BAKER — The Baker Gator varsity baseball team has not defeated the Crestview Bulldogs in five years. That all changed on Tuesday night with a 6-5 victory.

The Gators trailed 4-0 going into the bottom of the third inning.

“We had two guys on and Ethan Edge hit a double to score two runs,” Baker’s head coach, Adam Henry, said. “Then we got one more run and I think that propelled us to the tie and to keep moving forward.”

The game eventually went to extra innings tied at 5. Crestview was unable to score in the top of the eighth inning, giving Baker a chance to win the game in the bottom of the inning on a solo home run from Payton Rockwell. The Baker dugout went crazy.

“I was just hoping they would wait until he touched home plate,” said Henry. “They were all storming the field.”

Henry said the victory means a lot to the team.

“It’s an awesome feeling,” said Henry. “Coach Gillis does a great job with his team, so any time you can have a win against Crestview, it should be enjoyed.”

Henry credits his two freshmen pitchers for keeping the team in the game.

“My starting pitcher, Ben Plunkett, did a great job,” said Henry. “My other pitcher, Ethan Edge, helped out as well. I couldn’t ask for a better job from either of them.”

Henry believes the team now has momentum for the rest of the season.

“Whenever you beat a 7A school as a 1A school, that’s huge,” said Henry. “As long as we can stay focused and execute, I think we’ll be in good shape.”

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Baker Gators beat the Bulldogs

CRESTVIEW — Crestview senior Marcus Purcell was recently named class 7A MVP by Source Hoops.

Source Hoops, a basketball website that covers all basketball teams in Florida, called Purcell “a solid basketball prospect.”

“It felt good,” Purcell said when asked about the honor. “I’m happy we got that.”

Purcell’s mention of “we” instead of “I” is just one example of his humility and team mentality. The title of MVP may have gone to Purcell alone, but he gave credit to his team for helping earn it.

“I couldn’t do it without our coaches or my teammates,” Purcell said.

Purcell said the defining moment of his season was his 3-point shot in the final seconds of the team’s Sweet 16 win against Choctaw, which lead to the path of a state championship.

“Our expectation at the beginning was to get past Choctaw,” Purcell said. “Once we did that, it boosted our confidence and we thought we could beat anyone in 7A to get the state championship.”

Purcell started playing basketball when he was a young child in North Carolina. He was introduced to the game by his father, who continues to help him with his game.

“My dad and I would go to Twin Hills before games and take extra shots to warmup,” Purcell said.

Purcell’s hard work on both offense and defense was very noticeable to his coach, Greg Watson.

“Marcus is a hard worker that loves the game. I stayed on the guys about playing defense and to see Marcus mature in that was great.” said Watson. “During the Choctaw game, when he made that shot that was special for me, for him to step up and make that big of a shot, it shows a lot about his mental ability as much as it does his physical ability.”

Purcell’s all for the team mentality helped him be a great leader, according to Watson.

“The biggest thing about Marcus is he makes others better. He’s the total teammate,” Watson said. “He did everything I asked him to do and the guys fed off that.”

“He’s been a joy to coach,” Watson added.

Purcell was the team leader in scoring for season with 491 points, with an average of 15.8 points a game.

When asked about his plans after high school, Purcell simply said, “I’m going to play basketball somewhere, but I don’t know where yet.”

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview's Purcell named Source Hoops MVP

Every team hopes to win a championship, but some never reach that goal. That is not the case when it comes to Baker School’s boys weightlifting team.

The team won the District 1-1A championship on Friday for the second consecutive year, marking the third victory for the team in four years.

“The guys really have a tremendous work ethic,” said Coach Andy Valmus. “They know what the recipe for success is.”

Seniors John Mateleska and Zach Mason, along with sophomores Jake Miller and Gavin Vaccarello, each were named champion in their respective weight classes. Overall, 17 of the 19 team members qualified for regionals.

“We definitely had some guys step up,” said Valmus. “For seniors to stay with the program and continue to work hard, it says something about their character.”

