FWC Operation Targets Meat Processors To Prevents CWD Spread
September 23, 2025
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Operation Processor 24 concluded earlier this year, following a 4-month effort to inspect businesses involved in meat processing and taxidermy of highly regulated wildlife species. FWC announced the results of the operation on Monday.
The operation began on November 1, 2024, and concluded its inspections on March 1, 2025, with several investigations still ongoing.
The operation covered all 16 counties of the Northwest Region, from the Alabama state line to Jefferson County. It included 88 businesses known to work with regulated species. Of those, 70 were actively operating during the inspection period. The initiative focused on ensuring compliance with wildlife conservation laws while supporting hunters and trappers.
“This detail underscores the FWC’s commitment to protecting Florida’s wildlife and holding processors and taxidermists accountable to the law,” said Maj. Robby Creech, FWC Northwest regional commander. “The results speak for themselves and further support our ongoing efforts to prevent the spread of CWD (Chronic Wasting Disease) throughout our state.”
A total of over 100 violations of Florida laws and rules were cited during the operation, including:
Failure to submit harvest reports.
Hunting without a license.
No deer permit.
No archery permit.
Taking deer during closed season.
Taking deer by illegal method.
Exceeding daily bag limit for deer.
Exceeding seasonal bag limit for deer.
Antler restriction violations.
Illegal sale of deer meat.
Taking bobcat during closed season.
Illegal take of fox.
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) violations
The operation also led investigators to violations that occurred in other states. FWC partnered with Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky and Mississippi to curtail wildlife violations crossing state lines.
UWF Argos Move To 3-0 With Dramatic Road Win Over North Greenville
September 21, 2025
The UWF football team survived itself and an opponent’s grit Saturday night to remain unbeaten.
After leading 19-3 at halftime, the No. 3-ranked Argos’ self-inflicted miscues helped enable North Greenville to get back in the game all the way to the final play of UWF’s 25-17 victory against the Trailblazers at Younts Stadium.
The Argos (4-0) scored what seemed a game-sealing touchdown with 2:26 remaining, but the extra point was blocked – the Argos third point-after miss in the game – thus giving North Greenville a final chance to force overtime on its final possession.
The Trailblazers (1-2) drove from their own 7, exhausting all their timeouts when lining up with three seconds remaining from the UWF 8. Three Argos defenders converged on North Greenville quarterback Dylan Ramirez. As he was being tackled and falling to the ground, he threw a pass caught by Kimon O’Sullivan in the back of the end zone.
But the officials ruled his knee touched the ground before the ball left his hand. Therefore a quarterback sack and game over.
It was a wild end to what became a suspenseful game. In winning, UWF matches its best start in four seasons and will have a bye week upcoming to take a deep breath.
Here’s how it unfolded.
FIRST HALF
The Argos’ first of several special-teams mistakes led to North Greenville scoring the game’s first points.
The Trailblazers were stopped on their first possession deep inside their territory, but punt struck UWF’s punt returner Tony Newsome as a teammate was blocking a defender into him. The Trailblazers recovered at the Argos’ 41 and drove to the 10 where Cillian Bonner converted a 28-yard field goal.
On the ensuing possession, UWF took the lead in two plays. Quarterback Marcus Stokes threw a perfect slant pass to wide open Tyree Holloway, who went 68 yards for the score. The point-after was converted for a 7-3 lead.
Again, UWF’s defense came out with a stop. This time, Newsome returned it 36 yards to the North Greenville 35 to set up TJ Lane’s 2-yard scoring run five plays later. UWF kicker Brogan Woeber missed the extra point.
The next time UWF got the ball, another touchdown ensued. Stokes connected with Corey Scott on a deep ball to the North Greenville 1. Jay Sharp bulled his way into the end zone on the next play. An offsides penalty on UWF ensued as the PAT was converted. The repeat kick was no good and UWF had its 19-3 lead with 7:33 left in the half.
That penalty was among 13 whistled against UWF for 110 yards.
