Tate Boys Soccer Beats Navarre 3-0 For District Championship
February 1, 2024
The Tate High School Aggies boys soccer team won the District 1-6A championship Wednesday night.
Tate defeated Navarre 3-0 at Ashton Brosnaham Park.
Graphic courtesy Tate Soccer for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate Girls Golf Team Named FHSAA Class 3A 2023 Academic Team Champions
January 29, 2024
The Tate girls golf team has been named the FHSAA Class 3A 2023 Academic Team Champions.
With a cumulative team GPA of 3.876, team members are: Eva Grissom, Lilly Hardy, Jordan Smith, Talia Smith, and Kara Wine. They are coached by Melinda Wyatt.
The FHSAA Academic Team Champion recognition program honors teamwork not only in competition, but in the classroom as well. The program recognizes teams in each of the Association’s sanctioned and recognized sports, naming an Academic Team Champion in each classification based on GPA.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
2024 Northview Baseballl Roster Announced
January 29, 2024
The Northview Chiefs have named their 2024 baseball team.
The roster is:
- Robbie Bodiford
- Jack Boutwell
- Jackson Bridges
- Luke Chavers
- Ayden Crabtree
- Taylor Curtis
- Kobi Fiorenti
- Tyler Gilmore
- Brayden Gindl
- Gage Harrison
- Nate Jones
- Kelan Jurey
- Dane King
- Rylan Minor
- Easten Odom
- Jase Portwood
- Colby Pugh
- Brodie Rhodes
- Wyatt Scruggs
- Grayden Sheffield
- Brady Smith
- James Smith
- Will Strawbridge
- Jayden White
2024 Tate Lady Aggies Softball Rosters Announced
January 28, 2024
…………………….
Tate softball has announced their 2024 Lady Aggies roster. Play begins with a Pre-Season Classic at Tate February 13 and 15. The regular season begins February 20 as the Lady Aggies host Crestview.
VARSITY
- Kate Balagbagan
- Olivea Latner
- Kylea Gibbs
- Elizabeth Mcvay
- Lacy Wilson
- Tristen Showalter
- Amburleigh Laird
- Blakely Campbell
- Kara Wine
- Aubree Jordan
- Jordan Smith
- Carlyn Ham
- Peyton Womack
- Kaylie Mitchell
JUNIOR VARSITY
- Kinzlee Biggs
- Peyton Wilson
- Jordyn Banks
- Madison Smillie
- Aubree Gorum
- Kacie Tolbert
- Carmen Morris
- Keanna Smith
- Chloe Engle
- Olivia Messer
- Paisley Smith
- Kierstyn Phillips
- Kingsley Wann
- Tatianna Yahle
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Tate Cheerleaders Win Regional Championship, Jay Takes Runner-up; Both Advance To State Finals
January 27, 2024
The Tate High School Cheerleaders won the Region 1 Championship and will advance to the state finals on Saturday, February 3 in Lakeland.
Tate took first place in the FHSAA Region 1 Small Varsity division at Port St. Joe High School.
The Jay Royals cheerleaders were named the Region 1 Runner-Ups and will also advance straight to the FHSAA State Finals in Lakeland.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate Cheerleaders Sweep Gulf Breeze High School Cheer Competition
January 21, 2024
It was a clean sweep Saturday for the Tate High School Cheerleaders at the Gulf Breeze High School Cheer Competition.
- 1st place gameday
- 1st place traditional
- Best pyramid
- GAMEDAY GRAND CHAMPION
- 1st place gameday
That was the last competition for The Tate JV and Freshmen cheer teams. The Varsity will head to the the FHSAA Regionals next Friday.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Ice Flyers Have Another Special Saturday Crowd On Mardi Gras Night, But Fall In OT Against Macon
January 21, 2024
by Bill Vilona, Ice Flyers Correspondent
For so much of Saturday night, the good times rolled and reverberated through all levels of the building on the annual Mardi Gras Night.
Unfortunately for the Ice Flyers and their loyal fans, there was silence at the end.
In another gut-punch to a team struggling for a turnaround, the Macon Mayhem got a tying goal with less than four minutes left in regulation play, thwarted an Ice Flyers power play late in overtime, then won the shootout for a 3-2 victory before a crowd of 7,032 at the Pensacola Bay Center.
