Northview football stays undefeated; local students earn national honors

Escambia County schools are celebrating a string of academic and athletic wins as the fall season moves into high gear.

Northview High's football team remained undefeated Friday night with a dominant 35-0 shutout over Port St. Joe, improving to 4-0 in their first season competing in Class 1A. The Chiefs have made a resounding statement in their new classification, showing no signs of slowing down momentum.

On the academic side, several local students earned national recognition this month. Tate High senior Abigail Lynch was named a Commended Student in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program, joining more than 1.2 million high school students competing nationally. A Tate graduate also became one of two National Merit Finalists welcomed to the University of West Florida this fall, bringing UWF's total National Merit scholarship recipients to 20 since 2017.

Tate High also inducted 36 new members into the National Honor Society this week, based on scholarship, service, leadership, and character. Meanwhile, Ransom Middle welcomed new inductees into the National Junior Honor Society, and teacher Lauralee Best at Tate received a $1,000 award through the College Football Playoff Foundation's Extra Yard for Teachers program, earning national recognition for her classroom work.