Locals Place In Azalea Trail Run
March 25, 2012
Several North Escambia area runners took part in the Azalea Trail Run Saturday in Mobile, including two runners with top 20 finishes.
Hugh Long, age 75 of Atmore, finished second in his age division. Three other area residents, Michelle Peebles of McDavid, Jo Nolin of Flomaton and Charlene Cunningham of Century were top 10 finishers in their divisions.
Here are North Escambia area finishers in the Azalea Trail Run, listed by overall finish place followed by division place:
Azalea Trail Run 2012 10K
114 — 19, Bell Keith, 28 M, Atmore, 42:30
472 — 10, Rice Bert W, 63 M, Atmore, 50:44
791 — 80, Weber Jason, 36 M, Atmore, 54:57
968 — 10, Peacock Wayne, 67 M, Cantonment, 57:01
1205 — 71, Turner Shannon, 32 F, Flomaton, 59:39
1277 — 117, Clarke Adam, 40 M, Cantonment, 1:00:25
1483 — 100, Mosley Ashley, 36 F, Atmore, 1:02:33
1510 — 2, Long Hugh D, 75 M, Atmore, 1:02:53
1577 — 111, White Amy, 36 F, Flomaton, 1:03:33
1698 — 14, Peacock Sharon, 59 F, Cantonment, 1:05:04
1786 — 130, Bell Dawn, 38 F, Atmore, 1:06:29
1858 — 138, Godwin Jolynn, 36 F, Atmore, 1:07:23
1863 — 134, Godwin Gordon, 37 M, Atmore, 1:07:28
1882 — 142, Ragan Tonya, 39 F, Atmore, 1:07:50
1903 — 122, Hughes Ashley, 28 F, Atmore, 1:08:24
1933 — 143, Lassitter Amanda, 34 F, Atmore, 1:08:56
Azalea Trail Run 2012 5K
204 — 16 Yoder Glendon L, 30 M, Atmore, 27:50
227 — 43 King Adrian D, 12 M, Century, 28:19
258 — 16 King Gene L, 39 M, Century, 28:53
278 — 7 Peebles Michelle, 41 F, McDavid, 29:18
447 — 16 McGill Brian, 52 M, Atmore, 31:57
476 — 28 Smith Katie, 31 F, Atmore, 32:25
509 — 31 Johnson Heather, 34 F, Atmore, 32:45
666 — 33 Nall Natalie N, 43 F, Atmore, 34:37
669 — 49 Heaton Betty J, 32 F, Atmore, 34:38
963 — 68 King Judy L, 39 F, Century, 38:12
1176 — 7 Nolin Jo, 62 F, Flomaton, 41:10
1339 — 121 Steele Kellie, 32 F, Flomaton, 44:33
1545 — 97 Venker Cecilia, 23 F, Atlanta, 49:25
1588 — 100 McGhee Sydney W, 23 F, Atmore, 50:32
1589 — 101 Black Jessica M, 23 F, Atmore, 50:32
1682 — 9 Cunningham Charlene R, 69 F, Century, 54:16
1877 — 47 Heaton Jae, 6 F, Atmore, 1:58:13
1878 — 65 Heaton Mark, 33 M, Atmore, 1:58:13
Atmore Company Improves Monster Truck Performance
March 24, 2012
Bigfoot, a legend in the monster truck world, paid a visit to sponsor Alto Products in Atmore on Thursday.
Today, the in second part of our series, we are taking a closer look at the dozen-year relationship between the Atmore company and the monster truck industry. (For part one of this series, click here.)
According to Robbie Ferguson, vice present of the High Performance Division at Alto:
- Bigfoot has been using Alto Red Eagle clutches for 12 years.
- Bigfoot was the first monster truck to start using Alto Red Eagle clutches.
- When the relationship began, Bigfoot was using a competitor’s clutch plates and they could not make it through one weekend of racing without burning up the clutch plates in their transmissions.
- After Alto developed several new products specifically for Bigfoot, their Ford C6 transmissions started lasting six to eight weekends before needing attention.
- After Ford dropped all of their sponsorships at the beginning of 2009, Bigfoot changed to GM 2-speed transmissions and with Alto Red Eagle clutch plates installed their transmissions now last upwards of 6 months.
