Friday Night Football Scoreboard
August 24, 2024
Here are Friday night high school football scores (and a few Thursday night scores) from around the North Escambia area:
FLORIDA
- Tate 24, Fort Walton Beach 0 [Story...]
- Northview 26, Destin 7 [Story, Photo Gallery...]
- Jay 34, Vernon 0
- Escambia 45, West Florida 12
- Pensacola at Pine Forest
- Williamson (Ala.) 52, Washington 0
- Navarre at Pensacola Catholic
- Crestview 42, MIlton 7
- Pace 17, Mary Montgomery 14
- South Walton at Gulf Breeze (Saturday)
ALABAMA
- Flomaton 23, Clarke County 15 (Thur)
- T.R. Miller 28, Reeltown 7 (Thur)
- Alabama Christian 30, Escambia County (Atmore) 26
Pictured: The Northview Chiefs beat the Destin Sharks 26-7 Friday night in Bratt. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Tate Aggies Roll Past Fort Walton Beach Vikings, 24-0
August 24, 2024
The Tate Aggies kicked off their 2024 regular season with a convincing 24-0 victory over the Fort Walton Beach Vikings on the road.
The Agges got on the board early following a 15-yard touchdown pass from Taite Davis to Christian Neptune.
The Aggies got on the board early in the game when quarterback Taite Davis connected with Christian Neptune for a 15-yard touchdown pass. Davis continued to shine in the second quarter, finding Elijah West on a long pass to the three-yard line before keeping the ball himself for another touchdown to give Tate a 14-0 lead at halftime.
Senior Carson Secchari added to the Aggies’ tally in the second half with a 15-yard touchdown run to seal the victory.
Tate will remain on the road for their next two Friday nights under the lights, traveling across the bay to Gulf Breeze on August 30 and across town to Pensacola High on September 6.
Pinch-Hit Stevens Homer Sends Wahoos To 5-3 Loss
August 24, 2024
written by Erik Bremer
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos continued their late-game struggles on Friday night, falling 5-3 to the Tennessee Smokies.
Leading 3-2 with two outs in the eighth, Justin King (L, 2-1) surrendered a long three-run homer to pinch hitter Felix Stevens that sent the Blue Wahoos to their fourth consecutive loss.
With the loss, the Blue Wahoos trail the Biloxi Shuckers in the fight for a playoff spot by 2.5 games with 20 to play, pending the results of Biloxi’s game in Birmingham.
The Blue Wahoos took a 1-0 lead in the third on Jakob Marsee’s seventh homer of the season, a solo shot off Tennessee starter Jimmy Endersby. The Smokies answered back with two of their own against Pensacola starter Jacob Miller in the bottom half of the inning, turning a Fabian Pertuz RBI double and Cole Roederer RBI single into a 2-1 advantage.
Miller worked 5.0 innings in his fourth career Double-A start, allowing two runs on four hits and striking out three.
Pensacola used some small ball to tie the game 2-2 in the sixth, as Johnny Olmstead drew a leadoff walk against Ben Leeper before advancing to second on a balk and scoring on a two-out RBI single from Graham Pauley.
In the seventh, Nathan Martorella gave the Blue Wahoos a 3-2 lead with a solo homer to right field. Shane Sasaki followed with a single, but was stranded at second base as Zac Leigh (W, 1-2) got the final two outs of the inning.
After two effective innings of relief from Woo-Suk Go, the Blue Wahoos turned to Justin King in the eighth. A leadoff walk was followed by a Pablo Aliendo fly ball into shallow right field, dropped by Shane Sasaki on a running attempt and ruled a bloop single. King bounced back with a pair of strikeouts, but Stevens was called upon to pinch hit and blasted a 435-foot three-run homer just fair above the left field foul pole to put Tennessee in front for good.
Blake Weiman (S, 5) worked a quiet ninth to lock down the win for the Smokies.
Pensacola has now dropped 9 of their past 11 games, including three losses in which they led after their eighth-inning at-bat.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Smokies on Saturday. First pitch from Smokies Stadium is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. CT.
Bonus Photos: Tate Cheerleaders, Fans And More
August 23, 2024
Here are bonus photos from last Friday Tate vs. Pine Forest Jamboree at Pete Gindl Stadium in Cantonment.
For photos and a game story, click here.
(Our apologies for the delayed posting of this gallery due to circumstances beyond our control and our election coverage this week.)
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Walks Haunt Wahoos in 7-3 Loss to Smokies
August 23, 2024
written by Erik Bremer
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos dropped their third in a row to the Tennessee Smokies on Thursday night, falling by a 7-3 final.
