Fresh off a 6-5 campaign that ended with an overtime loss to eventual region champion Ponte Vedra in the first round of the playoffs, change has come to Niceville.
- And it’s headlined by one man: Adron Robinson, who after playing on the 1988 state championship team and serving on the staff for more than 15 years, is now at the helm of his alma mater.
Robinson has been on the Eagles’ staff since 2010 in a variety of roles, most notably as co-offensive coordinator, running backs coach and recruiting coordinator. He has also helmed the girls flag football program, which at 12-2 this season looks like a state title contender. He takes over for Richard Morgan, who resigned in March after one season.
With that being said, it’s time for some storylines.
1. A return to the roots
All offseason, the focus has been simple for Robinson and the Eagles: returning to their roots. Robinson has begun undoing changes made by Morgan, including bringing back the signature “heavy” package on offense, a hallmark of Niceville football under Grant Thompson.
“We’re just trying to do things the Niceville way,” Robinson said. “We’re all about hard work, dedication to the program. What we’ve done has been successful for many years, and we’re just trying to get back to that.”
2. Everything matters
Robinson has established a simple mindset for the program: Everything matters. At Niceville football, everything a player does matters, from how they perform on the field and how much effort they give at practice, to how they act in the classroom and the community.
“Everything that you can possibly imagine matters. Doing things the right way. Whether it’s on the field, in the classroom, or in the community,” Robinson said.
3. Growth from Jakobe Gilyard and Deegan McCoy
Niceville’s offense can be highlighted by two emerging stars: Jakobe Gilyard and Deegan McCoy.
Gilyard burst onto the scene as a freshman, rushing for 1,000 yards and 14 touchdowns while also serving as the team’s second receiving threat behind Robert Oliver. Meanwhile, McCoy had big shoes to fill taking over for Kane LaFortune and performed admirably, throwing for 2,000 yards and 23 touchdowns.
But with that growth comes the expectation to get better. In Robinson’s eyes, both are now veterans.
However, the two don’t make up the entirety of Niceville’s offense. The Eagles also have a young and promising wide receiver corps headlined by Freeport transfer Caleb Leonard, and a solid offensive line that should only get better with the addition of former Choctaw head coach Greg Thomas to oversee it.
“Coach Thomas is going to run a lot of old-school, disciplined football,” Robinson said. “Him working alongside Coach Xavier Graham, he brings a lot of youth. I think it’s going to be a great combination.”
4. Defense is the strength
As good as the offense can be, Niceville’s defense is loaded with star power under the leadership of defensive coordinator Kody Martin.
In the front seven, Georgia Tech commit Noah Renes steps in as the unit’s field general to replace Harper Campbell, with Clay Nelson and Dominic Ealy comprising the rest of what figures to be a stacked linebacker corps. Trimarcus Mays anchors the defensive line, while the secondary has plenty of upside with Leonard and Josh Docchio headlining it.
While they are young, in Robinson’s words, “they fly around.”
5. No weeks off
Before he resigned, Morgan scheduled a gauntlet for Niceville. Upon Robinson’s hiring, he made some changes, including replacing Hoover (Ala.) with Dunnellon and moving the game against Prattville (Ala.) from the road to Eagle Stadium. Still, the schedule remains one of the toughest around.
Niceville will face Choctaw, Crestview, Pace and Mosley, with Tate, West Florida Tech, Godby and Navarre filling out the slate.
Robinson welcomes the challenge.
“Start off with Fort Walton Beach, which should be exciting, they’re fired up,” Robinson said. “Then in Week 1, you’ve got Prattville, they’re a great football team, but we’ve got them in Eagle Stadium. From then on, there’s no weeks off.”
The bottom line
Here’s what to expect from Niceville this year: a return to the roots, growth from its stars both physically and mentally, a culture where everything matters, and a schedule with no weeks off.
Niceville football schedule
Key: * District opponent | # Area opponent
- Aug. 13: at Fort Walton Beach # (Kickoff Classic)
- Aug. 21: vs. Prattville (Ala.)
- Aug. 27: vs. West Florida Tech
- Sept. 4: vs. Mosley
- Sept. 11: vs. Navarre*
- Sept. 18: at Choctaw #
- Sept. 25: vs. Tate*
- Oct. 2: vs. Godby
- Oct. 9: vs. Pace*
- Oct. 16: at Crestview* #
- Oct. 23: at Dunnellon
- Oct. 30: Bye
