Area High School Roundup: Gulf Breeze wrestling produces strong results at Panhandle Championships

Don't see your team's score? Have your coach email a brief summary to pbernadeau@gannett.com or bgrieco@gannett.com, along with statistics and notable performers.

Here's an area high school roundup of scores featuring Pensacola-area sports from Jan. 2-6.

Cast your vote: Who should win PNJ Athlete of the Week for Dec. 18-30

FHSAA Basketball Rankings: Where did area teams place in the first basketball rankings of the season?

FHSAA Soccer Rankings: See where area teams stack up among entire state of Florida

Saturday

Boys Wrestling

Panhandle Championships: Just days after being crowned as District 2-1A dual champions, Gulf Breeze was the highest-placing area team at the 20-team dual meet.

The Dolphins earned sixth overall after winning five of seven duals. They fell to North Bay Haven 51-30 in their first dual before beating Bozeman (60-14), Freeport (75-6), Destin (72-6). Rutherford (72-12) and Niceville (48-33).

Gulf Breeze ended their competition dropping the fifth-place match to Wakulla 46-36. Each scoring 42 points for the team, Garrett Ferguson, Gavin Samons and Michael Mancuso each were undefeated at the 106, 113 and 144-pound weight classes, respectively.

Elsewhere, Pace was three spots behind in ninth. The Patriots also won five of seven matches, defeating Westfield School (Ga.), Tate, Bay, Bozeman and Fort Walton Beach. Isaac Waters (190 pounds) and Franco Ravendo (285) each scored 36 points for Pace

Lastly, Tate claimed 17th while Milton was 20th.

Girls Wrestling

Panhandle Championships: Like the boys team, Gulf Breeze posted the best results among local teams in the field. The Dolphins claimed third place with 83 points, trailing only second place Crestview (93) and winner Enterprise (Ala.) (128).

Gulf Breeze had winners in two different weight classes.

Camdyn Elliott captured four matches by fall and fifth by technical fall to claim the victory at 100 pounds. Lily Powell had similar success at 115, as she picked up pins in all three of her matches.

Elsewhere, Kiianna Gavere claimed first at the 140-pound weight class to lead Pace to a tie for fourth overall with 75 points. Gavere earned three wins via pin and a fourth due to injury.

The final area winner comes from Milton, as Joselyn Delgado took first at the 145 pounds. Delgado took two victories via pin fall to lead the Panthers to a tie for 14th place with 18th points.

Boys Basketball

All-State Sugar Bowl Tournament

Archbishop Shaw 63, Booker T. Washington 50: The Wildcats were denied by the Eagles on the tournament’s final day from Westwego, Louisiana. Stats were unavailable.

Booker T. Washington (10-5) is host to Milton at 7 p.m. Monday from Ronnie and Janis Bond Gym.

Other area games

Florida High 60, Gulf Breeze 41: The Dolphins saw their skid bumped to three games following a home loss to the Seminoles. Stats were unavailable.

Gulf Breeze (7-4) aims to end its slide at 7 p.m. Tuesday at home against Crestview.

Destin 52, Central 32: The Jaguars suffered their third consecutive defeat after all at home against the Sharks. Destin had a 24-13 halftime lead before blowing the game open with a 16-8 third quarter.

Stats were unavailable.

Central (9-5) plays host to Laurel Hill on Monday.

Girls Basketball

Pace 56, Pensacola Catholic 27: Dropping their last two games, the Patriots bounced back with a convincing victory on the road against the Crusaders. Stats were unavailable.

In a matchup featuring two of the area’s elite, Pace (11-3) faces Booker T. Washington at 6 p.m. Tuesday from Ronnie and Janis Bond Gym. On the same night, Pensacola Catholic (5-9) plays at home against Northview

Boys Soccer

Milton 2, Escambia 0: After losing five of their previous six games, the Panthers returned to the .500 mark with a shutout home triumph over the Gators. Stats were unavailable.

Milton (6-6) plays host to Marianna at 7 p.m. Friday. On the same night, Escambia (2-9-2) takes on Pine Forest from Emmitt Smith Field.

Tate 5, Pensacola Catholic 0: Jackson Clarke delivered a hat trick while Justin Bolden added two goals during the Aggies’ road win over the Crusaders. Bolden also had two assists.

The visitors posted four of their goals in the second half.

Tate (9-4) has outscored its opponents by a 12-0 margin since the start of the new year. The team plays at 7 p.m. Monday at Choctaw. Pensacola Catholic (2-8-2) plays at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Milton.

