Week 1 of high school football revealed a lot about area teams. After an exciting opening slate across Okaloosa and Walton counties, here’s a look at how local programs fared.
Fort Walton Beach 41, Pensacola 6
Friday night was a milestone for Fort Walton Beach, as the Vikings opened the season with a commanding 41-6 win over Pensacola, their first season-opening victory since 2020. Every member of the running back committee found the end zone, the Vikings ran for over 200 yards on the ground and triggered a running clock by the middle of the third quarter. Lavin McDaniel and Cannon Wilbur also connected through the air for a pair of touchdowns in the blowout win.
South Walton 50, Gulf Breeze 0
South Walton opened its season in dominant fashion, routing Gulf Breeze 50-0 at the Hawk’s Nest. Gabe Parenton turned in a hat trick, JD Brown accounted for two touchdowns (one passing, one rushing) and Carter Hawk added a rushing touchdown of his own. The Seahawks’ defense held the Dolphins scoreless.
Walton 52, West Florida Tech 7
Walton was dominant on all facets Friday night, continuing to build its case as a dark horse Final Four contender in Class 2A. Despite West Florida Tech taking the opening kickoff for a touchdown, the Braves answered with 52 unanswered points. Whitton West threw four touchdowns, Rodney Clinch rushed for two and Rashawn Gundrum also found the end zone.
Destin 53, Port St. Joe 13
Destin made a statement in its first official game as a full-fledged FHSAA member, routing Port St. Joe 53-13 and flipping the script from last year’s 30-7 loss to the Tiger Sharks. Kellen Ramsey threw four touchdowns and the Sharks scored 29 points in the second quarter to blow the game open. Destin triggered a running clock by the third quarter in the dominant victory.
Mosley 15, Choctaw 13
Choctaw’s quest to return to the Final Four opened with a tough one, as the Indians fell 15-13 to Mosley in a hard-fought, back-and-forth game. Despite a strong start highlighted by a fake punt that led to the game’s first score, the Indians couldn’t close the deal down the stretch. With Auburn, Pace and Niceville on the horizon, it’s a game the Indians would have loved to have.
Lincoln 13, Crestview 10
Friday night at Jack Foster Stadium was a tale of missed opportunities for Crestview, as Lincoln rallied from a 10-0 deficit to stun the Bulldogs 13-10. After taking an early lead on a Manwell Robinson touchdown run and an Elijah Rice field goal, the Bulldogs had multiple chances to put the game away but couldn’t convert. A long punt return in the final minutes set up the game-winning Lincoln drive.
Prattville 49, Niceville 7
The Adron Robinson era at Niceville opened with a difficult test Friday night against a loaded Prattville squad. The Eagles managed to tie it at 7 early in the first quarter, but the Lions, led by Auburn commit Deshawn Hall, took control from there and scored 49 unanswered. Prattville’s defense was dominant throughout, forcing a running clock by halftime in the 49-7 win.
Jay 35, Baker 6
The “War on Highway 4” bragging rights will rest with Jay for the time being, as the Royals came into Doug Griffith Memorial Stadium and stunned the Gators. Baker got off to a hot start by forcing a fumble deep in Jay territory, capped off by Calvin Wilks III taking it in to put the Gators up first. But Jay quickly responded, and behind Jaylen and James Youngblood, the Royals took over and scored 35 unanswered to win 35-6. The two teams will meet again in the season finale Oct. 30 at Jay.
Arnold 27, Freeport 21
The Bobby Johns era at Freeport started on the wrong foot Friday night at the hands of Arnold. The Marlins raced out to a 14-0 lead behind a River Walding scramble for a touchdown and a deep touchdown pass to Xzavier Morris. Dylan Louthain had a touchdown run to get the Bulldogs on the board before halftime. In the second half, whenever Freeport narrowed it to one score, Arnold had an answer, and the Marlins remained in control en route to the 27-21 win.
Northview 40, Rocky Bayou 6
Rocky Bayou ran into a buzzsaw Thursday night, as the Knights’ three-peat campaign opened against a Northview squad that came out firing. The Chiefs scored all 40 of their points in the first half to trigger a running clock, while Rocky Bayou added a late touchdown in the fourth quarter for the 40-6 final.
