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Expectations as high as ever for Baker Gator volleyball team

Written by Brian Lester on . Posted in Uncategorized.

“They love it,” Baker head coach Chelsea Medley said. “It brings them all together. It’s something worth fighting for.”

And no one wants to be part of the team that doesn’t keep the streak of district titles rolling. Baker is at 22 and counting.

This year’s edition of Baker welcomes back of a handful of key returning players, including Annalese Saunders, who ranked third on the team in kills (143) and racked up 155 digs. Carleigh Krumnow is also back after leading the team in digs (293) a year ago.

Those two are seniors, as is Kat Price, who tallied 92 kills, 33 blocks and 78 digs.

Medley said she likes the way this team has come together leading up to the start of the year.

“I feel really good about this team,” Medley said. “Great teammates make great teams, and these girls are all in it for each other. They are willing to battle for each other.”

One thing Medley has noticed about this team is the way it plays on the court. The Gators won’t make anything easy for opponents.

“They are very scrappy, and that’s always been something for Baker,” Medley said. “We’re going to have the intense heart and hustle that you need to win in big games.”

Baker went 11-13 last season, though the record is a deceiving as the Gators, who play in the Rural classification, don’t back down from playing against bigger schools. That won’t change this season.

“The competition is only going to make you better,” Medley said.

Baker is scheduled to open its season Aug. 21 against Destin.

“We are excited,” Medley said. “We’ve been pumped up since July. We are ready to go.”

County plans to buy more land for future park by the Shoal River

Written by Tony Judnich on . Posted in Uncategorized.

On Tuesday, the County Commission approved paying up to $575,000 to buy five vacant residential lots and two stormwater lots, totaling about 6.4 acres, on Shoal River Drive for the future park.

The overall park site is on a part of the now-defunct Shoal River Country Club property located southeast of the Live Oak Church Road-Shoal River Drive intersection. It’s also a quarter mile east and upriver from the Cox Bridge and the county-managed Shoal River Wayside Park.

Most of the Patriot Park site consists of 165 acres of land – mainly lowlands – that Patriot Ridge LLC donated to the county in January 2024.

The LLC is the developer of the huge Patriot Ridge subdivision between Airman’s Memorial Road and Shoal River Drive. The land donation helped the company satisfy concurrency requirements for parks and recreation as provided in the county’s land development code.

The lots the commission approved buying stand adjacent to Annabelle Lane, Live Oak Church Road and Shoal River Drive and on the northwest corner of the park site, and southwest of the Pinnacle Point Drive-Shoal River Drive intersection, near the park site’s northeast corner.

The property to be acquired represent “higher elevated, better-quality property that was formerly used as ends of the golf cart path and will essentially add to the donated property,” according to Deputy County Administrator of Operations Craig Coffey. “The acquisition of these lots will allow the completion of a 1 1/4-mile loop for walkers/runners using much of the cart path of the former golf course.”

Coffey

The lots to the west will serve as the main park site and as a trailhead, according to county information. Coffey said these lots could provide access to the Shoal River for canoeists, kayakers, and paddle boarders, and could include a parking area, playground, pavilions and restrooms. The lots to the east will likely just have a trail and minor recreational items, he said.

A master plan for the lots to the west, which will have input from nearby residents, might be ready for the commission’s consideration later this year.

County officials plan to use American Rescue Plan Act interest money to pay for the $550,000 cost of the five residential lots and two stormwater parcels, as well as closing costs of up to $25,000, for a total of $575,000. By May 2, they anticipate closing on the overall purchase from Phillips Homes LLC, of Holt, and Patriot Ridge West Owners Association Inc., of Destin.

Currently, county workers are clearing some of the trail areas on the larger property that was donated by Patriot Ridge LLC.

The overall Patriot Park site someday could provide public recreational access to more than 2,200 acres of county-owned and currently undeveloped land to the east.