“The younger guys have seen the success so they know that the magic happens in the weight room,” Valmus added

Valmus said he was proud of the way his team performed.

“Everybody has to do their part, especially when you look at the district,” Valmus said. “I think many teams have Baker set as a benchmark, so it’s rewarding when you see guys from a small school compete and win.”

Now, the team turns its attention to regionals. Valmus believes having spring break the week before won’t affect his guys.

“They know what it takes to be successful and they expect to win,” said Valmus.

The regional meet will be held at Baker School on March 29.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Baker weightlifting wins district title

The Baker Gators finished last season 11-8, giving them plenty of motivation for the new baseball season.

“This year is a work in progress,” Head Coach Adam Henry said. “We are trying to build on last season.”

The expectations are high for the Gators, who believe that winning is contagious.

“You get one win under your belt and then you keep rolling,” Henry said. “Our goal is to win the district and I think we have a great chance to do so.”

The Gators have four to five pitchers who have pretty good depth. Currently, the pitchers are getting 60-70 pitches in a game, but Coach Henry hopes they can get to 80-90 pitches per game as the season progresses.

The pitchers will look for run support from a lineup that can get the job done.

“I think the lineup, one to nine has a good chance to put the ball in play and advance runners,” Henry said.

The Gators' roster is full of talented upperclassmen who can help motivate their team. Seniors Garrit Pouricillie and Kolby Roy are just two of the players that can help bring success to the Gators’ season.

Sophomore Troy Jenkins and freshman Ethan Edge will also be a key part of the Gators lineup.

Motivation will be a major factor for the team this year. Coach Henry hopes his guys will bring that to each other.

“Motivation is something they will get internally amongst themselves,” Henry said. “They will have to motivate each other.”

The team will need to have focus and motivation starting at practice.

“We have to stay focused,” Henry said. “It’s about the little techniques. If you don’t do them correctly, you won’t win.”

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Gators look for motivation in 2019

CRESTVIEW — The Crestview Bulldog wrestling team had four members qualify for the regional tournament.

Kenard Madden and Weston Tew advanced by winning the District 1, Class 2A championship in their respective weight classes. Karter Watson and Malachi Santiago both earned fourth place bids that led them to the regional tournament.

The wrestlers traveled to Lawton Chiles High School in Tallahassee for the double elimination tournament. The tournament featured a championship bracket and a consolation bracket. Wrestlers started in the championship bracket, but were moved to the consolation bracket with a loss. They remained in the tournament until they lost a second match.

Madden and Tew received byes in the first round of the championship bracket.

Madden won his championship quarterfinal match, but was defeated in the championship semifinal and the consolation semifinal. Tew lost his championship quarterfinal match. He went on to win his consolation match, but was defeated in the consolation semifinals.

Watson and Santiago both lost their match in the first round of the championship bracket.

Watson won his match in the first round of the consolation bracket, but was later eliminated from contention with a loss in round two. Santiago also won his match in the first round of the consolation bracket, but lost in the second round.

Although the results were not what the team hoped for, scoring only 15 team points, first-year head coach Damon Welch was still proud of how his guys competed.

“I feel like they wrestled the best they could,” said Welch. “They wrestled hard and left everything they had on the mat.”

The loss at regionals means the end of high school wrestling for Tew and Watson, who are both seniors. Coach Welch was impressed with the work they put in during their final season.

“Karter was always ready to put the work in,” said Welch. “He always had the drive to be there.”

“Weston broke his foot last year and didn’t get to start until mid-January,” continued Welch. “He’s a great wrestler with lots of potential.”

Coach Welch expects Santiago, a sophomore, and Madden, a junior, to be back next year.

“Kenard has more of a background in wrestling,” said Welch. “I think he will be back there next year.”

“Malachi always showed up early and stayed late,” added Welch. “He has the work ethic to make it back.”

No matter what the outcome, the guys were always there for another.

“They would tell each other ‘you’ll get him next time’ after a loss,” said Welch. “They were always there to support and encourage each other. I couldn’t expect anything more.”

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview Wrestles to Regionals