Northview Chiefs Receive State Championship Rings (With Photo Gallery)
April 30, 2013
The Northview High School Chiefs received their state championship rings during a ceremony at the school Monday afternoon.
Last December, the Chiefs won the District 1A State Football Championship in Orlando’s Citrus Bowl. It was the first state championship for the school in Bratt, and the only state football championship in Escambia County this year.
For a photo gallery, click here.
“For the first time in school history, you can say you are the state football champions,” Superintendent Malcolm Thomas said as he addressed the football players and student body. “You will always get to keep that pride knowing that you are part of something very, very special.”
Thomas presented a $1,000 donation toward the cost of the rings. Escambia County Commissioner Steven Barry, along with Century Mayor Freddie McCall and Eli and Sarah Miller, presented another combined $1,000 donation.
While every player received their ring Monday, the full bill is not yet paid. Donations are being accepted at the school to provide the rings to students in need.
Also Monday, members of the varsity cheerleading squad were presented with their State Championship Medallions.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Pictured top: Northview Chiefs Kahlil Grice, Ryan Lambert and Justin Halteman react upon seeing their state championship rings for the first time Monday afternoon. Pictured below: The District 1A State Champion Northview Chiefs. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Split Doubleheader To End Road Trip
April 30, 2013
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos settled for a split in their doubleheader with the Tennessee Smokies on Monday afternoon, winning game one 3-0 before falling in the second game 3-0 at Smokies Park.
Pensacola jumped on top early in game one, scoring in each of their first three at-bats. In the first, Travis Mattair snapped an 0-for-23 skid with an RBI single to score Ryan LaMarre. Brodie Greene smashed his second homer of the season an inning later to make it 2-0, and LaMarre capped the scoring with an RBI single in the third inning that scored Devin Lohman.
That was more than enough for Pensacola starter Josh Smith (3-2) who extended his personal scoreless streak to 16 innings with five shutout frames. Smith allowed just two hits, struck out four and walked two to win his third consecutive decision. Drew Hayes picked up his first save of the season with two strikeouts in the seventh.
Eric Jokisch (3-1) took his first loss of the season by giving up all three runs on six hits in five innings for Tennessee.
Game two was scoreless headed to the last of the seventh before Jae-Hoon Ha launched a pinch-hit, two-out, three-run homer that gave the Smokies the walk-off victory. The Wahoos appeared to catch a break on the previous batter when Rubi Silva was held at third base on a hard-hit single off the right field wall, but Pensacola wasn’t able to escape before Ha’s blast.
The Wahoos mustered just one hit against game two starter Kyle Hendricks, a sixth-inning single from Lohman. Hendricks struck out eight over six innings but was dealt a no-decision. Marcus Hatley (1-0) picked up the win in relief by tossing the seventh inning.
Wilkin De La Rosa (0-1) took the loss for the Wahoos by giving up the three-run homer in the seventh. Tim Crabbe earned a no-decision despite five shutout frames in which he allowed just three hits and struck out three.
The Wahoos will have an off day on Tuesday before returning home for the first of five on Wednesday with the Montgomery Biscuits at Bayfront Stadium. Chad Rogers gets the start for Pensacola against Montgomery’s Jacob Thompson. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. All fans are encouraged to wear blue as part of the “BLUE OUT” as the Wahoos honor the Blue Angels throughout the night.
story by Kevin Burke
Wahoos, Smokies Washed Out – Again
April 29, 2013
As a result of two straight rainy days in Kodak, Tenn., Sunday’s doubleheader between the Pensacola Blue Wahoos and the Tennessee Smokies has been postponed. One of the games will be lost on the two teams’ schedules because they do not play each other the rest of the season, but they will play a doubleheader on Monday beginning at 11:00 a.m. CT.
Both games will be seven inning contests. The pitching matchups for Monday’s games have not been announced at the time of the postponement.
After an off day on Tuesday, the Blue Wahoos return home to open a five-game series with Montgomery. Wednesday will be a Blue-Out in honor of the Blue Angels. All fans are encouraged to wear blue as a show of support for the Pensacola-based flight demonstration team.
Argos Win Pace Tournament
April 29, 2013
The 11-year old travel ball team the Argos took home first place in the recent Spring Slam in Pace. Pictured are the undefeated Argos (bottom, L-R) Cole Mullins, John Pinette, Nathan Brewton, Christian Munoz, Jacob Bryant, (top, L-R) Trevor Norton, Chase Barcus, TJ McCants, Cameron Bailey and Sam Shackle. Coaches are Mike Norton, Levy Bryant and Matt Faust, all of Cantonment. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate Grad Golightly Named All-Sunbelt Conference
April 28, 2013
University of South Alabama women’s golf senior Kristen Golightly was named second-team all-Sun Belt Conference, the league announced Thursday.
Golightly, a graduate of Tate High School, finished with a 76.48 stroke average in 27 rounds this season after turning in a career-low 3-under par 69 in the final round of the SBC Championship to earn a career-best third-place finish at the tournament with a three-round, even-par total of 216. She earned three top-five finishes, and finished in the top 10 in two additional tournaments this season.
“I am very happy for Kristen making the all-conference team, she is very deserving,” head coach TJ Jackson said. “From day one she has worked extremely hard in all aspects of what it takes to be a successful student-athlete. Her take-no-shortcut work-ethic and team-first attitude is the makeup that any coach would want for their players to have, and in Kristen’s case those qualities allowed her to improve her golf game each year and succeed in the classroom.
“Because of her work-ethic and the pride that she takes in being a part of this team, Kristen has been a natural leader for the team not just this year but for most of her time as a Jaguar. Kristen has led the team in stroke average the past two seasons, which is quite an accomplishment, but the intangibles mentioned above are just as important. I am very proud of her for what she has accomplished here at South Alabama and for her recognition of being named to the Sun Belt all-Conference team.”