“I feel bad for the boys, they deserved a better outcome,” said Ice Flyers coach Gary Graham. “We put a lot of effort out there and can’t find a way of winning games. We keep finding ways of losing games. Again, we dominated the play, dominated the scoring chances, we were disciplined, won the special teams battle.
“You do everything you are supposed to do to win hockey games.”
Right now, it just hasn’t happened. The Ice Flyers sustained their ninth loss in the past 10 games. Macon (8-18, 5 OT losses), battling to get out of last place in the Southern Professional Hockey League standings, rebounded after a 7-3 home loss Saturday against Roanoke – the team the Ice Flyers will face next week on the road.
But the element which has continued to shine all season for Pensacola is the crowd support at the Bay Center. This was the third consecutive Saturday home game where the Ice Flyers have drawn crowds of 7,000-plus fans for a non-discounted game. It has never happened before in the 15-year history of the franchise.
It began with the 7,159 on Dec. 30, then a new franchise record of 7,243 a week ago.
“It has been great,” Graham said. “The thing is, we went on that record streak here (9-0 start at home) early on in the year, and now we can’t get the job done, which is disappointing. We spoiled the fans a little early on, and now we’re not coming through, so it’s always disappointing when the crowds are great, and you want to play great in front of them.
“I do think our team has played good these last couple games. We’ve played hard. For three straight (home games), I feel like the guys have really given the effort and I hope the fans recognize that.”
Once again, the Ice Flyers had to battle from early adversity.
Macon scored just 19 seconds into the game and before much of the crowd had even settled into seats. The Mayhem’s Michael McChesney deked his way past an Ice Flyers defenseman and wristed a shot past goaltender Kaden Fulcher, who was playing his first game back for the Ice Flyers since November when he was called up to the higher level ECHL.
At one point in the opening period, the Ice Flyers had an 11-1 edge in shots on goal and finished the period with a 14-6 advantage without a goal.
That changed with 12:45 remaining in the second period when Lucas Herrmann got a terrific pass from Reggie Millette and got the shot past Macon goaltender Jimmy Poreda, who wound up stopping 34 of 36 shots, along with all five attempts in the overtime shootout.
“He came up big for them,” said Herrmann. “I thought we had a lot of good chances on him. This week we just have to work on bearing down and getting more stuff to the net.
“Coach (Graham) was preaching that after the game that we needed to start funneling more pucks and crashing the net harder when we’re on a skid like this. We have to create our own luck.”
Midway through the third period, Herrmann’s older brother, Zac, gave the Ice Flyers a 2-1 lead and sent an explosive roar through the crowd when his slap shot from inside the blue line on a power play chance went through a screen in front of Poreda and into the net.
“Our power play has been moving around really well lately, and it was nice to see one finally go in there,” said Lucas Herrmann.
But Macon tied the game with 3:54 left in regulation play when Mayhem newcomer Lane King scored his first goal for the team after a shot block bounced his way.
“Their tying goal was a tough break for us,” Lucas Herrmann said. “We had a really good shot block there and just an unlucky bounce. But I thought we did a lot of good things tonight and we do appreciate the crowd. I wish we could have pulled that out for them.”
The Ice Flyers were in position to pull it out when Macon’s Billy Jerry was whistled for a holding penalty with 1:14 left in the overtime. The Ice Flyers had several good looks, several hard shots, but Poreda made the stops.
And then in the five-player shootout, Macon’s Alex Laplante, the team’s first shooter, wristed a shot through Fulcher’s pads. All five Ice Flyers shooters were thwarted to end the game.
“Guys are here to do a job. If you’re paid to be offensive, you put those guys out there on the ice… and we have some guys with dry spells right now,” Graham said. “We’ve got to try and change some things up and maybe move some lines around.
“I hate doing that, but at this point as a coach, you have to entertain all things to get the team going in the right direction.”
WHAT’S NEXT?
WHO: Ice Flyers vs. Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs
WHEN: Friday-Saturday (Jan. 26-27), both games at 6:05 p.m. CST.
WHERE: Berglund Center, Roanoke, Va
Ice Flyers Sustain Tough Setback After Huntsville Havoc Rally In Third Period
January 20, 2024
by Bill Vilona IceFlyers Correspondent
None of the Ice Flyers previous losses this month stung quite like this one.
