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Pensacola area athletes have been busy Wednesday and Thursday trying to take steps to state and district championships. Below is a recap of local postseason action over the past two days.
No. 2 Bishop Kenny 3, No. 3 Gulf Breeze 2
The Dolphins (16-6) quest for a third straight state championship ends in the regional semifinals.
Bishop Kenny (20-2) previously beat Gulf Breeze by an identical score on March 9. The Knights will play No. 1 Chiles at the Northside Community Center in Tallahassee for the Region 1-2A final on May 5.
No. 1 Pace 4, No. 2 Navarre 3
Pace junior ace Hannah DeMarcus loves games like this.
Maybe not the errors and one baserunning miscue that allowed Navarre to take a 3-1 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth inning, but she loves the rally afterwards to take the life out of the other team.
Pace scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, then held the Raiders scoreless over the last two frames to win a sixth straight district title.
"I like the games where we give them a little bit of hope and they kind of come after us a little bit," DeMarcus said. "And then we just bite right back and they kind of got discouraged in the last inning."
Before the Patriots pulled ahead for good, the breaks were going Navarre's way. Sure Kennedy Franz's home run in the bottom of the second inning put Pace on top, but the Raiders answered with two runs in the top of the fourth and another in the top of the fifth, all unearned.
The Raiders continued to be the area team that best competes against DeMarcus, and got solid defense highlighted by right field Kaleigh Atchley's running catch that turned into a double play to end the bottom of the fourth inning.
Meanwhile Pace's defense has been a puzzling weakness all year, assistant coach Danny Worrell said after the game, and he took responsibility for the base running mistake that led to the double play to end the fourth. But he liked that despite the bumps in the road, the Patriots had an answer.
Colbie Jones started the bottom of the fifth inning rally with a one-out triple, then scored when Laura Loomis reached on an error to cut the lead to 3-2. Pierce followed with a two-run home run to centerfield to put Pace in front.
"They slapped us and we knocked them out," Worrell said.
Both Pace (22-4) and Navarre (13-10) will likely host in the Region 1-6A quarterfinals on May 7. The Patriots road to a sixth straight Final Four will once again be all at home, starting against Nease.
But Pace will be looking for more, especially after winning the 6A state championship in 2024 and finishing runner-up to Doral Academy last year.
This season hasn't exactly been as smooth as those two, with the Patriots losing their most regular season games since 2022. They're also a team with clear flaws, sometimes struggling on defense and being a little too home run happy on offense.
But they'll still have the target on their back and know it will take everyone, which was reinforced in taking home another district title.
Jones, who went into the lineup near the end of the regular season after Kylie Reed went down with an injury, started the fifth inning rally. Worrell had to serve as head coach in place of his daughter, Lexi Alexander, who was sick.
Pace knows it's at its best when the lineup one through nine is supporting DeMarcus rather than waiting for one player to get the big hit. If the Patriots are united and pushing their energy in a positive direction, good things happen. That's the goal the next two weeks as they chase another trip to Longwood.
"This team is different," Pierce said. "I feel like we're all a family. Everybody says that but especially this year we all hang out all the time outside (the sport) and I feel like as long as we stay prepared and know what we're looking for and come together, I think we'll make a pretty good run."
No. 1 Niceville 4, No. 2 Gulf Breeze 0
The Eagles (20-7) needed just one hit to win a district title. Briana Noles hit a two-out grand slam in the bottom of the sixth inning, while South Alabama commit Chloe Bailey pitched a perfect game in the circle, striking out 11.
Jessica Jagar kept the Dolphins (15-11) in the game as long as she could, allowing five hits and six walks while striking out 16 in six innings pitched.
Gulf Breeze will learn its playoff seed in the FHSAA selection show, which will be streamed on YouTube tomorrow at 1 p.m. The Dolphins entered the district tournament the No. 4 seed in Region 1-5A and if it keeps that seed will host in the regional quarterfinals on May 7 unless matched up with a district champion.
No. 1 Escambia 10, No. 3 Booker T. Washington 5
Ayvana Rodrigues went 3-for-3 with a double, home run and three RBIs and struck out 12 in a complete game in the circle to lead the Gators (9-15) to back-to-back district titles.