Golightly is the first Jaguar to earn all-conference honors since Elin Andersson in 2008. She played golf for four years at Tate High, and she was on the Lady Aggies softball team as a three-year starter as catcher.
Golightly is the daughter of Chris and Vicki Golightly
Photos: AND1 Steetball Hoops Show Rocks Local Fans
April 27, 2013
Northview High School featured the AND1 Streetball Tour 2013 Friday night.
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Smokies Make It Two In A Row Over Wahoos
April 27, 2013
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos threatened late against the Tennessee Smokies, but fell short 5-3 at Smokies Park in Kodak, Tenn. on Friday night. Tennessee has now won the first two games of the five-game series. Blue Wahoos manager Delino DeShields was ejected for the first time in 2013 when he argued an appeal play at first base in the fourth inning. First base umpire Matt McCoy ruled that Devin Lohman didn’t touch the base on what would have been a two-out double to left field.
Pensacola struck first in the second inning when Tucker Barnhart scored from first on an RBI double from Lohman. The Smokies scored two runs in the fourth inning to go ahead 2-1 and had the Wahoos playing catch up the rest of the way. Ty Wright came home for the first run when Rubi Silva reached on an error by Lohman at short stop. Rafael Lopez brought home the second run with an RBI single later in the inning.
The Smokies delivered a big blow in the sixth. With Jae-Hoon Ha aboard, Silva launched his fourth home run of the season, a two-run shot, to make it a 4-1 Smokies lead.
Theo Bowe singled home Lohman in the seventh inning to chip away at the deficit. It was the first run batted in for Bowe on the season. Ryan LaMarre nearly tied the game, but his long fly ball to right-center field was flagged down on the warning track by Ha at full sprint to end the inning.
The Blue Wahoos answered a Smokies seventh-inning run when Brodie Greene singled home Steve Selsky to pull Pensacola back within two, but that was as close as Pensacola would get.
Daniel Renken (L, 1-2) took the loss after getting charged with two earned runs, four total, on six hits over 5.2 innings. He walked a season-high four batters and struck out two.
Alberto Cabrera (W, 3-1) earned the win for the Smokies with six strong innings. The Wahoos got to the Tennessee starter for one run on three hits. He walked three and fanned six. Trey McNutt (S, 2) worked the final four outs to pick up the save.
Pensacola and Tennessee continue the series at Smokies Park on Saturday night. The Blue Wahoos will send RHP Daniel Renken (1-1, 3.57 ERA) to the mound against Smokies LHP Eric Jokisch (3-0, 1.11 ERA). First pitch is slated for 5:15 p.m. CT.
story by David Burke
Escambia Academy Out Of AISA Playoffs With 2-Game Loss
April 26, 2013
Escambia Academy’s Alabama Independent School Association playoff hopes were dashed Thursday as the Cougars from Canoe, Ala., dropped two to Pike County Liberal Arts of Troy.
Pike won game one 11-1 and took the nightcap 16-1 in the best two of three series.
Escambia Academy was coming off a two-game sweep of Kingwood Christian in round one of the AISA playoffs.
Smokies Take Series Opener Over Pensacola’s Blue Wahoos 2-1
April 26, 2013
The Tennessee Smokies scored single runs in the second and third innings which proved to be enough as the Blue Wahoos dropped the series opener at Smokies Park 2-1.
The Smokies got on the board in the second inning taking advantage of a two-out walk to Jonathan Mota. A batter later, Rafael Lopez doubled him home to put Tennessee in front 1-0. The next inning, Ronald Torres tripled to open the third off Blue Wahoos starter Ryan Dennick. He scored on a base hit by Jae-Hoon Ha, which would prove to be the winning run.
Pensacola would break though with their only run of the game in the eighth inning. Ryan LaMarre scored from third on a wild pitch from Zac Rosscup. That was all the Blue Wahoos would get. Brian Schlitter (S, 1) retired Pensacola in order in the ninth to earn his first save of the season.
LaMarre finished the game 2-for-4 with a double and a stolen base. It was fifth multi-hit game of the season.
Despite another strong start, Dennick (L, 1-1) took the loss. He was charged with both Smokies runs. The lefty worked six innings with four strikeouts, two walks and five hits allowed.
Dallas Beeler (W, 2-2) allowed seven hits but shut out the Blue Wahoos over his seven innings to earn the win.
The Blue Wahoos look to even the series Friday night at Smokies Park. RHP Daniel Renken (1-1, 3.57) will start for Pensacola against Smokies RHP Alberto Cabrera (2-1, 4.63). First pitch is set for 6:15 p.m. CT.
story by Kevin Burke
District Losses For Northview, Tate
April 26, 2013
Both Northview and Tate came up short Thursday night in their homes for district championships, but both teams are still alive headed into the district semis as runner-ups.
District Finals Class 6A
The Tate Aggies had a taste of playing as the visiting team on their own field as the No. 2 sees as they faced the Pace Patriots in the District 1-6A title game.
The Aggies were first on the scoreboard with a base hit from David Moorhead that sent JT Granat in to score for a 1-0 Aggie lead. The Aggies stole home to make it all tied up 1-1 in the second.
The Patriots took at 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth and held on, as Pace beat Tate 2-1 for the tourney title.
Also Thursday night, Crestview beat Mosley 3-2.
It will be Tate at Crestview and Mosley at Pace when the regional tournament gets underway
District Finals Class 1A
In the Class 1A title games, the Northview Chiefs lost to Holmes County Bonifay 3-0 and Paxton beat Central 3-0. When the 1A regional semifinals get underway on May 7, Northview will travel to Paxton, and Central will travel to Bonifay to face Holmes County.