Pace baseball, Gulf Breeze lacrosse win regional quarterfinal thrillers

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Apr 25, 2026 - 12:00

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Baseball

Region 1-6A Quarterfinals

No. 1 Pace 3, No. 8 Lake Howell 2

Braiden Cheshire was the Patriots hero again.

After hitting a walkoff home run to beat Tate in the District 1-6A final last week, Cheshire hit a ground ball to second and Bryce Hatton beat the throw home to send the Patriots to the Region 1-6A semifinals.

The Patriots (24-4) will host No. 5 Tocoi Creek for a best two-out-of-three series starting Friday at 7 p.m. Game two will be on Saturday at 1 p.m. with an if necessary game three to follow. Pace swept Tocoi Creek 2-0 in the regional semifinals a year ago by a combined score of 26-0.

Hatton recorded a team-high two hits and an RBI, while Aaron Muldowney allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits and four walks while striking out four. Emory Allen went 1-for-3 and pitched two scoreless innings to earn the win.

Hatton's RBI double put Pace on the board in the bottom of the second, but Drew Baker scored on a throwing error to tie the game in the top of the fourth. Caleb Wheeler scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the frame, only for the Silverhawks (11-17) to tie the game 2-2 in the top of the fifth when Lukas Smiley scored on an Isaiah Nieves groundout.

Pace stranded runners on first and second in the bottom of the sixth before Hatton led off the seventh with a double. He advanced to third on a Dax Brooks single before scoring the winning run.

No. 5 Tocoi Creek 2, No. 4 Tate 1

Tocoi Creek rightfielder Nate Wade had one thought going through his mind as he saw a fly ball dropping closer and closer to the grass. The Kennesaw State commit didn't want to be done with high school baseball, so there was only one option with the tying run on second base and two outs.

So the Kennesaw State commit dove as far as he could, going full extension to his left to try to make a play. He slid through the outfield grass and came up with the ball, preserving the Toros (15-13) victory and clinching another long trip to the panhandle to play No. 1 Pace in the Region 1-6A quarterfinals.

"I was just thinking like, I gotta get this ball," Wade said. "I didn't know I caught it until I looked in my glove and (saw) a white thing in there."

Several Tocoi Creek players chucked their gloves high into the sky as the whole dugout poured out to celebrate with Wade. At the same time, Tate fans and players were stunned. What everyone thought was a surefire tie game turned into the end of the season in a split second. One Aggie fan even proclaimed there was no way Wade caught the ball.

"I thought the ball was down," Tate head coach Brent McCullough said. "I thought it was by him. I was sending the runner and the umpire threw his arm up and I mean it was a heck of a play. The ball was smoked and I thought there was no way he was going to get to it, but obviously he did."

It might have been the Aggies best hit ball all night in a game where they had few opportunities. Kaden Posta led off the game by reaching on a dropped third strike against USF commit Kaleb Stockwell, then made it to third on a throwing error. Connor Dethlefts followed with an RBI double for Tate's only run.

The Aggies couldn't get another big hit off Stockwell for the rest of the night, despite consistently working deep counts. The right hander allowed three hits and two walks while striking out 11 in five innings pitched.

Tocoi Creek, though, got the one hit it needed in the top of the fifth, with Tommy Glasspoole's two-run single up the middle putting the Toros in front. Tate pitchers Bryton McLellan and Lance Brady did enough to limit the damage, leaving 10 Tocoi Creek runners on base.

McLellan allowed two runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out four in four 1/3 innings pitched, while Brady kept the Toros off the board for the final 2 2/3 innings. Tocoi Creek outhit Tate 9-3, with Wade and Ayden Ramos recording two hits each.

"That's two really good arms we faced tonight," McCullough said. "Obviously the kid going to South Florida is really good and our guys were in it the whole way. One ball falls, and it's a different story."

Tate will graduate two starters as well as their ace in McLellan, but are set to return most of the young core from its first 20-win season since 2022. A core that will have plenty of motivation after ending the season being walked off by Pace in the District 1-6A final and being clipped at home in the regional quarterfinals.

"It's a feeling that don't leave you, right?" McCullough said. "Nobody wants to feel it. And there ain't but one thing you can do not to feel it and that's go to work. We'll take about a week off, and we're going to prepare for the summer and we're going to get right back after it with a good young nucleus of kids."

Tocoi Creek, meanwhile, will happily take another road trip to the panhandle to continue their season, especially to get another shot at Pace, who steamrolled the Toros in a 2-0 sweep in the Region 1-6A semifinals last year by a combined score of 26-0.

"We battled," Tocoi Creek head coach Phillip Wisser said. "Our offense is starting to come around, we're clicking. I know our kids are excited to come back and have a chance with Pace."

