County Finalizes Land Swap For Bratt Park, Public Input Meeting Set
February 5, 2009
Escambia County has finalized a land swap that will bring a new community park to Bratt, and area residents are wasting no time in beginning to plan what they want to see done with the park.
The Escambia County Commission approved the land swap back in April, and there has been a “coming soon” sign on the property for months. But the deal just became final a few days ago.
The county traded 57 acres of mostly wetlands that county owned on Hanks Road for 13.19 acres at the corner of West Highway 4 and Bratt Road. The Highway 4 property was owned by Kale and Donna Schneider.
District 5 Commissioner Kevin White said that the new park had been a “long time coming”, with plans having been in the works for about 10 years.
“I think this is a great thing,” White recently told NorthEscambia.com. “A park in that area has been needed for a long time. This has been 10 years in the making.”
The land swap will end up costing the county only about $9,000. That will leave about $141,000 currently budgeted in White’s discretionary Local Option Sales Tax funds to develop that park. In the beginning, that money will pay for land improvements, playground equipment and a walking trail. Softball fields are part of the ultimate plan for the park, White said. The county’s budget crisis will not effect the funding for the park since funds will come from the local sales tax monies.
Area residents interested in the park are invited to attend a public meeting to be held at 6:30 next Thursday night, February 12 in the Fellowship Hall at the Shiloh Free Will Baptist Church at 5410 North Highway 99.
“It will be a great asset for the community, and we expect the private sector will get involved and help too,” White said. “It provides another park in the north part of the county that the other board members have supported since I have been here.”
The new park will be located along Highway 4 between Bratt First Baptist Church and Northview High School.
Pictured above: The site of a new county-owned park in Bratt is currently an open area with just a few very small trees. Pictured below: The aerial photo shows the placement of the new park. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Jay’s Lady Royals Advance In Tournament Action
February 4, 2009
The Jay Royals girls basketball advanced in the District 1-2A Tournament Tuesday night.
The Lady Royals beat Vernon 49-11. Jay is now 14-8 on the season.
Tessa Hendricks scored 12 for the Lady Royals. Other scorers: Ginger Jennings 9, Joy Gandy 8, Danelle Skaggs 6, Amber Steadham 6, Leely Trevino 5, Haley Mulford 3.
Jay 17 15 12 5—49
Vernon 3 0 2 6—11
Area Ball Registrations
January 31, 2009
It’s that time of the year again…ball registration is scheduled in Century, Molino and Walnut Hill.
Registration will be held each Saturday for the Molino Recreation Association at Don Sutton park in Molino. Registration will continue each Saturday from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. through February 23. The annual draft will be February 28.
Registration fees have been reduced this year due to the economy. This year, registration fees are $50 for the first child, $45 for the second, $40 for the third and free for additional players from the same family. A birth certificate copy is required to be on file for each child.
Teams for the Molino Recreation Association will include:
- Wee Ball –ages 3 & 4
- Tee Ball — ages 5, 6 & 7
- Baseball — ages 8 to 15
- Girls Softball — ages 8 to 16
If you would like to coach or just help out on your child’s team, you can sign up on the day your child is registered. For more information, call 587-4090.
Registration for Northwest Escambia Little League baseball begins Saturday, February 7 and continues each Saturday until February 21 from 10 a.m. until noon at Bradberry Park in Walnut Hill.
The cost is $35 for the first child from a family, $25 for the second child and free for each additional child. A copy of each child’s birth certificate is required for registration.
This year, NWE will offer Wee Ball for children ages 3 and 4 on the brand new “Drew’s Field”
For more information, call 327-6722 or 327-6155 after five p.m.
Century Little League will hold a board meeting at 10 a.m. on Saturday, January 31 at Showalter Park. The meeting is open to the public.
Ball registration will held again on Saturday, January 31 and Saturday, February 7 from noon until at Showalter Park.
Registration fees have been lowered this year for $30 for the first child and $20 for each additional child. A copy of each child’s birth certificate is requested. The following teams will be formed:
- Pre-T — 3 & 4
- Tee Ball — 5 to 7 boys and 5 to 8 girls
- Minor League Baseball — 8 to 10 y
- Machine-Pitch Minor League — 8 to 10
- Girls Minor League Softball — 9 to 10
- Boys Major League Baseball — 11 to 12
- Girls Major League Softball — 11 to 12
Ages are determined according to the child’s age on May 1, 2009.
NorthEscambia.com is looking for people to help us with stats and photos from NWE, Century and Molino play this year. If you are interested, use our contact form to let us know.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Rough Night On The Court For Northview Boys And Girls
January 31, 2009
Friday night was not kind to the varsity boys and girls basketball teams from Northview.
The Northview boys lost to Jay, 75-50.
The Northview girls ended their regular season with a loss to East Hill, 53-43.
The Northview varsity boys have two regular games to go this season – Tuesday at home against Escambia Charter and Thursday on the road at Baker.