Lacey Weinrich recorded a hit and an RBI, while Mariyah Everheart went 2-for-4 and Callie Menard drove in two runs. Kendall Libby went 2-for-3 with two RBIs to lead Booker T. Washington (2-21).
Escambia qualifies for the state playoffs and will learn its Region 1-4A quarterfinal opponent during the FHSAA selection show tomorrow at 1 p.m. The Gators will host in the regional quarterfinals unless they match up with a higher seeded district champion.
No. 2 West Florida 8, No. 1 South Walton 5
The Jaguars (9-15) scored four runs in the top of the seventh inning to break a 4-4 stalemate and win a second straight district title. West Florida also beat South Walton (15-7) to win the district title in 2025.
West Florida now has a chance to host a Region 1-3A quarterfinal on May 7 as long as it doesn't match up with a higher seeded district champion.
No. 1 Northview 7, No. 2 Jay 0
Chiefs junior Mikayla McAnally pitched a one-hitter to lead Northview to back-to-back district championships.
The Chiefs (18-5) scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning and three in the bottom of the second inning and McAnally held the Royals (11-12) in check all night, walking just two while striking out 11.
Daviona Randolph recorded two hits and an RBI, Riley Brooks added a hit and an RBI and Addysen Bolen went 2-for-3. Emery Vaughn recorded Jay's only hit.
Both teams will qualify for the Rural Region 1 playoffs with the bracket set to be announced tomorrow during the FHSAA Selection Show at 1 p.m. Northview will be the top seed in the region, while Jay will likely have to go on the road after entering the district tournament as the No. 3 seed in the region. The Rural regional semifinals are set for May 7.
No. 1 Gulf Breeze 3, No. 8 St. Augustine 0 (25-23, 25-22, 25-18)
The Dolphins (19-5) opened Soundside High School's brand new gym with a regional quarterfinals sweep over the Yellow Jackets (7-17).
Gulf Breeze will host No. 5 Bartram Trial in the Region 1-2A semifinal on May 5 at 7 p.m. at Sounside.
No. 3 Niceville 26, No. 6 Pace 19
The Patriots (11-7) third loss to the Eagles (16-2) ended their season.
Niceville led 18-6 at half before Pace cut the lead to 18-13 heading into the final frame.
Patriots quarterback Avery McBride completed 33 of 49 passes for 375 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions and ran for 52 yards. Josie Arthur caught five passes for a team-high 113 yards, while Berkley Lutz also crossed the century mark with 102 yards and a touchdown on eight catches.
Kenna Pacitti and Caitlin Ferguson also caught touchdowns. Emma Sutton caught a team-high nine passes for 49 yards on offense and recorded eight flag pulls and a sack on defense.
Pace had no answer for Niceville quarterback Peyton Carter, who completed 26 of 36 passes for 264 yards and four touchdowns.
Niceville will play at No. 2 Chiles in the Region 1-2A semifinals on Monday.
Gulf Breeze's Eric Ormsby and Hudson Taylor, the defending state champions, bowed out in the quarterfinals.
The pair defeated Niceville's Nicolas and Felipe Murillo via walkover, then fell to Spoto's Luca Torres-Sigler and Nicolas Schwartz 7-6 (9-7), 6-3 in the quarterfinals. Torres-Sigler and Schwartz finished as state runner-up.
Eric Ormsby/Hudson Taylor win round of 16 via walkover, lose to Luca Torres-Sigler and Nicolas Schwartz in quarterfinals 7-6 (9-7), 6-3
Singles
1) Rafael Bote (SA) def. Gannon Davis (C) 6-0, 6-0
2) Adrian Fente (SA) vs. Gavin Tubban (C) 6-0, 3-0, abandoned
3) Colin Wheat (SA) def. Rohan Chavan (C) 6-0. 6-2
4) Gabe Dattels (SA) def. Caden Russell (C) 6-0, 6-0
5) Christian Depalma (SA) vs. John Falce (C) 6-0, 2-1, abandoned
Doubles
1) Bote / Wheat (SA) def. Davis / Chavan (C) 4-0, 4-0
2) Fente / Yuping Dai (SA) def. Tubban / Russell (C) 4-1, 4-0
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola area high school postseason recap April 29-30
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Thursday
Beach volleyball
Region 1-2A semifinals
No. 2 Bishop Kenny 3, No. 3 Gulf Breeze 2
The Dolphins (16-6) quest for a third straight state championship ends in the regional semifinals.