- Alto now supplies their Red Eagle racing clutches to over a dozen monster truck teams including Gravedigger, Black Stallion and Big Dawg.
- The Bigfoot trucks average about 1,500 horsepower and the “freestyle” portion of their shows are what cause the most damage to their trucks.
- This is the second time that Bigfoot has visited Alto – they did an appearance at a company picnic in Century back in 2002.
Pictured top: Monster truck Bigfoot at Alto Products in Atmore. Pictured below: Alto Products COO Bill Bush is dwarfed by Bigfoot as he points to the Alto logo sponsorship sticker. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate Beats Hueytown In 10
March 23, 2012
The Tate Aggies beat Hueytown (Ala.) High School in the Acentria Aggie Classic Thursday night.
With the 2-1 win in 10 innings, the Aggies improved to 12-1 on the season.
The Tate Aggies will be in action again next Tuesday with a short road trip to Pensacola High School. Game time is 7:00.
True Giant: Bigfoot Visits Area; Driver Climbing The Ladder
March 23, 2012
Bigfoot — one of the true giants in the monster truck world — made a stop at sponsor Alto Products in Atmore Thursday afternoon.
Bigfoot #10 is a 4-wheel drive behemoth that achieves its superior power from Atmore-made Alto Products transmission clutch plates. It is a methanol-fueled fiberglass truck sitting on eight custom nitrogen charged shocks with 66-inch Firestone tires. Over 700 hours of computer design work went into Bigfoot #10.
COMING SATURDAY: Coming up Saturday morning on NorthEscambia.com, we’ll learn more about the role Atmore’s Alto Products plays in Team Bigfoot and the rest of the monster truck industry.
For a photo gallery, click here.
The truck’s driver is JR Adams, a 32-year old Madison, Indiana, resident and father of one. Adams (pictured left) arrived at the Bigfoot team in February of 2011 as a bit of an unknown variable. He had, for a short while, been a driver for the Paul Shafer Motorsports team out of Portage, Indiana. A handful of former PSM drivers have gravitated to the Bigfoot organization (including current star driver Larry Swim) to take a shot at working towards one of the most desirable positions in the monster truck industry: driving for Team Bigfoot.
This had become the case for Adams as well. His time spent away from the monster truck industry had only fueled his drive to get back on the road, and when he heard through the grapevine that Team BIGFOOT was in need of a new display truck driver for their Firestone Bigfoot #8 display program, Adams made a call to St. Louis.
“It was pretty nerve-wracking being the new guy at a place that’s as well respected as Bigfoot,” said Adams. “This place has a heck of a professional reputation, so you’re thinking to yourself ‘Wow, I better bring my A-game’.”
Adams started off his career at Bigfoot assisting some of the team’s drivers at first-quarter indoor events, before transitioning to the role as the driver of the BIGFOOT #8 display truck, one of the team’s most vital positions.
As Bigfoot VP of Sponsorships & Business Development Bob Trent explained, “Our Firestone display program is the cornerstone of our business, and has been for some time. We depend on our display drivers as much as our race drivers to represent our team and our sponsors all across North America. It’s not a job to be taken lightly!”
Adams’ performance operating Bigfoot #8 continually met the team’s expectations, in addition to pleasing the scores of Firestone retailers that he and the truck visited throughout 2011. As the year began to draw down, a realignment in the team’s race driver roster set the stage for an early opening during the first quarter of 2012. Adams made sure he was in place to make the next great leap forward in his career, particularly as the normal route calls for two or three years of display and car crush experience first.
“When I found out that I might have the opportunity to step into one of the team’s race trucks already, I wanted to be sure I was ready. I finally got to do my first car crush performance (in Bigfoot #10) at a Firestone retailer in San Marcos, Texas, in November. It was a great time, and the truck felt amazing – and I knew I definitely wanted to get back into the driving seat.”
Now in the driver’s seat of Bigfoot #10, Adams is now climbing the driving ladder which typically consists of several months of exhibition car crushing and freestyle performances, a path that numerous championship Bigfoot drivers have traveled. Needless to say, Adams is excited about the opportunity.
“I feel like I’ve worked hard to get here, and it is incredibly exciting to have this opportunity in front of me,” Adams said. “I owe a huge thanks to everyone at Bigfoot for giving me a chance and helping me learn and grow and get to the point I’m at now. I’m enjoying every minute of this, but it’s still kind of hard for me to believe that I’m already here.”