Jay 75, Northview 50 (boys)
Northview—Lance Bushaw 18, Jody Levins 12,Aaron Bellamy 7, Colton Sims 4, Luke Killiam 4, LaDarion White 4, Dabney Langhorne 2, Jocqus Lett 2.
Jay — Dale Barlow 10, Hunter Boutwell 12, Rush Hendricks 5, Bugg Fischer 2, Steven Brabham 1, Luke Rowell 4, Greg Nelson 41.
Northview 14 14 9 16—50
Jay 23 8 19 25—75
East Hill 53, Northview 43 (girls)
Northview — Gabe Wesley 14, Shaniqua Jones 11, Laneicia Gomez 10, Shakeria White 4, Angela Roddriguez 4.
NV 9 8 12 14—43
EHS 10 16 7 20—53
Flomaton A Winner; Jay, Northview Fall On The B-ball Court
January 27, 2009
In Monday night high school basketball action, Flomaton added to their win column, but the night was not as kind to Northview and Jay.
In boy’s action, the Flomaton Hurricanes beat the Jay Royals in a close one, 76-71. In girl’s action, the ‘Canes also beat the Royals, 48-42.
The Escambia Charter school downed the Northview Chiefs, 72-59.
Escambia Charter 72, Northview 59
Escambia Charter jumped out to an early 24-8 lead by the end of the first period. Northview and EC were nearly point for point in the second, with EC pickup up 17 and NHS adding 16, making it 41-24 at the half. The Chiefs led the scoring in the third period, outscoring EC by a baker’s dozen. But Escambia Charter dominated the fourth period, for a 79-52 win over the Chiefs. Colton Sims led the Chiefs with 23 on the night.
NHS: Colton Sims 23; Jody Levins 8; Lance Bushaw 8; Aaron Bellamy 6; Jocqus Lett 3; Austin Arrington, LaDarion White Marshall and Wayne Marshall, 2; Dabney Langhorne 1.
Northview 8 16 25 10—59
Escambia Charter 24 17 12 19—72
Jay 76, Flomaton 71 (Boys)
FHS: Dee Brooks 20, Dominique Robinson 19, Odom 15, Da’Tavis Ellis 1, Shea Gibson 6, Austin Patterson 1.
JHS: Greg Nelson 37, Rush Hendricks 10, D. Walker 5, Dale Barlow 8, Steven Brabham 6, Hunter Boutwell 5, Jeff Fischer 3.
Flomaton 21 14 14 27—76
Jay 19 13 11 28—71
Flomaton 48, Jay 42 (Girls)
FHS: Paige Harwell 13, Lily Wright 11, Tara Gafford 11, Kaitlyn Hambrick 4, Allison Gafford 4, Brittany Mallet 3, April Cayson 2.
JHS: Joy Gandy 15, Becca Calloway 9, Amber Steadham 6, Danielle Skaggs 4, Tessa Hendricks 4, Ginger Jennings 2, Leely Trevino 2.
Flomaton 11 11 7 19—48
Jay 9 10 11 12 — 42
Ernest Ward Cheerleaders Need Your Help To Get To National Finals
January 26, 2009
The Ernest Ward Middle School cheerleaders are headed to Orlando next month to compete for a national title, and they could use a little help from you.
The EWMS cheerleaders took first place in the Universal Cheerleaders Association West Florida Regional in November at Tate High School. That qualifies the girls to head to Orlando for the national championships February 5-9.
Ashley Salter, EWMS cheerleading sponsor, says that the girls still need about $1,500 to make the trip. The girls have completed several fund raisers, including a pecan pie sale and a volleyball tournament, raising about $5,000 so far.
If you would like to help the Ernest Ward Middle School cheerleaders make their trip to the national finals, you can drop your donations off at the Ernest Ward office.
For a “sneak peek” at the EWMS cheerleaders’ national finals routine, click here for a photo gallery from a recent practice.
Pictured above: (front row, L-R) Hannah Gibson, Katelynne Calloway, Madison Arrington, Reagan Bell, Paeton Hadley, Morgan Ward, Mariah Albritton, (back row) Lana Clayton, Raven Weaver, Ariel Holland, Ali Martin, Cheyenne Godwin, Angel Mitchell and Ashley Mooney. Pictured left: The EWMS cheerleaders at a recent pratice. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Football Legend Carl Madison, 77, Returns To Coaching
January 23, 2009
Legendary football coach Carl Madison is returning to sidelines as the offensive coordinator for the Tate Aggies. From his first coaching job at Ernest Ward High School at age 26, Madison went on to become one of America’s most winning coaches.
Madison, age 77, is 326-129-7 over a 45 year coaching career, making him number two on Florida’s all-time coaching victories list and in the top 30 in the entire nation. He coached Tate to a state championship in 1980, and took the Pine Forest Eagles to two state championships in 1987 and 1988. The 1988 Eagle team was named as national champions by USA Today, and Madison earned the title of the National High School Football Coach of the Year. All in all, he coached at five different Florida High Schools including Ernest Ward, plus three out of state schools.