Girls Soccer

Navarre 1, Lincoln 1: The Raiders are now unbeaten in their last four matches following a tie against the Trojans from Bennett. C. Russell Stadium.

Cici Buffalino put in the lone goal for the home team in the 9th minute. The junior midfielder has scored an area-best 16 goals this season. Meanwhile, the hosts got three saves from senior goalkeeper Taylor Yamaguchi.

Navarre (10-4-2) plays at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Pace. The Raiders captured a 3-1 victory over the Patriots on Dec. 5.

Friday

Girls Soccer

Pace 2, Gulf Breeze 1: The drought is over. After going winless in their last 13 matches against their Santa Rosa County rival, the host Patriots have finally bested the Dolphins.

That winless streak included a 5-1 defeat on Nov. 29 from Dolphin Stadium as well as four losses last season. Before breaking through, Pace last defeated Gulf Breeze on Nov. 3, 2014.

Stats were unavailable.

The Patriots (6-4-1) play at 7 p.m. Wednesday at home against Navarre. Gulf Breeze (5-5-2) next hits the pitch at 7 p.m. Tuesday at South Walton.

Navarre 6, Fort Walton Beach 1: Goals from six different players lifted the host Raiders past the Vikings.

For Navarre (10-4-1), Cici Bufalino, Emma Barry, Leeyana Knop, Alli Dalton, Kaitlyn Lawson and Amelia Smith each had a shot go into the back of the net. Lawson also produced a pair of assists.

With a 7-1 record in their last eight matches, the Raiders hope to continue its form against Lincoln at 2 p.m. Saturday from Bennett C. Russell Stadium.

Boys Soccer

Tampa Bay Invitational

Tampa Prep 4, Gulf Breeze 2: It took 13 matches, but the Dolphins suffered defeat for the first time in the 2023-24 season after falling to the Terrapins from the J.C. Handly Sports Complex. Stats were unavailable.

Gulf Breeze (11-1-1) concludes its tournament in the third-place match against Mitchell at 12 p.m. CST Saturday from Jesuit High School.

Other area games

Navarre 6, Freeport 3: A strong first-half carried the Raiders to victory on the road against the Bulldogs. The visitors were ahead 4-1 at halftime.

Stats were unavailable. Navarre (5-4-3) plays at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at home against Bay.

Boys Basketball

All-State Sugar Bowl Tournament

Booker T. Washington 49, Holy Cross (La.) 43: The Wildcats captured their 10th win of the season with a narrow win over the Tigers. Stats were unavailable.

Other area games

Escambia 53, West Florida 44: Efficient from the field, Joshua Jackson had 17 points on 6-for-12 shooting to lead the Gators to a road win over the Jaguars.

The senior also had four rebounds and four assists. Tayshaun Gilcrist added 11 points and four assists while Tae Gaston chipped in with eight points, 10 rebounds, four assists and three blocks. Gilcrist recently committed to play at Coastal Alabama Community College.

Stats were unavailable for West Florida (8-7), who dropped its third game in a row. The Jaguars play at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at home against Pace. At the same time, Escambia (6-11) is host to Escambia.

Navarre 78, Gulf Breeze 69: The Raiders have caught fire since mid-December. They have won six of their last seven games, including a home victory over the Dolphins.

Currently on a four-game winning streak, the Raiders (9-7) plays at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Fort Walton Beach. The Dolphins (7-4) have a quick turnaround as they take on Florida High at 5 p.m. from Gulf Breeze High School.

Tate 71, Jay 65: Trailing after every quarter, the Aggies used a 24-13 margin to sail past the Royals.

Tate (10-5) is host to Pensacola at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. On the same night, Jay (6-6) plays at Paxton.

Milton 76, Foley (Ala.) 39: The Panthers erased the memory over back-to-back losses with a blowout home win over the Lions. Close after the first quarter, the hosts blitzed Foley 23-12 in the second and 30-4 in the third.

Milton (12-2) plays at 7 p.m. Monday at Booker T. Washington.

Crestview 55, Pace 33: The Patriots were unable to overcome a slow start in a home defeat to the Bulldogs.

Pace (3-12) fell into a 29-9 halftime hole.

Lighthouse Private Christian Academy xx, Northview xx: After a loss in their previous game halted a four-game winning streak, the Stingrays returned to the win column with a home rout of the Chiefs. The home team enjoyed a 49-22 lead at halftime before pulling away further with a 26-6 third quarter.

Stats were unavailable.

Laurel Hill 79, L.E.A.D. Academy 42: The Lions were blasted on the road against the Hoboes. Stats were unavailable.

