FWC To Consider Deer Importation Ban At Pensacola Meeting
September 5, 2013
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will meet Thursday and Friday in Pensacola to consider several items, including a ban on importing out of state deer due Chronic Wasting Disease.
“Please accept this letter as acknowledgement that the scientific case for closing the border is stronger than we had originally understood,” Senate President Don Gaetz, Rep. Matt Gaetz, and Sen. Greg Evers wrote in a letter recently to the FWC. “We now believe that moving forward with (the ban) is the prudent course of action.”
Chronic Wasting Disease is similar to Mad Cow Disease and is fatal to deer. If a deer is found with the disease, the entire population — free-ranging or farmed — must be eradicated to prevent it from spreading.
Marion Hammer of the National Rifle Association, which backs the ban, says the disease could wipe out all the state’s deer.
“Some folks say it’s manageable. It’s not manageable,” Hammer said. “Why should you wait to try to manage something when you can take action to prevent getting it in the first place?”
But opponents of the ban said the move is unnecessary.
“I think it’s a shame,” said Chris Winsey, president of the Southeast Trophy Deer Association. “We’re just being prejudiced toward the deer versus any other animal that’s being moved in our state.”
“They don’t have enough data to close the border,” said Mike Vizcaino, a deer farmer in the St. Augustine area. “If these guys were really afraid of CWD, they would be promoting a statewide testing requirement rather than closing the borders.”
Currently, to reduce chances of the disease entering Florida, the state bans deer from being imported from those states and Canadian provinces where infected deer have been found. The ban also prohibits deer killed in those areas from being brought into Florida unless they have first been deboned or treated and mounted by taxidermists outside the state.
The state also requires that imported deer come from herds that have been certified disease-free for five years. Opponents of the ban have recommended the state consider doubling that time frame.
But Hammer said the disease is so deadly that if it spread to Florida, deer hunting would become too dangerous to continue.
“If we got Chronic Wasting Disease in the state of Florida, I’d never eat another piece of venison,” she said. “The risk is too great. So we need to take the steps that are best to prevent ever getting the disease to begin with.”
The disease is not known to affect people.
Backers of the ban include not only the NRA but the Florida Wildlife Federation, United Sportsmen of Florida, Florida Deer Association, Florida Zoo Association and the Humane Society.
The FWC meeting will take place Thursday and Friday at the Crowne Plaza Pensacola Grand Hotel at 200 East Gregory Street with sessions convening at 8:30 a.m. The Chronic Wasting Disease item appears on the agenda for Friday. The meeting is open to the public, and public comments will be allowed.
UWF Will Play Football In 2016
September 5, 2013
The University of West Florida will field a football team in the fall of 2016, college President Judy Bense announced Wednesday.
The Argos will be in the Gulf South Conference, home of seven Division II national champs over the last two decades. UWF won’t have a football stadium in place by their first 2016 kickoff, instead they will be looking for another Pensacola-area facility to call home field. A practice field at UWF, other facilities, equipment and salaries for coaches will come from outside sources including a Football Founders Club.
UWF will not raise student fees or tuition to fund the football program.
The Argos will use a private search firm to start looking for a coach at the end of this season.
High School Football Standings, Upcoming Schedule
September 4, 2013
Here is a district by district look at last Friday night’s high school football scores and this week’s schedule. District play has not yet started, so there are no district rankings.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Northwest Escambia Sweeps Baker
September 3, 2013
The Northwest Escambia Eagles swept Baker in their season opener on Saturday.
The NWE Freshmen defeated Baker 37-0. Kaden Dove, Liam Hatcher, Jackson Simmons and Zyonne Wesley all scored for the Freshman Eagles.
The NWE Sophomores defeated Baker 14-7. Kaden Odom scored one touchdown and extra point. Luke Bridges recovered a Baker fumble which resulted in Wright scoring a touchdown and Odom scoring the extra point.
The NWE Juniors beat Baker 40-7. Jaden Cunnigham ran in two touchdowns and one extra point. Jaheem Durant scored two touchdowns, running one back for more than 50 yards. Jayden Jackson also scored two touchdowns one a defensive touchdown after striping the ball from a Baker player. Michael Merchant scored one extra point.
The NWE Seniors beat Baker 44-0. Trent Kite scored two touchdowns, Seth Killam threw a long touchdown pass to Keeton Solmonson. Killam also returned an interception for a touchdown, Aunterio Minor ran in one touchdown and Cameron Cloud threw a touchdown pass to Tanner Deese.
Northwest Escambia’s Eagles will travel to Uriah this Saturday with games beginning at 2 p.m.
Mobile Claims Season Finale Over Pensacola’s Blue Wahoos
September 3, 2013
The Mobile BayBears posted three runs in the first inning and coasted the rest of the way to a 10-1 victory over the Pensacola Blue Wahoos in the final game of the season on Monday afternoon at Hank Aaron Stadium. Pensacola finished the season with a record of 59-79, including a 34-35 mark in the second half.
