High School Football Week 1: Winners, Losers, And Lots Of Photos
August 24, 2026
Week one of North Escambia area football in Florida is in the books.
The Northview Chiefs and Pensacola Catholic High Crusaders opened play on Thursday night, and walking away stong winners.
The Tate Aggies, Jay Royals, Washington Wildcats, Central Jaguars, and Pace Patriots were the Florida winners, while West Florida, Pine Forest and Pensacola High lost.
TATE AGGIES
- For a bonus photo gallery, from Tate with cheerleaders, Lil’ Aggies cheerleaders, Showband, and more, click here.
- For a Tate Aggies game recap and photos, click here.
NORTHVIEW CHIEFS
- For a Northview gallery with the band, cheerleaders, fans, and more, click here.
- For a Northview game recap and action photos, click here.
Complete scoreboard:
FLORIDA
Friday, August 21
- Tate 40, Marianna 13 [Story, photos...]
- Jay 35, Baker 6
- Walton 52, West Florida 7
- South Walton 50, Gulf Breeze 0
- Washington 27, Pine Forest 26
- Fort Walton Beach 41, Pensacola 6
- Central 37, Graceville 6
- Pace 41, Fairhope 0
- Florida High 37, Navarre 13
Thursday, August 20
- Northview 40, Rocky Bayou 6 [Story, photos...]
- Pensacola Catholic 20, Milton 0
Pictured: NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Clutch Plays Gets Wahoos To 4th Straight Win
August 24, 2026
They say timing is everything, and that was ever present on Sunday afternoon at Blue Wahoos Stadium. A well timed home run, a big time double play, and a home run robbery at just the right time were all ingredients in the Pensacola Blue Wahoos 4-3 win over the Knoxville Smokies.
The scoring got started in the bottom of the second. After Brandon Compton extended his hitting streak to 14 games with a leadoff double to begin the frame, Ethan O’Donell took Dawson Netz (L, 6-4) deep for his fourth bomb of the year over the left field wall, his second homer in as many days. And while that was happening, Joey Volini (W, 2-2) was cruising, setting down the Smokies down in order in each of the first three innings.
The Wahoos had a major threat in the bottom of the third, loading the bases with nobody out and the meat of their order coming up. Juan Matheus struck out on a ball in the dirt. Brandon Compton was able to bring home a run on a groundout to the pitcher, but Dillon Lewis went down swinging after. Though they were only able to scrape across one run, Pensacola was in a good place leading 3-0.
After retiring the first two batters in the fourth, Voilini blinked for the first time, giving up a solo home run to Miguel Useche, ending his perfect game and shutout. Two innings later, the Smokies would tack on one more with Andy Garriola bringing home a run on a groundout to third and cutting the score to 3-2. Jaydenn Estanista took over after that and ending the 6th inning with the tying run on third.
The bottom of the sixth brought on a very welcome sight, as Brandon Compton led off the inning with his team leading 19th homer of the year, putting the Wahoos up 4-2. The seventh inning, however, brought pressure. After retiring the first batter of the inning, Estanista allowed a first pitch single. He then proceeded to throw 12 straight pitches out of the zone to walk the bases full and eventually walk in a run, making it a 4-3 game. With the bases loaded, only one out, and the go-ahead run standing on second base, Nelson Prada called for Mason Vinyard out of the bullpen (S, 1).
Vinyard had spent his last 22 games at High-A Jacksonville and was making his first appearance for the Wahoos since late May. With no room for error, he got Useche to ground into a 5-4-3 double play, ending the threat and maintaining the lead.
The top of the eighth saw another threat from the Smokies. Andy Garriola led off with a single, which immediately brought the go-ahead run to the plate. Edgar Alvarez, who homered the night before, crushed a fly ball to right that died at the warning track. With one down, Ariel Armas dug in. And Armas hit his ball just a bit further. A ball with home run distance, bound for Pensacola Bay. And then Ethan O’Donnell rose up and snagged it out of the sky, robbing a home run that would’ve put the Smokies up by a run, receiving an ovation from every fan in the stands and every Wahoo on the field. Vinyard then struck Drew Bowser out looking to end the inning.