L.E.A.D. Academy (2-11) plays at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at home against Rocky Bayou Christian.

West Florida Baptist Academy 55, Calvary Christian Academy 50: The Conquerors are 5-1 in their last six games thanks to a slim road win over the Patriots.

WFBA (11-7) is host to Santa Rosa Christian at 6 p.m. Monday.

Girls Basketball

Gulf Breeze 41, Pensacola 39: The Dolphins never trailed during a home victory over the Tigers. An in-depth recap of this game can be found on PNJ.com.

West Florida 60, Escambia 14: Amami Bartholomew earned her fourth-straight double-double while Shania Beeks was a steal shy of one of her own as the Jaguars rolled past the Gators.

Bartholomew had 15 points, 16 rebounds, three assists and four blocks. Beeks posted a game-high 20 points and nine steals. Nylah Brooks contributed 17 points, six rebounds and three steals.

Booker T. Washington 45, Daphne (Ala.) 36: Limited offensively and down by 11 at halftime, the Wildcats reversed course in the second half to claim a runaway win over the Trojans. The visitors outscored Daphne 32-12 over the final 16 minutes.

Booker T. Washington (13-1) next plays Pace at 6 p.m. Tuesday from the Ronnie and Janis Bond Gym.

Crestview 45, Navarre 35: The middle quarters proved costly for the Raiders, who dropped a road game to the Bulldogs. Navarre was outscored 32-12 through the second and third quarters.

The Raiders (3-9) face South Walton at 7 p.m. Tuesday from Navarre High School.

Pensacola Catholic 47, Pensacola Christian Academy 43: The Crusaders clipped the Warriors at home. Stats were unavailable.

Catholic (5-8) is host to Pace at 3 p.m. Saturday. On the same day, PCA (4-5) is host to South Baldwin Christian Academy (Ala.).

West Florida Baptist Academy 50, Calvary Christian Academy 28: Boosted by an 18-2 third quarter, the Conquerors captured their 10th victory over the season with a road win over the Patriots in Fort Walton Beach.

Stats were unavailable. At 4:30 p.m. Monday, WFBA (10-4) is host to Santa Rosa Christian.

Thursday

Boys Soccer

Booker T. Washington 10, Pace 2: Firing in a season-best 10 goals, the Wildcats stampeded past the Patriots at home.

Booker T. Washington enjoyed a 4-2 advantage at halftime before exploding for six goals in the second half.

Kyle Hunnicutt was responsible for half of the number on the scoreboard, as the senior posted five goals along with two assists. Sawyer Kuba added two goals while Felipe Lawall Jr., Keandre Hernandez and Anthony Lipnicky each scored once. Meanwhile, Ethan Koivu had eight saves for the Wildcats.

Stats were unavailable for Pace (7-5-1). In a match of the area’s two best teams, Booker T. Washington (8-1) plays at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Gulf Breeze.

Gulf Breeze 1, River Ridge 1 (1-0 SO): The Dolphins remained undefeated by prevailing in a shootout over the Royal Knights.

Gulf Breeze scored in the first half while River Ridge equalized on a penalty kick from Landen Hebb in the second half. Stats were unavailable for the Dolphins.

Next, Gulf Breeze (11-0-1) plays Tampa Prep at 6 p.m. CST Friday.

Tate 7, Escambia 0: Avoiding a three-game skid, the Aggies marched to a shutout road win against the Gators.

Five different players scored for Tate. Jackson Clarke and Tyler Clarke each posted two goals while Ian Stinnett, Justin Bolden and Michael Christensen all tacked on one goal. Colten Barrett had a team-best two assists.

The Aggies (8-4) play their fourth consecutive road match at 7 p.m. Friday at Pensacola Catholic. Dropping its last three matches, Escambia (2-8-2) plays at 2 p.m. Saturday at Milton.

Girls Soccer

Milton 1, Pensacola 0: The Panthers knocked off the Tigers at home. Stats were unavailable.

Milton (3-4-3) completes a three-game road stretch at 6 p.m. Friday at Destin. On Tuesday, Pensacola (1-6) also faces the Sharks on the road.

Boys Basketball

Allstate Sugar Bowl National Prep Classic

Peabody (La.) 52, Booker T. Washington 36: One week after playing in the Gulf Coast Holiday Classic, the Wildcats dropped their latest game following a low-scoring effort against the Warhorses from the Alario Center in Westwego, Louisiana.

The team fell to 1-3 this season in games scoring 40 points or less.Booker T. Washington led at the end of the first quarter, but trailed 19-17 at halftime and 36-26 after three quarters.