Bishop Kenny (20-2) previously beat Gulf Breeze by an identical score on March 9. The Knights will play No. 1 Chiles at the Northside Community Center in Tallahassee for the Region 1-2A final on May 5.
Softball
District 1-6A championship
No. 1 Pace 4, No. 2 Navarre 3
Pace junior ace Hannah DeMarcus loves games like this.
Maybe not the errors and one baserunning miscue that allowed Navarre to take a 3-1 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth inning, but she loves the rally afterwards to take the life out of the other team.
Pace scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, then held the Raiders scoreless over the last two frames to win a sixth straight district title.
"I like the games where we give them a little bit of hope and they kind of come after us a little bit," DeMarcus said. "And then we just bite right back and they kind of got discouraged in the last inning."
Before the Patriots pulled ahead for good, the breaks were going Navarre's way. Sure Kennedy Franz's home run in the bottom of the second inning put Pace on top, but the Raiders answered with two runs in the top of the fourth and another in the top of the fifth, all unearned.
The Raiders continued to be the area team that best competes against DeMarcus, and got solid defense highlighted by right field Kaleigh Atchley's running catch that turned into a double play to end the bottom of the fourth inning.
Meanwhile Pace's defense has been a puzzling weakness all year, assistant coach Danny Worrell said after the game, and he took responsibility for the base running mistake that led to the double play to end the fourth. But he liked that despite the bumps in the road, the Patriots had an answer.
Colbie Jones started the bottom of the fifth inning rally with a one-out triple, then scored when Laura Loomis reached on an error to cut the lead to 3-2. Pierce followed with a two-run home run to centerfield to put Pace in front.
"They slapped us and we knocked them out," Worrell said.
Both Pace (22-4) and Navarre (13-10) will likely host in the Region 1-6A quarterfinals on May 7. The Patriots road to a sixth straight Final Four will once again be all at home, starting against Nease.
But Pace will be looking for more, especially after winning the 6A state championship in 2024 and finishing runner-up to Doral Academy last year.
This season hasn't exactly been as smooth as those two, with the Patriots losing their most regular season games since 2022. They're also a team with clear flaws, sometimes struggling on defense and being a little too home run happy on offense.
But they'll still have the target on their back and know it will take everyone, which was reinforced in taking home another district title.
Jones, who went into the lineup near the end of the regular season after Kylie Reed went down with an injury, started the fifth inning rally. Worrell had to serve as head coach in place of his daughter, Lexi Alexander, who was sick.
Pace knows it's at its best when the lineup one through nine is supporting DeMarcus rather than waiting for one player to get the big hit. If the Patriots are united and pushing their energy in a positive direction, good things happen. That's the goal the next two weeks as they chase another trip to Longwood.
"This team is different," Pierce said. "I feel like we're all a family. Everybody says that but especially this year we all hang out all the time outside (the sport) and I feel like as long as we stay prepared and know what we're looking for and come together, I think we'll make a pretty good run."
District 1-5A championship
No. 1 Niceville 4, No. 2 Gulf Breeze 0
The Eagles (20-7) needed just one hit to win a district title. Briana Noles hit a two-out grand slam in the bottom of the sixth inning, while South Alabama commit Chloe Bailey pitched a perfect game in the circle, striking out 11.
Jessica Jagar kept the Dolphins (15-11) in the game as long as she could, allowing five hits and six walks while striking out 16 in six innings pitched.
Gulf Breeze will learn its playoff seed in the FHSAA selection show, which will be streamed on YouTube tomorrow at 1 p.m. The Dolphins entered the district tournament the No. 4 seed in Region 1-5A and if it keeps that seed will host in the regional quarterfinals on May 7 unless matched up with a district champion.
District 1-4A championship
No. 1 Escambia 10, No. 3 Booker T. Washington 5
Ayvana Rodrigues went 3-for-3 with a double, home run and three RBIs and struck out 12 in a complete game in the circle to lead the Gators (9-15) to back-to-back district titles.
Lacey Weinrich recorded a hit and an RBI, while Mariyah Everheart went 2-for-4 and Callie Menard drove in two runs. Kendall Libby went 2-for-3 with two RBIs to lead Booker T. Washington (2-21).
