There is a sense of optimism surrounding Fort Walton Beach High School, where a strong culture is taking hold under Head Coach Josh Pulliam. It comes even as the Vikings look to build on a 2-8 finish and end a playoff drought.

With that in mind, here are the storylines to watch.

Continuity on offense

Despite the offensive struggles a year ago, there is reason to believe the Vikings will be much improved. Last season, the offense was still finding its identity under offensive coordinator Shawn Snyder. Now, it has one.

That identity is headlined by a passing attack anchored by quarterback Lavin McDaniel, who took over as the starter midway through last season and never looked back. All of McDaniel’s weapons return, including Cannon Wilbur, Eli Crozier and Dantay Walker. The Vikings also boast a three-headed monster at running back in Carlos White, Elijah Donson and Tyshaun Montgomery. 

All but one offensive coach from 2025 returns, and the Vikings added two more in offensive line coach Jamar Earl and Joe Brunson, who serves as strength and conditioning coach, linebackers coach and JV head coach.

• “I’m really excited, another year in the system of Coach Snyder and another year with our whole staff coming back, I’m excited to see what these guys got going, everything that we’re doing, we’re jacked up to see what’s going on,” Pulliam said.

A young offensive line

While much of the offensive talent returns, one unit is seeing turnover: the offensive line. Four of the five starters up front were seniors a year ago. Incoming junior Max Whittaker, a starter as a sophomore, leads the group as its most veteran presence. Even so, the youth comes with talent and potential.

“On the offensive line, we’ve got some good guys, but they’re young, so we’ve got some things we’ve got to figure out on that, I think they’ll be ok,” Pulliam said.

Next man up defensively

The Vikings defense will need adjustments after Fort Walton Beach lost eight seniors. Among them are Division I signee Austin Bouck, now at Jacksonville State, along with Mikko DeLong and Jamal Jefferson, who provided leadership and will also play collegiately. 

The mindset, though, is simple: next man up.

It starts in the linebacker corps with Micah Johnson, who has wasted no time becoming the leader of a young group. Drew Lee and Carmelo Thomas flank Johnson. The Vikings also boast a strong defensive line in Zay Richardson, Judah Witherspoon and Greysen Kuhl, with a secondary anchored by Jeff King.

“It’s next guy up mentality, we’re fired up to see what’s going on, it’s going to be interesting to see where they’re at, they’ve done a lot of good things when they were younger, but now, their moment is here,” Pulliam said.

A balanced schedule

The Vikings’ schedule strikes a balance, pairing winnable games with plenty of tests. 

Pensacola and Gulf Breeze land among the more manageable matchups, but the slate carries real weight. 

Pulliam has brought back the rivalries with Niceville and Navarre, and Fort Walton Beach sits in a demanding district with Choctaw, Milton and Booker T. Washington, all playoff teams a year ago, along with Escambia and Gulf Breeze. South Walton, West Florida Tech and Walton add to the challenge.

Chop wood, carry water

For Pulliam, the Fort Walton Beach culture comes down to a simple phrase: chop wood, carry water. 

The idea is to do all the little things right, from making your bed to laying out your clothes the night before to getting your socks on the right way, while carrying your responsibilities on your shoulders.

“Chop wood, carry water is just about every single day, doing all the little things right. If you make those things important, then everything else is going to become important to you,” Pulliam said.

What to expect

Here is what to expect from the Vikings this year: a strong culture of chop wood, carry water; an offense continuing to grow into its identity; a young defense and offensive line eager to prove themselves; and young players growing into leadership roles.

2026 Fort Walton Beach football schedule

Key: * District opponent, # Area opponent

Aug. 13: Niceville, home # (KOC)
Aug. 21: Pensacola, home
Aug. 28: South Walton, home
Sept. 4: at West Florida Tech
Sept. 11: Milton, home *
Sept. 18: Walton, home #
Sept. 25: at Gulf Breeze *
Oct. 2: at Navarre
Oct. 9: Choctaw, home *#
Oct. 16: Escambia, home *
Oct. 23: at Booker T. Washington *
Oct. 30: Bye