Rain, rain go away
Friday's Navarre High School baseball game at Escambia has been rescheduled because of rain. The Raiders will play the Gators on Wednesday, Feb. 27, with the junior varsity starting things at 4:30 p.m. and the varsity to follow at 7 p.m.
The Navarre High School softball games scheduled tonight at Pine Forest have been rescheduled until Monday; if the teams still are unable to play, the Raiders and Eagles will try to make the game up the following Monday, March 4.
The Bayside Dynamo FC U15 Girls Orange Team won the Gator Soccer College Showcase in Gainesville this past weekend defeating two state cup teams.
Submitted photo
The Bayside Dynamo Football Club's Under-15 Girls Orange team includes, pictured front row from left, Carly Lanter, Catherine Baccarini, Alexis Johnson, Olivia Johnson and Alexis Stikeleather; middle row from left, Kayla Folse, Kaylynn Ennis, Samantha Karp, Sydney Whiteside, Kiersten Edlund and Alexis Lawson; Megan Hawkins, Melia Gross, Julianna DeSalle, Katelynn Sullivan, Amber Hamilton and Kelsy Haden.
The Okaloosa County Economic Development Council and the county’s four chambers of commerce are partnering to develop a Six Pillars strategic plan as a roadmap for the county’s future.
The local chambers have followed the Florida Chamber Foundation’s Six Pillar™ initiative for several years. Shane Moody, president and CEO of the Destin Area Chamber of Commerce, presented the idea for a countywide partnership among the business advocacy groups. The five organizations are now participating in an unprecedented multi-organizational support partnership for all of Okaloosa County.
Having an identified strategic plan adopted countywide enables each organization to move forward with its respective charter and responsibilities but also allows for synergistic partnering on the issues and topics that are of a shared or common goal.
“Okaloosa County has a unique opportunity to join only a few other counties/communities in Florida in creating a vision and a plan to achieve that vision through the development of a strategic plan that brings the business community and our local governments into alignment with the State of Florida’s Strategic Plan,” said Kevin Bowyer, chairman of the Okaloosa County Six Pillars Initiative. “By utilizing and adopting the Six Pillar process developed by the Florida Chamber of Commerce Foundation, we will be embarking on an endeavor to insure that our goals and objectives over the next 20 years will be much more focused and aligned with the rest of the state.”
The Florida Chamber Foundation’s Six Pillars™ Caucus System emphasizes developing a comprehensive strategic plan for securing Florida’s future at the local, regional and state levels. The process concentrates on creating a strategic plan specific to six areas, or pillars:
The five business-advocacy partners will host a roundtable symposium on the Six Pillars™ initiative at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 27, in the Empire Room of the Ramada Inn on Okaloosa Island. Bentina Terry, Florida Chamber Foundation Chair, will discuss how the initiative can benefit the county. Cost is $25 per seat. For more information, call the EDC at 850-362-6467.
Name: Matt Marshall
Sport: Baseball
MISC.
Saints DE Jordan to speak at banquet
New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan will be the guest speaker at the Pensacola Sports Association’s COX PSA Annual Awards Banquet on March 7 at the Hilton Pensacola Beach Gulf Front. A reception kicks off the event at 5:30 p.m. with the dinner and awards presentations beginning at 6:30 p.m. The association will recognize nearly 30 individuals and teams for their performances in their respective sports throughout the 2012 seasons.
Reservations are required. Tickets are available at the Pensacola Sports Association through March 4. Tickets are $50 for Pensacola Sports Association members and $60 for nonmembers. Corporate tables are also available. Please call the PSA at 434-2800 or email lhamrick@pensacolasports.com for more information.
GOLF
First Tee registration
The First Tee of Northwest Florida is registering young golfers for its spring Golf and Life Skills program.
According to its website, the organization’s mission is “to positively impact the lives of young people by promoting character development and life-enhancing values through the First Tee's ‘Life Skills Learning Experience’ and the game of golf.”
First Tee will offer its program locally at The Club at Hidden Creek (3-5 p.m. Saturdays) and Tiger Point Golf Club (Noon-2 p.m. Saturdays) from Feb. 23 through May 4. It also will offer an abbreviated program for golfers ages 5-7 from 10:30-11:30 a.m. on March 9, 16, 30 and April 6, 13 and 20.
To register for more information, go to www.thefirstteenwflorida.org or call 456-7010.
YMCA Spring Sports
The Fort Walton Family YMCA is registering children ages 3-12 for its YMCA Spring Sports Program through March 8. Boys and girls can participate in age appropriate leagues such as Mini-Me T-Ball, T-Ball, Coach Pitch Baseball and Kid Pitch Baseball. Sponsors and coaches are always needed. For more information, call the Fort Walton Family YMCA at 863-9622.