Latest college football scores

Written by Brian Lester on . Posted in Uncategorized.

Iowa 42, Wisconsin 10

SMU 48, Pitt 25

Louisville 33, Clemson 21

Miami 53, Duke 21

Vanderbilt 17, Auburn 7

Tennessee 28, Kentucky 18

Georgia 34, Florida 20

Indiana 47, Michigan State 10

Ohio State 20, Penn State 13

Boise State 56, San Diego State 24

Army 20, Air Force 3

Mississippi 63, Arkansas 31

Minnesota 25, Illinois 17

Texas Tech 23, Iowa State 22

Houston 24, Kansas State 19

South Carolina 44, Texas A&M 20

Georgia Southern 34, South Alabama 30

UCF 56, Arizona 12

Troy 38, Coastal Carolina 24

South Florida 44, Florida Atlantic 21

UWF 70, Erskine 0

You don’t know Jack

Written by Jackson Buhler on . Posted in Uncategorized.

I would refer to them as addictive sometimes with the information being overwhelming and constant.

One thing about these sites is that they feature a large array of fans.

Some are relatively new to the program, some are lifelong, and others may have played for the college or have relatives on the team, making them even more connected than a beat reporter who covers the team exclusively.

However, when viewing a team message board recently, I noticed something. Even when the team won, the fans were miserable. They criticized every play whether it turned out to be a negative or positive result.

The criticism wasn’t just at critical times in the game. Sometimes it was in the first quarter.

I have seen it in other sports as well. It is very prevalent in basketball and baseball.

Fans would then go on to bash players, sometimes even going as far as attacking them on a personal level. After reading through a couple of threads, I had enough. I realized that we as fans need to be better to these student-athletes and coaches.

The same rhetoric is often used against coaches and officials, with all these remarks being said in real-time.

There is no need to constantly bash the teams we supposedly love over something as small as a player dropping a pass or missing a block.

It goes the same for officials and coaches.

A coach not using a timeout at the 8:36 mark of the second quarter is not the end of the world, and neither is a missed holding call in the middle of the third period.

We need to have better expectations, realizing no one is perfect.

With the addition of smart technology over the past quarter-century, instant gratification has become the norm. A person can have the answer to how to properly make a whole meal on their phone in five seconds.

However, it seems as though we have taken that mentality into the sporting world as well.

To expand the cooking analogy a little bit further, we as sports fans need to let things marinate a little bit. If your favorite team does not score 50 points in the first half, the world is not going to end. Teams, and their players, are not always at their best and the sports world needs to realize that.

High school football season is past the mid-season point while college football and the National Football League are just now nearing their halfway points. All of these teams only have a finite time to practice and hone their skills.

They are trying their best, and they expect the fans to be at their best. That means supporting the team and showing them grace when they fail. You do not get heckled in your career anytime something goes wrong. So please be a fan but not a crazy fanatic.

You don’t know Jack

Written by Jackson Buhler on . Posted in Uncategorized.

