Former NBA Coach Leads Bratt Basketball Camp
August 7, 2012
A basketball camp was held recently at the First Baptist Church of Bratt under the leadership of a former NBA coach.
Coach Roger Dutremble of Global Sports Outreach taught kids the fundamentals of basketball along with Biblical awareness.
Dutremble is a a retired coach and member of the International Basketball Hall of Fame. His career includes coaching at every level from high school to the NBA, and into international arenas, with a lifetime coaching record of 687-117 and seven national championships. He was selected “Coach of the Year” six times, and served as national team head coach to Belgium, Scotland, and Jordan. He was an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers, serving under Paul Westhead and Pat Riley, from 1979-83 and helping the team to three NBA championships with players like Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
For a photo gallery, click here.
“One of the many things that touched me about the camp”, said Bratt Student Pastor Tim Hawsey, “is coach does not receive any salary.The $35 registration fee will actually be used to purchase shoes and basketballs for children in other countries that do not even own a pair of shoes. So, we not only benefited much from learning about basketball, but we were able to participate in missions, too.”
Each of the over two dozen students completing the camp received a t-shirt and copy of Dutremble’s book “From the Backcourt to the Frontcourt – A Journey Into Faith” which details the coach’s life from abandonment as a child, living on the street, to his climb to the top of the sports world.
Pictured: A basketball camp with former NBA coach Roger Dutremble was held recently at the First Baptist Church of Bratt. Submitted photos by Ken Wooton for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northview Chiefs To Hold Football Camp For Ages 8 To 8th Grade
August 7, 2012
The Northview High School Chiefs will host a football camp Saturday.
The camp is for players age eight years to the eighth grade. Registration is $30 which includes a hot dog lunch, camp t-shirt and a free pass to the first home game. Camp participants will be recognized at halftime of the first home game.
For more information and a registration form, click here (pdf).
Stars Score Five Unanswered Runs To Down Wahoos 5-3
August 7, 2012
After plating three first inning runs, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos allowed the Huntsville Stars to score five unanswered runs as the Wahoos dropped their third straight in Huntsville, 5-3, on Monday night.
As they did in the first three games of the series, the Blue Wahoos scored first. Pensacola plated three runs in the first inning to give starter Daniel Corcino some early run support. The Wahoos loaded the bases with one out and got the first run on a fielder’s choice to the shortstop off the bat of Bryson Smith plating Josh Fellhauer from third. David Vidal followed with a base hit that scored Ryan LaMarre. Pensacola went up 3-0 a batter later on an RBI single from Brodie Greene. That would be all the offense the Wahoos would get. They only had one hit after the second inning and did not have a single base runner over the last four innings.
The Stars started their attack by tying the game in the third. Hunter Morris scored Brock Kjeldgaard from first on a triple down the right field line. Two batters later he scored on a double from Kentrail Davis. Stars starting pitcher Johnny Hellweg brought Davis around with his first professional hit to tie the game at 3-3.
Huntsville went ahead for good in the third inning when Domnit Bolivar scored from third on a soft ground out by Morris. Anderson De La Rosa doubled home Davis in the fourth inning for an insurance run.
Hellweg (2-0) was finished on the mound after five innings. He gave up three runs on five hits. The right-hander walked seven and struck out three to earn the win. Corcino (7-6) was charged will all five Stars runs. He lasted six innings and walked three and struck out two batters in the losing effort. Darren Byrd (4) worked a perfect ninth to earn the save.
Fellhauer singled in the first inning to extend his hit streak to seven games. Billy Hamilton stole two bases giving him 127 for the season. The Wahoos shortstop is now 18 steal shy of tying the Minor League Baseball single-season stolen base record.
The series concludes on Tuesday. RHP Wirfin Obispo (3-0, 2.47) is slated to start for the Blue Wahoos against RHP Jimmy Nelson (1-1, 4.66) for Huntsville. First pitch is set for 6:43 p.m. from Joe Davis Stadium in Huntsville.
By Tommy Thrall
Josh Fellhauer extended his hit streak to seven games with a first inning single. Photo by Chris Nelson for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia County’s Justin Gatlin Takes Bronze
August 6, 2012
It’s wasn’t the gold he had hoped for, but Escambia County’s Olympian took the bronze Sunday.