His football days began early at Escambia County High School in Atmore where he played tailback under Coach Herbert Barnes from 1945 to 1947, making him one of Atmore’s semi-famous “Barnes Boys” with 30 straight wins. After a stint in the Army, from 1950 to 1952, Madison played college ball for Texas Tech and Troy State Teachers College in the mid-1950’s.
Fresh out of college, Madison coached for four years beginning in 1957 at Ernest Ward High School in Walnut Hill. He moved to Milton High in 1961, coaching them to a state championship and 34 straight victories. He then took a coaching job at a Georgia High School, losing a state championship game in 1968.
Madison joined the coaching staff at Tate in 1971 on his way to winning that 1980 state championship. He left Tate in 1983, heading to Pensacola High for a couple of years. Then it was off to Pine Forest and those back-to-back state championships. He coached at an Albany, Georgia, school, another 10 years at Milton High and another short period at PHS during the period from 1989 until 2002.
In 2002, he took the head coach job at the small Jackson Academy in Alabama. The 71-year old took over a team that had gone 0-10 prior to his arrival. He lost his first two games at Jackson, but he went on to win the state championship. The following year, Jackson was undefeated and won another state championship.
Madison will continue to live in Atmore. On March 1, he will begin working with the Aggies, which finished with a 4-7 record last year.
Basketball: Jay Over Northview
January 23, 2009
Jay downed Northview Thursday night in girls high school basketball action, 53-32.
Jay took an early 11-6 lead by the end of the first period, and the Royals expanded that lead to 24-10 by the half. Both teams added a baker’s dozen in the third, making it 37-23 going into the fourth period.
Gabe Wesley led the Chiefs with a dozen points on the board at Jay. Shaniqua Jones added half a dozen. Angela Roddriguez, Laneicia Gomez and Shakeria White had four points each, and Taylor Byrd added a couple.
Tessa Hendricks scored 18 for the Royals. Amber Steadham had a dozen, as did Joy Gandy. Ginger Jennings added seven. Becca Calloway had three, and Leely Trevino scored a point.
The Northview boys are on the road Friday night against Walton. The NHS girls don’t hit the court again until January 29.
New Football District For Northview: NHS And Jay Now Both In 1A
January 17, 2009
The Northview Chiefs and the Jay Royals might just become big football rivals now that the two teams are in the same football district.
The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) has released the final district alignments for both the 2009 and 2010 football seasons.
In preliminary district alignments released in December, Northview remained in District 1-2B. Under a FHSAA rule that allows schools to “play down” one district, the Chiefs requested to be moved down one district to District 1-1A, the same district as the Royals.
“I’m excited for our kids and our program,” Northview Heach Coach Cody Keene said after the FHSAA district announcements Friday. “There will not be as much travel, and I think that will be good for our program.”
In addition to Northview, District 1-1A also includes Baker, Bozeman (Southport), Freeport, Holmes County (Bonifay), Sneads, South Walton (Santa Rosa Beach) and Vernon.
“Some of the schools are still a good distance, but it will be better for us,” Keene said. “We will be able to focus more on football. It will be a very competitive district.”
Keene said that he hopes Northview can develop a few strong rivalries within the district, like the Jay Royals.
Class 1A is Florida’s smallest, comprised primarily of schools with 521 or fewer students. Northview had 544 students during the October week used by the FHSAA to determine the new classifications, but schools in the lower 10% of the population breakdown of each classification have the option of playing down one classification if it is deemed more suitable for district travel reasons.
Football fans in Pensacola will likely see a few more rivalries develop under the new classifications. District 1-4A will include Crestview, Escambia, Milton, Pace, Pine Forest and Tate. Class 4A includes schools with 1,740 to 2,014 students.
Basketball: Jay 62, NHS 53
January 14, 2009
The Jay Royals beat the Northview Chiefs in boy’s varsity basketball action Tuesday night in Bratt.
Jay 62, Northview 53
Jay had the lead at the end of the first quarter of play in Bratt Tuesday night, 17-14. By the end of the half, that lead was just a single point, 25-24 for the Royals.
Jay’s Greg Nelson, who had 31 points on the night, helped pull the Royals out to a 9-point victory over the Chiefs
Northview: Aaron Bellamy 12, Colton Sims 12, Austin Arrington 12, Lance Bushaw 5, Wayne Marshall 4, Jody Levins 2, Luke Killam 2, LaDarion White 2, Dabney Langhorn 2.
Jay: Greg Nelson 31, Rush Hendricks 11, Dale Barlow 9, Steven Brabham 5, Dee Walker 3, Hunter Boutwell 3.
The Chiefs will be on the road Friday night against South Walton.