With the loss, the Blue Wahoos trail the Biloxi Shuckers in the fight for a playoff spot by 1.5 games with 21 to play, pending the results of Biloxi’s game in Birmingham.
The Smokies jumped ahead early, scoring four runs in the first inning to take the lead for good. Blue Wahoos Evan Fitterer (L, 6-5) walked four men and allowed four runs in just 0.1 innings, departing with 34 pitches thrown after a two-run single from Fabian Pertuz.
Adam Laskey kept the game within reach for the Blue Wahoos with 3.2 scoreless innings of relief, but the Pensacola offense didn’t activate until the late innings. Smokies starter Chris Kachmar (W, 7-3) worked 5.0 scoreless innings to earn the win.
Trailing 6-0 in the seventh, the Blue Wahoos pushed a pair of runs across with a Harrison Spohn RBI groundout and Jakob Marsee RBI single. They were poised to chip away even more in the eighth, drawing four walks against Daniel Missaki to force in a run and draw the score to 6-3, but Blake Whitney (S, 5) coaxed an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded to end the threat.
After Pertuz hit a solo homer in the eighth against Dale Stanavich, capping a four-RBI night, Whitney returned for the ninth to seal the Smokies win.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Smokies on Friday. First pitch from Smokies Stadium is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. CT.
Six-Run Fourth Sinks Wahoos in Loss to Smokies
August 22, 2024
written by Erik Bremer
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos continued their struggles against the Tennessee Smokies on Wednesday night, falling in a 10-6 final after two early leads slipped away.
The Blue Wahoos have now dropped 7 of 8 games this season to the defending league champions, and two in a row to begin their six-game road series.
With the loss, the Blue Wahoos again failed to put pressure on the first-place Biloxi Shuckers. The Blue Wahoos now trail the Shuckers by 1.5 games with 22 to play, pending the results of Biloxi’s game in Birmingham.
The Blue Wahoos briefly held a pair of early leads, taking a 2-1 edge on solo homers from Nathan Martorella and Johnny Olmstead in the second and a 3-2 lead on a Joe Mack RBI single in the third.
Olmstead’s homer was his first at the Double-A level, and began a 3-for-4 night. Mack’s RBI was his Southern League-leading 60th of the season.
Pensacola starter Luis Palacios (L, 8-6) was uncharacteristically shaky, tying a career high with 10 hits allowed and setting a new career high with four walks. The Smokies turned the game around with a six-run fourth, turning a 3-2 deficit into an 8-3 Tennessee lead. The Blue Wahoos left allowed eight runs, seven earned, over 3.1 innings.
The Smokies got their starter, Antonio Santos (W, 7-3), through 5.0 innings despite a high pitch count. The Blue Wahoos added on three runs against the Tennessee bullpen, getting RBI doubles from Jakob Marsee and Jared Serna in the sixth and a solo homer from Graham Pauley in the ninth, but it wasn’t enough to come back.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Smokies on Thursday. First pitch from Smokies Stadium is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. CT, with a live audio broadcast beginning at 6:55 p.m. ET/5:55 p.m. CT.
Lindgren’s Strong Outing Sets Tone For Wahoos Win In Sunday Series Finale
August 19, 2024
written by Bill Vilona
Smiles returned. A game was sealed. The congratulatory, high-five line of players had some added energy.
The Blue Wahoos got a win they needed Sunday, a 4-1 victory against the Montgomery Biscuits to end a tough homestand at Blue Wahoos Stadium in a good way.
Starting pitcher Jeff Lindgren, who was the Blue Wahoos’ most reliable, durable starter in 2021 on his eventual rise to making a major league debut last season with the Miami Marlins, duplicated that kind of performance Sunday in five scoreless innings.
He allowed just two hits, two walks, six strikeouts and carried a 2-0 lead en route to his first win since July 10.
Behind him, a bullpen trio of Cade Gibson (2 innings), Tristan Stevens and Dale Stanavich, all delivered. They allowed just one hit combined, two walks and five strikeouts. It resembled the other win the Blue Wahoos got in this six-game series on Thursday in a 3-1 game.
As it turned out, the Blue Wahoos got the runs they needed in the third inning. Shane Sasaki led off with a double, the scored on Johnny Olmstead’s RBI single. Olmstead then advanced on a stolen base and wild pitch and scored on Jakob Marsee’s sacrifice fly.
Marsee then laid down a sacrifice bunt in the sixth inning, moving Harrison Spohn into scoring position. Jacob Berry’s two out single scored Spohn and completed a big week for Berry. He went 9-for-21 in six games this week, with two homers and six RBI.
