FHSAA Overhaul To Wait Until At Least Next Year
May 6, 2013
The push by Lakeland-area lawmakers to assert more state control over the organization that oversees high school athletics in Florida failed to advance through the Legislature this year.
The measure which would have put new restrictions on investigations by the Florida High School Athletic Association, according to sponsor Sen. Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland.
“I’d prefer not to have to work on this again. I’d prefer the FHSAA do what we’ve asked them to do, which is restructure their bylaws (in a way) that is fair to students,” she said.
The bill also would have expanded the ability for students to transfer schools during the school year, give charter and home school students more opportunities to play for public school teams, alter the makeup of the board of directors, give school districts more say over athletic regulations in each county, and set a 2017 date to sunset the 93-year-old organization.
The FHSAA lobbied against the bill. The House had approved the measure 89-26 on April 24.
By The News Service of Florida
Pictured top: The coin toss before the FHSAA District 1A Football Championship game last December in Orlando between Northview and Trenton. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Avoid Sweep With 8-2 Blowout Over Montgomery
May 6, 2013
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos broke out the bats and snapped their season-high five-game losing streak with an 8-2 blowout win over the Montgomery Biscuits on Sunday afternoon at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium in front of a sell-out crowd of 5,038.
Pensacola used two big innings to put the game away early against Montgomery starter Victor Mateo (1-4). With runners on first and second and two outs in the second inning, Michael Gilmartin blooped an RBI double down the left field line to put the Wahoos on the board. Theo Bowe and Devin Lohman followed with RBI singles to open up a three-run advantage for Pensacola.
In the third inning, the Wahoos put the game out of reach in the span of four pitches. With one out and a runner on third, Tucker Barnhart singled up the middle to make it 4-0. On the next pitch, Bryson Smith launched a two-run homer to left center to give Pensacola a six-run lead. After a first-pitch ball, Travis Mattair blasted a solo homer to extend the Wahoos’ lead to seven. It was the first time all season that Pensacola had hit back-to-back homers.
Pensacola would add its eighth run of the day on a solo shot from Gilmartin in the fifth inning. It was Gilmartin’s first homer with the Wahoos and fourth overall this season. Every player in the Pensacola lineup reached base at least once and eight of the nine hitters recorded at least one base hit.
Montgomery chipped into the deficit with a sixth-inning sac fly from Mikie Mahtook and an eighth-inning solo homer from Shawn O’Malley.
Pensacola starter Tim Crabbe (2-1) was the beneficiary of the run support while posting his third quality start of the year. Crabbe gave up a run on four hits while striking out six to match his longest outing of 2013.
The Wahoos will now have an off day tomorrow before traveling to Jacksonville for a five-game series with the Suns. The set starts on Tuesday at 6:05 p.m. CT with Chad Rogers (2-1, 1.47) matching up against Jacksonville’s Matt Neil (0-2, 4.79).
by Kevin Burke
Pictured: The Blue Wahoos topped the Montgomery Biscuits Sunday 8-2. Photos by Gary McCracken for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Chipley Beats Jay In 10 For Region 1-1A Championship
May 4, 2013
The Jay Lady Royals fell short of a return trip to state with a Friday night loss to Chipley.
In Friday night’s Region 1-1A championship game, the Chipley Tigers defeated Jay 4-1 in 10 innings.
Chassity McCranie pitched 10 for the Lady Royals, allowing four runs, 12 hits and striking out four. Sydney Lowery went 2-4 for Jay with two doubles and an RBI. Olivia Wright was 1-3, Destiny Herring was 1-4, and Brittany Gillman was 2-4.
Biscuits Beat The Wahoos 3-2
May 4, 2013
The Montgomery Biscuits rallied from an early two-run deficit to beat the Pensacola Blue Wahoos 3-2 on Friday night in front of 4,662 fans at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium. With the win, Montgomery clinched the five-game series by winning the first three contests.
Trailing 2-0 after the first inning, the Biscuits tied the game in the third on a two-run triple from Mikie Mahtook. It stayed that way until the eighth inning when Montgomery took advantage of wild Pensacola pitching. Lee Hyde loaded the bases with two walks and a single before being lifted for Drew Hayes. With nobody out, Hayes struck out back-to-back hitters, but wasn’t able to escape the frame without the Biscuits pushing across the go-ahead run on a five-pitch walk to Mark Thomas. Hayes would strike out Shawn O’Malley to avert further danger.
Pensacola jumped out to an early two-run lead in the first as the first four batters reached, culminating in RBI base knocks from Ryan LaMarre and Steve Selsky. Those would be the only runs the Blue Wahoos could muster but it wasn’t for lack of opportunities. Pensacola had the bags packed and one out in the seventh but Travis Mattair bounced into a 6-4-3 double play to keep the game tied at two.