For a photo gallery, click here.
Pictured: Bigfoot #10 paid a visit to sponsor Alto Products in Atmore on Thursday. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Tate Gets Tourney Win; EA Girls Beat Sparta
March 22, 2012
Here’s a look at baseball and softball action from around the area:
Tate 10 — McAdory (Ala.) 5
After suffering their first loss of the season Tuesday, the Tate Aggies bounced back with a win Wednesday.
The Aggies beat the McAdory (Ala.) Yellow Jackets 10-5 in the Acentria/Aggie Classic. The Aggies are now 11-1 on the season. Tate dropped to Pinson Valley 3-2 in eight innings Tuesday.
Tate will play the Hueytown Golden Gophers at 7 p.m. Thursday at Tate (this is a location change) for fifth place in the tourney.
SOFTBALL
Escambia Academy 14 – Sparta 0
The Lady Cougars of Escambia Academy shut out Sparta on Tuesday, 14-0. Sydney McGhee was 3-4 at bat with a single, double and triple. Megan Duncan was 3-3 with 2 RBIs.
Escambia Academy 2 — Sparta 1
In junior varsity play, Escambia Academy defeated Sparta 2-1. Kennedy McGhee and Autumn Corley had doubles for the JV Lady Cougars, while Victoria Sawyer, Anna Catherine Sasser and Carson Barnett had singles.
NHS JV Beats Freeport (With Photo Gallery)
March 21, 2012
The junior varsity Northview Chiefs defeated the Freeport Bulldogs 8-2 Tuesday afternoon in Bratt.
For a photo gallery from the game, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Atmore Christian Beats Gateway
March 21, 2012
Atmore Christian School picked up another win Tuesday afternoon, defeating Gateway Academy of Bonifay 16-6 in five innings.
Atmore Christian will host Escambia Academy’s Cougars on Friday afternoon at 4:30.
Pictured top: Jonathan Bender (left), Christopher Gehman and Perry Metzer up to bat for Atmore Christian. Pictured below: Brooks Hart for ACS. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Everyone Wins: Welcome To The Miracle League
March 19, 2012
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.
Olivia Bush, 8, of Cantonment is blind, able to see just a little light with her left eye. She suffered frequent seizures until a portion of her brain was removed in February of 2010 at Miami Children’s Hospital. During the surgery, doctors removed a seven centimeter portion of her brain — basically taking out the bad, non-functioning portion and leaving behind the good, healthy tissue. She has been seizure-free since and has become much more independent.
But Saturday morning on the Miracle League field on Nine Mile Road, Olivia (pictured left) was just a regular kid…playing first base and, with the help of a buddy, getting a strong hit toward center field.
“It means a lot to Olivia to be able to participate in a sport,” mom Amber Bush said as she watched Olivia play. “It means a lot to us as parents to see her play.”
For a photo gallery, click here.
“I still tear up at times,” Miracle League volunteer Packy Mitchell said Saturday morning as he watched the kids of the Miracle League.
It’s a baseball league for disabled and special needs persons of all ages. Some of the players are in wheelchairs and walkers. Some handicaps are mental, some are physical. It’s a place for miracles.
In the end, the first game of the year between the Rockies and the Phillies was tied, just as every game has ended in a tie for the past 11 seasons. The stats for each of the 100 plus players will be the same at the end of the season — perfect.
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.
“On my Saturdays this time of the year, I’m here,” Mitchell said. “It’s the best thing for kids that I’ve every been totally involved in.”
“The smiles on their faces just makes it all worth it,” he added.
Each of the two Pensacola Miracle League fields is made up of 180,000 pounds of recycled 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.
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.
For more information on Miracle League, or to volunteer, visit www.miracleleaguepensacola.org.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Pictured top: A buddy helps a Miracle League of Pensacola player take a swing at the ball Saturday morning. Pictured top inset: Olivia Bush of Cantonment, who is blind, up to bat for the Diamondbacks. Pictured bottom inset: A player for the Cubs scores. Pictured below: A Miracle League player watches the ball while playing catch in the dugout. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Baseball: Northview, Tate, Flomaton, Escambia Academy
March 18, 2012
T.R Miller 9 — Northview 2
T.R. Miller 13 – Northview 2
T.R. Miller took two from the Northview Chiefs during a Saturday doubleheader in Bratt. Miller won the first game 9-2 and the second game 13-2.
