Tate Varsity Slips To WFHS; Tate Freshmen With Big Win
March 11, 2026
West Florida 5, Tate 1
The Tate Aggies slipped to West Florida 5-1 on Tuesday.
Bryton McLellan went five innings for Tate, allowing eight hits and five runs (four earned) while striking out four and walking one.
Nathan Connors, Griffin Cook, Kannon Ham, and Connor Dethlefs each contributed one hit for the Aggies.
Tate 11, Elberta 1 (Freshmen)
The Tate Aggies freshmen earned a big 11-1 win over the Elberta Warriors on Tuesday.
Grayson McLellan earned the win for Tate, allowing two hits and one unearned run while striking out one and walking one.
Trent Madden and Sean Smith each tallied two hits for the Aggies, while Jackson Turner had two RBIs.
Tate Boys And Girls Tennis Beat Escambia
March 11, 2026
Tate boys tennis beat Escambia 7-0 on Tuesday, as the Tate girls earned their first win of the season 4-3 over the Gators.
Next up is a showdown at undefeated Gulf Breeze on Thursday.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northview Chiefs Overpower J.U. Blacksher 12-2
March 10, 2026
The Northview Chiefs beat the J.U. Blacksher Bulldogs (Uriah, Alabama) 12-2 on Monday night, in Bratt.
On the mound, Jack Boutwell earned the win for the Chiefs, giving up one hit and two unearned runs in five and one-third innings, walking two and striking out seven. Gauge Harrison went two-thirds of an inning in relief with no hits, no runs, and one strikeout.
At the plate, Grayden Sheffield went 2-3 for the Chiefs with one RBI. Harrison, Bryant Mason, Grayson Burns, Dane King, Easten Odom**,** and Jase Portwood each added one RBI.
Next up, Northview will host T.R. Miller on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Back-To-Back: Troy Wins 2026 Sun Belt Men’s Basketball Championship In Pensacola
March 10, 2026
Troy defeated Georgia Southern, 77-61, in the championship game of the 2026 Visit Pensacola Sun Belt Conference Men’s Basketball Championship presented by Air Force Reserve on Monday evening at the Pensacola Bay Center.
The Trojans punched a ticket to their fourth NCAA Tournament in program history and became the Sun Belt’s first back-to-back champions since Georgia State in 2018 and 2019. They will learn their seeding and regional destination during the NCAA Selection Show which will be televised nationally on CBS on Sunday, March 15 at 5 p.m. CT
Junior forward Thomas Dowd registered his 17th double-double of the season with a game-high 23 points and 13 rebounds on 8-for-12 shooting while adding three assists. He was named Sun Belt Tournament Most Outstanding Player as, senior forward Jerrell Bellamy added 15 points on 7-for-11 shooting to earn All-Tournament Team honors.
Troy shot 30-for-51 (.588) from the field, owned a 35-18 rebounding advantage and outscored Georgia Southern, 50-22, in the paint and 11-2 on second chances.
Georgia Southern scored the first basket of the game on a 3-pointer by graduate guard Tyren Moore, but Troy responded with eight-straight points capped by a transition basket in the paint from Bellamy.
Troy led for the remainder of the half and created its first double-digit lead of the night, 32-18, on a 10-2 scoring run capped by a 3-pointer off the hand of redshirt junior guard Cobi Campbell with 2:31 left before halftime. The Trojans shot 15-for-26 (.577) from the floor and outscored the Eagles, 26-8, in the paint whole holding them to just 8-for-26 (.308) shooting at the intermission.
Georgia Southern’s offense found a groove early in the second half, trimming its deficit to just four, 39-35, on a trey by graduate guard Jefferson Koulibaly with 16:07 to go.
Troy got the margin back to double digits, 49-39, on a Victor Valdes basket at the 12:34 mark. The advantage remained in double-digits for the rest of the night, as the Trojans shot 60 percent from the field in the second half.
James Madison Top Troy To Win Sun Belt Women’s Basketball Title In Pensacola
March 10, 2026
James Madison defeated Troy 69–52 on Monday afternoon to take the 2026 Visit Pensacola Sun Belt Women’s Basketball Championship title.
James Madison claimed its second title in four years, after winning their first tournament title in 2023. Earning the league’s auto bid James Madison will make its 14th NCAA tournament appearance.
Peyton McDaniel led the Dukes with a 28-point, 11-rebound, double-double, adding on four steals and four assists. A four-time Sun Belt All-Tournament Team honoree, McDaniel caps her Sun Belt tournament career being named the event’s Most Outstanding Player. The redshirt-senior averaged 25 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.0 steals and 3.0 assists per game through the Dukes three tournament games.