Reds top pitching prospect Robert Stephenson got the start for Pensacola, but didn’t make it past the first. Ender Inciarte led off the game with a solo homer off Stephenson (L, 0-2), who got two quick outs before allowing four straight to reach, culminating in a Mike Freeman two-run single to make it 3-0. Stephenson allowed three runs on three hits with a strikeout and two walks in his final start of the year.
The rains hit in the last of the third inning with Chris Manno on the mound, causing a brief delay before pinch-hitter Keon Broxton smoked a two-run single through the left side to make it 5-0. The rains hit even harder and forced a delay of an hour and 20 minutes.
Mobile doubled its lead in the last of the seventh with a five-run frame against Pat Doyle and Jamie Walczak. Nick Evans provided an RBI single off Doyle to make it 6-0 before a sac fly from Freeman made it 7-0. Broxton provided the exclamation mark with a three-run blast against Walczak to make it 10-0.
Bo Schultz faced the minimum in three innings for Mobile before leaving due to the rain delay. Willy Paredes (W, 3-0) picked up the victory with a scoreless top of the fourth inning.
The Wahoos were able to get on the board in the ninth on a Devin Lohman double scoring Juan Silverio.
The next time the Wahoos hit the field will be April 3, 2014 at home against the Tennessee Smokies. 2014 season ticket information will become available later in the month.
Week Ahead: Prep Football Schedule
September 2, 2013
Here is a preview of Friday night’s high school football schedule from across the North Escambia area.
FLORIDA
- Northview at Marianna, 7 p.m.
- PHS at Tate, 7:30 p.m.
- Milton at West Florida, 7 p.m.
- Pine Forest at Catholic, 7:30 p.m.
- Rocky Bayou Christian at Jay, 7 p.m.
- Escambia at Mosley, 7 p.m.
- Pass Christian (Miss.) at Washington, 7:30 p.m.
- Niceville at Pace, 7:30 p.m.
- Navarre at Wakulla, 7:30 p.m.
- Gulf Breeze at Fort Walton Beach, 7 p.m.
ALABAMA
- Clarke County at Escambia County, 7 p.m.
- Hooper Academy at Escambia Academy, 7 p.m.
- Washington County at Flomaton, 7 p.m.
- T.R. Miller at Opp, 7 p.m.
- Straughn at W.S. Neal, 7 p.m.
Smith Leads Pensacola Wahoos 5-1 Over Mobile BayBears
September 2, 2013
Josh Smith fired seven shutout innings and picked up his first hit of the season as part of a 5-1 Blue Wahoos win over the Mobile BayBears on Sunday evening at Hank Aaron Stadium. The win snapped Pensacola’s four-game losing streak.
Smith (W, 11-9) allowed just four hits during his seven strong innings, only one of which made it through the infield without at least being knocked down. The Southern League leader in strikeouts added four K’s to his ledger to bring his season total to 139. In addition, Smith reached on an infield single in the sixth inning for his first professional hit in 36 at-bats this season.
Pensacola provided plenty of offense for Smith, knocking Mobile starter David Holmberg out after five innings. Holmberg (L 5-8), making his first appearance since his Major League on debut on Tuesday, gave up two runs in the third inning on a Brandon Short single and a Travis Mattair ground out to make it 2-0. Chris Berset added a sac fly in the last of the fifth to make it 3-0. Holmberg gave up the three runs on eight hits with a strikeout and three walks.
Yorman Rodriguez smacked a two-run homer, his fourth of the season in the top of the ninth to provide some extra cushion. Lee Hyde saw his scoreless inning streak come to an end at 39 frames on Dustin Martin’s solo homer in the last of the ninth. Hyde had not given up a run since May 21 and his 31.2 scoreless frames with the Wahoos set a new franchise record.
The two teams will close out the 2013 season with a Labor Day matinee at Hank Aaron Stadium. Robert Stephenson (0-1, 3.45) gets the ball for Pensacola while Mobile will counter with Bo Schultz (5-4, 2.96). First pitch is scheduled for 12:05 p.m.
BayBears Stun Wahoos With Three-Run Ninth
September 1, 2013
Nick Ahmed capped a three-run ninth with a two-out, two-run walk-off single against Trevor Bell, giving the Mobile BayBears a 4-3 win over the Pensacola Blue Wahoos on Saturday night at Hank Aaron Stadium. It was the fourth loss in a row for Pensacola.
Mobile entered the last of the ninth trailing 3-1, but put a couple runners on base thanks to walks from Jamie Walczak. Bell (L, 0-1) came on with two on and one out and gave up a pinch-hit RBI double to Garrett Weber to make it 3-2. After Justin Greene struck out, Ahmed laced a first pitch fastball into the gap in left center to score two runs and give the BayBears the win.