Jordan Matthews had 15 points and 11 rebounds to lead Peabody. Stats were unavailable for the Wildcats (9-4), who continue tournament play at 8:30 p.m. Friday with a consolation-bracket game versus Holy Cross (La.).

Other area games

Crestview 68, Milton 57: After winning their first 11 games to start the season, the Panthers have been on the wrong side of their last two contests. Their most recent defeat came at home against the Bulldogs.

Stats were unavailable.

Milton (11-2) looks to rebound at 7 p.m. Friday as hosts to Foley (Ala.).

Jay 62, West Florida Baptist Academy 30: The Royals collected their second blowout win of 2024 by crushing the Conquerors at home. Stats were unavailable.

Moving above .500 for the first time this season, Jay (6-5) hits the floor next at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Tate. WFBA (10-7) visits Calvary Christian Academy at 7 p.m. Friday from Fort Walton Beach.

Pace 53, Niceville 46: The Patriots snapped a seven-game losing streak with a home win over the Eagles. Stats were unavailable.

At 7 p.m. Friday, Pace (3-11) is host to Crestview.

Paxton 53, Central 42: After getting blasted by the same opponent in the final game of 2023, the Jaguars were more competitive in the rematch, but eventually fell on the road to the Bobcats.

Central trailed 13-3 at the end of the first quarter, but closed the gap to 23-22 by halftime. However, the team was outscored 30-20 in the second half. Sawyer Adams and Noah Morgan led Paxton with 19 and 17 points, respectively. Adams also had 15 rebounds.

Stats were unavailable for Central (9-4), plays at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at home against Destin.

Baker 56, Pensacola Christian Academy 54: The Warriors were on the wrong side of a close road contest with the Gators. PCA led 41-36 at the end of the third quarter, but was outscored 20-13 in the fourth.

Quincy Williams and Matthew Johnson had 16 and 14 points, respectively to pace the visitors.

Marianna 86, Lighthouse Private Christian Academy 63: The Stingrays saw their four-game winning streak come to an end following a home loss to the Bulldogs.

Tra’jan Spears was a flamethrower from deep, connected on 9 of 13 3-pointers en route to 36 points to pace Marianna. Stats were unavailable for LPCA, who looks to bounce back at 7 p.m. Friday at home against Northview.

Girls Basketball

Booker T. Washington 52, Choctaw 39: Following their first loss of the season last week, the Wildcats got back on the winning track with a home win over the Indians. Stats were unavailable.

Booker T. Washington (12-1) has another tough test at 7 p.m. Friday. The team is host to Daphne (Ala.), who holds a 15-2 record.

Jay 58, Poplar Springs 28: The Royals extended their winning streak to four with a sizable victory on the road over the Atomics. Stats were unavailable.

Jay (13-1) plays at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Paxton.

Crestview 43, West Florida 37: Slow out of the gates, the Jaguars made it a game late before falling at the end on the road to the Bulldogs.

The visitors were outscored 19-7 at the end of the first quarter. They trailed 31-30 with eight minutes remaining, but were outscored 12-7 the rest of the way. Stats were unavailable.

Set to play in front of their home fans for the first time since Dec. 14, West Florida is host to Escambia at 6 p.m. Friday.

Milton 37, Walton 33: The Panthers held off the Braves for a narrow road win. Stats were unavailable.

Milton (5-7) plays at 7 p.m. Monday as host to Pace.

Central 45, Paxton 40: Avenging a loss from Dec. 19 to the same team, the Jaguars turned away the Bobcats on the road. Stats were unavailable.

Central (7-5) is host to Gulf Breeze at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.

Wednesday

Girls Basketball

Fort Walton Beach 46, Pace 42: After ending 2023 with a loss, the Patriots didn’t start 2024 off on the right foot as the team suffered a narrow road defeat to the Vikings.

Stats were unavailable.

Pace (10-3) has dropped three of its last four contests after starting the season at 9-0. The team looks to rebound at 3 p.m. Saturday at Pensacola Catholic.

Boys Basketball

Navarre 81, Pensacola Catholic 55: The Raiders picked up their third victory in a row after socking the Crusaders on the road.

Jonah Forrest was the game's high scorer after knocking down shot after shot from downtown. The Navarre senior put up 29 on 9-for-16 shooting, which includes 9 of 14 makes from three-point territory. His nine 3-pointers are a school record.

Meanwhile, Darius Cunningham added 17 points, three rebounds, four assists and nine steals for the road team.

