Tate Aggies Claim First Miracle Bowl From Northview Chiefs
November 22, 2009
The Tate Aggies claimed the first ever Miracle Bowl Saturday afternoon with a 41-27 victory over the Northview Chiefs to end Tate’s best season in 13 years.
Proceeds from the game will benefited the Miracle League of Northwest Florida, a baseball league for disabled and special needs persons that plays spring and fall at the Mitchell Homes Miracle League Park on Nine Mile Road.
The Class 1A Northview Chiefs, under first year Coach Sid Wheatley, finished the regular season a 7-3 record, a huge improvement over last year’s 2-8 season. The Tate Aggies were 7-3 this season in Class 4A. Both teams finished third in their respective districts; one loss away from a trip to the state playoff series.
The Aggies were first on the board at Pete Gindl Stadium in Cantonment following a Northview turnover. That gave the Aggies a 7-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
With 8:44 to go in the second quarter, Tate added seven more with 50-yard touchdown from senior Qudarius Ford. Then to round out the half, the Aggies struck again, with a four yard pass to Abe Hutcheon to make it 21-0 heading into the lockers.
In the third, the Aggies scored again with 5:34 in the quarter to expand their lead to 28-0.
But the 1A Chiefs were not going to be shut out by the 4A Aggies. Late in the third, La’Mikal Kyles had a 34-yard touchdown run for Northview. After a good kick from Brad Lowery, the Chiefs were on the board, trailing Tate 27-7 with 2:59 in the third quarter.
Tate scored again in the third after Josh Dees broke free from a host of Chiefs for a 35-yard touchdown run. A kick through the uprights, and Tate held a 34-7 advantage at the end of the third quarter.
Darius Michael, a junior, started the fourth quarter with a 60-yard touchdown for Tate; the Aggies were up 41-7. Then Jeremy Jackson added a touchdown for the Chiefs. A missed point after, the Aggies were on top 41-13.
(story continues below photo)
Northview continued their fourth quarter scoring run with a Roderick Woods (pictured above) touchdown with 2:19 to go in the game. Then, with just 40 seconds on the clock, the Chiefs were in the end zone again freshman Roderick Woods hustling for another six.
In the end, the 4A Tate Aggies claimed the Miracle Bowl with a 41-27 win over the 1A Northview Chiefs.
Pictured above: Action from the Miracle Bowl Saturday between Tate and Northview high schools Pictured below: Tate Head Coach Ed Rigby presents a Miracle Bowl Trophy to Miracle League founders Larry and Donna Thompson. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Juniors Claim Gulf Coast Youth Alliance Football Championship
November 22, 2009
The Cantonment Juniors won the Gulf Coast Youth Football Alliance championship Saturday night at Pensacola High School.
The Cantonment Cowboys beat Ensley 34-0. The game was called with 6:59 to go under the mercy rule.
During their three game championship bid, the Cantonment Juniors only allowed one touchdown against them. During those three games, the Cowboys scored a total of 88 points.
The one TD allowed by Cantonment came during last’s win last week over Pensacola 24-6. In the first game of the three week championship series, Cantonment beat Myrtle Grove 30-0.
Jay Royals Compete In State Track Meet
November 22, 2009
The Jay High School Boy’s track team finished 18th in the state Saturday.
Individual times and places for the Jay Royals included:
- 47. Kennedy, Drew 5:41.4
- 78. Nadsody, Dylan 5:53.2
- 114. Kennedy, John 6:06.1
- 126. Keemp, Micah 6:08.2
- 141. Phillips, Chad 6:12.1
- 144. Fischer, Jeffrey 6:13.0
- 174. Trevino, Eric 6:27.7
In the Class 1A girls state meet Saturday, Emerlee Trevino of Jay competed individually, finishing 90th with a time of 6:56.1.
Middle, High School Girls Can Join Youth Volleyball
November 21, 2009
Middle and high school girls had the opportunity to learn about club and training volleyball at a Friday night meeting at Northview High School.
Northview’s volleyball coach, Betty Heaton, is looking to organize youth volleyball in the North Escambia area.
“The observation by coaches in the area is that there are girls that are interested in playing club volleyball, but that driving distances for club teams in Pensacola and Mobile have prohibited them from playing,” Heaton said. “We are interested in starting a club team and/or training team in the North Escambia Florida and surrounding Alabama areas.”
Club Volleyball is used to help players gain more experience playing volleyball. Club Volleyball will give players interested in developing their volleyball skills a chance to practice and play volleyball with a variety of coaches and teammates.