Justin Gatlin of Pensacola finished third in the men’s 100m dash at London’s Olympic Stadium. Gatlin’s personal best time of 9.79 was 0.16 behind Jamaica’s Usain Bolt, who posted a time of 9.63 seconds, which broke the Olympic record. Bolt’s teammate, Yohan Blake, took the silver in 9.75 seconds.
Tyson Gay (Lexington, Ky.) was fourth, 0.01 behind Gatlin, while Ryan Bailey (Long Beach, Calif.) was fifth in 9.88 seconds.
Gatlin had waited eight years to get back on the podium. The 2004 Olympic 100-meter champion, Gatlin served a doping ban.
Gatlin, 30, said he was inspired watching Bolt and Blake as the Woodham High graduate served his suspension, and then worked his way back to the top.
“I went out there to challenge a mountain,” Gatlin said. “I went out there to challenge the odds, not just what I’ve been through, but the legacy of Usain Bolt. I went out there to be fearless.”
Choking up, he said, “Just to be part of an epic race, I just wanted to get on the podium and be there for my country. There were a lot of people in the audience with flags so I wanted to be there for them.
Gatlin’s next event will be the 4 x 100 relay for Team USA on Friday.
Hamilton Steals Three As The Pensacola Blue Wahoos Fall 7-4
August 6, 2012
The Huntsville Stars broke a 4-4 tie in the bottom of the seventh by scoring a pair of runs on back-to-back wild pitches during an attempted intentional walk to Hunter Morris on their way to a 7-4 win Sunday night at Joe Davis Stadium in Huntsville, Ala. The win is the Stars’ second straight over the Wahoos in the five-game series. Blue Wahoos shortstop Billy Hamilton stole three more bases giving him 125 for the season. He is now alone in third place on the all-time single-season Minor League Baseball stolen base list.
Despite the loss, Pensacola remains just two games out of first place in the Southern League South Division after the Montgomery Biscuits lost to the Jacksonville Suns.
As they did in the first two games of the series, the Blue Wahoos scored first with a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. Ryan LaMarre put Pensacola ahead with an RBI single bringing home Hamilton from third. Josh Fellhauer came home later in the inning on a groundout by David Vidal.
After getting a run in the second inning, Huntsville took its first lead with a pair of runs in the fourth. Josh Prince doubled home Brock Kjeldgaard and Morris to make it a 3-2 game. Pensacola responded the next inning when the Blue Wahoos got three straight two-out extra-base hits. Beau Mills started it with a double. Vidal traded places with him a batter later to tie the game. Then, he scored when Brodie Greene tripled to give the Wahoos a 4-3 advantage.
After the Stars tied it with a sacrifice fly in to bottom of the sixth inning, they moved in front for good in the seventh. With runners at first and second base, a passed ball was charged to Wahoos catcher Tucker Barnhart moving runners up to second and third with one out. This opened first base with Morris at the plate, so an intentional walk was called for to load the bases. The next two pitches from reliever Josh Ravin were thrown to the backstop allowing both runners to score giving the Stars a 6-4 advantage. They added another run in the eighth on their way to the win.
Ravin took the loss after giving up the two seventh inning runs, though only one was earned. Brian Garman worked two scoreless innings out of the Stars bullpen in the winning effort. Brandon Kintzler worked a scoreless ninth to earn the save.
Offensively, Greene and Vidal continued their hot hitting with two hits each. Andrew Means also had a two-hit game for the Wahoos.
The series continues on Monday with RHP Daniel Corcino (7-5, 3.09) getting the start for Pensacola against RHP Johnny Hellweg (1-0, 0.00) for Huntsville. First pitch is set for 6:43 p.m. from Joe Davis Stadium in Huntsville.
By Tommy Thrall
Pictured: Billy Hamilton had three steals on Sunday night giving him 125 for the season. Photo by Chris Nelson for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Exempt Olympians From Taxes On Their Gold Medals?