Terius Mason and Solomon Sutton each had 16 points to pace Pensacola Catholic.

Moving about the .500 mark for the first time since early December, Navarre (8-7) plays at 7 p.m. Friday at Gulf Breeze. Catholic (2-13) had its losing streak extended to six games. The team also plays on Friday as it hosts Pensacola Christian Academy.

Murphy (Ala.) 54, West Florida 40: The Jaguars have dropped four of their last five games, the latest of which came on the road against the Panthers. Stats were unavailable.

Looking to get back on the right track, West Florida (8-6) plays at 7:30 p.m. Friday at home versus Escambia.

Girls Soccer

Navarre 3, Tate 1: The Raiders have won six of their last seven games following a home win against the Aggies. Visit PNJ.com for an in-depth recap of this contest.

Tuesday

Girls Basketball

Jay 66, L.E.A.D. Academy 30: Rolling to their third straight victory, the Royals dominated the Lions on the road. Stats were unavailable.

Leading the area in wins, Jay (12-1) faces Poplar Springs for a 4 p.m.-Thursday matchup in Graceville.

Boys Basketball

Tate 67, Pace 52: The Aggies rolled to their seventh double-digit win this season following a road win against the Patriots.

The visitors enjoyed just a 31-26 advantage at halftime before breaking the game open with a 18-10 push in the third quarter. Stats were unavailable.

At 7:30 p.m. Friday, Tate (9-5) is host to Jay. Pace (2-11) hopes to snap a seven-game losing streak. The team plays at 6:15 p.m. Thursday at home against Niceville.

Navarre 70, Niceville 66: Darius Cunningham registered another splendid performance to lift the Raiders to a home win against the Eagles.

The senior guard poured in a team-highs of 25 points and 18 rebounds (seven offensive) to go with three steals. He only shot 7-for-20 from the field, but he was 3-for-7 from three-point territory and 8-for-10 from the free-throw line.

It is the third time this season that Cunningham has notched at least 25 points in a game this season while his 18 rebounds are a career-high.

Jonah Forrest tacked on 17 points and three steals. David Clearman had 10 points and six rebounds.

With the victory, Navarre improved to 7-7 during the 2023-24 campaign.

Jay 74, L.E.A.D. Academy 44: Winning every quarter, the Royals cruised to a blowout road victory over the Lions. The road team led 24-12 after the end of the first before outscoring the hosts by four, nine and five points over the subsequent quarter.

Evan Lanasa and Donovan Dean both had nine points to pace L.E.A.D. Academy. Stats were unavailable for Jay (5-5), who plays at 7 p.m. Thursday as host to West Florida Baptist Academy. The Lions (2-10) play at 7 p.m. Friday at Laurel Hill.

Bayside Academy (Ala.) 71, Pensacola Christian Academy 49: The Warriors were only trailed by six points at halftime, but were outside 39-23 in the second half of their road defeat to the Admirals.

Matthew Johnson had 19 points to lead PCA (5-4). Quincy Williams and Michael Day added 17 and 11 points, respectively.

Boys Soccer

Gulf Breeze 5, West Florida 1: Lucas Isakson, Carson Dahlem and Seamus Ladner all entered the scoring column to help the Dolphins stay unbeaten following a convincing home victory over the Jaguars.

The teams were knotted up tied 1-1 at halftime before the hosts pulled away with four scores in the second half.

Isakson and Dahlem each had two goals. Dahlem also had an assist, as did Aiden Calloway.

Next up for Gulf Breeze (10-0-1) is the Tampa Bay Invitational where the team plays at 6 p.m. CST Thursday against River Ridge. The Royal Knights have a 10-1 record this season.

Meanwhile, West Florida (6-5-2) plays at 7 p.m. Monday at Pace.

Pace 5, Escambia 0: The Patriots struck first right before halftime before pouring it on with four second-half goals during a home win against the Gators.

After forcing a turnover late in the first half, Ryan Mishop had a strike on goal blocked, but the Pace sophomore skied a pass to Christian Baker, who headed home the finish.

Mike McKee, Cooper Foust, A.J. BonJorno and Shayne Stansbury each produced a score in the final 40 minutes. Mishop ended his night with two assists while Baker, Cole Specht and Tito Palacios each tacked on a helper.

All of that action was in front of Jack Roest, as the junior goalkeeper needed just three saves for a clean sheet.

The Patriots (7-4-1) play at 7 p.m. Thursday at Booker T. Washington. On the same night, Escambia (2-7-2) aims to end a six-match winless streak at Tate.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola-area Roundup: High school sports results from Jan. 3-6