In the ninth, Pensacola had the tying run at second with one out, but Juan Sandoval was able to get out of the jam with two groundouts sandwiched around a hit by pitch. Sandoval picked up his sixth save of the season in the process.
Matt Nevarez (2-0) earned the win for the Biscuits by tossing 1.2 innings of scoreless relief. Starter Merrill Kelly went 6.1 frames for Montgomery and allowed two runs on six hits, striking out five and walking a pair.
Daniel Renken settled for a no-decision for Pensacola despite tossing a quality start. Renken went six innings, yielding two runs (one earned) on four hits while tying a season-high with six strikeouts. Hyde (1-3) picked up the loss by giving up a run on a hit in .1 innings while walking three.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series with the Biscuits on Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. Josh Smith gets the start for Pensacola against Montgomery’s Enny Romero. It will be Boy Scout night at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium with local scout troops participating in pre-game activities and sleeping over after the game. I
story by Kevin Burke
Photos by Gary McCracken for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Biscuits Blast Wahoos 6-1
May 3, 2013
The Montgomery Biscuits smacked two home runs en route to a 6-1 win over the Pensacola Blue Wahoos in front of 4,206 fans on Thursday night at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.
The game was originally delayed an hour and 28 minutes by rain and both offenses came out cold. Neither team had a hit through three innings before Montgomery ignited their onslaught. With one out, Mikie Mahtook walked, Cameron Seitzer singled and Todd Glaesmann blasted a three-run homer to left off of Ryan Dennick for a 3-0 lead.
An inning later, it was Mahtook delivering the goods as he launched a two-run homer off Dennick to push Montgomery’s lead to 5-0. Dennick (1-2) went just five frames, allowing a season-high five runs on five hits.
The Biscuits added their sixth run of the day on an RBI single in the sixth from Shawn O’Malley.
Pensacola’s lone run came on an RBI single from Brodie Greene in the seventh that scored Tucker Barnhart who had doubled earlier in the frame.
Matt Buschmann (3-1) was dominant for Montgomery, going a season-high eight innings and yielding just a run on five hits combined with eight strikeouts.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series with the Biscuits on Friday night with a 7:00 p.m. first pitch. Daniel Renken gets the start for Pensacola against Montgomery’s Merrill Kelly.
story by Kevin Burke
Southeastern Conference, ESPN Announce New SEC TV Network
May 3, 2013
A new SEC television network which launch next year.
The Southeastern Conference and ESPN have signed a 20-year agreement through 2034 to create and operate a multiplatform network, which will launch in August 2014, it was announced today by SEC Commissioner Mike Slive and ESPN President John Skipper. The new network and its accompanying digital platform will air SEC content 24/7 including more than 1,000 events in its first year.
The network will televise approximately 45 SEC football games, more than 100 men’s basketball games, 60 women’s basketball games, 75 baseball games, and events from across the SEC’s 21 sports annually. Programming will also include studio shows, original content such as SEC Storied, spring football games, signing day and pro days coverage. Hundreds of additional live events from various sports will be offered exclusively on the digital platform. The network and its digital extensions will connect with each SEC institution and create opportunities for each school to produce and develop content.
“The SEC Network will provide an unparalleled fan experience of top quality SEC content presented across the television network and its accompanying digital platforms,” stated Slive. “We will increase exposure of SEC athletics programs at all 14 member institutions, as we showcase the incredible student-athletes in our league. The agreement for a network streamlines and completes an overall media rights package that will continue the SEC’s leadership for the foreseeable future.”
Each weekend throughout the season, the new network will air multiple top-tier matchups from the strongest conference in college football. Since 2006, the SEC has claimed seven consecutive football national championships. In 2011-12, SEC teams won eight national championships: football (Alabama), men’s basketball (Kentucky), gymnastics (Alabama), men’s indoor track and field (Florida), women’s tennis (Florida), women’s golf (Alabama), men’s outdoor track and field (Florida), and softball (Alabama). Since 1990, the SEC has won 149 national team championships for an average of more than six per year.
Skipper said, “The SEC is unmatched in its success on the field and its popularity with fans nationwide. The new network’s top-quality SEC matchups across a range of sports will serve all sports enthusiasts including the most passionate, die-hard SEC fans. Also, it will serve the needs of our multichannel distributors and advertisers by providing extremely attractive programming options across all platforms.”
As part of the agreement, ESPN will now oversee the SEC’s official Corporate Sponsor Program. In addition, ESPN and the SEC also agreed to extend their existing media rights agreement through 2034. ESPN has televised the SEC since 1982. ESPN’s existing networks present more than 1,600 hours of SEC action each year. The new network will focus exclusively on the SEC and add another outlet to deliver sports fans more SEC content than ever.
AT&T U-verse has been secured as the network’s first national distributor.