August 5, 2012
Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) has introduced The Olympic Tax Elimination Act, a bill that would exempt U.S. Olympic medal winners from paying taxes on their hard-earned medals. Currently, Olympians who win medals also receive honorariums in the form of cash payments of $25,000 for gold, $15,000 for silver and $10,000 for bronze, with the IRS collecting taxes on these amounts.
“Our tax code is a complicated and burdensome mess that too often punishes success, and the tax imposed on Olympic medal winners is a classic example of this madness,” said Rubio. “Athletes representing our nation overseas in the Olympics shouldn’t have to worry about an extra tax bill waiting for them back home.
“We need a fundamental overhaul of our tax code, but we shouldn’t wait any time we have a chance to aggressively fix ridiculous tax laws like this tax on Olympians’ medals and prize money,” he added. “We can all agree that these Olympians who dedicate their lives to athletic excellence should not be punished when they achieve it.”
The Olympic Tax Elimination Act, would amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to eliminate the tax on Olympic medals and prize money won by United States athletes. If enacted into law, the gross income of Olympic athletes “shall not include the value of any prize or award won by the taxpayer in athletic competition in the Olympic Games.” This would apply to prizes and awards received after December 31, 2011.
Michael Phelps Ends Olympic Career With 18th Gold, 22nd Medal
August 5, 2012
American superstar swimmer Michael Phelps closed out his brilliant career with a gold medal, swimming the butterfly leg of the victorious U.S. men’s 4×100 meter medley relay team.
It was the final race in the pool at these Summer Games and gave Phelps a remarkable all-time Olympics career record of 18 gold medals among his remarkable 22 total. No one else has more than nine golds.
“Through the ups and downs through my career, I’ve still been able to do everything that I’ve wanted to accomplish. And I’ve been able to do things that nobody has ever done, and that’s been something I’ve always I wanted to do,” he said.
The previous all-time total for Olympic medals was 18 held by former Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina.
At his post-race news conference, Phelps was asked how he would describe his place in Olympic history, and he shared a conversation he had with longtime coach Bob Bowman.
“I was in the warm-down pool and I said to Bob, I’ve looked up to Michael Jordan my whole life because he’s done something that no one has ever done and he is the greatest basketball player to ever play the game,” he said. “And I said, ‘you know what, I’ve been able to become the best swimmer of all-time, and we got here together.’ And I thanked him. And it was funny, when I got out of the pool, he was like, ‘that’s not fair.’ And I said, ‘What’s not fair about it?’ And he goes, ‘you were in the pool. I was like ‘yeah, my tears could hide behind my goggles. Yours are streaming down your face.’”
At age 27, Michael Phelps says he is done with competitive swimming.
At age 17, Missy Franklin is the rising star of the U.S. women’s swim team. She captured her fourth gold medal of the Olympics by helping lead the U.S. to victory in the women’s 4×100 meter medley relay. The quartet posted a time of 3:52.05 seconds, breaking the world record set by China in 2009 by .14 seconds.
The U.S. women gave each other a big group hug on the pool deck after the win, and Franklin said they were almost at a loss for words.
“I don’t really think we said anything. I think just that hug said it all, just being together and being in each other’s arms and knowing that it was done and our Olympic experience of 2012 was over. And we couldn’t be more happy with how we finished it, just knowing that we were all there together, just savoring that moment of being world record holders and gold medalists for our country,” she said.
The other world record on the final night came in the men’s 1,500 meter freestyle, China’s Sun Yang clocked 14:31.02, bettering his own mark of last year (14:34.14) by more than three seconds.
The gold medal in the men’s 50 meter freestyle went to Dutchman Ranomi Kromowidjojo.
The United States dominated the London Olympics swimming competition. The American men’s and women’s teams each won eight gold medals, or half of the races contested. Together they won 30 total medals of the 96 handed out. Seventeen countries in all won swimming medals.
There are still two more swimming contests, but they are the 10-kilometer marathon events that take place in open water. The women compete Thursday and the men on Friday.
Track & Field in Full Swing
Meanwhile, British runner Mo Farah has won the 10,000-meters competition, holding off American training partner Galen Rupp and Ethiopia’s Tariku Bekele, who finished third.
Earlier, a packed track and field stadium roared as Briton Jessica Ennis clinched the heptathlon competition with a win in the 800 meters. Britain’s medal tally places it third in the overall standings, behind the United States and China.