The Huntsville Havoc scored three goals in the final period for a 4-3 comeback, road victory Friday at the Pensacola Bay Center that further emphasized the Ice Flyers recent challenges to overcome misfortune.
“It seems like this year, it’s bizarre during this stretch that we’ve been on, that other teams are just so opportunistic,” said Ice Flyers coach Gary Graham, whose team had snapped a seven-game losing streak with a win last Saturday. “I mean it’s just wild.
“We’ll have two breakaways, three breakaways, can’t score and all of a sudden a bounce comes off somebody’s stick and it’s in the back of the net. It’s been that type of last month and a half.
“And even when it was 3-1 (after two periods) I felt like we should have put a dagger in them. We had some grade-A chances that we missed the net on, some breakaways we could have capitalized on, and you kind of let teams hang around and hang around and you leave yourself open to stuff like that.”
It turned into The Riddler on Batman™ Night where the Ice Flyers wore specialty Batman™ jerseys that were auctioned after the game. Replica jerseys were sold at merchandise stands on both concourses.
For two periods, the crowd of 4,425 at the Bay Center saw the Ice Flyers take a 3-1 lead and seemingly headed for a second straight win. But the Havoc got back into the game just 53 seconds into the third period when Eric Henderson’s wrist shot from inside the faceoff circle hit goaltender Stephen Mundinger’s chest, squirted loose and rolled behind his back just across the goal line.
“It was a tough start, bad bounce, and seems like it has been happening a lot to us lately,” said Ice Flyers winger Zac Herrmann, who scored a go-ahead goal in the second period. “We have to figure out a way to find our game again and get going.
“We played 40 good minutes…. But the beautiful thing about hockey is we get to do it again (Saturday)”
The Ice Flyers will play the Macon Mayhem, the last-place team in the league, on Saturday for the annual Mardi Gras Night at the Bay Center. Based on advanced ticket sales, the Ice Flyers could have a crowd surpassing 7,000 for a third consecutive Saturday.
“We have to flush it quickly,” Graham said. “We’ve got to get points this weekend. We talked about this homestand and how important it was. The group knows it. We have some good dudes in that (locker) room.”
The game was tied 1-1 after a first period where the Ice Flyers had an 18-4 edge in shots on goal. The Havoc scored with their first shot that didn’t happen until nearly 7 minutes, 30 seconds into the game.
Havoc winger David Thomson rifled a wrist shot past Mundinger on a wing rush inside the faceoff circle. Through two periods, the Ice Flyers had a 31-11 advantage with shots on goal and finished outshooting Huntsville 37-16.
“(Mundinger) hadn’t seen a shot at that point and he sees a laser beam up over his shoulder,” Graham said, “For Dinger, those games are very challenging at the pro level when they are seeing no action, no pucks,” Graham. “There were a couple random shots that it looked like he was struggling with in the second period and that’s normal when the goalies aren’t seeing a lot of action. You’re only seeing three shots, six shots and so those games can be challenging.
“He hadn’t seen a shot at that point, and he sees a laser beam up over his shoulder. So, lot of times with a goalie when they get in a flow of the game and start seeing some shots.”
The Ice Flyers got the tying goal in the first period when Dale Deon got his first goal in an Ice Flyers uniform by knocking in a rebound near the crease. He was one of the three players acquired in a trade from Peoria. The Ice Flyers finished the period killing off a penalty.
The Herrmann brothers then gave the Ice Flyers a lead with their goals three minutes apart early in the second period.
Zac Herrmann’s goal came off a face-off with his wrist shot into the top corner of the net, less than five minutes into the third period, on an assist from Ivan Bondarenko.
Younger brother, Lucas Herrmann, then finished a 2-on-1 rush while on a penalty kill. Malik Johnson broke free made a nifty move across the crease to get Havoc goaltender Matt Petizian on his back and Lucas finished the rebound into the net for a 3-1 lead with 12:07 remaining in the second period.
“It’s pretty cool (both scoring),” Zac Herrmann said, “Obviously, on the flip side, you want to win the game. My dad’s brother is here, first time he has seen us play in a while, so it was pretty cool.”
Huntsville (16-11, 3 OT losses, 36 points) opened an eight-point lead on the Ice Flyers (14-16, 28 points) for fifth place in the Southern Professional Hockey League standings.
The Havoc got its tying goal less than four minutes into the third period when George Thurston from behind the net off a bounce. It was his first goal for the Havoc. Craig McCabe followed with his first goal for the Havoc off a rebound from an odd-man rush.