My parents, Lynn and Alan, always said that someday they would see me on ESPN as a sports reporter and just like Sal, I would say “Jackson Buhler, ESPN.”
Well, mom and dad, I did it, I am a sports reporter.
Growing up in South Florida in the early 2000s, I was in a literal hot bed for high school, collegiate and professional sports. My parents would take me to games of every team, including the Miami Hurricanes, Miami Dolphins, Miami Heat and Florida Panthers. Through watching all the teams and players, I gained an affinity for statistics and journalism. I would go to my parents room every Sunday morning, grab the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and immediately take the sports page to get caught up with what happened the day before, reading every single column and story like it was my favorite novel. As I transitioned to high school, writing became a passion of mine, and once I went off to college at Louisiana State University, I found the perfect blend of writing and sports in their sports information department. That time at LSU led me to the University of West Florida where I became a graduate assistant and later worked full-time in athletic communications, learning as much as I could about the Northwest Florida sports scene.
I have lived in Northwest Florida for over five years now, and it has truly changed my life. I met my beautiful wife, Becca, here, and we have an amazing three-year old Labradoodle named Mandy. I have made countless meaningful friendships with some of the best sports icons in the area, including Bill Vilona and Paul Chestnutt.
Now, I’m the new sports reporter in the area, which is an amazing feeling as I get to follow in their footsteps. I get to be what I admired and loved so much as a kid. Now, I’m the person on the sidelines with a camera and notepad in my hand, relaying the stories that you want to know about. Hopefully, there’s a kid out there somewhere that wants to work in sports, and I can be the one that shows them a path. I am super excited to highlight all the athletic talent that we have in the area, whether it be youth sports, high school, college athletes, or even those who are currently excelling in the professional ranks.
Becca and I love trying new coffee shops, places to walk Mandy and finding local markets, so if you have any suggestions of the best coffee shop in the Crestview area, please let me know. If you have any stories you would like to tell, please send them my way and if you see me in the meantime, say hello and let’s continue telling the history of Crestview sports together.

Crestview man arrested after 8-hour standoff, making email threat toward law enforcement

Written by Staff Reporters on . Posted in News, Uncategorized.

A Crestview man was arrested after a tense, eight-hour standoff on Barbarree
Drive on June 27 and is accused of sending emails to Gov. Ron DeSantis
threatening law enforcement.

Michael Pechacek, 49, had barricaded himself in his home with children
present but eventually surrendered peacefully.

Deputies had gone to the home on Barbarree Drive around 6:40 a.m. to serve a
felony warrant. Pechacek was wanted for making written threats to kill or do
bodily injury, and use of a two-way communication device to commit a felony,
according to a press release from Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.

Investigators said Pechack had made numerous threats toward law enforcement
and government officials since January of this year. A threat was emailed to DeSantis’
office June 22 with a subject line of “death to law enforcement and
civilian populous imminent.” Pechacek claimed in the email he had proof of
government officials tampering with evidence in a child abuse case, according
to the press release.

OCSO crisis unit negotiators and other OCSO specialty units were on scene
and worked to convince Pechacek to come out of the home willingly. He did so
around 3:15 p.m.

“The OCSO would like to thank the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office,
Crestview Police Department and Fort Walton Beach Police Department for their
assistance,” OCSO said in a press release.

Sheriff Eric Aden praised the OCSO’s crisis negotiators and other units on
the scene for their efforts to bring the situation to a peaceful resolution.

Bulldogs end losing streak

Written by Randy Dickson on . Posted in Uncategorized.

Call it a coincidence or poetic justice, the 49 points Crestview scored is equal to the number of days it had been since that Sept. 1 win over the Dolphins.

“I’m happy for the players,” Bulldog coach Thomas Grant said. “We have faced a very tough schedule with a very young team. I can’t thank them enough for continuing to trust the process.

“This is a good win for the for this young team.  And I was thanking the seniors for continuing to stay the path with us.”

Things didn’t start out well for Crestview (2-6) when the Panthers took an early 9-0 lead.

Milton running back Malik Cobb capped the first Panther possession of the night with a 28-yard touchdown run with 7:16 left in the first quarter.

Milton (2-6) picked up a safety later in the first quarter after pinning the Bulldogs deep in their own territory on a punt.

The Panther led 9-0 at the end of the first quarter, but things would slowly begin to turn in Crestview’s favor.

The only points of the second quarter belonged to Crestview when Bulldog quarterback Turtle Nocher scored from two yards out with 8:36 left in the half. The Nocher touchdown capped a 59-yard drive that included a 29-yard pass from Nocher to Braylon Phillips.

Crestview forced the Panthers to punt on Milton’s first possession of the second half. Starting its own 19-yard line, Crestview went 81-yards on five plays to score.