In the ninth, the tying run got as far as third base, but Alex Ramirez grounded out to third, closing the game out in dramatic fashion. The 4-3 win was the Wahoos fourth straight win, and their 13th win in 15 games. They now sit at a 69-50 overall and 33-17 in the second half while the Smokies fell to 64-55 and 26-24. The magic number to clinch a playoff spot dropped to 14.
The Blue Wahoos have a day off on Monday before heading to Montgomery for their final series against the Biscuits.
Wahoos Keep Rolling With 4-3 Win Over Smokies
August 23, 2026
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos squeaked one out against the Knoxville Smokies, winning 4-3 behind two home runs on Saturday night.
Jacob Kisting got the start on Saturday night, making his third career start at Double-A. Knoxville utilized some small ball off of Kisting in the top of the first, with Kane Kepley drawing a leadoff walk, stealing second, and advancing to third on a groundout to the right side. With Miguel Useche batting, Kisting spiked a breaking ball that skipped just far enough away from Connor Caskenette to allow Kepley to score from third, giving the Smokies a 1-0 lead.
Kisting, though allowing a base runner in each inning he pitched in, threw the following 3.0 innings scoreless, striking out four in the process. Pensacola knotted things up in the bottom of the fourth when, with Brandon Compton running on first, Dillon Lewis poked one down the right field line and into the corner, scoring Compton on Lewis’ fourth triple of the year.
After a scoreless fifth from Gabe Bierman (W, 5-2), the Wahoos found their power stroke. Ethan O’Donnell led off the inning by taking Smokies starter Brooks Caple (L, 4-4) deep to dead center, his third big fly of the year. Two batters later, Fenwick Trimble sent a solo shot out to left, his 15th of the season and his second since coming off the injured list last week.
But, the rally wasn’t finished. With two outs, Juan Matheus sent a double deep into left-center field and eventually came around to score thanks to a Brandon Compton single that gave the Wahoos a 4-1 lead.
After issuing a leadoff walk in the sixth, Bierman was able to retire the following two hitters. However, Edgar Alvarez tagged him for a two-run bomb to right field, bringing the Smokies to within a run of Pensacola.
After that, Holt Jones was able to lock down innings seven and eight, working around a walk and a single along the way. That left the ninth for Jack Sellinger (S, 7), who pitched a flawless 1-2-3 inning to lock down his seventh save of 2026 and secure the 4-3 win for the ‘Hoos.
Juan Matheus extended his hitting streak to 10 games, a season high for him, while Brandon Compton brought his hitting streak to 13 games, the longest streak for a Wahoo this season. The win brought Pensacola to a 68-50 record overall and a 32-17 record in the second half. The Smokies dropped to 64-54 and 26-23. Pensacola is now a season high 18 games over .500 and hold a 5.5 game lead over both the Columbus Clingstones and Montgomery Biscuits. The Blue Wahoos magic number to clinch a playoff spot now sits at 15 with 19 games to play.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Smokies on Sunday after noon.
written by Charlie Hobert
Aggies Overpower Marianna 40-13 (With Photo Gallery)
August 22, 2026
The Tate Aggies dominated the Marianna Bulldogs 40-13 Friday night at home on Carl Madison Field, rolling to victory in the first meeting between the two programs in nearly six decades.
Following a 30-minute lightning delay, the Aggie offense ignited immediately. Just three minutes into the opening frame, senior quarterback Cade Pierce—a transfer from Milton—connected with Efidarius Bryant to put Tate on the big video board. The Pierce-to-Bryant combination struck again minutes later on a long scoring strike to stretch the lead to 14-0. Tate kept its foot on the gas as Pierce found Brayden Allen for another aerial touchdown, building a commanding 21-0 cushion before the first quarter even wrapped up.
For a game action photo gallery, click here.
Look for galleries with cheerleaders, Lil’ Aggies cheerleaders, the Showband of the South, student section and fans by Monday.
Marianna answered before the break with a short goal-line plunge to cut the deficit to 21-6 at halftime, but the Bulldogs could not halt Tate’s momentum as the Aggies pulled away to secure the 40-13 win.
Next Friday night, Tate (1-0) hits the road for a matchup against the Milton Panthers (0-1). Milton enters the contest looking to rebound after suffering a 20-0 shutout loss at the hands of Pensacola Catholic on Friday night.