The Ice Flyers called a timeout with 1:39 remaining and pulled Mundinger for an extra attacker but weren’t able to generate a good scoring chance against the Havoc defense.
“It wasn’t in the cards,” Graham said, “But you have to tip your hat to Huntsville. They kept working, they found a way. And all the credit to them and their coaching staff.”
“They blocked a lot of shots. That team is by far the biggest shot-blocking team. They put a soccer wall in front of the net. You have to be patient and manipulate around and deliver pucks at different trajectories.”
WANT TO GO?
WHO: Macon Mayhem vs. Ice Flyers
WHEN: Saturday, 7:05 p.m.
WHERE: Pensacola Bay Center
Wiener Dog Race Night: Ice Flyers With Big Win To End Losing Streak
January 15, 2024
by Bill Vilona, Ice Flyers Correspondent
Fueled by another record-setting crowd Saturday night, the vibe was evident before the game-opening faceoff.
And the Ice Flyers matched it with a special performance.
Just as another attendance mark was shattered, so was a seven-game losing streak in a big way as the Ice Flyers rolled past the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs in a 6-2 victory, as a crowd of 7,243 at the Pensacola Bay Center celebrated the team’s first win since before Christmas.
“We’ve been talking a lot, the last two or three weeks, but it was more actions tonight,” said team captain Garrett Milan, who assisted on a go-ahead goal in the first period that became vital. “I think we were all kind of embarrassed personally and that’s what I said to the group.
“As much as we’re not playing very well, as much as we’re getting bashed, which is as it should be, when it’s getting personal now,” he said, detailing his address to teammates. “And I think everyone took that personally going into this game and played their hearts out and it showed on the ice.”
Before much of the crowd – a 15-year franchise record for a non-discounted night that became the second 7,000-plus this season – had even settled into seats, the Ice Flyers scored the first goal.
Houston Wilson, who had a goal in Friday night’s 5-2 loss to Roanoke, rifled a wrist shot into the top corner of the net just 43 seconds into the game.
Just over a minute later, Roanoke tied the game and groans ensued throughout the arena.
Four minutes later, however, Milan and Joseph Widmar, set up Wilson with his second goal and from that point the Ice Flyers kept that same high-level play.
“Even when they tied it up pretty quickly, it was that response,” said Ice Flyers coach Gary Graham. “How are we going to respond to a little bit of adversity? And we went right back down there and started doing some good things.
‘I thought (Ice Flyers forwards) hunted down their D (defense) all night long. When we are playing good hockey, it’s about getting the puck in the offensive zone and going to work. The guys really bought in and it was total, complete effort.
“I thought how we were just making simple plays made the game look a lot of easier for us. It had a nice fluidity out there. When you play that way and everybody is all on the same page, it makes the game a lot easier.”
The Ice Flyers took a 3-1 lead later in the first period when Mitch Atkins scored his 10th goal this season.
Five minutes into the second period, the Ice Flyers appeared to go up 4-1, but the goal was disallowed, because the referee momentarily lost sight of the puck in a scramble in the crease area and blew his whistle. Because the whistle blew before the goal, a replay couldn’t be used.
No matter. The Ice Flyers then strung together two goals in just over 60 seconds apart when newcomers Adam Keyes scored his third goal of the season and Reggie Millette celebrated his first goal since joining the Ice Flyers.
And then just 13 seconds into the third period, Widmar finished the Ice Flyers scoring and the game was put away.
Ice Flyers goaltender Stephen Mundinger delivered a series of terrific saves throughout the game, but most notably in the first period when Roanoke had several odd man rushes and some good look chances.
“Just believing,” said Ice Flyers winger Malik Johnson, who got the crowd going early in the game with a late first-period fight that set a tone on how physical the Ice Flyers were in this game. “You’re on a seven-game losing streak… probably the biggest one I’ve had in my career. I told the boys we are playing for us and let’s just have fun.”
They did. And what’s more, a record crowd watched it.
“We have the best fans in the league,” Johnson said. “We were on seven-game losing streak and to have fans like that come out and watch us, we wanted to get the job done especially for them.”
“The crowd was spectacular,” Graham said. “It was loud, and I think the boys fed off of that.”