Training Team is a non-tournament club volleyball team. The goals would still be the same as a club volleyball team but they would not travel or play in tournaments. This would provide the players with the chance to practice and improve their skills.
To rdownload the information packet provided to interested girls Friday night, click here.
For more information, call or email Betty Heaton at bettie08@yahoo.com or (251) 253-0101 or Cheryl Bosley at Willy24@comcast.net (251) 591-0456.
Everyone Wins: Welcome To The Miracle League
November 19, 2009
The 1A Northview Chiefs will take on the 4A Tate Aggies at noon Saturday at Tate with proceeds benefiting the Miracle League.
The Miracle League of Northwest Florida, a baseball league for disabled and special needs persons that plays spring and fall at the Mitchell Homes Miracle League Park on Nine Mile Road.
The following is a NorthEscambia.com feature about the Miracle League from earlier this year.
Every game ends in a tie. Every player hits; every player scores. There are no strikeouts, no errors. Everybody wins.
Welcome to the Miracle League.
It’s a baseball league for disabled and special needs persons. With players from ages 3 to 63, there are 14 teams that play on the two fields at the Mitchell Homes Miracle League Park on Nine Mile Road.
“Abigail rounds second! She looks good this year, all decked out and playing some ball,” announcer Crystal Martinez says during an afternoon game at the Miracle League. “Loooook at her go! She’s headed home! She scores! Yeah Abi!”
That’s just the way a Miracle League game goes — always.
The players are in wheelchairs and walkers. Some handicaps are mental, some are physical.
Joshua heads toward the batter’s box in his walker to take a swing at the ball with his “buddy”. Each player has a “buddy” assigned to them to help them hitch, catch, throw or run the field.
“Go Joshua!” Martinez announces. “Good job!”
In the end, the game between the Orioles and the Twins was tied, just as every game has ended in a tie for the past nine seasons. The stats for each of the 150 players will be the same at the end of the season — perfect.
“It’s a wonderful thing for these kids,” Martinez told NorthEscambia.com after the game. “It’s about them getting to play a sport that otherwise they could not play…it’s about the smiles. I love to say that they are all stars when I am announcing.”
“I think it is a great thing,” said Stephen Gruenwald of Pensacola. His son James, 5, plays Miracle League ball from his wheelchair. “He enjoys it very, very much. And he loves the people; the volunteers are one of the best things.”
Players and volunteers come from not just Pensacola, but Mobile, Crestview, Brewton and points in between. Everybody is a volunteer that participates with the Miracle League. The are paid only in smiles.
“It’s a beautiful thing. Everybody here does it for one reason” volunteer Larry Powell said, placing his hand over his heart. “It’s here, in your heart, for these kids.”
“We have a guy that was a Marine for 32 years,” Powell said. “He will sit on that field with the smallest child and help them. It really gets to you.”
Each of the two Pensacola Miracle League fields is made up of 180,000 pounds of rec ycled tires formed into tiles painted to match a regular field. It provides a softer landing spot for a hard fall, while still providing a good bounce for the hollow core ball that is also designed to lesson injury potential. There are two seasons at the park, spring and fall. The rubber surface gets too hot to play in the summer.
The Miracle League needs more volunteers to serve as buddies, work the concession booth, pickup trash and many more tasks around their area of the Nine Mile Road ballpark.
The public is always welcome and encouraged to cheer on the players.
“It’s a special place here,” Powell said. “Everyone should watch one of these games. It will touch you.”
For more information on Miracle League, or to volunteer, visit www.miracleleaguepensacola.org.
Pictured top: Abigail gets a high five after a base hit during a Miracle League game in Pensacola. Pictured top inset: James takes a swing: Pictured bottom inset: Headed for home. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
North Escambia Miracle Bowl: Tate, Northview To Play Saturday
November 17, 2009
The 1A Northview Chiefs will take on the 4A Tate Aggies Saturday at Tate
Proceeds from the game will benefit the Miracle League of Northwest Florida, a baseball league for disabled and special needs persons that plays spring and fall at the Mitchell Homes Miracle League Park on Nine Mile Road.
The Class 1A Northview Chiefs, under first year Coach Sid Wheatly, finished with a 7-3 record, a huge improvement over last year’s 2-8 season. The Tate Aggies were 7-3 this season in Class 4A.
Kickoff is at noon. Admission is $5.
No Playoffs: Northview, Tate Both Finish Third In District Football
November 17, 2009
Northview and Tate high schools both finished third in their districts for the 2009 football season. Only the top two teams in each district make the state playoffs.