SECOND HALF
The Argos offense never got going most of the second half. Three third-quarter possessions ended on a punt, a trick-play interception and a fourth-down incompletion.
Meanwhile, North Greenville got within striking distance following the interception at UWF’s 43. The Trailblazers completed a seven-play drive when Ramirez threw a 5-yard TD pass to Eric Rasheed. Ramirez then converted the 2-point play with a pass with 4:38 left in the third quarter.
Stokes had passes dropped that could have extended drives during the stretch. That kept the Trailblazers within striking distance. They drove 76 yards in eight plays to get within 19-17 as 6:17 remained. The potential 2-point conversion to tie was thwarted by UWF’s pass rush to force an incompletion.
On the ensuing possession, Stokes made the game’s biggest play with a 59-yard pass to Quinn Sieger to the North Greenville 4. Three plays later, Lane scored on a third-down run from the 3 with 2:26 left. But the extra point snap was high, freezing Woeber for a split-second and causing the kick to be blocked.
A conversion would have essentially sealed the game. The Trailblazers then created the end-of-game drama with a 14-play drive that ended with the dramatic final play.
KEY PERFORMANCES
QB Marcus Stokes completed 18 of 31 passes for 323 yards, 1 touchdown and was not sacked. He also was UWF’s leading rusher with 48 yards on six carries.
RB T.J. Lane had 12 carries for 35 yards. Two of those carries, however, resulted in touchdowns through the defensive line.
WR Tyree Holloway led seven different receivers who caught passes with his best performance this season, catching eight passes for 141 yards and a touchdown.
LB Walker Robinson fought off an early game injury to finish with 12 tackles and broke up a pass.
DL Christian Ware-Terry led the pressure on the game’s final play, helping bring North Greenville’s Ramirez to the ground. He finished with six tackles, 2.5 for lost yards, 1.5 sacks.
P Michel Shine had three punts for 141 yards, a 47-yard average.
COACH NOBLES
“We got up to the quarterback a little bit, made him scramble and his knee was down before he got rid of the football. Great call by refs, you could see on the field and I’m excited about how our guys finished the game right there.”
“It feels good. We needed that going into the bye week. It’s good for our guys to be challenged. North Greenville is a very good team and they will make some noise. My heart rate is definitely up from the game but I’m proud how the boys finished the game right there.”
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NEXT UP: UWF will have this week to recoup with a bye week on Sept. 27. They will then make their longest trip, traveling to Tahlequah, Oklahoma to face Northeastern State on Oct. 4.
Tate Aggies Beat West Florida 27-7 (With Photo Gallery)
September 20, 2025
The Tate Aggies celebrated homecoming with a 27-7 win over the West Florida Jaguars Friday night at Pete Gindl Stadium.
Tate head coach Rhett Summerford has led the Aggies since their 2022 season, and notably, he came home to Tate from the head coaching job at West Florida. His brother, Wes Summerford, is in his first season as head coach at West Florida after leaving the Northview Chiefs. The “Summerford Bowl” was split the first two times around back when Wes was at Northview.
Both teams were 3-1 coming into Friday night.
RELATED STORIES AND GALLERIES
- Tate High School Crowns Homecoming Queen Destiny Moorer (With Photo Gallery)
- Tate High Crowns Homecoming King Carson Hindsman
- Bonus Photos: Tate Cheerleaders, Fans, And More
- Photo Gallery: Tate High School Homecoming Parade
The game was scoreless in the second quarter when quarterback Miles Delarosa found Noah Calderon for a 68-yard touchdown and a 7-0 Aggie lead. West Florida answered with a short quarterback keeper to tie it up 7-7.
Later, Delarosa found Calderon again for another Tate TD.
In the third quarter, Tanner Clark scored another Tate touchdown, and Clark added another touchdown to make the final score, 27-7.
West Florida dropped to 3-2 and has a bye next week.
The Aggies, now 4-1, will travel to Navarre (0-4) next Friday night at 7:30.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Holmes County Defeats The Northview Chiefs (With Gallery)
September 20, 2025
The Northview Chiefs lost 25-12 during homecoming night to the Holmes County Blue Devils.