Pensacola had rallied in the eighth against reliever Matt Gorgen. Devin Lohman started the rally with a walk before Corey Wimberly singled up the middle to put two on with just one out. Yorman Rodriguez then came through with a two-run double to the right-center field gap to give Pensacola a 2-1 lead. Rodriguez would later score on a single from Brandon Short to make it 3-1.
Both starting pitchers were dominant in the contest with Andrew Chafin and Jon Moscot tossing five scoreless innings apiece. In his final start of the 2013 season, Moscot allowed four base hits but struck out five for Pensacola. Chafin answered by allowing just two base hits with a pair of punchouts.
Mobile’s lone run prior to the ninth came on a Raywilly Gomez RBI double in the sixth inning against Michael Lorenzen. Blake Cooper (W, 5-2) picked up the win for the BayBears with a scoreless 1.1 innings.
The Wahoos will look to snap their four-game losing streak on Sunday evening at 5:05 p.m. Josh Smith (10-9, 3.41) gets the ball for Pensacola in search of his franchise-record 11th win of the year while Mobile will go with southpaw David Holmberg (5-7, 2.66)
Chiefs Beat Bozeman (With Photo Gallery)
August 31, 2013
The Northview Chiefs defeated the Panama City Bozeman Bucks Friday night, 34-14, in a non-district game. And even though it was win for the defending 1A state champs, at times it was just a plain sloppy game, according to Northview coach Sid Wheatley.
“We had way too many mistakes in the game,” Wheatley said, “We are taking points away from us by doing that and we are also enabling them to capitalize and get points when that’s unnecessary.”
Most of the mistakes, he said, were the little things that the team will have to work to drill into their minds.
“It just made it extra tough on us, and it doesn’t have to be that way,” Wheatley said. “We’ve got to be better than that. And we are going to address those things on Monday…I know it’s still a young bunch we are dealing with and there are going to be mistakes. But it can’t be habitual week after week.”
For a football action photo gallery, click here. Cheerleading, band and dance team photos will be published Sunday.
Despite the problems, Wheatley said there was also a lot of good in Friday night’s game for the No. 1 ranked Chiefs.
“Daulton Tullis played well. Our thought our receivers played well, and I thought our running backs made nice runs. We were able to get to the edge and use our speed. Ladarius Thomas ran the ball extremely well in the second half. Those are good things to see with a young offensive line doing better.”
The first touchdown of the game did not come until about three minute before the half. Quarterback Daulton Tullis found Brannon Freeman with 11-yard pass. A missed point after, and the Chiefs were on the board 6-0. The Chiefs expanded their lead to 14-0 at the half with an 8-yard touchdown from Neino Robinson and a good two point conversion from Dezmine Moorer.
The defending state champs increased their lead to 20-0 on a Tullis to Nathan Shipps pass from the nine. Bozeman got on the board, 20-6, before Northview struck again with a 43-yard Robinson touchdown and a good extra point, 27-6. With a 35-yard touchdown run by Shipps and a two pointer from Shipps, Northview was up 34-6.
The Chiefs will be on the road next week to take on the Bulldogs of Marianna at 7 p.m. Last year, the Chiefs lost to Marianna 48-42 on an overtime forth down with a fumbled ball just inches from the goal line.
For a football action photo gallery, click here. Cheerleading, band and dance team photos will be published Sunday.
Pictured top: Northview senior Brannon Freeman tips the ball away from a Panama City Bozeman Buck Friday night in Bratt. Pictured top inset: Northview’s Neino Robinson tries to evade a tackle. Pictured bottom inset: Junior Ladarius Thomas gains yardage for the Chiefs. Pictured below: Northview coach Sid Wheatley motivates his No 1. ranked Northview Chiefs during a huddle Friday evening. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
West Florida Beats Tate (With Photo Gallery)
August 31, 2013
The West Florida Jaguars defeated the Tate Aggies Friday night, 45-3, at Woodham Middle School.
The Aggies strongest showing came in the first quarter, allowing the Jags just 7 points on a run by quarter back Joey Baker. Tate answered with a field goal from Dylan Mancuso to keep it a close 7-3 at the end of the first quarter.
Baker was in again on a QB keeper in the second half, followed by a touchdown for the Jags from Daylan Abrams. West Florida was up 21-3 headed into the half. In the second half, 11 plays totaling 80 yards ended with an 11-yard run by Lawrence Lee, 28-3 Jaguars.
The Jaguars went on to win with Lee returning a touchdown, a Vonche Hale touchdwon. and a field goal from kicker Tristan Parsley.
West Florida will host Milton next Friday night at 7:00, while the Aggies will be at home against Pensacola High School’s Tigers at 7:30 p.m.
Darryl Singleton contributed to this report.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