District 1-1A
Northview (7-3, 6-2) finished behind Freeport (9-1, 8-0) and South Walton (7-1, 8-2). Northview’s only district losses this year were 14-6 to South Walton and 42-12 to Freeport.
Jay (2-6, 3-6) finished seventh in the district.
(team, district record, overall)
- Freeport 8-0, 9-1
- South Walton 7-1, 8-2
- Northview 6-2, 7-3
- Sneads 5-3, 5-5
- Vernon 3-5, 4-6
- Bozeman 3-5, 4-6
- Jay 2-6, 3-6
- Holmes County 2-6, 3-7
- Baker 0-8, 0-10
District 1-1A Playoffs:Blountstown (2-1A Runner-up) at Freeport (1-1A Champion)
Last meeting: 2004 regular season Blountstown 27, Freeport 14
South Walton (1-1A Runner-up) at Liberty County (2-1A Champion)
This will be first time Liberty County and South Walton have played.
District 1-4A
Tate (7-3, 3-2) finished third in the district for the 2009 season behind Pine Forest (8-2, 5-0) and Pace (6-4, 4-1). Tate’s district losses were 28-14 to Pace and 49-21 to Pine Forest.
(team, district record, overall)
- Pine Forest 5-0, 8-2
- Pace 4-1, 6-4
- Tate 3-2 , 7-3
- Milton 2-3, 5-5
- Navarre 1-4, 3-7
- Escambia 0-5, 3-7
District 1-4A Playoffs:
Fort Walton Beach (2-4A Runner-up) at Pine Forest (1-4A Champion)
Last meeting: 2004 regular season Pine Forest 35, Fort Walton Beach 0
Pace (1-4A Runner-up) at Niceville (2-4A Champion)
Last meeting: 2009 regular season -Niceville 42, Pace 28
Coach Seeks To Form North Escambia Club Volleyball For Girls, Meeting Friday
November 17, 2009
The volleyball coach at Northview High School is looking to organize youth volleyball in the North Escambia area, primarily for middle and high school age girls.
“The observation by coaches in the area is that there are girls that are interested in playing club volleyball, but that driving distances for club teams in Pensacola and Mobile have prohibited them from playing,” Heaton said. “We are interested in starting a club team and/or training team in the North Escambia Florida and surrounding Alabama areas.”
Club Volleyball is used to help players gain more experience playing volleyball. Club Volleyball will give players interested in developing their volleyball skills a chance to practice and play volleyball with a variety of coaches and teammates.
Training Team is a non-tournament club volleyball team. The goals would still be the same as a club volleyball team but they would not travel or play in tournaments. This would provide the players with the chance to practice and improve their skills.
An information meeting has been scheduled to for Friday night, November 20 at 7:00 at the Northview High School gym. Costs and different options available to players will be discussed at this meeting.
For more information, call or email Betty Heaton at bettie08@yahoo.com or (251) 253-0101 or Cheryl Bosley at Willy24@comcast.net (251) 591-0456.
For flyer with more information, click here (pdf).
NWE Monthly Baseball Meeting Tonight
November 17, 2009
The Northwest Escambia baseball monthly board meeting will be held Tuesday, November 17, 6:30 p.m. at the field house. Everyone is welcome.
Tate’s Zach McCulley Signs With William And Mary
November 16, 2009
Tate High School senior Zach McCulley has signed a National Letter of Intent to play baseball at The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.
McCulley gained national exposure this summer at the National Academic Perfect Game Showcase in New Hampshire. He was selected to the Top Prospect List after pitching three shutout innings, giving up just one hit while striking out six and featuring a fast ball clocked in the upper 80’s. Each player who attends this showcase must have at least a 3.0 GPA.
With a six-foot-five, 200 pound frame, this left handed pitcher and first baseman posted a 2-0 record last year for the Aggies including a win over rival Pace. He had a 7-0 record this summer for the Florida Longhorns, including a 2-0 record at the 18U World Wood Bat Championship Tournament in Marrietta, Georgia.
He maintains a 4.5 GPA and entertained offers from Brown, Davidson, Georgetown, Columbia, and all three service academies before settling on William and Mary. McCulley visited the campus earlier this year.
“The offer was the right place and the right time and I am relieved to have made my decision,” McCulley said.
William and Mary will play their most difficult schedule ever in 2010 with nine games against four teams that made the NCAA tournament, including defending national champion LSU.
Pictured top: Tate High senior Zach McCulley signs a National Letter of Intent with William & Mary. At Friday’s signing at Tate, McCulley was surrounded by his mother Susan (left), sister Kaitlin and father Kit. Submitted photo by Deeann Lee for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.