Pictured above and first below: Brayden Allen with a reception and touchdown for the Aggies. Pictured second below: QB Cade Pierce with a pass. Pictured bottom: A Marianna interception at the goal line. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Friday Night Football Scoreboard
August 22, 2026
Here are this week’s high school football scores from across the North Escambia area.
FLORIDA
Friday, August 21
- Tate 40, Marianna 13 [Story, photos...]
- Jay 35, Baker 6
- Walton 52, West Florida 7
- South Walton 50, Gulf Breeze 0
- Washington 27, Pine Forest 26
- Fort Walton Beach 41, Pensacola 6
- Central 37, Graceville 6
- Pace 41, Fairhope 0
- Florida High 37, Navarre 13
Thursday, August 20
- Northview 40, Rocky Bayou 6 [Story, photos...]
- Pensacola Catholic 20, Milton 0
ALABAMA
- Flomaton 30 Sweetwater 0
- Escambia County (Atmore) 60, Elberta 0
- Orange Beach 24, T.R. Miller 14
- Bullock County 27, W.S. Neal, 10
Pictured: The Tate Aggies beat Marianna 40-13 on Friday night at Tate. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Four-Run Fifth Lifts Wahoos To Electric Win Over Knoxville
August 22, 2026
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos waited out another two-hour weather delay on Friday night, but rewarded their patient fans with a 6-3 victory over the Knoxville Smokies for their 11th win in their past 13 games.
After enduring a suspended game on Tuesday, a rainout on Wednesday, and a two-hour delay on Thursday, weather got in the way once again. This time, the threat of lightning pushed the start time from 6:05 to 8:00.
Once the game began, the Smokies jumped ahead 1-0 right away in the first against Orlando Ortiz-Mayr (W, 3-4) thanks to a leadoff walk and a bloop RBI single from Arial Armas. They scored two more in the fourth on an Edgar Alvarez RBI single and Carter Trice RBI double.
The Blue Wahoos began their comeback in the bottom of the fourth with a Juan Matheus solo homer, and pounced on reliever Grayson Moore (L, 1-2) in the fifth. Colby Shade doubled, stole third, and scored on an Adrian Santana RBI infield single. After an Aiva Arquette single and a double steal, Brandon Compton put the Blue Wahoos ahead with a two-out, two-run double. Ethan O’Donnell then brought home Compton with an RBI single for a 5-3 lead.
For Compton, the double marked his 11th in 17 August games, becoming just the fifth Blue Wahoos player in franchise history to hit that many two-baggers in a month and the first since Troy Johnston in July 2023. The hit also extended his hitting streak to 12 games, tying him with Cam Cannarella for the longest streak for the club this season.
In the seventh, Santana reached on an error and scored on a well-placed safety squeeze bunt single from Matheus for a 6-3 lead.
The Pensacola bullpen took things from there, with Logan Whitaker contributing 1.2 scoreless innings and Nigel Belgrave (S, 
getting the final seven outs to earn his team-leading eighth save.
With the win, the Blue Wahoos remained 4.5 games ahead of the Montgomery Biscuits with 20 games remaining in the regular season as they pursue a second half South Division title and a date with the reeling Shuckers in the playoffs.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Smokies on Saturday night.
written by Erik Bremer
Chiefs Roll Past Rocky Bayou 40-6 In Season-Opening Blowout (With Gallery)
August 21, 2026
The Northview Chiefs kicked off the season in dominant fashion Thursday night, rolling to a 40-6 blowout victory over Niceville’s Rocky Bayou Christian Knights in Bratt.
Northview took complete control early in a game that was delayed nearly 30 minutes lightning in the area. Starting the game light rain, but a welcomed cooler night, the Chiefs built a commanding 40-0 lead by halftime behind a three-touchdown performance from Tyson Phifer.
For more photos, click here. (Look for cheerleader, fan and band photos over the weekend).
Phifer opened the scoring in the first quarter with a 3-yard rushing touchdown, followed quickly by a 4-yard scoring run from Caleb Levins. The Chiefs broke the game wide open in the second quarter. Phifer found the end zone twice more on runs of 16 and 20 yards, while Levins connected with JJ Jacobs for an 18-yard touchdown pass. Jacobs also punched in a 2-yard touchdown run of his own.
With the FHSAA running-clock mercy rule in effect for the entire second half, the game moved swiftly. Rocky Bayou’s lone highlight came as time expired, scoring on a 40-yard touchdown pass to avoid the shutout.
