheers.
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly admitted Biloxi pitching has totally dominated the Blue Wahoos lineup. The team has managed just six hits in two games against Biloxi, who’s starting rotation sports a 2.38 ERA over 63 starts.
Pensacola’s top hitter Jesse Winker, Ray Chang, Alex Blandino and Ervin are all 1-7. The rest of the Pensacola hitters remain hitless. Pensacola has been out hit 22-6 by the Shuckers after two games.
“We have to tip our cap to their pitchers,” Kelly said. “We’re seeing a great staff. Houser was pinpoint tonight. He took advantage of the strike zone.”
Houser threw his first ever complete game, shutting out Pensacola on three hits and striking out 10.
Both Houser and Josh Hader, the Brewers No. 15 prospect, both came from a midseason trade with the Houston Astros.
“That’s really strengthened their staff again,” Kelly said.
Biloxi started with a pregame ceremony honoring the Americans lost in the 9/11 terrorist act with a 21-gun salute and the playing of “Taps” by a single horn player from the Keesler Air Force Base Honor Guard led by Master Sgt. Jim Davidson.
Cody Reed loaded the bases his first two innings on the mound but only trailed Biloxi, 1-0. Both times he struck out the final two batters of the inning. However, he threw more than 50 pitches to do it.
“Those first two innings took a lot out of him,” Kelly said.
Reed, the Cincinnati Reds No. 9 prospect who joined the Blue Wahoos pitching staff as part of a midseason trade with the Kansas City Royals for ace Johnny Cueto, allowed Biloxi second baseman Yadiel Rivera to score in the first inning on a ground out to first base.
Biloxi then hung four runs on Reed in the fifth inning with a two-run homer over the left field scoreboard by shortstop Orlando Arcia the main hit to go up, 5-0.
Thursday night, Biloxi pitcher Jorge Lopez threw a season-high 115 pitches, broke two bats, allowed three balls out of the infield, gave up one unearned run and allowed two hits in 6.2 innings. The Biloxi pitcher improved to 4-1 with a 1.82 ERA against Pensacola and has fanned 29 Blue Wahoos in 29.2 innings.
The winner of the South Division will play either the Twins Double-A affiliate Chattanooga Lookouts or the Tampa Bay Devil Rays affiliate the Montgomery Biscuits. The Lookouts won the first game, 4-3, Thursday and Friday’s game was rained out.
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos play the third game of the best-of-five Southern League South Division playoff series against the Milwaukee Brewers Double-A affiliate the Biloxi Shuckers at 6:05 p.m. Saturday at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.
Friday High School Football Final Scores
September 12, 2015
Here final high school scores from around the area Friday night:
FLORIDA
- Gulf Breeze 56, Northview 24 [Read more, photos...]
- Wewahitchka 41, Jay 14
- West Florida 34, Cairo, GA 14
- Pine Forest 33, Pace 14
- Milton 38, Fort Walton Beach 7
- PHS 40, Washington 3
- Escambia 35, Catholic 10
- Baker 24, West Gadsden 13
- Freeport 14, Holmes Co 6
- OPEN — Navarre, Tate
ALABAMA
- Flomaton 35, Leroy 12
- Rain 24, Escambia County (Atmore) 0
- W.S. 10, East Gadsden (FL) 6
- T.R. Miller 48, Cottage Hill Christian 0
- Escambia Academy 34, Fort Dale (Greenville) 7
Prep Sports: Jay Over NHS Volleyball; EWMS Tops Neal
September 11, 2015
In high school volleyball action Thursday, the Jay Royals topped the Northview Chiefs.
JV
25-23, 21-25, 10-15
Jay wins
Varsity
11-25, 11-25, 16-25
Jay wins
In middle school football, Ernest Ward Middle School beat W.S. Neal 46-12.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Gary Amerson, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Drop Playoff Opener
September 11, 2015
At the All-Star break, Pensacola manager Pat Kelly admitted that first half champion Biloxi was the only team he thought was better than the last place Blue Wahoos.
Ironically, both teams are now playing for the Southern League South Division crown, after Pensacola won the second half.