Blue Wahoos Lose To The Biscuits
May 2, 2013
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos returned home after a nine-game road trip but faced many of the same offensive issues they dealt with on the road in a 2-1 setback to the Montgomery Biscuits in front of 4,200 fans on Wednesday night at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.
Both teams struggled offensively with 25+ MPH winds blowing in from center field throughout the game. Despite the elements, Montgomery was able to break through with single tallies in the sixth and seventh for the only runs of the game. In the sixth inning, Kevin Kiermaier reached an error with one out and two batters later, Mikie Mahtook singled him home to give the Biscuits a 1-0 advantage.
An inning later, the first two runners reached on singles against reliever Loek Van Mil, and Shawn O’Malley brought home an insurance run with a groundout to shortstop Devin Lohman.
Tucker Barnhart launched his second homer of the season to lead off the ninth, but Juan Sandoval retired the next three batters he faced to pick up his fifth save of the season.
With no run support, Chad Rogers (2-1) was the tough-luck loser for Pensacola despite his fourth consecutive quality start. Rogers went six innings allowing an unearned run on four hits while striking out a season-high seven.
Jacob Thompson (2-2) worked around a bases loaded jam with one out in the second and didn’t face any trouble throughout the rest of his outing. Thompson fired six two-hit innings while striking out three and walking four.
Pensacola will look to snap its two-game skid in game two of the series on Thursday against Montgomery at 7:00 p.m. Ryan Dennick will toe the rubber for the Blue Wahoos against the Biscuits’ Matt Buschmann.
story by Kevin Burke
Softball Tourney To Benefit Wreck Victim Mark Shipps, Jr.
May 1, 2013
The Junior Classic Softball Tournament will be held beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 10 and continuing Saturday, May 11 at Bradberry Park in Walnut Hill, with proceeds benefiting wreck victim Mark Allen Shipps, Jr. and his family.
It will be based on USSSA slow pitch softball rules, with three females on the field per team at all ties. There will be a two loss elimination in effect. Registration is $150 per team.
The event will also include food, music and more. Volunteers are needed in any form — from playing on a team, to umpiring and more. Boston butts are also available for $25. For more information or to register, contact Bradley Lowery at (850) 232-3205 or BJL0005@auburn.edu.
Food and drink donations area also needed (burgers, hot dogs, sodas, water, sports drinks, etc).
A benefit account has been established at United Bank in Atmore for Mark Shipps, Jr. The account information is: Mark Shipps Jr. Benefit Account, account #151892711, P.O. Box 8, Atmore, AL 36504. Checks should be made out to “Mark Shipps Jr. Benefit Account”.
For an earlier story with more information about Shipps’ accident, click here.
Jay Beats Central To Advance In Regional Tournament
May 1, 2013
The Jay Lady Royals are moving on the regional finals Friday night after a win Tuesday night.
Jay beat Central 16-6 in six innings. Chassity McCranie pitched four for the Royals, striking out five. Oliva Wright was 4-4 with a double, triple, a home run and five RBIs. Wright recently signed to play college ball at Wallace State. Ashlyn Geck was 1-5 with an RBI; Michaela Stewart was 1-4; Sydney Lowery was 3-5; Brittany Gillman was 2-3 and Taylor Moore was 3-4.
Jay will host the Chipley Tigers at 7 p.m. Friday.
Pictured: The Jay Lady Royals celebrate a win over Central Tuesday night to advance in the regional softball tournament. Photo by Diann Tagert for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Miracle League Selected For $10,000, Jimmie Johnson’s Helmet of Hope
April 30, 2013
Five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson has selected the Miracle League of Pensacola to be featured on the 2013 Jimmie Johnson Foundation Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope. The Miracle League will receive $10,000 and will appear on the helmet Johnson will wear during race weekend activities at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn on August 18.
The Miracle League of Pensacola provides a safe, organized baseball league and facilities for Gulf Coast children with mental and/or physical challenges where every player plays, every player hits, every player gets on base, every player scores and every player wins – every inning. Currently they serve nearly 200 players ranging in age from 4 to 64 years young.
Paul Hinson, a volunteer umpire for the organization, nominated The Miracle League of Pensacola for the Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope, saying, “We accept all players, regardless of their challenges, there are players confined to wheelchairs, players with Down Syndrome and players with attention and learning disorders.”
The League pairs up an able bodied person with each player, enabling the people of the community to form a bond with the players and also to see the happiness that the players gain by being able to play the game of baseball.
“We are honored to be recognized and will continue to provide a safe and organized baseball league for the Gulf Coast,” Shirley Godwin of the Miracle League said.
Pictured top: Miracle League of Pensacola players, coaches and volunteers offer a special “thanks” to Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet for Nascar, after their selection to appear on the Jimmie Johnson Foundation Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope and a $10,000 grant. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.