Heading into Niceville’s district matchup with Tate on Sept. 25, Deagan McCoy and the Eagles treated it as a must-win.

“It was a district game and we told ourselves that we’re really going to have to play really good football in these next couple of weeks if we want to host a home playoff game,” McCoy said. “So it was win or go home in our minds.”

The junior quarterback played like it, completing 13 of 16 passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns without an interception as Niceville held on for a 34-33 win that moved it to 2-0 in district play. He added 60 rushing yards on 10 carries.

“It was really the concepts. We knew what was working and we didn’t shy away from that,” McCoy said. “We were getting guys space to make plays. We were throwing goal line fades to our guy Caleb Leonard, and he was coming down with them.”

When Tate took a 27-26 lead in the third quarter, McCoy’s message to the offense before the go-ahead drive was simple.

• “I just told them we need to be consistent. Do the little things at a high level because we knew the defense was working their tail off and we just needed a long drive to get a touchdown, and we did just that,” McCoy said. “It was hard, tough football. Some hard yards.”

The Tate performance capped a strong first half of the season for McCoy. Through six games, he has completed 73 of 125 passes for 1,001 yards and 13 touchdowns against three interceptions, while rushing 51 times for 257 yards and three more scores. According to MaxPreps, his 1,258 total yards rank No. 55 in Florida and No. 12 in Class 5A, and his 1,001 passing yards rank No. 75 in the state.

His biggest night came in the district opener against Navarre on Sept. 11, when he accounted for six touchdowns, five through the air and one on the ground, in a 58-29 win on the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.

“It was awesome. Really cool environment,” McCoy said. “It was probably the most packed game I’ve been at. I tried to block all that out and we had a really successful night offensively. A lot of that credit goes to my receivers and running back as well. O-line, can’t forget the big boys.”

McCoy took over as the starter last season as a sophomore, and he said the biggest jump this year has come as a leader.

“I was young. I was a sophomore last year. I knew I needed to take a jump in my play, but yet as a leader. I feel like that was the biggest thing,” McCoy said. “I feel like this is my team now, and I’m taking that responsibility. I’ve just been able to be a more fluid passer, definitely being patient in the pocket, making my reads.”

Head Coach Adron Robinson has seen that growth, too.

• “Complete understanding of our offense, takes ownership, and holds players accountable,” Robinson said on McCoy’s growth over the past year.

In August, McCoy said he would prove people wrong about his ability to run the football. He has done just that, highlighted by a 114-yard rushing performance against Choctaw on Sept. 18.

“I’m one of the bigger quarterbacks in the area. I’m 6-3, almost 200 pounds, and I feel like it would be a waste if I wasn’t taking the load off Jakobe and running it some,” McCoy said. “Last year I was trying to stay in the pocket, but I’m not scared this year to get out of there and go get some hard 10 yards and whatever we need for a first down.”

McCoy has spread the ball around to a receiving corps with only one returner in Jason Leach. Caleb Leonard, a Freeport transfer, has become what McCoy called “probably my number one receiver,” and the chemistry was built over the offseason.

“Literally every single day in the offseason we were throwing, lifting, doing something,” McCoy said. “That was the biggest thing, just doing something together to get that chemistry because we had time to make up.”

He also pointed to Malachi White, a 6-foot-2 receiver, as the Eagles’ deep threat, and freshman Jaxon Dark as a smart receiver already showing maturity. Then there are the tight ends, Leach and Austin Stanley.

• “Those are some big boys and they’re awesome in the run game, but we’ll surprise a lot of people in the pass game with them,” McCoy said.

And while the offensive line was one of the biggest questions heading into the season, McCoy said the group has answered it.

“They’re competitors. They really want to see me and Jakobe succeed and you can tell when you turn the film on,” McCoy said. “They’re not scared to put their hands on you. They’re going to go do the dirty work and it’s awesome.”

McCoy’s path to Niceville started in North Carolina. He grew up a military kid, and his family spent nearly all of his father’s 20-plus years of service there. When his dad retired from the military, the family wanted a change and moved to Niceville, where his father still does contracting work for the military. McCoy arrived going into middle school and spent all three years at Ruckel. His little sister is in eighth grade there now and will join him at Niceville next year as a freshman, when he’ll be a senior.

“Ever since…Niceville’s been home. I love it. It’s awesome,” McCoy said. “I love the community and you can’t really beat the beaches.”

His football story isn’t the usual one, either. McCoy’s parents didn’t want him playing tackle football, so he played flag football until sixth grade, his first year of tackle after moving to the area. It was his dad who convinced him to play quarterback. At Ruckel, with Thomas Radliff, now a safety for Niceville, already under center, McCoy moved to receiver in seventh grade to get on the field before moving back to quarterback when Radliff moved on.

• “I fell in love with playing quarterback, so I was committed to it,” McCoy said. “I was going to work as hard as I could to get a starting spot, and I was blessed to last year and going into this year.”

Off the field, McCoy serves as a student leader for seventh-grade boys at CrossPoint Church, a group he has worked with since they were in fifth grade.

“Faith is super big in my life,” McCoy said. “I’ve been able to watch them grow up and mature in their faith. So I’m just blessed to be a part of it. I take zero credit for any of that because it’s their decision to come and show up every night.”

In the classroom, McCoy is carrying a schedule with several AP classes, with science his favorite this year. Weekdays are packed, with lifting during fifth period every day, practice after school, and tutoring or homework in the evenings. When he gets free time, he’s usually on the bay fishing for redfish and trout.

“I love fishing. We’re in an awesome spot for it, so it wouldn’t make sense for me not to like it,” McCoy said. “It brings me peace.”

He credits his dad as the most influential person in his life.

“It’s not always about sports. I make sure to tell myself that I want to make an impact on others’ lives, and he’s been doing a good job pouring into me and leading me and forming me into the young man I am,” McCoy said.

For the rest of the season, with Godby, Pace and Crestview ahead, McCoy wants to be more consistent as a passer, targeting games around 70% to 80% completion while getting his playmakers the ball in space.

He also has a close bond with Robinson, who he said believed in him from the start.

“He was probably the first person to see what I brought to the table and I’ll forever respect him for that because he believed in me probably more than I believed in myself,” McCoy said. “The office door is always open. If I told him I needed to talk, he’d make time for me. That’s definitely my guy for sure.”

That belief goes both ways.

“Deagan as a player has been phenomenal for us. But his biggest impact has been his leadership,” Robinson said. “We do not win that game vs. Tate without Deagan leading us on and off the field.”

For McCoy, who knew about Niceville before his family ever moved to the area, leading the Eagles is a dream come true.

“It was like a dream to play here. I remember being up in the stands, throwing the football behind the bleachers and stuff when I was younger,” McCoy said. “Eagle Stadium is unmatched and I’m just so thankful to be able to play in a place like this.”