Both teams were 1-3 coming into Friday night’s contest in Tommy Weaver Memorial Stadium in Bratt.
RELATED STORIES AND PHOTOS
- Photo Gallery: Northview Chiefs 2025 Homecoming Parade
- Aakira Davis Named Northview High Homecoming Queen (With Photo Gallery)
- Bonus Gallery: Northview Band, Cheerleaders And Fans
The loss dropped the Chiefs to 1-4 on the season. Up next, they have a bye week to prepare for an October 3 away game against the Baker Gators, who are currently undefeated with a 5-0 record.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
High School Football Scoreboard
September 20, 2025
Here are Friday night high school football scores from across the North Escambia area:
FLORIDA
- Tate 27, West Florida 7 [Story, photos...]
- Holmes County 25, Northview 12 [Story, photos...]
- Chipley 21, Jay 14
- Washington 34, Gulf Breeze 16
- Panama City Mosley 46, Escambia 15
- Pensacola Catholic 35, Jackson Providence 0
- Milton 53, Navarre 27
- Pace 35, Andalusia 0
- Pine Forest – Bye
- Pensacola High – Bye
- Central – Bye
ALABAMA
- Bayside Academy 49, Flomaton 7
- Escambia Academy 45, Coosa Valley 6
- St. Michael Catholic 56, Escambia County (Atmore) 14
- T.R. Miller 35, at Hillcrest (Evergreen) 20
- W.S. Neal 55, Marianna 0
Tate Aggies Varsity, JV Blank PHS In Straight Sets
September 19, 2025
In a clean sweep for the Tate High School volleyball program, both the varsity and junior varsity teams secured strong victories over the Pensacola High Tigers Thursday evening.
Tate 3, PHS 0
The Tate Aggies Varsity volleyball team swept their match in three straight sets over the Pensacola High Tigers
The Aggies took the first set 25-11, the second 25-10, and closed out the match with a 25-12 win in the third set.
Tate 2, PHS 0 (JV)
The Tate High School Aggies Junior Varsity volleyball team also swept their match against the Pensacola High Tigers Thursday evening. The Aggies took a decisive victory in two sets.
The JV Aggies defeated the Tigers with set scores of 25-19 and 25-17, completing a clean sweep for the Tate volleyball program on the road.
Pictured: The Tate Aggies swept the PHS tigers 3-0 in an earlier meeting this season. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
A Clean Sweep: Tate Volleyball Defeats Pine Forest In Straight Sets
September 18, 2025
On a successful Wednesday evening at home, both the Tate varsity and JV volleyball teams secured dominant victories over the Pine Forest Eagles.
Tate 3, Pine Forest 0
The Tate Aggies varsity volleyball team swept the Pine Forest Eagles in three straight sets Wednesday evening at home. The final scores were 25-7, 25-9, and 25-8.
Tate’s strong offense and solid defense controlled the match from the start. The team’s powerful serves and consistent attacks kept Pine Forest on the defensive, preventing them from mounting a comeback.
Tate 2, Pine Forest 0 (JV)
The Tate Aggies JV volleyball team defeated the Pine Forest Eagles in two straight sets on their home court Wednesday evening, with final scores of 25-8 and 25-7.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Northview Chiefs Fall To Baker Gators
September 17, 2025
Northview Chiefs volleyball fell to the Baker Gators Tuesday evening in Bratt.
The Gators swept the Chiefs’ varsity team 3-0, while the Northview junior varsity team lost 2-1.
For a photo gallery, click here.
On Thursday, Northview will travel to Uriah, Alabama, to take on J.U. Blacksher.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Tate Aggies Sweep Washington
September 17, 2025
The Tate Aggies volleyball program swept the Washington Wildcats on Tuesday night at Washington.
Tate 3, Washington 1 (Varsity)
The Tate Aggies varsity volleyball team secured a powerful comeback win against the Washington Wildcats.. After a tough first set loss of 15-25, the Aggies rallied with three consecutive dominant wins. They took the next sets with scores of 25-15, 25-7, and a decisive 25-20 in the final set to seal the victory.