The drive was aided by a personal foul penalty against Milton. Patrick Rodgers completed the quick possession with a 30-yard touchdown run to give the Bulldogs their first lead of the game at 14-9 with 9:06 left in the third quarter.

Rodgers went on to score four more touchdowns in the second half to lead the Crestview charge.

Milton’s ensuing possession started at the Bulldog 49 after Crestview was guilty of an illegal touch on an attempted onside kick.

A Tate Williams to Kaiden Hall pass covered 41 yards and three plays later Williams scored on a quarterback sneak. The 2-point conversion attempt failed and Milton led 15-14 with 8:05 remaining in the third.

The Bulldogs needed just four plays to go 65 yards and retake the lead they wouldn’t surrender the rest of the game.

Rodgers was held without a gain on first down. Nocher then ran for 23 yards giving Crestview a first down at the Milton 42.

An incomplete pass by Nocher was followed by a 42-yard touchdown pass to Rodgers.

Crestview forced another quick Milton punt and took over at the Bulldog 28-yard line with 4:49 left in the third quarter. Fourteen seconds later Crestview led 29-15 following a 72-yard touchdown run by freshman Manuel Robinson and a 2-point conversion by Nocher.

The Bulldogs needed just 12 seconds off the game clock to score their next touchdown.

Maddox Reeves intercepted a Williams pass and returned it to the Milton 5-yard line. Rodgers needed one play to get the ball in for the score. Ethan Meyers added the extra point capping a 29-point third quarter for Crestview and pushing the Bulldog lead to 36-15.

“I was reading the quarterback’s eyes, and I thought, ‘I can get there,’” Reeves said of the interception. “I was just able to rally to the ball and make the play.”

Williams teamed up with Bryson Brown for a 41-yard touchdown pass with 2:49 left in the third quarter. The Brown touchdown was Milton’s last score of the game.

Less than 90 seconds into the fourth quarter Rodgers scored his fourth touchdown on a 2-yard run to cap a 75-yard drive that started with 2:42 left in the third period.

Everything that had gone wrong for the Bulldogs during the five-game losing streak suddenly went right.

Sophomore defensive back Rueben Martinez intercepted a Williams pass on Milton’s first play from scrimmage in the fourth quarter to give the Bulldogs the ball at their own 36.

Eight minutes and 13 plays later Rodgers capped his big night with a 2-yard touchdown to close out the scoring.

Rodgers finished the game with 165 yards in total offense. He gained 108 yards on the ground on 19 carries and added 57 yards in receptions on three catches.

Nocher was 9-of-14 passing for 138 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 96 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries.

The Bulldogs piled up 454 yards in offense with 316 yards coming on the ground.

Grant praised the offensive line for the work it did in opening holes and protecting Nocher.

“I’ve been critical of the offensive line,” he said. “But hats off to the offensive line. They played a great game.”

Robinson’s long run helped him break the 100-yard barrier on just 10 carries.

Phillips didn’t score, but he led the Bulldogs with three catches for 68 yards.

Milton finished the game with 213 yards in total offense.

Cobb had 79 yards on 13 carries, but negative plays on sacks netted the Panthers just 65 yards on the ground on 28 attempts.

Williams was 6-of-9 passing for 110 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw two interceptions.

Brown was Milton’s leading receiver with 71 yards on five catches.

Randy’s Report

Written by Randy Dickson on . Posted in Uncategorized.

Robby was 86 and Butkus was a few weeks shy of his 81st birthday.

Brooks Robinson, a native of Little Rock, Ark., embraced the city of Baltimore. Dick Butkus was a native of Chicago and he embodied his hometown with a strength and presence that would have Bad, Bad Leroy Brown shaking in his shoes. Both players helped define their sport and position to my generation of Baby Boomers.

I admired Brooks Robinson to the point that I shed tears over his death. I had a chuckle at the thought of Dick Butkus dying and it wasn’t a lack of respect to a player I so admired.

