Ben GriecoPensacola News Journal
When you line up some of the best players across the Panhandle, it’s bound to be a defensive battle.
And that’s exactly what the Pensacola Sports All-Star football game brought on Friday at Booker T. Washington. Split between the West and East teams, the West came out with a 13-6 victory after a late touchdown from Pine Forest’s Miequle Brock Jr.
The West team comprised of players from Escambia County schools, while the East featured players from both Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties.
While players from the West – which regained bragging rights after falling to the East in 2022 for the first time since 2017 – might’ve come out victorious, Friday’s game was more about “getting to see all the smiles on these kids faces,” Rocky Bayou Christian head coach K.C. Woods, who led the East team, said.
“We talked about it on the East side, for some, this was the last time they’re buckling it up. For them to get an opportunity that they didn’t know they would have (at the end of the season), to go and do it one more time, it’s awesome,” Woods said. “For those who have gotten looks or are looking to get some looks (from colleges) to get to play Friday night lights one more time, there’s nothing like it.”
At first, it was just a struggle for either team to put points on the board. Between a missed field goal, punts and turnovers, it took until there was 4 minutes, 59 seconds left in the half for someone to break the deadlock. West Florida’s Cole Willis booted a 24-yard field goal to put West up 3-0.
After some more struggles on offense from both sides, Willis got his second field goal of the night – a 39-yarder, which was technically his longest of the season, making just a 37-yard field goal for the Jaguars during the season – as time expired to put the West up 6-0 at halftime.
On the East’s first drive of the second half, following a few short runs, Milton’s Ethan Diamond and Navarre’s Nate Hanson connected a couple times (receptions of 36 yards and 34 yards) to put the East in prime scoring position. Diamond then found Choctaw’s Justin Whidbee on an outside slant route. Then Whidbee bounced off a defender and ran in for the 11-yard touchdown, but the point-after kick was blocked.
On the ensuing drive, it took just three plays for the West to score, thanks to an incredible kickoff return from Escambia’s Trevion Killette, who brought the ball to the East 38-yard line. Three plays later, Brock ran in for a 23-yard touchdown up the sideline, which wound up being the game-winner, with 6:06 left in the game.
“It means the most to come out here and show our talent,” said Escambia’s Ryan McVay, who added that Friday’s game was his first all-star game after not playing in one during little league football. “West side is the best side, they always say.”
The East came close to tying the game in the dying minutes of the contest, getting down to the West 13, but three consecutive incomplete passes resulted in a turnover on downs, and Brock ran three more times to drain the rest of the clock.
“(Brock) used to be on my side and then left. I told him, ‘Damn, I shouldn’t have let you go,’” Escambia head coach Mike Bennett, who was at the helm of the West team, said with a laugh. “It’s just one of those things. I’ll always respect him and respect his decision. … He’s a special player. …
“Man, there were just a lot of good football players tonight. There were good players, good coaching and a fun time.”
‘They’re a thorn because you’ve got to try and stop them’
Coaching the All-Star game means you essentially get a dream team of some of the best seniors across the area schools. And that means, getting players who might’ve been tough to play against during the regular season.
For Bennett, that included Choctaw’s Jashawn Armstrong, a linebacker who recorded four tackles and a sack against the Gators during the regular season, where Escambia fell 24-20.
“Having guys like (Ryland) Bragg from Catholic blocking for us, man that was special. Just seeing some of those guys where I see their stuff on Twitter, what a great group to have,” Bennett said. “They’re a thorn because you’ve got to try and stop them. … I was real glad we had some of those guys today.”
“Some of these guys were a thorn in my side during the regular season, but to play with them – and guys I’ve played with my whole life – it’s cool to play one last high school game,” West Florida quarterback John Nicholas said.
But, at the same time, it allows for some coaches to lead their own players for the last time. Bennett had 11 Gators compete in the all-star game: Santwon Burnside, Cam Mayo, Tadarius Wright, Anthony Hall, Messiah Everheart, LeJon Williams, Josh Jackson, Jaylon Harris Trevion Killette, McVay and Jashawn Williams.