The Navarre High School softball team continued its hitting drought Feb. 20 at Pace and lost its third game in a row, 3-1, to the Patriots. Two days later the Raiders found their bats again and overwhelmed Catholic 15-0 in Navarre. (PHOTO: Shana Pearl watches her RBI single against Pace.)
For the complete story, see the Feb. 28 issue of the Navarre Press or subscribe online.
Heavy rains caused Saturday’s Tiger Relays at Washington High School in Pensacola to start two hours later than originally planned. Navarre High School’s track and field athletes may as well have stayed home.
Navarre High School’s boys’ weightlifters traveled to Milton and dominated the five heavier weight divisions, winning the dual meet by a 52-38 score.
Construction on new greens at The Club at Hidden Creek golf course will start in April.
“I think it’s fantastic,” said general manager Dave Taylor. “By having the best greens in the area, we’re bringing in people from all around town.”
The Pensacola Sports Association recently announced the rosters for the 2013 Subway High School All-Star Basketball Games which will be played Friday, March 8 at Pensacola State College.
Four Navarre High School seniors, two boys and two girls, will play for the East teams. Lydia Brunet and Jessica Reyes will represent the Lady Raiders in the girls’ game at 6 p.m. and Jean Quinones and Rasheed Williams will represent the Raiders in the boys’ game at 8 p.m.
The games feature select seniors from Escambia County on the West teams and seniors from Okaloosa and Santa Rosa counties on the East squad.
The Andrews Institute, the series’ official sports medicine provider, is a presenting sponsor of the event. Area Subway restaurants are sponsoring the All-Star series, featuring games in football, volleyball, soccer, basketball, baseball and softball, for the third season. For more information, go to www.subwaypsaallstars.com.
Cantonment Tate High School coach Clyde Abney will lead the boys’ West team and Pine Forest coach Chris Godwin is guiding the girls’ West squad. Kenneth Hughes of Pace will lead the East girls and Crestview’s Ken Meisner will coach the East boys.
Tickets to the game are $8 and $6 with a canned-food donation for Manna Food Bank.
Additionally, $1 of every ticket sold will be donated to the Dr. Alec Kessler Foundation. Kessler, a former NBA player for the Miami Heat, was an orthopedic surgeon at the Andrews Institute who died in 2007. The foundation was created to award two to four scholarships each year to outstanding local scholar-athletes.
Below are the All-Star rosters; final game rosters are subject to change.
n West boys: David Weathers, Deron Moreno, Auston Powell and Roderick Carmichael from Pensacola High; Joe Wachob from East Hill; Grover Brown Jr., Kevontarious Williams and Javon Williams from Washington; Maquis Cathings from Escambia; Devin Miller from West Florida; Trent Hershberges from Pensacola Christian; Shamar Johnson, Charlie Wilson, Damarcus Glover, Damarion Boggan and Zanavion Williams from Pine Forest; Dyshun White and Laderious Franklin from Northview; and Travis Walton from Tate .
n West girls: Jereaka Ephfrom and Kierra Williams from West Florida; Jayla King, Tia Sanders, Jasmine McCants and Latonya Miller from Pine Forest; Ali O’Brien, Alex Loomis and Jardae Ward from Tate; Chelsey Gibson and D’Arcy Draper from Pensacola; Tijuana Weatherspoon and Kim Bethea from Escambia; Shaquanna Jones and Morgan Payne from Northview; and Phaedra Harris from Catholic.
n East boys: Isaiah Jones, Demichael McQueen and David Tober from Milton; Jonathan Buckelew, Clay Hancock and Roman Domofro from Crestview; Jean Quinones and Rasheed Williams from Navarre; Tommy Calloway from Laurel Hill; Michael Hawkins and Dylan Williams from Choctawhatchee; Garrett Sanders from Baker; Nicholas Haynes, Connor Ellis and Brandon Mosley from Niceville; Tyrone Culbreth and McKinnely Stephens from Fort Walton Beach; Nick Bookout and Randy Halpin from Gulf Breeze; and Brice Moore from Pace.
n East girls: Rachel Moorer, Mckenzie Ervin, Mckenzie Wheelus and Mckenna Wyrosdick from Pace; Elizabeth Hoehn, Nanci Suarez and Haydn Ilano from Gulf Breeze; Brittany Salter from Fort Walton Beach; Kerrie York and Jasmine Horne from Crestview; Jessica Reyes and Lydiah Brunet from Navarre; Cassidy Anderson, Bethany Chestnut and Sarah Hudson from Baker; Lauren Day and Caneisaya Matthews from Choctawhatchee; Dani Douglas and Amanda Demma from Niceville; and Natalie Jernigan from Central.