Escambia qualifies for the state playoffs and will learn its Region 1-4A quarterfinal opponent during the FHSAA selection show tomorrow at 1 p.m. The Gators will host in the regional quarterfinals unless they match up with a higher seeded district champion.
District 1-3A championship
No. 2 West Florida 8, No. 1 South Walton 5
The Jaguars (9-15) scored four runs in the top of the seventh inning to break a 4-4 stalemate and win a second straight district title. West Florida also beat South Walton (15-7) to win the district title in 2025.
West Florida now has a chance to host a Region 1-3A quarterfinal on May 7 as long as it doesn't match up with a higher seeded district champion.
Rural District 1 championship
No. 1 Northview 7, No. 2 Jay 0
Chiefs junior Mikayla McAnally pitched a one-hitter to lead Northview to back-to-back district championships.
The Chiefs (18-5) scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning and three in the bottom of the second inning and McAnally held the Royals (11-12) in check all night, walking just two while striking out 11.
Daviona Randolph recorded two hits and an RBI, Riley Brooks added a hit and an RBI and Addysen Bolen went 2-for-3. Emery Vaughn recorded Jay's only hit.
Both teams will qualify for the Rural Region 1 playoffs with the bracket set to be announced tomorrow during the FHSAA Selection Show at 1 p.m. Northview will be the top seed in the region, while Jay will likely have to go on the road after entering the district tournament as the No. 3 seed in the region. The Rural regional semifinals are set for May 7.
Boys volleyball
Region 1-2A quarterfinals
No. 1 Gulf Breeze 3, No. 8 St. Augustine 0 (25-23, 25-22, 25-18)
The Dolphins (19-5) opened Soundside High School's brand new gym with a regional quarterfinals sweep over the Yellow Jackets (7-17).
Gulf Breeze will host No. 5 Bartram Trial in the Region 1-2A semifinal on May 5 at 7 p.m. at Sounside.
Wednesday
Flag football
Region 1-3A quarterfinals
No. 3 Niceville 26, No. 6 Pace 19
The Patriots (11-7) third loss to the Eagles (16-2) ended their season.
Niceville led 18-6 at half before Pace cut the lead to 18-13 heading into the final frame.
Patriots quarterback Avery McBride completed 33 of 49 passes for 375 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions and ran for 52 yards. Josie Arthur caught five passes for a team-high 113 yards, while Berkley Lutz also crossed the century mark with 102 yards and a touchdown on eight catches.
Kenna Pacitti and Caitlin Ferguson also caught touchdowns. Emma Sutton caught a team-high nine passes for 49 yards on offense and recorded eight flag pulls and a sack on defense.
Pace had no answer for Niceville quarterback Peyton Carter, who completed 26 of 36 passes for 264 yards and four touchdowns.
Niceville will play at No. 2 Chiles in the Region 1-2A semifinals on Monday.
Tennis
3A Boys Doubles
Gulf Breeze's Eric Ormsby and Hudson Taylor, the defending state champions, bowed out in the quarterfinals.
The pair defeated Niceville's Nicolas and Felipe Murillo via walkover, then fell to Spoto's Luca Torres-Sigler and Nicolas Schwartz 7-6 (9-7), 6-3 in the quarterfinals. Torres-Sigler and Schwartz finished as state runner-up.
Eric Ormsby/Hudson Taylor win round of 16 via walkover, lose to Luca Torres-Sigler and Nicolas Schwartz in quarterfinals 7-6 (9-7), 6-3
1A team quarterfinals
St. Andrews 5, Pensacola Catholic 0
Singles
1) Rafael Bote (SA) def. Gannon Davis (C) 6-0, 6-0
2) Adrian Fente (SA) vs. Gavin Tubban (C) 6-0, 3-0, abandoned
3) Colin Wheat (SA) def. Rohan Chavan (C) 6-0. 6-2
4) Gabe Dattels (SA) def. Caden Russell (C) 6-0, 6-0
5) Christian Depalma (SA) vs. John Falce (C) 6-0, 2-1, abandoned
Doubles
1) Bote / Wheat (SA) def. Davis / Chavan (C) 4-0, 4-0
2) Fente / Yuping Dai (SA) def. Tubban / Russell (C) 4-1, 4-0
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola area high school postseason recap April 29-30
Continue reading...