“I love my guys,” Bennett said. “Just an unbelievable group.”
Woodshad a couple RBC seniors: Gideon Rossell and Cam DeWitt.
“They’re great young men,” Woods said. “So to be around them one more time with their pads on, it was a great moment. I’ll cherish that.”
‘The beauty of football’
Leading up to the all-star game, there are just a handful of practices to start building chemistry between players. When you have 19 schools represented across two teams, it takes a little bit to understand everyone’s style of play.
“It kind of shows the beauty of football, that we can go and practice for three days, then you come out today and you start to see everybody gel together,” Nicholas said.
“It doesn’t take much to run a football team,” Diamond said. “You go out there, have fun, and it was a good time.”
Woods noted that as head coach of Rocky Bayou Christian, which competes in District 1-1S, doesn’t always get to see the bigger schools during the regular season, like Niceville or Fort Walton Beach, 4S and 3S schools, respectively.
So to put some of RBC’s players alongside those of a much larger school, “it’s really cool” to be around them for the week,” Woods said.
Being able to coach certain players, like Gulf Breeze’s Shamane Walker, who was found in the backfield a few times as a defensive end for the East team, is an added bonus.
“With limited practice time, defenses are always going to be well ahead of the offense. I knew we had a good one – then I realized (the West) had one, too,” Woods said. “Guys like Jashawn (Armstrong), Shamane Walker from Gulf Breeze, and then some of our other guys, I knew they were going to make big plays.”
All-Star rosters
Here’s a list of all area players who competed at the all-star game.
West: Santwon Burnside – Escambia; Cam Mayo – Escambia; Miquele Brock – Pine Forest; Tadarius Wright – Escambia; Anthony Hall – Escambia; John Nicholas – West Florida; Messiah Everheart – Escambia; Kendrick Burrell – Booker T. Washington; Edward O’Brien – Tate; LeJon Williams – Escambia; Courtney Clark – Pensacola Catholic; Jacob Spence – Northview; Josh Jackson – Escambia; Tyquan Hunter – Pine Forest; Wyatt Scruggs – Northview; Jaylon Harris – Escambia; DeQuan Gaddy – Pensacola High; Trevion Killette – Escambia; Ryan McVay – Escambia; Tyquan Stabler – Pine Forest; Joe Wright – Northview; Jamarion Johnson – Pine Forest; Trey Edwards – Tate; Jaxson Moore – Tate; D.J. Lyons – Northview; Logan Weeks – West Florida; Jacob Lacour – Pensacola Catholic; Connor Johnson – Booker T. Washington; Jashawn Williams – Escambia; Ryland Bragg – Pensacola Catholic; Corey Odoms – Pine Forest; Nathan Shimeck – Tate; Cole Willis – West Florida; Lillas Legree – Pensacola Catholic; Clayton Philly – Tate; Andre Colston – Tate; Labron Baldwin – Tate; James Brown – Booker T. Washington; Aveon Riley – Booker T. Washington; Jake Chambers – Pensacola Catholic
East: Jaydon Leverett – Milton; Malik Cobb – Milton; Hunter Pfiester – Navarre; Carson Wolfe – Milton; Chase Taylor – Pace; Kaden French – Milton; Ethan Diamond – Milton; Landon Pulliman – Milton; Brock Stout – Jay; Nate Hanson – Navarre; Tucker Knowling – Jay; James Reeves – Milton; Tommy Walker – Milton; Eli Stephens – Jay; Charlie Cottrell – Navarre; Jaxson Spalla – Navarre; Cameron Pollard – Navarre; Carson Wright – Pace; Landon Snellgrove – Milton; Manny Kimmons – Milton; Brayden Gates – Pace; Shamane Walker – Gulf Breeze; Jamarion Hadnot – Milton