Teammate Ashanti Barnes was also named to the All-Tournament Team, producing a dominating 19-point, 10 rebound performances in the title game.
James Madison wasted little time taking control, opening the game on an 11–0 run fueled by McDaniel, who scored five of the Dukes’ first 11 points. The early surge forced Troy to burn a quick timeout as JMU set the tone on both ends of the floor.
The Trojans responded late in the first quarter. After falling behind by 14, Troy strung together a 6–0 run while the Dukes went cold offensively, trimming the deficit to single digits. James Madison still held a 20–12 lead heading into the second quarter.
A steal and full-court layup from Jackson pulled the Trojans within five, 23–18, and the momentum forced the Dukes to regroup as Troy threatened to cut the lead to just one possession midway through the quarter.
McDaniel halted the rally before halftime. The Dukes guard knocked down a deep three-pointer and followed it with a baseline layup, as the Dukes carried a four-point lead into the break.
James Madison seized control early in the third quarter scoring eight-straight points to start the half, pushing the Dukes’ advantage back to 14. The Trojans were unable to comeback and JMU maintained command, entering the fourth quarter with a 58–44 lead.
James Madison opened the fourth with eight-consecutive points, stretching the lead to 22. Troy made one last push, but the Dukes defense held for the 69-52 win.
James Madison enters the NCAA tournament with a 26-8 record overall. The team will learn of their March Madness opponent during the selection show on Sunday March, 15th at 7 p.m CT/ 8 p.m. ET.
Hundreds Attend Roy Hyatt ‘Night Of Nature’ In Cantonment
March 9, 2026
Hundreds of people attended the Roy Hyatt Environmental Center’s “Night of Nature” on Friday in Cantonment.
About 450 visitors and volunteers came out and enjoyed an evening full of family fun. They met reptiles, blasted off into space in the planetarium, met cool creatures of the night, peered at Jupiter through telescopes, saw birds of prey, played bird matching games, participated in science and birding activities, took night hikes through the woods while learning about foxes, salamanders, opossums, and owls, ate, used microscopes to observe all kinds of microscopic organisms, and toured the beach house visiting with all of the aquatic creatures living there.
The Roy Hyatt Environmental Center on Tobias Road is owned and operated by the Escambia County School District.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate Goes 3-4 At Weekend At Panama City Softball Challenge
March 9, 2026
The Tate Lady Aggies went 3-1 at the Florida-USA Softball Challenge 2026 on Friday and Saturday in Panama City.
Senior Kaylie Mitchell had four total home runs during the tournament, and was a tough call away from a fifth. Senior Jordyn Banks had one home run.
Tournament Scores
- Brewbaker Tech 5, Tate 4
- Tate 9, Wicksburg 2
- Tate 15, Ashford 10
- Tate 13, Arnold 3
This week, Tate will travel to Navarre on Tuesday, and to West Florida on Friday, to round out action before Spring Break.
Pictured: Tate Lady Aggies Senior Kaylie Mitchell at the Florida-USA Softball Challenge 2026 on Friday and Saturday in Panama City. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northview Takes Three At Weekend At Panama City Softball Challenge
March 9, 2026
Northview’s Lady Chiefs went 3-1 at the Florida-USA Softball Challenge 2026 on Friday and Saturday in Panama City.
Daviona Randolph had three home runs for the Lady Chiefs, Avery Stuckey had one, and Brooklyn Allen had a grand slam.
Tournament Scores
- Northview 6, Port St. Joe 0
- Northview 5, Ashford 2
- Enterprise 8, Northview 3
- Northview 12, Walton 1
This week, Northview will host T.R. Miller on Tuesday and travel to Niceville on Thursday.
Play Ball! Saturday Was Opening Day For A Growing Century Blackcats Ball Program
March 8, 2026
Saturday was opening day for the spring ball season for the Century Baseball Association at Showalter Park.
The program is continuing to grow, up from 198 players and 16 teams last year to 220 plays and 19 teams this year.
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Photo Gallery: Opening Day At Molino, NEP and Century Ballparks
March 8, 2026
Saturday was opening day for the spring ball season at several local ballparks including NEP, Century Baseball Association at Showalter Park and the Molino Ballpark.
For a photo gallery that includes scenes from Molino, Century and ENP, click here.
Related story: Play Ball! Saturday Was Opening Day For A Growing Century Blackcats Ball Program
Reader submitted and NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