History Making
South Africa’s Oscar Pistorius also strode into Olympic history Saturday, becoming the first amputee runner to compete in the Games.
Pistorius, who wears special prosthetics on both legs, finished second in a preliminary heat of the men’s 400 meters. He qualified for the semi-finals.
Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce retained her Olympic title by winning the gold medal in the women’s 100-meter race. She clocked 10.75 seconds to beat American Carmelita Jeter, who crossed the finish line at 10.78 seconds. Jamaica’s Veronica Campbell-Brown took the bronze in 10.81.
[VOA]
Stars Answer Wahoos Rally
August 5, 2012
In a game that only had two combined runs through the first 10 innings, nine runs were scored in the 11th by the Pensacola Blue Wahoos and Huntsville Stars combined. The Stars plated five of those in the bottom of the inning to down the Blue Wahoos 6-5 at Joe Davis Stadium in Huntsville, Ala. on Saturday night. After the Wahoos plated four in the top of the inning, including two on a pinch-hit home run by Andrew Means, the Stars plated five capped by a three-run walk-off home run by Hunter Morris. It was his 21st home run of the season.
The Wahoos claimed an early 1-0 lead when Beau Mills doubled home Josh Fellhauer in the top of the first inning. It stayed that way until the seventh.
The Stars put together several threats against Blue Wahoos starter Tony Cingrani through his five innings of work, but the lefty was finished after five scoreless frames and more than 100 pitches. He walked four and fanned four while giving up four hits but he kept the Stars scoreless. He didn’t end up factoring into the decision.
Drew Hayes took over in the sixth and worked a perfect inning. In the seventh, T.J. Mittelstaedt blasted a pinch-hit solo home run over the right field fence off Hayes to tie the game at 1-1.
The two teams traded zeros until Pensacola’s four-run 11th. It all started with a two-out single by Brodie Greene to keep the inning going. He stole second base, which allowed him to score on a single by Tucker Barnhart breaking the 1-1 deadlock. A batter later, Means blasted his pinch-hit homer to left extending the lead to 4-1. Billy Hamilton followed with a base hit and advanced around the bases on a series of three throwing errors by the Stars to make it 5-1.
Huntsville answered in the bottom of the inning. It all started with a leadoff walk to pinch hitter Adam Weisenburger. After a strikeout, Mittelstaedt singled home Weisenburger to make it a three-run game. Josh Prince and Jean Segura followed with back-to-back singles plating Mittelstaedt. With runners at first and second, Morris hammered the game winner over the left-center field wall giving the Stars the 6-5 win to even the series at a game apiece.
Despite allowing all four Blue Wahoos runs in the 11th, Kyle Heckathorn (4-10) was credited with the win. Of the four runs he allowed, three were earned. Mark Serrano (6-4) allowed all five Stars runs in the 11th to suffer the loss.
Greene’s hit in the 11th was his third hit of the game closing out a 3-for-4 game. Fellhauer (2-for5) and Barnhart (2-for-4) also contributed a pair of hits in the contest.
The two squads will square off in the third game of the series on Sunday. RHP Kyle Lotzkar (4-5, 5.30) will take the hill for Pensacola against RHP Josh Stinson (11-6, 3.25) for Huntsville. First pitch is set for 4:03 p.m. from Joe Davis Stadium in Huntsville.
By Tommy Thrall
Photo by Chris Nelson for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Locals Residents Place In Bushwacker 5K Run/Walk
August 5, 2012
Several North Escambia residents ran or walked the Bushwacker 5K Saturday on Pensacola Beach.
There were 1301 finishers – 616 male and 685 female.