The Chiefs (1-0) hit the road next Friday to face the McIntosh Demons in Washington County, Alabama, about 40 miles north of Mobile.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Win One of Two On Thursday Night
August 21, 2026
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos left Blue Wahoos Stadium with an extra win and loss on their record, after going 1-1 in what was essentially a twin-bill with the Knoxville Smokies.
The day began with the continuation of the series opener that started on Tuesday. Luis Palacios (L, 4-2) pitched the lone inning played on Tuesday and gave up nine runs, a season worst for Pensacola pitching. The game picked up in the second inning on Thursday night and the Wahoos put up three runs in the third. Those runs came from Aiva Arquette and Juan Matheus hitting back-to-back doubles.
Luis Moreno pitched the bulk of game one and got roughed up for 7 runs on 7 hits and four walks in 4.0 innings. Knoxville posted a five-spot in the fifth inning and added two more in the 6th, with Ariel Armas taking Moreno deep to begin the inning.
Aiva Arquette launched his 8th homer of the year, a two-run blast in the 6th brought Pensacola its final runs of the night. Connor Schultz (W, 5-4) threw 5.0 innings and earned the win in a 16-5 final.
Game two came up all Wahoos in a seven inning contest. Knoxville struck first in the top of the third when Karson Simas took Eliazar Dishmey (W, 4-1) deep to right-center field. It was the first homer Dishmey had given up since June 18th. Dishmey ended up completing 6.0 innings on a season high 93 pitches. He allowed just the one run on two hits and 8 Ks. Juan Matheus and Brandon Compton each grabbed RBIs in the bottom of the third, Matheus on a single and Compton on a double, his second of the game and third of the series.
Up 2-1, Adrian Santana came to bat with the bases loaded and two down in the fourth. He tapped a squibber to the left side and Brody McCullough (L, 1-3) threw the ball up the first baseline and into right field. The throwing error cleared the bases with Santana ending up at second and the Wahoos grabbing a 5-1 lead.
Brandon Compton cranked a solo bomb to straight away left in the fifth, to extend the lead to 6-1 before Jack Sellinger would slam the door shut in the 9th, sealing the win for Pensacola.
The Wahoos improved their record to 65-50 overall and 30-17 in the second half, the first team to 30 second half wins. The Smokies fell to 64-52 and 26-20.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Knoxville Smokies, Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, on Friday night.
written by Charlie Hobert
Wahoos, Smokies Washed Out Again On Wednesday
August 20, 2026
Wednesday’s scheduled contests between the Pensacola Blue Wahoos and Knoxville Smokies were postponed due to rain.
Tuesday’s game, suspended in the top of the second inning with the Smokies leading 9-0, will be picked up on Thursday at 3:05 p.m. CT. Thursday’s regularly scheduled game will follow approximately 30 minutes after its conclusion. In accordance with MLB’s rules and regulations, the second game will be shortened to seven innings. The unplayed game scheduled for Wednesday will be rescheduled at a later date if deemed necessary by Major League Baseball.
Fans with tickets to Thursday’s game will have admittance to both games in the seat listed on their ticket. Fans with tickets to Tuesday’s suspended game or Wednesday’s postponed game can exchange them for any remaining regular season game, subject to availability. Each ticket must be exchanged at the Pensacola Blue Wahoos Ticket Office for a ticket of equal or lesser value. Exchanges must be made in person and cannot be processed via telephone, e-mail or fax.
Tate Aggies Sweep Escambia Tuesday
August 19, 2026
The Tate High School Aggies made quick work of their road trip Tuesday evening, cruising to a decisive 3-0 straight-set victory over the Escambia High School Gators.
Tate set the tone early in the opening set, controlling the net and capitalizing on service runs to build an insurmountable lead, closing out the frame 25-6.
The momentum carried seamlessly into the second set, where the Aggies delivered their most dominant stretch of the night. Strong defense and relentless attacking kept the Gators out of system, resulting in a swift 25-4 set win.
Escambia showed some fight in the third set, putting together a few rallies to reach nine points, but Tate’s offense remained too efficient to slow down. The Aggies sealed the sweep with a 25-9 victory to finish the match.
Next up, the Aggies will travel to Navarre on Thursday.