Country roads, open fields and even warning signs to be sure to share the road with tractors highlight the road to Jay, a small town in rural Santa Rosa County featuring a Royals boys basketball team harboring big dreams while in the midst of a special season.
Practice is underway on a Wednesday afternoon in late January inside a gymnasium that, on game nights, is rocking and swaying with excitement and brimming with a buzz fueled by the roar of the crowd.
Nearly four minutes had gone by in the opening quarter before either team scored a point. Kayla Willis finally put Milton on the board against Central with 4:30 to go, knocking down a free throw after drawing a foul going up for a shot in the paint.
That seemed to spark the Panthers in their county battle with the Jaguars. Milton rolled to an 11-1 lead after one quarter and cruised to a 48-24 victory Tuesday night.
Lattrell Tate scored 23 points, connecting five times from 3-point range, as the University of West Florida men’s basketball team ended a five-game losing streak with a 72-54 win over Shorter Saturday.
Crazy. That’s how Pace standout Hudson Trammell described his opportunity to compete at the USA Swimming Junior National Championship meet last month in North Carolina.
With the final score in the books after 80 chilly minutes of soccer last Friday night, the Pace Patriots earning a 6-0 win over the Milton Panthers at home, the focus shifted to a special moment on the field.
Most of the Pace and Milton players know each other.
The most recent regional rankings are out and several area teams are in contention for playoff spots.
In 6A, the top eight teams will make the postseason, including the four district champions in the region. In 1A, the top four teams earn spots to the regional.
Teagan Skipworth was all smiles as she celebrated with her teammates late Thursday night, the Patriots jumping around, savoring the thrill of a huge District 1-6A win over rival Navarre on the road.
A year ago in this gym, the Patriots lost to the Raiders in the district final.
Paige Phillips has long been a leader of the Milton girls soccer team. She’s also one of the area’s top scoring threats, including putting in five goals in a 9-0 win over Pine Forest last Tuesday night.
That was a bright spot in what has been a challenging season, and yet, even in tough moments, Paige and her teammates, especially the seniors, have remained focused and positive.
Jackson McKenzie has had his sights set on Mississippi State since middle school. And now the dream is a reality for the Pace baseball standout.
McKenzie signed a national letter of intent in November and is thrilled about the opportunity in front of him.