Up next, the Tate Aggies will host the Pine Forest Eagles on Wednesday night.
Tate 2, Washington 0 (JV)
The Tate Aggies junior varsity team showcased their dominance by defeating the Washington Wildcats in two straight sets. The Aggies controlled the game from the start, winning the first set 25-16 and closing out the match with a 25-19 victory in the second set.
Tate 2, Washington 1 (Freshmen)
The Tate High School freshmen volleyball team defeated the Washington Wildcats in a three-set thriller. After winning the first set 25-22 and dropping the second 14-25, the Aggies rallied to win the deciding third set 15-7, showcasing impressive resilience and teamwork.
Argos Move To 3-0 After Win Over Shorter
September 15, 2025
The No. 5 ranked Argos had all three phases of the game working on Saturday as the team took down Shorter, 42-20 at PenAir field to get its third win of the season.
UWF scored four touchdowns on offense, one on special teams and forced three turnovers to dominate Shorter and move to 9-0 all-time against the Hawks.
The Argos had seven different players get carries in the game while nine different receivers had at least one reception.
FIRST HALF
UWF managed to find an early 15-0 lead just six minutes into the first quarter. Marcus Stokes scored the game’s first touchdown following at one-yard touchdown run. The Argos added a two-point conversion after Shorter jumped offside on the extra point attempt.
Roderick Webb then intercepted Shorter quarterback Jeb Walls on their opening possession which led to a 21-yard receiving touchdown by Avery Giddens for the Argos.
The visitors tightened the score with a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown that cut the lead to 15-6.
The Argos found two additional scores in the first half thanks to its special teams. Freshman Brogan Woeber nailed a 22-yard field goal early in the second quarter to give UWF an 18-6 lead. Then right before the end of the half Tony Newsome returned a punt 56 yards for a touchdown to help the Argos take a 25-6 advantage heading into the halftime break.
SECOND HALF
West Florida had the first two scores of the second half to break open the lead, 39-6. Tyshon Mansell grabbed a seven-yard touchdown pass from Stokes for the first score of the sophomore’s UWF career. TJ Lane later caught his third touchdown reception of the season on the next possession. UWF was the only team to score in the third quarter.
Shorter cut significantly into the deficit with two four quarter touchdowns. Lanear McCray found a run gap to rush for a 95-yard touchdown. Hugh Barbee III then took an interception back for a touchdown to bring the score to 39-20 in favor of the Argos.
Woeber closed out the scoring with a 39-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter to give UWF a 42-20 lead.
KEY PERFORMANCES
DB Roderick Webb had two first half interceptions, the first of his career with UWF
Tony Newsome took a punt back 56 yards for a touchdown right before the end of the first half
QB Marcus Stokes went 19-of-26 for 258 yards, three passing touchdowns on one rushing TD
Corey Scott made five receptions for 95 yards receiving yards.
Avery Giddens recorded his first touchdown of the season on a 21-yard TD catch
Tyshon Mansell had his first receiving touchdown for the Argos.
TJ Lane has now had a receiving touchdown in each of the first three games
Punter Michael Shine had five punts with three punts of over 50 yards and downed inside the 20-yard line.
Brian Hooks had his first career interception
The defense only allowed 87 passing yards (204 total yards of offense) and had 11 tackles for loss
COACH NOBLES
“It was huge momentum getting the touchdown right before halftime,” head coach Kaleb Nobles said. “It was awesome. Tony Newsome did a great job setting up the wall. We talk about how a couple plays can change a game, and that play changed the game right there.”
“To be able to create TFL’s on first and second down is something we set a standard for and make second and long and third and long tougher play calls for the opponent. Our guys have done a great job of that.”
NEXT UP
UWF will travel to North Greenville for a Saturday evening game at Younts Stadium in Tigerville, S.C. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. CT. NGU is 1-1 this season.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.