It's time for another round of the Pensacola News Journal Athlete of the Week.
Vote early and vote often! Every week until the end of the 2024-25 athletics season, the PNJ will release a list of area athletes from every sport in-season, and that's where you come in: vote who you think should win the award.
The polls will be open until each Saturday at 11 a.m. of that week. Each weekly winner will be awarded a one-of-a-kind PNJ Athlete of the Week shirt. Athlete of the Week is proudly sponsored by Florida Power and Light. The poll is exclusively on PNJ.com.
Winners will be contacted early next week after the poll closes.
Nominees are accepted via email or phone, but will be selected by staff in the absence of submissions. The poll is decided by the PNJ sports staff and finalized the Sunday before the poll opens.
Note: Is your team or sport missing from Athlete of the Week? Be sure to file statistics with PNJ staff or keep your MaxPreps page up to date.
Ben Grieco can be reached on X (@BenGriecoSports) or via email at BGrieco@gannett.com.
Baseball, Hayden Morris (Jay): The Royals closed out their regular season with a three-win week, all shutouts, including a pair of district victories over Baker and rival Central. Hayden Morris was big at the plate and on the mound throughout the week. Against Baker, he threw a nine-strikeout no-hitter and added a pair of hits, with a double, plus three runs and an RBI. He followed that up with a two-hit game against Destin with three RBIs and a run. In the shutout over Central, Morris added three innings on the mound with three strikeouts.
Softball, Madelynn Ladner (Escambia): The Gators continue to find their groove as the season rolls along, and Madelynn Ladner was a big part of the three-win week for Escambia. The Gators topped Elberta (Ala.), Central and Destin throughout the week. In the first game, Ladner had two hits with a double, plus two runs and two RBIs. She threw seven innings at the circle with a pair of strikeouts. Over Central, Ladner again had a single and a double, adding three RBIs and two runs. Splitting time in the circle, she had three strikeouts in three innings. To close out the week, Ladner pitched a complete game with six strikeouts, adding two hits with a double, plus a run and an RBI.
Boys lacrosse, Hudson Mitchell (Pensacola Catholic): Just days after signing to play golf at the Naval Academy, Hudson Mitchell was instrumental in the Crusaders' dominant win, 21-1, over Booker T. Washington in the District 1-1A playoffs on Saturday. Mitchell led Pensacola Catholic with a nine-point performance, tallying three goals and six assists on the night.
Flag football, Amaya Pablo (Pace): The Patriots picked up a pair of big wins during the week, including Destin and one of the state's top-ranked teams, Choctaw. Against Destin, Amaya Pablo threw for 209 yards and three touchdowns, adding 125 yards rushing and a touchdown. She also recorded a tackle with a pass breakup. Over Choctaw, in a close 19-7 win, Pablo threw for 90 yards and a touchdown while scoring twice on the ground behind 95 yards rushing. On defense, she had another tackle and a pass breakup.
Boys ...
