The Impact Report

I've never been a fan of blowouts. It often feels like the winning team is bullying the lesser team, piling on point after point. Challenging the lesser team to stay motivated while struggling to hold on to their faith in themselves, their teammates, and their coaches.  Yet it's hard to call West Florida Baptist Academy (WFBA) bullies when the leading scorers Friday night at the Conqueror Classic were Makenna Enfinger, a freshman with 22 and Bryse Burkett, a 7th grader with 19, combining to outscored Snook Christian Academy entire roster which included one senior, three sophomores and juniors, and only one freshman. Even so watching I sympathize with the so called "underdog"  Until I realized the opportunity for the other "underdogs" who were on WFBA's bench. 8th grader Elissa Roberts played three minutes and got a bucket, a joyous moment not only for her but for the WFBA fans and teammates as well. Junior Lillian Charles also came off the bench for thre...

The Pine Forest (PFHS) vs. West Florida (WFHS) matchup last night was intense both teams competing for bragging rights. The fans showed up, creating a high energy atmosphere. It was a sister showdown with Junior Amoni Lewis, team captain at PFHS, facing off against her younger sister, Freshman Keyarsten Lewis from WFHS, adding to the competition, travel ball teammates: Seniors Kamora Harris and Shania Beeks from WFHS, and PFHS's Junior Cha'Miya Bivens-Goldsmith and Senior Chrisshona Bargaineer, all  play for the local SYSA Tigers. WFHS started strong with a fast tempo and excellent ball movement, preventing PFHS's two big men from making a defensive impact. PFHS Senior Bargaineer kept it close using her speed and athleticism to get in the paint, rebound and knock down outside shots. WFHS took the slight 21-19 lead into halftime. The second half, foul trouble for WFHS's primary ball handlers,  Lewis and Beeks, slowed their momentum as they spent significant time on the b...

While going undefeated can happen in sports, it is rare for most programs and impossible in life. So the impact of losing is what you make of it! The Impact Report is about impact players. A resilient player is an impactful player. Knowing that your teammate is not going to quit mentally or physically has a great impact on each team. As I lay out the numbers of teams with losing records, my goal is not to shame, but to highlight what kind of courage and character it takes for these programs and their players to keep showing up. Last season, Escambia finished 1-14, Tate ended with a 5-14 record, and East Hill Christian had a 2-14 season. As the 24-25 season began, these teams have continued to struggle, with losses of more than thirty points in the opening week. How do you bounce back, both individually and as a team, from this kind of disappointment? When support is scarce and criticism is loud, how do you find the strength to keep answering the question "did you win?" when t...

The purpose of "The Impact Report" isn't to focus on stats. It is to  highlight the plays, series of plays, styles of play, and players that significantly impacted the game. This "report" will be an eyewitness account, whether I attend the game in person, watch it live, or view it on demand. My goal was to attend one game per week in person and release one report per week, But the schedule might create an opportunity for two, or even three. This week the season opened with a Monday 4A District game. Tues and Thurs will provide even more interesting season opening match-ups. Biggest impact in the West  (WF) Lady Jags home opener win, high-energy defense. The constant pressure of the trio of guards, Ajasulyn Mead, Keyarsten Lewis, and Shania Beeks, forced turnovers.  As Coach Iesha Rideway explored line ups, it was the relentless defensive disruptions that helped WF overcome a slow offensive start. The offensive was able to find its footing in the second half with...

Freshman rarely make a significant impact on a team filled with veteran talent, but the expectation is that this year's highly touted freshman Jada Clardy will do just that. At Max J. Bruner Middle School, Clardy's team finished as champions of the Okaloosa County Middle School, both her 7th and 8th grade years. Clardy's athletic prowness was on display in 2023 and 2024  400 meters race and 2024 long jump where she placed 1st in Okaloosa County track and field championship meet.  Despite the Lady Wildcats strong run as last year's District 1 Champions, the Lady Wildcats fell 3 points short to Mainland in the state regional semifinal. Clardy's, versatility and athleticism should significantly impact  the chances of advancing further this season. Calling Makenna Enfinger a freshman feels misleading. Despite being a member of the class of 2028, Enfinger's high school career began in sixth grade at LEAD Academy, followed by 7th and 8th grade years at West Florida Ba...