Region 1-5A Quarterfinals

No. 5 Lincoln 6, No. 4 Gulf Breeze 4

The Trojans five-run bottom of the third inning was the difference.

Gulf Breeze (16-13) led 2-1 heading into the frame before Lincoln (14-14) took control. Rowen Groeneweg's RBI single in the top of the fifth and Boston Hanna's sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth cut the lead to 6-4 before the Dolphins went down 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh.

Gulf Breeze got on the board in the first inning with an RBI single from Groeneweg and a bases-loaded walk by Javier Mercado. Groeneweg went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, and Presley Moseley went 2-for-4.

Lincoln will play No. 1 Chiles in the Region 1-5A semifinals next week in an all-Tallahassee clash.

Region 1-4A Quarterfinals

No. 7 Escambia 3, No. 2 Bishop Kenny 1

Tyler Wilson's two-run single in the top of the first was all Clayton Sanders needed to send the Gators (16-12) to their third straight regional semifinals.

Sanders allowed one unearned run on four hits and three walks while striking out seven in six 1/3 innings pitched. Cooper Revenaugh scored the Knights (15-13) lone run on an error in the bottom of the fourth to cut the lead to 2-1. Escambia answered with an insurance run in the top of the fifth on a Gavin Wansley sacrifice fly.

Escambia will play at No. 3 Clay in the Region 1-4A semifinals next week. The best two-out-of-three series will start Friday at 6 p.m. CT, with game two on Saturday at 12 p.m. CT and an if necessary game three after that.

Clay ended Escambia's season in the same round last year, sweeping the Gators 2-0.

Boys Lacrosse

Region 1-2A Quarterfinals

No. 7 Gulf Breeze 8, No. 2 Nease 7 (Overtime)

Landon Pickrell found Wesley Morrill for the game winner 33 seconds into overtime to send the Dolphins to the regional semifinals for the third straight year.

Gulf Breeze also avenged a home overtime loss to Nease from the regional semifinals a year ago . The Dolphins hosted despite being the lower seed after winning its third straight District 1-2A title, while Nease fell to Ponte Vedra in the District 3-2A championship.

Senior Ben Cozart recorded a hat trick, while Landon Pickrell and Wesley Morrill each added a goal and an assist. Hudson Brady, Alex Sassi and JD Parvin also scored goals. Alex Werrell won 14 of 18 faceoffs, and Jack Sonntag made 11 saves.

Gulf Breeze (11-7) will play No. 3 Fletcher at Atlantic Coast High School in the Region 1-2A semifinals on April 28 at 6 p.m. CT.

Boys Weightlifting

Region 1-1A Championship (Walton HS)

Jay boys weightlifting brought home the Olympic and traditional titles at the Region 1-1A championships on April 24, 2026 at Walton High School.

Jay made history. After the Royals finished as district runner-up in both the Olympic and traditional categories, they swept both titles at regionals. This is the school's first boys weightlifting team regional titles.

Jay finished with 47 points in the Olympic category, while Pensacola Catholic finished second with 36. Jay finished with 42 points in traditional, edging Baker, who finished second with 39.

Jay's Tucker Cooley (119 pounds), Rylan Williams (199) and Chase Dooley (Unlimited) swept the Olympic and traditional regional titles in their respective weight classes.

Below is a list of athletes who finished in the top 10 at regionals. Regional champions automatically qualify for the FHSAA 1A state championship, while athletes who finish in the top 10 will be eligible for one of the 12 at-large spots. The 1A state championship will be held May 9 at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland.