The Ice Flyers will now remain at home this week before hosting Huntsville and Macon in back-to-back games next weekend.
“I just want them to go out be safe and have fun (Saturday) as a team,” Graham said. “I want them to enjoy this. It has been very tense around here. I have been on them hard. They earned that the old fashion way.”
WHAT’S NEXT?
WHO: Huntsville Havoc vs. Ice Flyers
WHEN: Friday (Jan. 19), 7:05 p.m.
WHERE: Pensacola Bay Center
Mistakes, Misfortune Continue As Ice Flyers Endure 5-2 Loss To Roanoke Friday
January 14, 2024
by Bill Vilona, Ice Flyers Correspondent
The Ice Flyers had their four-week slide hit a new low.
In a game that highlighted the team’s current woes, the Ice Flyers were buried by a five-goal deficit after two periods and the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs breezed to a 5-2 win Friday night, which became Pensacola’s seventh consecutive loss.
Since the start of December, the Ice Flyers have managed just three wins in 13 games. The latest setback became a fourth consecutive defeat on home ice at the Pensacola Bay Center. The two teams had a rematch Saturday night as the Ice Flyers sought to end their struggles.
“There is something going on right now and we have to figure it out internally,” said Ice Flyers coach Gary Graham. “It is frustrating to see. It is not for a lack of talent, we just need for guys to really start elevating.”
After his team trailed 5-0 at the second intermission, Graham lit into players in the dressing room. The Ice Flyers responded with their best 10 minutes of the game, getting goals from Houston Wilson – his second of the season – and Ivan Bondarenko.
But that was followed by the Ice Flyers taking two penalties in a 15-second span that gave Roanoke a 5-on-3 advantage. The Ice Flyers killed both penalties, then pulled goaltender Stephen Mundinger with more than five minutes remaining for extra attacker but weren’t able to generate any further surge.
“Unfortunately, I had to go in there and lose my mind like an idiot after the second period,” Graham said. “Why should I have to bring the pom-poms out and act like an idiot to get a response (from players)? This is professional hockey. That is non-negotiable. I should not have to coach effort and attitude.”
Roanoke, the defending Southern Professional Hockey League champions won for the sixth time in the team’s past seven games. The Rail Yard Dawgs (17-7, 3 OT losses, 35 points) entered weekend in fourth place in league standings.
Friday’s game was the Ice Flyers midpoint of their season. The Ice Flyers (13-15, 26 points) have slipped to just a one-point lead in sixth place.
“You start the see the frustration of guys and you can’t execute as a professional athlete when you are slamming your stick on the glass and … we can’t have that,” Graham said. “We need leaders to lead and go out and play with their hearts on fire.
“It’s just not enough right now. Everything is magnified when you are going through something like this.”
The Rail Yard Dawgs scored the game’s first goal when Justin Daly backhanded a loose puck with his back turned into the net. He scored the team’s next goal three minutes later off a 2-on-1 break and wide-open look. Matt O’Dea followed by finishing a 3-on-1 advantage.
The second period started with a Roanoke goal three minutes into play that caused Graham to lift starting goaltender Riley Morris and insert Mundinger into the net.
During that period, Malik Johnson hit the left goal post on what fooled the goal judge into briefly lighting the lamp. But the puck remained in the goalie’s circle just above the line and was cleared out.
“We get a breakaway and it’s off the post. They get a bounce it’s in the back of the net,” Graham said.
“I liked our start (to the game). We were breaking pucks out well; we were snapping the puck around and everything was going good. Their first goal was a very harmless thing, a loose puck in the side slot and guy throws it at the net and in.
“The problem with our team right now… we’re so fragile and when that happens how do we respond and come out of it. The next five minutes, guys were trying to do too much. We had a couple bad turnovers, gave them momentum and that’s the issue right now with our group.”
“It’s a good group of guys, but when we have adversity right now during this losing streak, everybody wants to start trying to be the hero and do it all themselves, instead of sticking to the gameplan.”
Ice Flyers winger Joseph Widmar, acquired in recent trade with Peoria, continued his solid play with two assists and was the only Ice Flyers player with a plus-2 in the plus-minus category. He now has 26 assists on the season, the most in the league and is the fourth overall scorer.
The Ice Flyers had a “Hockey Night in Pensacola Theme” with fans encouraged to wear jerseys of their favorite NHL team and plenty of NHL teams were represented.