In the first game of the five-game-series, the Shuckers came out on top, 4-2, with a dominating performance by Biloxi pitcher Jorge Lopez in front of 2,782 fans at MGM Park.
Kelly credited Lopez for cruising through the Pensacola lineup.
“We got two guys on in the ninth and our guys kept on battling but we didn’t have a lot of chances,” Kelly said, who said Lopez’s changeup and fastball kept Pensacola off balance. “We just ran into a hot pitcher. There’s nothing we can do about that.”
Playing in his first playoff game in his 11-year minor league career, Pensacola second baseman Ray Chang scored the tying run, 1-1, in the second inning after reaching second on a throwing error by Biloxi shortstop Orlando Arcia. Chang then smacked a single back through the box in the ninth inning to score Pensacola first baseman Marquez Smith and pull the Blue Wahoos within, 4-2.
“I thought he was terrific,” Kelly said about Chang.
But those were about the only highlights for Pensacola offensively.
Lopez showed why he earned pitcher of the year honors in the Southern League Thursday night.
Lopez, the Milwaukee Brewers No. 9 prospect, held Pensacola hitless through the first 5.1 innings and left the game to a standing ovation in the seventh. Pensacola shortstop Alex Blandino singled up the middle to center field off Lopez, ensuring Pensacola would make 555 games without being no-hit — a streak that goes back to the Blue Wahoos inception in 2012.
However, Lopez, who broke two Pensacola hitters’ bats, stranded the Blue Wahoos Phillip Ervin at third in the sixth inning.
Lopez, who threw a season-high 115 pitches, allowed one unearned run, two hits and struck out seven in 6.2 innings. Only Pensacola left fielder Jesse Winker (who fouled out to left field), Blandino and catcher Kyle Skipworth hit balls out of the infield.
The Biloxi pitcher is now 4-1 with a 1.82 ERA against Pensacola and has struck out 29 in 29.2 innings.
Meanwhile, Daniel Wright gave up a single and three doubles to the leadoff batters for Biloxi in four of the first five innings. However, Wright got Taylor out in a rundown between third and home on a failed squeeze bunt in the fourth inning and stranded two other runners at third base in the first two innings.
Wright left the game, trailing 3-1, and struck out six Shuckers in his 5.1 innings of work.
Kelly said Wright did a “terrific job getting out of tough jams.”
Wright said he gutted out each inning.
“I just kind of tried to come up with stuff to get out of jams,” he said. “They’re just solid.”
Biloxi scored first to take the lead, 1-0, when third baseman Yadiel Rivera singled and Arcia drove him in with a triple to left center — four of Biloxi’s six hits off Wright through five innings went for extra bases.
Biloxi’s Arcia, who had his team’s first two RBIs, grounded out to Pensacola’s third baseman Seth Mejias-Brean in the fifth inning to score the Shuckers second baseman Nick Shaw, who lead off the inning with a double. The ground out put Biloxi back on top, 2-1.
Biloxi first baseman Garrett Cooper scored in the sixth, 3-1, on Shuckers center fielder Brett Phillips ground ball that hit the first base bag and leaped over Pensacola’s diving Smith and rolled into right field. Cooper then batted in Arcia in the seventh for a 4-1 Biloxi lead.
The Blue Wahoos ended the longest drought of missing the playoffs by a Southern League Major League affiliate. The Cincinnati Reds last Double-A team to make the playoffs was Chattanooga in 2006.
Pensacola plays the Biloxi Shuckers at 7:10 p.m. Friday at MGM Park. Biloxi then moves to Pensacola for Saturday and, if needed, will play Sunday and Monday at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.
The winner of the South Division then plays either the Twins Double-A affiliate Chattanooga Lookouts or the Tampa Bay Devil Rays affiliate the Montgomery Biscuits. The Lookouts won its first game, 4-3, with a walk-off single by Southern League MVP Max Kepler.
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos play the second game of the best-of-five Southern League South Division playoff series against the Milwaukee Brewers Double-A affiliate the Biloxi Shuckers at 7:10 p.m. Thursday. The Blue Wahoos LHP Cody Reed (6-2, 2.17) is scheduled to face the Shuckers RHP Adrian Houser (4-1, 2.92).