Northview will host Freeport Tuesday afternoon, with the JV playing at 4:00 at the varsity taking field at 6:00. On Thursday, the Chiefs will hit the road for Central High School in Santa Rosa County.
Tate 5 — Glenwood (Ala.) 4
The Tate Aggies improved to 9-0 Saturday with a 5-4 win over Gleenwood (Ala.) High School. Next up for the Aggies is The Acentria/Aggie Classic this Monday through Thursday.
Flomaton 10 – J.U. Blacksher 0
Flomaton 12 — J.U. Blacksher 7
The Flomaton Hurricanes took two from J.U. Blacksher of Uriah on Friday in a baseball double header.
Zack Watson threw his second consecutive no-hitter Friday night. It only took the Hurricanes 5 innings to take down their area rivals the J.U. Blacksher Bulldogs 10-0. Jacob Newton had an outstanding night at the plate going 3-3 with HR, 2 doubles, and 4 RBIs. The Hurricanes improve their record to 10-3. Trevor Harris took the lose for the Bulldogs and Zack Watson was the winning pitcher and improves his record to 4-1.
Flomaton Batting- Andrew Cash 2-3 1B, 2B, RBI, 2 runs, 1 SB
James Dean 1-4 1B, 2RBI, 1 run
Hunter Bonds 2-3 2 1B, RBI, 1 run, 2 SB
Joseph Parker 1-2 1B, 1 run
Jacob Newton 3-3 HR, 2 2B, 4 RBI, 3 runs
Tyler Dove 2-3 2 1B, RBI
Trey Weeks 1-3 1B, RBI
Cody Nolan 1 run
Flomaton Pitching-Zack Watson 5IP, 7K, 1W, O hits allowed, CG
Flomaton beats J.U. Blacksher 12-7 in game two of the double header The Hurricanes had to fight back after going down 4-0 in the 3 inning. The Hurricanes showed heart by bouncing back and beating them 12 to 7. Tyler Harris got the win for the Hurricanes and got his first win of the year. Bryan James took the loss for the Bulldogs. The Hurricanes improved their record to 11-3 and are on a 10 game winning streak. Flomaton’s next game is Friday at Cottage Hill starting at 4 then at 6.
Flomaton Batting-Andrew Cash 1-2 1B, 3 RBI, 2 runs, SB
James Dean 1-3 1B, 2 runs, SB
Jacob Newton 1-3 3B, 3RBI, 1 run,
Tristan McAnally 1-2 1B, 1 run
Tyler Dove 1-3 2B, 1 run
Tyler Harris 1-2 1B, RBI, SB
Zack Watson 1 run
Flomaton Pitching-Joseph Parker 3IP, 4K,1W, 3ER, 2 hits allowed, ND
Tyler Harris 2IP, 2K, 0W, 1ER, 2 hits allowed, WP
James Dean 2IP, 5K, 2W, 2ER, 2 hits allowed, SV
South Choctaw 7 — Escambia Academy 5 (JV)
Escambia Academy 7 — South Choctaw 1
In varsity action, Escambia Academy defeated South Choctaw 7-1 on Friday. In junior varsity play, South Choctaw defeated the Escambia Academy Cougars 5-1.
Pictured top and top inset: Action as T.R. Miller faced Northview in Bratt Saturday. Pictured bottom at left: Escambia Academy versus Southern Choctaw. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Error Free: Northview Lady Chiefs Beat Freeport
March 17, 2012
A 100-mile road trip paid off for the Northview Lady Chiefs Friday with two big wins over the Freeport Bulldogs.
Northview 11 — Freeport 0
The Northview Lady Chiefs beat the Freeport Bulldogs 11-0 in girl’s softball action Friday. The Lady Chiefs were error-free in their big district win.
After an 11-day spring break, the NHS Lady Chiefs will be back in action on March 27 across the river at the Jay Royals. The junior varsity will play at 4:00 with varsity to follow at 6:00.
Northview 7 — Freeport 4 (JV)
In junior varsity softball action, the Northview Lady Chiefs beat Freeport 7-4.
NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.