Dick Butkus was as much a part of my Halloween as he was my NFL. For several years as a scrawny little kid, I’d take a black magic marker and make a big 51 on the front of a white sweatshirt.

You see, Butkus was number 51 and I could think of no greater tribute than to intimidate the neighborhoods in Gulf Breeze as I growled, “TRICK or TREAT.”

I though of those days when I heard that Butkus had died and a part of me died with him.

There have been other great middle linebackers to come along since Butkus, but none filled the position as well as he did. The Bears were known as the Monsters of the Midway and nobody fit that description as Butkus did.

And there have been other great third basemen to play the hot corner, but none did it with the humility and grace as Brooks Robinson.

Robinson understood the importance of being a good reflection on the game of baseball, his family and the communities of Little Rock and Baltimore. Some players think about being a legend. Robinson was concerned about what his legacy might be.

He embraced the opportunity to be with the fans that he often referred to as, “I don’t call you my fans, I call you my friends.”

A columnist at a Baltimore newspaper once wrote, “In New York they name candy bars after baseball players. In Baltimore they name their babies after Brooks Robinson.”
As what did people name after Dick Butkus? In the movie “Rocky,” the title character named his dog Butkus.

If there is baseball in Heaven Brooks Robinson is 30-something again making impossible plays some ordinary at third base in the eternal field of dreams. And the next time I hear thunder ahead of the oncoming storm, I’ll think that Butkus found a running back to hit.

I am a sports writer and I have long measured the seasons of life by what kind of ball is bouncing on a field or in a gym. The spring season of my life was defined in many ways by Brooks Robinson in baseball and Dick Butkus in football.

I won’t wear a Dick Butkus jersey for Halloween this year, but if some young football player comes to my door, I know I’ll smile at a sweet memory of youth.

Randy’s Report

Written by Randy Dickson on . Posted in Uncategorized.

It has been 48 years since Gulf Breeze lost to Milton 36-6 in the fall of my senior year. I honestly haven’t gotten over it just yet.

I was there in 2002 when the Crestview football team beat Milton twice on the way to the Class 3A championship game. Even so, that was a good Milton football team.

The Panthers I despised were coached by Milton legend Hurley Manning. If you like power football on offense and defense, you would love the Manning coached teams.

In recent years it has been hard to grasp how Milton has struggled. This year that is especially true about the Milton defense. In back-to-back games against Gulf Breeze on Sept. 15 and Escambia on Sept. 22, the Panthers gave up 110 points.

When I first heard Guld Breeze scored 73 points against Milton, I thought it was a joke. When I witnessed Escambia’s five touchdown effort in a 37-0 beat down of the Panthers, I knew it was real.

Since Crestview and Baker both had an open date on Sept. 22, I volunteered to help our sister paper in Milton cover the Panther game against Escambia. I wanted to get a look at Milton before Crestview plays the Panthers in a few weeks.

Standing on the Milton sideline, I saw no player that struck fear into me as an old Dolphin. I honestly didn’t see a Milton player that had a WOW factor.

Six games into the season, teams have scored 197 points against the 2-4 Panthers. All the points have been scored against the Panthers in the four losses.

Will the Bulldogs beat the Panthers? That, I don’t know.

It just seems strange thinking there is anything average in a Milton DNA.

Hurley Manning drove me crazy, but he made football in Northwest Florida fun. He had a way about him that brought about a disgust and hate for his teams coupled with a big dose of admiration.

When you beat Milton in the 1970s, you knew you had a good, perhaps great team. And nobody had to be pumped up when they saw the Milton game was next in line.

Time marches on though. Hurley Manning is now in his late 80s and his players and those that played against his Milton teams are now 60-something.

I miss that feeling I associated with Milton. I loved to hate the Panthers and what they represented to the

Gulf Breeze Dolphins when my school was young and so were my classmates and myself.

The Milton mystique is gone. But in some ways it will never completely die for those of us that remember those Panther teams way back when.

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