Before Cannon Wilbur ever stepped foot on campus as a freshman at Fort Walton Beach High School, he already knew the hallways, the traditions, and the stories.

• His mother and father were both varsity soccer players who graduated from FWBHS in 1994 and 1992, respectively. His brother Griffin was a varsity baseball player who graduated in 2020. His sister Sydney played varsity volleyball and graduated in 2022. Even members of his extended family came through the same doors.

By the time it was Cannon’s turn, most of his close friends from Destin Middle School were headed in a different direction. But for Wilbur, there was never really a question.

“Family legacy was probably the biggest thing for me,” Wilbur said. “I didn’t have any intentions of going anywhere else.”

He wanted something more than just continuing what his family had started. The summer before his freshman year, Cannon told his father he was ready to start building his own “Dad Lore.”

• “Just something I can tell my kids and something they can be proud of,” Wilbur said. “Everywhere I go it’s, ‘Are you Jason’s son?‘ I want to be known like he is.”

Three years in, the junior is doing exactly that.

Wilbur is a two-sport varsity athlete — the first in his family to hold that distinction. In the fall, he plays wide receiver and quarterback for the Vikings football team. In the spring, he’s the starting center fielder and a left-handed pitcher for Head Coach Tony Stevens and the baseball program.

At the plate this season, Wilbur has been one of the most productive hitters in the area. Through 19 games, he’s batting .348 with 23 hits, 20 RBIs, two home runs, three doubles, two triples and 11 stolen bases. His 20 RBIs rank No. 15 in Class 4A and No. 3 in 4A District 1.

He credits his speed on the basepaths to football.

• “I’m leading the team in stolen bases, which I can account to the speed I’ve gained from football,” Wilbur said. “I think it’s helped me out a lot.”

Stevens, who took over the program in June 2024, said he knew early on that Wilbur was a difference-maker.

“Big, strong, athletic kid,” Stevens said. “I knew I had something last year — a guy who could go get it in center field. He’s one of the better center fielders around that I’ve seen in this area.”

But what sets Wilbur apart goes beyond the stat sheet.

Stevens pointed to a recent Saturday morning batting practice before a noon game. A handful of younger JV players had shown up early to help shag balls. Without being asked, Wilbur made sure those kids got in the cage to hit with the varsity guys.

• “Stuff like that stands out,” Stevens said. “He’s a good guy in the clubhouse, making sure things go the right way. And he’s still only a junior.”

The Vikings are 5-15 on the season, but the record doesn’t tell the full story. Fort Walton Beach has lost five one-run games this year and has played some of the area’s top programs tough…all with a young program.

“The record doesn’t show it, but we have a good squad here and we’re putting in the work,” Wilbur said. “I think we can make a run this year.”

Stevens said Wilbur has been central to building the culture he’s trying to establish in his second year leading the program. This season, the team traveled to Chattanooga for a series of games — something Wilbur said the program had never done, even when his brother played.

“He really just wanted to get us out of our usual spot,” Wilbur said of the trip. “We all stayed in the same house together and made some good memories.”

Off the field, Wilbur carries himself with the same easy confidence. His favorite subject is science, and he was recently named a Viking Scholar for his academic performance. When he’s not at school or on the field, he’s at the beach, wakeboarding or fishing with friends.

• “It’s a student-athlete thing,” Wilbur said of balancing academics and sports. “My parents push me to do as well as I can in school and then focus on what I want to do in sports. That’s always my first priority.”

Stevens said Wilbur’s future is bright. Coaches in Chattanooga took notice of him during the team’s trip, and with his brother Griffin having gone on to FSU and his sister Sydney to Southern Miss, Stevens said the opportunities will be there.

“He hits the weight room hard. Good work ethic. He’s kind of a throwback,” Stevens said. “In a day and age where kids are going away from playing multiple sports, he’s one that still does it. I think he’s one of the better athletes in the school, period.”

For Wilbur, though, the focus right now is simple. He’s a Fort Walton Beach Viking with one more year to go and more chapters of Dad Lore left to write.

“It means everything,” Wilbur said. “There’s a lot of history here at this school. My grandparents lived right next to the school for the longest time. I like the red, white and blue — everything about it. I couldn’t see myself anywhere else.”

Stevens said that kind of loyalty is rare.

“In this day and age, that is rare,” Stevens said. “He’s a Fort Walton Beach Viking, through and through. And that says a lot.”