PNJ sports reporter bats against Pace softball pitching
PNJ sports reporter Ben Grieco goes to bat against Pace High School powerhouse pitchers Jayden Heavener and Mallory Baker. Watch how he did.
Third time’s the charm.
After falling twice earlier in the season, the Pace flag football team got its revenge – at a crucial time, no less – and defeated Santa Rosa County rival Navarre in the District 1-2A championship game on Thursday at Bennett C. Russell Stadium in Navarre.
The Patriots won 19-0, posting back-to-back shutouts and earning their first district crown since the 2022 season when Pace made it to the Region 1-2A title game, falling to Fleming Island.
“We just preached to the girls that it’s the next game up, one day at a time. We can’t control the past, only what’s ahead of us,” Pace head coach Chris Raggard told the PNJ over the phone after the game. “I’m really proud of the way they fought through the adversity. …
“We knew we needed to play a clean game, mistake-free as much as possible, and make simple plays. We did that tonight.”
Amaya Pablo was involved in all three of the Patriots’ trips to the end zone. Her first score was a 24-yard pick-6 late in the first half. Raggard highlighted the circumstances surrounding the touchdown, noting that Navarre had just stopped Pace inside the Raiders’ 5-yard line.
Navarre got the ball back, advanced past its own 20-yard line and had another first-down situation, looking to reach the 40-yard line. But an underneath slant from the Raiders saw Pablo read the pass, pick it off and take it home.
From there, Cadence Wermers scored a 15-yard touchdown reception and Emma Sutton, on fourth down, caught a 4-yard receiving touchdown throughout the second half to secure victory. Pablo threw both touchdown passes, and finished the night with 261 yards passing with 22 yards rushing.
“For Amaya to be able to finally start looking like her old self with the nagging injuries fading away – at least for the moment, knock on wood – we’re able to see what she’s capable of day-in and day-out,” Raggard said.
Berkley Lutz and Pablo led the Patriots’ defense with four tackles apiece, while both of Bella Ortiz’s tackles were sacks for a total loss of 7 yards. Outside of Pablo’s interception, Aisley Shields (returned for 3 yards) and Emily Neal (returned for 12 yards) also recorded picks.
The shutout effort was just a continuation of what the Patriots had done in Tuesday’s semifinal win against Niceville, Raggard mentioned. But, it was tough since neither Pace nor Navarre could practice on Wednesday due to storms that came through the area.
Santa Rosa County schools dismissed for the day earlier, leaving teams without a practice before the championship game. Raggard commended his team for watching film.
“We took what we learned (from Niceville) and played really well,” Raggard said. “But I’m proud of the girls for managing and watching film from the previous games to see what they could do better. … It really showed tonight.”
Navarre (14-2), ranked second in the last regional rankings on April 5, will likely receive an at-large bid into the tournament.
Pace (12-5) earns an automatic bid into the Region 1 tournament with the district crown in hand. It’ll be the third consecutive year for the Patriots in the region tournament.
Raggard said the team gets to avoid the “heartbreak” of last season, and now gets to host a regional tournament game. And potentially get ready for another meeting with Niceville, and possibly Navarre later in the tournament.
“The next opportunity is the next opportunity. … It looks like possibly a fourth matchup against Niceville in the quarterfinals. After that, it could be Navarre, it could be Fleming Island – we don’t know,” Raggard said. “We know there’s a lot of season ahead of us. … It’s do or die. It’s win or go home. We need to execute better each time we get on the field.”
Ben Grieco is a sports reporter for the Pensacola News Journal. He can be reached on X (@BenGriecoSports) and via email at [email protected].
2024-04-12 04:08:19
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