Joe Mack’s double in the eighth inning scored Graham Pauley with the Blue Wahoos’ fourth run.
It’s been a tough season series for the Blue Wahoos against Montgomery (8-16) and they will lament two games this week with ninth inning leads that didn’t end with wins.
But they remain in the thick of a three-team race with Biloxi and the Mississippi Braves for the second playoff spot. The second half winner in the Southern League’s South Division qualifies, or the second-place finisher if Montgomery wins both halves.
The Blue Wahoos will now turn attention to their farthest road trip this season. They will leave on Monday for east Tennessee where they will face the Tennessee Smokies in a road series beginning Tuesday at Smokies Stadium.
This series will be the second-to-last week for the Smokies playing in this ballpark, which is located 22 miles east of Knoxville in Kodak. Next season, the Smokies will move into a 7,000-seat stadium located in downtown Knoxville, not far from the University of Tennessee campus.
WHAT’S NEXT?
WHO: Blue Wahoos vs. Tennessee Smokies
WHEN: Tuesday Thru Sunday (Aug. 25).
WHERE: Smokies Stadium, Kodak, Tennessee.
Blue Wahoos Fall On Taylor Swift Ticket Giveaway Night
August 18, 2024
written by Bill Vilona
Courtney Ray and Lexi Hooks became the happiest, luckiest people Saturday at Blue Wahoos Stadium, winners of the Taylor Swift concert tickets from Saturday’s promotion on “Low E.R.A.s Night.”
That kind of good fortune continued to elude the Blue Wahoos, after losing to the Montgomery Biscuits 5-4 in the fourth setback this week against the team Pensacola has struggled against all season.
The latest loss occurred despite a strong home debut for Blue Wahoos left-hander Robby Snelling, who tied a career-high with nine strikeouts in 4.1 innings pitched.
A capacity crowd of 5,038 waited through an hour and 15-minute delay before Saturday’s game began, then sat through a near 3-hour game, before the much-anticipated draw of the two winners for the Taylor Swift tour stop on October 25 at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
“We had no clue it was an ERAs, Taylor Swift type game,” said Hooks, explaining they purchased tickets a couple months ago for Saturday’s game without realizing the seats had a special lure. “We had no clue, no idea until we got into the stadium.”
Hours later, they got the gift of a lifetime.
The couple, who recently moved to Pensacola from Montgomery, Alabama – as irony would have it — became stunned winners as Swift music fans to watch the world-renowned pop star perform.
“Total shock,” Ray said. “Shaking. Can’t believe it. We are not winners of things like this ever so to come to a game like and be surprised to win, it is very cool.”
The game itself began in the Blue Wahoos’ favor, just like two others this week. Jacob Berry continued his hot streak with a first-inning double that scored Graham Pauley with the first run.
The Blue Wahoos then took a 2-1 lead off Jared Serna’s homer, who is batting .394 since joining the Blue Wahoos on July 30.
Joe Mack then followed in the fourth inning with a homer, his team-leading 20th of the year, to make it 3-1
.
But as so often happened this week, the Biscuits quickly answered. They scored two runs in the fifth inning, taking advantage of walks, a single and outfielder error by Shane Sasaki.
They took a 5-3 lead in the sixth when Ricardo Genoves blasted a two-run homer off Blue Wahoos reliever Josh Simpson, who was set to begin this season with the Marlins before an injury setback.
The Blue Wahoos then loaded the bases with one out in the seventh but could only manage one run on Serna’s RBI ground out.
In the eighth, Mack was thrown out at the plate on a sensational throw by Biscuits right fielder Mason Auer on a two-out single from Sasaki.
In the ninth, the Blue Wahoos Paul McIntosh walked with one out, but was stranded there.
It’s been that kind of week, that kind of season-series for the Blue Wahoos (61-50, 23-20 in the second half), who are now 7-16 against the Biscuits (65-48, 25-19), the Tampa Bay Rays affiliate and winners of the Southern League first half South Division.
The series concludes on Sunday, which is highlighted by the appearance of beloved children’s character “Bluey,” which includes a pair of private meet-and-greet sessions before gates open at 3 p.m., then greeting fans at the ballpark after they enter.
GAME NOTABLES
— Also part of Saturday’s game, the second annual First City Bowl high school football game was announced on Oct. 25, featuring Pensacola High as the visiting team against West Florida High. PHS head coach Wade McKinney and West Florida’s Harry Lees participated in a “signing ceremony” before the bottom of the second inning in front of the home team dugout.