North Escambia area finishers were:
- 19 – Tyler Hartley , Cantonment – 18:49:00
- 33 – Roderick Brown , Cantonment – 43:49:00
- 34 – Kathy Brown , Cantonment – 43:49:00
- 35 – Randy Aufrance , Cantonment – 43:50:00
- 60 – Cody Wolfe , Jay – 21:30:00
- 64 – Teresa Bryan , Cantonment – 47:33:00
- 86 – Kathy Howard , Cantonment – 50:39:00
- 95 – Erin Brewster , Cantonment – 51:20:00
- 100 – Valisa Hedgepeth , Molino – 51:39:00
- 101 – Hillary Smith , Jay – 51:40:00
- 112 – Brandy Hart , Cantonment – 52:56:00
- 128 – Brandy Hendrix , Cantonment – 55:53:00
- 141 – Jan Hondzinski , Jay – 57:27:00
- 151 – Caty Andrews , Cantonment – 58:08:00
- 153 – Lindsey Roberts , Atmore – 58:19:00
- 163 – Christi Erickson , Cantonment – 1:03:21
- 164 – Ami Dowell , Cantonment – 1:03:56
- 256 – Randall Kelley , Jay – 26:39:00
- 479 – Heather Johnson , Atmore – 29:59:00
- 485 – Jake Bondurant , Atmore – 30:03:00
- 514 – Katie Hagensick , Cantonment – 30:36:00
- 525 – Aaron Chatraw , Cantonment – 30:57:00
- 529 – Shirley Raney , Jay – 30:59:00
- 530 – Beth Anne Whitfield , Jay – 31:00:00
- 538 – Anthony Starling , Jay – 31:09:00
- 582 – Katie Smith , Atmore – 32:08:00
- 626 – Mary Henke , Cantonment – 32:56:00
- 649 – Jay Wright , Molino – 33:13:00
- 693 – Amy Knight , Atmore – 34:04:00
- 717 – D Floyd , Molino – 34:32:00
- 742 — Buck Lowery , Jay — 35:12:00
- 748 — Lisa May , Jay — 35:21:00
- 756 — Madison Whitfield , Jay — 35:30:00
- 787 — Robert Bath , Molino — 35:59:00
- 813 — Regan Howard , Cantonment — 36:42:00
- 826 — Jade Brown , Cantonment — 36:59:00
- 827 — Richard Howard , Cantonment — 37:00:00
- 831 — Molly Fore , Flomaton — 37:06:00
- 848 — Robyn Hoffman , Cantonment — 37:36:00
- 880 — Lori Eddins , Cantonment — 38:40:00
- 882 — Brian Smith , Atmore — 38:42:00
- 891 — Stephanie Godfrey , Cantonment — 39:01:00
- 935 — Miranda Roberts , Jay — 41:02:00
- 937 — Kayla Wilson , Jay — 41:03:00
- 938 — Britney Phillips , Jay — 41:03:00
- 941 — Krista Boughton , Jay — 41:06:00
- 942 — Julie Roberts , Jay — 41:06:00
- 962 — Kim Golden , Cantonment — 42:04:00
- 994 — MacEe Anders , Jay — 43:19:00
- 1022 — Lisa Sellers , Jay — 45:19:00
- 1110 — Brian Fermin , Cantonment — 51:29:00
- 1113 — Kimberly Thomas , McDavid — 51:50:00
- 1114 — Amber Andrews , Cantonment — 51:50:00
- 1133 — Jessica Gordon , Cantonment — 59:07:00
Perdido Gators Eliminated From World Series
August 4, 2012
The Perdido Gators were eliminated Friday from the USSSA World Series 14U in Orlando.
Area girls from Northview, Tate, West Florida, Escambia, Pace, and Gulf Breeze high schools make up the Perdido Gators softball team.
On Friday, the Gators lost to Texas Turn 5-3. Lauren Brennan went 3-4 and scored one run for Perdido. Texas Turn took the lead in the fifth, scoring three runs on three errors.
On Thursday, The Perdido Gators beat Cheetahs Gold 3-0. Mallory Ryan pitched seven, allowing no earned runs on three hits. Olivia Printiss was 3-3 at the plate for the Gators with singles, including a single in the fourth to bring home Lauren Brennan.
Members of the Perdido Gators are Ashley Young, Kota Berry, Sara Spears, Kristin Gunter, Morgan Peppers, Lauren Brennan, Angel Lathan, Olivia Printiss, Sydney Ezelle, Ali Cutaio and Mallory Ryan. Coaches are Tracey Ezelle, Greg Spears, Eddie Ryan, and Jeff Cutaio.
Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.