It doesn’t take student athletes long to learn life, and athletics aren’t always fair. But the lessons of youth learned that truth about life being unfair often pushes them to success beyond their wildest dreams. In the grand scheme of all things unfair, Pensacola Christian Academy being in the same track and field district as Baker, Central and Jay might not even rate a one of a scale to 10 unless you are from one of the rural schools fighting for a title.

There were no surprises Monday evening when the Class 6A Crestview softball team hosted 1A opponent Paxton. As one might expect, the Lady Bulldogs dominated in every aspect of the game. And is almost always the case, the dominant team won.

In what might very well be his final home game as a Crestview Bulldog, senior Anthony St. Vincent was lights out on the mound as the Bulldog baseball team hosted West Florida in the last regular season home game of the year. St. Vincent threw a complete game shutout in the 7-0 win over the Jaguars.

Hits and runs were hard to come by Friday as the Baker softball team hosted Catholic. The Lady Crusaders scored three runs on four hits, all coming in the first three innings. Catholic pitcher Isabelle Little-anoai was even more stingy allowing four hits. She also walked four, hit one Lady Gator batter and was the victim of two Catholic errors.

Crestview High School’s beach volleyball team closed out the home part of their regular season Wednesday with a 5-0 sweep of Walton. The team of Dina Sheikho and Kaeden Foxx won the match of one seeds, Aubrey Sheffield and Kennedy Harrell took the two seed match. Three seeds Sara Robinson-Harmer and Avery Price won as did four seeds Hope Stoutenburgh and Camille Reeves.

Although the game only lasted five innings, it was a long afternoon for the Laurel Hill softball team Thursday as the Lady Hoboes hosted Destin. To say Laurel Hill was slow out of the gate would be the definition of an understatement. To say the Lady Hoboes ever stopped fighting would be a lie. But by the time the Lady Hoboes finally scored in the third inning they already trailed 18-0.

With the start of spring football practice less than two weeks away on April 29, Baker School Principal Mike Martello announced Thursday that Barry Gardner is no longer the Gator head football coach.

Powered by a third inning grand slam home run off the bat of Maddox Smith, Baker rolled to a 16-8 baseball win over Laurel Hill on Tuesday. The Gators were firmly in control of the game from the outset, scoring four runs in the top of the first and never looking back.

Crestview High School’s flag football team hosted Tate in the first round of the District 1-2A playoffs Monday.

The game was all Lady Bulldogs as Crestview took no prisoners in a 25-0 win. The Lady Bulldogs’ season ended the next night in a 38-0 loss to Navarre.

Crestview baseball coach Tim Gillis will be one of the first to tell you Connor Riffe has a good baseball future ahead of him if he continues to put in the work.

Riffe, a junior, plays first base and outfield for the Bulldogs and leads the team in runs batted in with 10. At 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, Riffe is one of the biggest players on the team.