Tate Aggies Edge Pine Forest in Jamboree Showdown (With Photo Gallery)
August 17, 2024
The Tate Aggies kicked off 2024 with a hard-fought 10-7 victory over the Pine Forest Eagles in a Friday night jamboree at Pete Gindl Stadium.
Head Coach Brett Summerford credited the win to the team’s unwavering work ethic and preparation. “It’s just hard work. We keep grinding, that’s our mentality,” Summerford said.
For a photo gallery, click here. Look for cheerleader and fan photos in a gallery by Tuesday.
A short 3-yard touchdown run (pictured top) by senior Carson Secchari put the Aggies up 7-0 early in the half. Summerford praised the Eagles’ strong performance, emphasizing the importance of a quick start. “That’s a really good team,” he said. “We had to come out fast. I just told the guys to keep working.”
“That’s a really, really good team. We jumped out fast,” Summerford said of the Eagles. “That’s what you got to do. I just said keep working.”
The Aggies’ defense also played a crucial role in the victory, effectively containing the Pine Forest offense. However, Summerford cautioned against reading too much into the preseason matchup. “This doesn’t mean anything at the end of the of the night. We’re 0-0. They are 0-0. We just have to keep building and keep getting stronger. So that’s where we are going to go next week on Monday.”
Tate faces a challenging road schedule to start the regular season, with games at Fort Walton Beach, Gulf Breeze, and Pensacola High.
“We get to go on the road and got to fight,” Summerford said.
The Aggies’ home opener will be a homecoming matchup against Milton on September 13.
Friday night’s Jamboree was opened with freshman and junior varsity quarters.
Look for cheerleader and fan photos in a gallery by Tuesday.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos Suffer Another HeartBreaking Loss In Ninth Inning
August 17, 2024
written by Bill Vilona
Closing out late-game leads has been the Blue Wahoos’ forte during this run of successful seasons.
Right now, it’s gone the other way.
The Blue Wahoos took a 3-0 lead into the seventh inning Friday, then were an out away from having a chance for a walk-off win in the ninth, but that quickly vanished with one swing and a 6-3 loss against the Montgomery Biscuits before a crowd of 3,528 at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
The Biscuits’ cleanup hitter, Herberto Hernandez, pounced on a hanging curve ball from Blue Wahoos reliever Woo-Suk Go and blasted a 3-run homer into the water beyond left field. The no-doubter moonshot was the 14th homer for Hernandez this season, part of a slugging tandem with shortstop Carson Williams that has produced 29 homers.
This loss followed a blown 8-5 lead by the Blue Wahoos bullpen in the ninth inning on Wednesday. Prior to these two setbacks, the Blue Wahoos had been 43-2 when entering the eighth inning of games with a lead.
The decisive clout was unfortunately the fourth time in his past nine relief appearances that Woo-Suk Go has surrendered three or more runs. He joined the team on July 11 as part of a multi-player trade with the San Diego Padres.
Things started so differently Friday for the home club. The afternoon weather parted into a clear blue sky.
Blue Wahoos starter Jacob Miller, 21, making his home debut since being elevated from the High-A Beloit (Wisc.) Sky Carp, continued his impressive progression this season.
Miller, the Miami Marlins’ second-round pick in 2022 out of high school in Ohio, spun a five-inning shutout. He allowed just four hits and two walks while recording five strikeouts. He breezed through those five innings, wasting little time between pitches.
It was Miller’s third start since being elevated and followed his strong, scoreless five innings last week in his first Double-A win against the Mississippi Braves.
He was in line for another one after Jacob Berry hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning – his second in two games – to give the Blue Wahoos a 2-0 lead. Graham Pauley’s RBI double made it 3-0 in the sixth.
Reliever Chandler Jozwiak had a scoreless sixth inning against the Biscuits, but in the seventh, the Biscuits’ Willy Vasquez mashed a homer to lead off the inning. Jalen Battles singled, moved over on a bunt, then scored on Tanner Murray’s RBI single.
After Matt Pushard picked up his 11th hold with a scoreless eighth, Woo Suk-Go yielded three consecutive singles with one out. The last one tied the game. After striking out the next batter, he made the mistake pitch to Hernandez and it was the game-changer.
The Biscuits racked up 13 hits in the game. The Blue Wahoos had four players with a hit apiece.
Now, the Blue Wahoos will try and work toward a split of the series in Saturday’s fifth game of the homestand. Newcomer Robby Snelling (1-0, 0.90), a left-hander who has been stellar in his first two starts on the road, will be on the mound for the Blue Wahoos.
WANT TO GO?
WHO: Montgomery Biscuits vs. Blue Wahoos
WHEN: Saturday, 6:05 p.m.
WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium