Pensacola rolls out red carpet to honors its sports stars at awards banquet

A friendly debate among teammates occasionally breaks out in the Washington Commanders locker room on what city has the most number of great athletes.

Jeremy Reaves never takes a back seat when bragging on Pensacola.

“We’re like in the top of the country,” said Reaves, smiling, prior to Wednesday’s Pensacola Sports Awards Banquet, where he was honored for being one of the best in the NFL.

“Especially for our size of community,” he said. “And that is testament to the athletes we have in Pensacola and the support staff in the community.’’

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Reaves, whose remarkable perseverance led him from being an undrafted, NFL free agent in 2018 to a Pro Bowl selection for Washington in 2022, was part of Pensacola’s annual celebration of a year in sports during Wednesday’s 69^th annual Pensacola Sports Awards Banquet, presented by Cox Communications.

The event at Sanders Beach-Corrine Jones Resource Center honored two dozen special achievement winners, enshrined four new members of the Pensacola Sports Hall of Fame, celebrated a volunteer of the year, a Special Olympics Athlete of Year on her 20^th birthday, a pro team/athletes of year, along with a surprised Sportsman of the Year.

“What sports in Pensacola are.. is a combination of amazing athletes and community leaders. This is the embodiment of it. This is one of the greatest places in the world,” said Tom Pace Jr., commodore-emeritus of Pensacola Yacht Club, who was chosen as Sportsman of the Year.

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Pace was honored for the wide role he played with the New York City Yacht Club-based American Magic team setting its America’s Cup training site in Pensacola and myriad of other yachting and sail racing achievements.

His award, which he had no idea was happening, is part of Pensacola’s diverse array of sporting success and national impact.

“It is a great tradition here,” said Keith Gill, the Sun Belt Conference commissioner, who was the event’s guest speaker. “I grew up in Orlando. So I can remember when Emmitt Smith was doing great things here in high school (at Escambia High during 1985-1987).

“So for me, Pensacola and Escambia County has always been on the map. And I’m also a (Dallas) Cowboys fan (where Smith became the NFL’s all-time leading rusher). So you have quality athletes and the community engagement. It is a great community and everyone supports each other.”

New York Mets manager Buck Showalter, who grew up in Century and led Century High to a state baseball title – a feat he still considers one of his greatest – produced a supportive video tribute from the Mets’ spring training site in Port St. Lucie to express thanks to the Pensacola community for being honored as the National League manager of the year.

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Showalter now has been named manager of the year four different times with four different teams (New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, NY Mets), a feat no other manager in MLB history has attained and one which will eventually lead into Showalter’s enshrinement into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.

All four of the Hall of Fame inductees Wednesday were overcome with emotion when they accepted their awards. Harry Walker Jr. and Mark Humphreys have been officials and referees for more than four decades.

Dickie Davis, a two-time Snowball Derby champion, was one of the greatest short-track race car drivers of his era. Eddie Brown spent his life mentoring, motivating and being a parental figure to so many youth athletes who came through the Salvation Army center.

“It is an honor to be in the midst of all of the accomplished athletes and individuals here in Pensacola,” said Gill, who will oversee the Sun Belt’s third men’s and women’s basketball tournament in Pensacola beginning Tuesday at the Pensacola Bay Center.

“This banquet represents the most notable athletes in community. Pensacola is so fortunate to have so many talented men and women in the area who care about athletics.”

Reaves said it was his first Pensacola Sports Awards Banquet and he marveled at the achievements of so many high school and collegiate athletes honored Wednesday.

“This is better than any All Pro or Pro Bowl honor I could get, because I know how much this place means to me,” said Reaves, a Pensacola Catholic High grad, who became the Sun Belt Conference defensive player of the year as a senior safety at South Alabama.

“It is super cool, super humbling and definitely special to me. I put this up at the top of things that mean the most to me.”

Pensacola Sports 69^th Annual Awards Banquet

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT

TEAMS

• Jay High School Softball Team – 2022 Class A State Champions

• Navarre High Girls Weightlifting Team – 2022 Class 3A State Champions

• Tate High Varsity Cheerleading – State Champion

• Pensacola Christian College Women’s Basketball Team (2022 National Christian College Athletic Association Division II champions).

INDIVIDUALS

• Buck Showalter, New York Mets, MLB National League Manager Of Year

• Jeremy Reaves, Washington Commanders, NFL Pro Bowl Selection

• Chris Decorte – Navarre High, Boys State Weightlifting Champion

• Ty Wise - Pace High Boys Weightlifting - Individual State

• Rachel Leggett, Navarre, 2022 High Jump State Champion

• Ava Grace Wheaton, Pace High, 2022 Javelin State Champion

• Blair Cowan- UWF Women's Soccer

• Kelsey DeJesus - First Team All America - UWF Swim & Dive.

• Kainan Dos Santos - First Team All America - UWF Men's Soccer

• Gabby Goyins - Catholic HS - Golf - Georgia Bowl U-16 Girls Singles Champion

• West Fowler (13-14 yr-old, double mini-trampoline)

• Dalton Simpler (UWF football)

• David Durden (UWF football)

• Georgia Hood (Pensacola State softball)

• Jaden Moon (Navarre weightlifting)

• Ester Rizzeto - First Team All America - UWF Swim & Dive - 3rd NCAA Championship in 100 Freestyle

• Kris Prather - 2022 PBA World Championship, Gold medal (Team USA) IBF World Cup, Gold medals (singles, doubles, all-events) at 2022 PANAM Bowling Champion of Champions.

• Berkley Fanugao - Florida State Pepsi Youth Championship Bowling Tournament Female U18 Division.

• Emilia Collins - Navarre HS Girls Weightlifting - Individual State

• Kaila Corbridge - Pace HS Girls Weightlifting - Individual State

SIGNATURE AWARDS

• SPECIAL OLYMPICS ATHLETE OF YEAR – RayAnn Moseley

• AMATEUR ATHLETE OF YEAR – T.J. McCants, Ole Miss junior outfielder (Pensacola Catholic grad),

• PRO ATHLETES/TEAM OF YEAR – Pensacola Blue Wahoos (2022 Southern League Champions).

• VOLUNTEER OF YEAR – Will Moore

• SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR – Tom Pace Jr., Commodore-Emeritus, Pensacola Yacht Club

• PENSACOLA SPORTS HALL OF FAME – Harry Walker Jr., Mark Humphreys (both long time officials/referees), Dickie Davis (legendary local race car driver), Eddie Brown (long time youth coach, mentor at Salvation Army.

Bill Vilona is a retired Pensacola News Journal sports columnist and now senior writer for Pensacola Blue Wahoos. He can be reached at bvilona@bluewahoos.com.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola Sports Awards Banquet honors city's biggest stars