The Road to Repeating!

Tiger football is off to a great start at the beginning of the 2010 Football season. After three games, PHS has allowed just 7.5 points per game and the offense is averaging close to 30 points per game.

For those that followed the team closely last year, this year's squad possesses as much, if not more, talent than last year's championship team - that's downright scary, but exciting to watch.

To motivate the team a bit, I provided an initial design to complement last year's ring that captures the "back to back" mentality that is prevalent on this team.

Go Tigers!!

Lord of the Rings!

Well, what a tremendous season for the Pensacola High Football Team. It was a deep privilege to work with the team all year as an informal chaplain in coordination with Ben Sellers, acting student-athlete FCA representative. I challenged the players to play for four reasons: The glory of God, the preservation of a legacy, their team, and lastly, themselves.

In addition to being able to speak to these extremely talented young men, I have also been able to provide a bit of hardware for them as well, as Coach Bennett decided to use Jostens to furnish their championship rings. We just received the artwork back on the ring design and the ring is a real item of beauty!

Week 3 Review

Week 3 against West Florida High School showed how impressive the PHS defense really is. The Tigers dominated the game from start to finish, with the defense causing several turnovers and playing hard from start to finish in a 42-0 rout of WFHS. The defensive unit has now given up only six points in three games - impressive no matter who the opponent is!

On the offensive side of the ball, after a sluggish performance against Tate last week, the Tiger offense demonstrated a very balanced offensive effort, with productivity through the air and on the ground with Prince Ashanti rushing for over one hundred yards.

This team is getting better every week and playing more as a team than any other Tiger team in recent memory. If they continue to improve every week, they could go deep into the state playoffs this year.

Next week is a big district game against Washington HS. Even though the Wildcats are winless, they seem to always be up for the Tigers so PHS will have to guard against overconfidence and letdowns on the field.

Come out and support the Tigers at home this coming Friday night at PHS- go Tigers!

Week 1 Review

The Tigers dropped the first game of the season to Pine Forest 6-3. While a tough loss, there is much that the Tigers can take away from the game.

First, the defensive effort was impressive to say the least; Pine Forest only totaled 87 yards of rushing on the night - an incredible feat for the Tiger defense considering Pine Forest is one of the most talented teams in the state right now. Defensive play like this will keep the Tigers in every ballgame.

While the offense sputtered and there were far too many penalties, there were signs of the ability to put up points as the season goes along and the squad becomes more focused and disciplined. Quarterback Jalen Spencer showed great poise for a sophomore quarterback and demonstrated good ability to take off in the pocket and gain first downs.

While the scoreboard reflected a tough loss, there was much to be excited about. From the dedication of the fieldhouse for Coach Jimmy Haynes during halftime to the incredible crowd turnout, there appears to be a new era dawning for the PHS Football Program. Personally, I have not seen this kind of enthusiasm since the mid to late eighties when football reigned across the Panhandle of Florida. All of the work done by the Legacy Committee, particularly the exemplary leadeship of Rick Fountain and the and the physical work done by Mark Price of Painter's Plus has really paid off in getting the season started on solid footing. There were many comments about how beautiful and clean the facility looked and how professional the season tickets and program were.

I was elated to have had the privilege of speaking to the team before the game about the importance of finishing strong. This was a great honor considering all of the Tigers who have played on that field and walked the halls of Pensacola High School.

Here is the PNJ article by D.C. Reeves:

http://www.pnj.com/article/20090905/SPORTS/909050329/1002


Come out and join us this coming week as PHS takes on a much inproved Tate squad at Pete Gindl Stadium on the campus of Tate High School.

Go Tigers!

A Tribute to the Champ of ' 53!

Designed by Todd Leonard and Jostens as a tribute to the Champs of 1953:

Getting the 'Ole Stadium' Ready for Football!

For the past several weeks, a significant cleanup effort has been taking place at Jim Scoggins Stadium. Many thanks are due Mark Price (PHS Class of '72), owner and operator of Painter's Plus (http://www.paintersplusonline.com/) and Jimmy Haynes (PHS Class of '67 and son of former coaching legend Jimmy Haynes, Sr.), who have spearheaded the effort.

These two men have donated significant time and resources to ensuring that the stadium is clean and appealing when PHS opens against Pine Forest on September 4th. This effort is part of the broader movement to preserve the legacy of Pensacola High School athletics spearheaded by Rick Fountain, whose forthcoming book about the history of Pensacola High School Football will be released soon. Rick's book will be highlighted on this blog in the coming weeks as the book moves closer to publishing.

We encourage all former Tigers to get involved to help preserve this tremendous legacy as much work needs to be done. For those interested, contact me at tcleonard@cox.net.

Go Tigers!!!

Tigers In Charge!

Great things continue to take place at Pensacola High School. For those alumni outside of the area, David Williams, the current Principal and former Tiger basketball star, was able to lure another former Tiger to take over the helm after the departure of Bob Stinnett this past year. PHS is being led now by those who bleed maroon and white!

http://www.pnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009907210306

Go Tigers!