About the Pensacola Sports Association (PSA) – The PSA, founded in 1954, is one of the oldest sports associations/commissions in the United States. Today the PSA manages or assists in numerous events each year throughout the Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa county areas. Events include a high school all-star series, flag football, 5K and 15K runs, marathons, triathlons, bicycle races, collegiate national championships, and annual awards and scholarships banquets to name a few. The PSA is dedicated to building a better community through sports.
MISC.
Homeschool PE
Physical education classes for homeschooled children are available at the Fort Walton Family YMCA from 1:30-2:30 p.m. Fridays for boys and girls ages 5-14. March’s theme is fitness and the students will be working on the Presidential Physical Fitness Test components. Cost is $20 per child per month. For more information, call 863-9622.
RUNNING
The Pensacola Sports Association is accepting registrations for the Pensacola Marathon, which will be run Sunday, Nov. 10. The 2012 marathon sold out for the first time in its history with 1,500 runners competing in the marathon and 800 running in the half-marathon.
The race begins and ends at Veteran's Memorial Park on the Pensacola Bay front, then winds its way along a 13.1 mile circuit of the city for the half marathoners and a full 26.2 loop for the full marathon. The course features historic neighborhoods, the downtown district, scenic water views, cliffs, bands, and cheering Pensacolians. The finish line is next to Pensacola Wall South, the only replica of the National Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C.
For those runners still needing to qualify for the Boston Marathon, the Pensacola Marathon is a quality certified course. For full details on the race visit the Pensacola Marathon website at marathonpensacola.com or call (850) 434-2800. Runners can register online at www.marathonpensacola.com, by completing and returning the form printed from the website or in person at Running Wild in Pensacola.
YOUTH SPORTS
YMCA Spring Sports
The Fort Walton Family YMCA is registering children ages 3-12 for its YMCA Spring Sports Program through March 8. Boys and girls can participate in age appropriate leagues such as Mini-Me T-Ball, T-Ball, Coach Pitch Baseball and Kid Pitch Baseball. Sponsors and coaches are always needed. For more information, call the Fort Walton Family YMCA at 863-9622.
Cameron Jordan, a defensive lineman for the New Orleans Saints, will be the presenting speaker Friday when the Pensacola Sports Association hosts its annual awards banquet.
The event kicks off with a reception beginning at 5:30 p.m. March 8 at the Hilton Pensacola Beach Gulf Front. Dinner will begin at 6:30 p.m.
The powerhouse Pine Forest Eagles won the boys’ and girls’ team titles at the first Steven Garst Memorial Track and Field Invitational on Saturday, March 2, at Booker T. Washington High School in Pensacola.
After losing a heartbreaker to Tate in their district opener, it was critical that the Raiders not fall to 0-2 in District 1-6A play. When Navarre traveled to Pensacola Feb. 27 to face Escambia High School in a makeup game, the Raiders made sure that didn't happen. (PHOTO: Andrew Berteau slides home safely against Escambia.)
The Pensacola Sports Association selected Navarre High School soccer players Hayley Naker, Morgan Littlewood, Brendan White, Jordan Supra and Ryan Olson to play for the East teams in its Subway High School All-Star Series soccer games, and the Florida Athletic Coaches Association picked Littlewood, Supra and Olson to play in its showcase games at the University of South Florida. The FACA Girls Soccer All Star Classic is planned March 1-2 and the Boys Soccer All Star Classic is scheduled March 8-9.
The Navarre High School softball team won two games last week to make it three in a row. However, neither win was easy as the Raiders won by a run in each. (PHOTO: Shana Pearl bunts against Washington.)
Sequoia Golf Group of Newnan, Ga., has been selected to manage Regatta Bay Golf and Country Club in Destin. Sequoia owns or operates more than 50 daily fee, resort and private club facilities across the United States.
"We are extremely excited to have Sequoia on board to assist in building our membership as well as attracting play from the fly-in and drive-in markets," said Dwight Lorenzen, a consultant to Regatta Bay. "With Sequoia's powerful network…we will be able to direct-channel market to their strong membership base and reach a broader target audience when marketing Regatta Bay and the Legendary properties."
Built in 1998, Regatta Bay Golf and Country Club is owned by Legendary, Inc., which also owns The Emerald Grande at HarborWalk Village, the adjacent marina, and various other commercial properties that surround the resort. The course is ranked by Golf Digest as one of the Top Courses in North America and Top 15 Florida “Places to Play.” The 6,894-yard, 72-hole course was designed by Robert C. Walker and covers 160 acres surrounded by protected woodlands and lakes.
For more information on Sequoia Golf Group, visit www.sequoiagolf.com.
The Navarre High School girls’ soccer team held its postseason banquet Feb. 25 at The Club at Hidden Creek’s Tuscan Grille.
Navarre High School’s weightlifting team traveled to Pace on Feb. 25 to compete in a three-team meet and came away with the narrowest of victories.