Olympic

119: Tucker Cooley, Jay (1st, 265 pounds, 105 snatch, 160 clean and jerk); Max Webster, Pensacola Catholic (2nd, 260 pounds, 105 snatch, 155 clean); Jair Leon, Pensacola Catholic (6th, 220 pounds, 95 snatch, 125 clean); Karson Ellis, Central (10th, 195 pounds, 85 snatch, 110 clean)
129: Tanner Martinez Jay (1st, 380 pounds, 165 snatch, 215 clean); Kaleb Mager, Pensacola Catholic (5th, 295 pounds, 120 snatch, 175 clean); Corben Wells, Pensacola Catholic (9th, 225 pounds, 95 snatch, 130 clean)
139: Dolan Enfinger, Jay (1st, 375 pounds, 150 snatch, 225 clean); Colton Weeks, Pensacola Catholic (2nd, 370 pounds, 160 snatch, 210 clean); Lucas Nezbeth, Central (3rd, 360 pounds, 155 snatch, 205 clean); Kaleb Alexander, Central (7th, 345 pounds, 145 snatch, 200 clean); Matthew Hendricks (9th, 330 pounds, 155 snatch, 175 clean)
154: Hunter Parker (4th, 350 pounds, 145 snatch, 205 clean); Owen Fangman, Pensacola Catholic (5th, 320 pounds, 130 snatch, 190 clean)
169: Preston Griffin, Jay (1st, 445 pounds, 205 snatch, 240 clean); Maximus Steinlicht, Pensacola Catholic (2nd, 390 pounds, 160 snatch, 230 clean);
183: Dominian Gomez, Jay (2nd, 425 pounds, 170 snatch, 255 clean); Max Grey, Central (8th, 275 pounds, 120 snatch, 155 clean)
199: Rylan Williams, Jay (1st, 460 pounds, 205 snatch, 255 clean); Cade Scott, Central (3rd, 450 pounds, 205 snatch, 245 clean); Jackson Helton, Northview (6th, 425 pounds, 180 snatch, 245 clean); Oliver Cotita, Pensacola Catholic (8th, 390 pounds, 175 snatch, 215 clean); Christian Callender, Northview (9th, 360 pounds, 145 snatch, 215 clean)
219: Patrick Theriot, Pensacola Catholic (7th, 375 pounds, 170 clean, 205 bench); Raymond Belski, Pensacola Catholic (9th, 275 pounds, 125 snatch, 150 clean)
238: Shawn Carreon, Pensacola Catholic (1st, 500 pounds, 215 snatch, 285 clean); Nehemiah Anoa'i-Charley, Pensacola Catholic (5th, 395 pounds, 160 snatch, 235 clean); Tyler Amerson, Northview (9th, 340 pounds, 135 snatch, 205 clean)
Unlimited: Chase Dooley, Jay (1st, 565 pounds, 235 snatch, 330 clean); Sam Gray, Pensacola Catholic (2nd, 490 pounds, 205 snatch, 285 clean); Thomas Brown, Pensacola Catholic (5th, 455 pounds, 200 snatch, 255 clean); Brody Hall, Northview (9th, 395 pounds, 170 snatch, 225 clean)

Traditional

119: Tucker Cooley, Jay (1st, 315 pounds, 160 clean, 155 bench press); Max Webster, Pensacola Catholic (5th, 280 pounds, 155 clean, 125 bench); Jair Leon, Pensacola Catholic (6th, 265 pounds, 125 clean, 140 bench)
129: Tanner Martinez, Jay (2nd, 425 pounds, 215 clean, 210 bench); Kaleb Mager, Pensacola Catholic (6th, 360 pounds, 175 clean, 185 bench)
139: Matthew Hendricks, Jay (2nd, 425 pounds, 175 clean, 250 bench); Dolan Enfinger, Jay (3rd, 415 pounds, 225 clean, 190 bench); Lucas Nezbeth, Central (4th, 410 pounds, 205 clean, 205 bench); Colton Weeks, Pensacola Catholic (5th, 405 pounds, 210 clean, 195 bench); Kaleb Alexander, Central (7th, 375 pounds, 200 clean, 175 bench); Aiden Lefave, Pensacola Catholic (9th, 360 pounds, 160 clean, 200 bench)
154: Owen Fangman, Pensacola Catholic (6th, 395 pounds, 190 clean, 205 bench)
169: Maximus Steinlicht, Pensacola Catholic (1st, 480 pounds, 230 clean, 250 bench); Brayden Flanders, Central (4th, 450 pounds, 235 clean, 215 bench)
183: Dominian Gomez, Jay (1st, 570 pounds, 255 clean, 315 bench); Max Grey, Central (9th, 365 pounds, 155 clean, 210 bench)
199: Rylan Williams, Jay (1st, 575 pounds, 255 clean, 320 bench); Cade Scott, Central (5th, 505 pounds, 245 clean, 260 bench); Jackson Helton, Northview (6th, 480 pounds, 245 clean, 235 bench); Caden Crum, Pensacola Catholic (9th, 455 pounds, 210 clean, 245 bench); Oliver Cotita, Pensacola Catholic (10th, 440 pounds, 215 clean, 225 bench)
219: Patrick Theriot, Pensacola Catholic (9th, 445 pounds, 205 clean, 240 bench); Raymond Belski, Pensacola Catholic (10th, 345 pounds, 160 clean, 185 bench)
238: Shawn Carreon, Pensacola Catholic (4th, 560 pounds, 285 clean, 275 bench); Tyler Amerson, Northview (9th, 430 pounds, 205 clean, 225 bench)
Unlimited: Chase Dooley, Jay (1st, 760 pounds, 330 clean, 430 bench); Sam Gray, Pensacola Catholic (4th, 580 pounds, 285 clean, 295 bench); Thomas Brown, Pensacola Catholic (6th, 535 pounds, 255 snatch, 280 clean)