Just five days separate us from the official start of the 2024 Florida high school football season. The schedules have been posted, trash talking is flowing on X, the transfers are settling into their new digs and soon we'll be inundated with new team mottos and season goals.
But while the names change, the rivalries stay the same. So let's discuss the best gridiron rivalries on the Emerald Coast. This is just one man's opinion, by the way, crafted through covering these programs for a 14th straight year.
Share your opinion by voting below.
1.Niceville-Crestview (Sept. 13, 7 p.m. at Jack Foster Stadium)
Active win streak: Niceville has won six of the past seven games, including a 42-21 victory last year.
Most memorable win recently for Crestview: In 2022, Crestview delivered the mother of all upsets in a 26-21 victory over Niceville in the region quarterfinals at Eagle Stadium. Ending a five-game losing streak to the Eagles, Crestview players snapped photos by the Eagle statue in the north end zone after the game. It was also Thomas Grant's first statement win as head coach.
Most memorable win recently for Niceville: Let's defer to the Eagles' playoff win in 2020, when they were an Edgewater field goal away from playing for the 7A state title. That year Niceville opened the regional playoffs with a 56-20 win over the Bulldogs, getting four touchdowns from Mr. Football Trey Wainwright and two each from Shawn Parker and Azareyeh Thomas in a running-clock route.
There's bad blood. Then there's Crestview-Niceville.
Crestview called for Niceville to vacate all its wins in 2021 after a Bulldog transferred to the Eagles. Crestview students wore shirts that year to Eagle Stadium saying "Us vs. The Recruiters." Niceville countered with T-Shirts emblazoned with "Niceville University."
Crestview owned Niceville from 2016-18 in the Tim Hatten era. Niceville answered with six wins over the next seven contests in the Grant Thompson era. A great rivalry has parity. Over the last nine seasons, Niceville is 6-5 against Crestview and Crestview is 2-1 over Niceville in the postseason.
2. Choctaw-Fort Walton Beach (Oct. 25, 7 p.m. at Joe Etheredge Stadium)
Active win streak: Choctaw has won three straight over FWB, including last year's 41-0 shutout at Steve Riggs Stadium.
Most memorable win recently for Choctaw: In 2021, Choctaw alum Frank Beasley returned to helm his alma mater. The first order of business was restoring order versus FWB, and that's just what he did. The Big Green won 28-6 at Steve Riggs Stadium that year and haven't looked back since.
Most Memorable win recently for FWB: Playing just six games due to health issues and cancellations in 2020, the Vikings felt the strain of COVID-19 more than any area program. But the Vikings scored a much-needed 35-28 win over their crosstown rival , ending a losing streak that started in 2013.
Why is "The Game" No. 2?
Well, the oldest rivalry in the Panhandle used to be defined by parity, the rivals deadlocked at 21-21 following the 2012 season. But in 2013, Choctaw started a 10-1 stretch vs. FWB to make it 31-22 in the all-time series. Last year's 41-0 shutout epitomized Choctaw's stranglehold. Making matters worse this offseason, Auburn commitment Dante Core transferred from Fort Walton Beach to Choctaw. After bringing in transfers Eddie Love Jr., Harrison Orr and Zavier Hamilton last year, the Vikings are seeing the opposite effect this season despite going 5-5 after back-to-back winless years.
3. South Walton-Walton (Sept. 27, 7 p.m. at Yates Memorial Stadium)
Active win streak: Walton has won three straight over South Walton, including last year's 63-35 triumph in the region quarterfinals.
Most memorable win recently for SoWal: The 51-27 win in 2016 was the program's first ever over the Braves.
Most memorable win recently for Walton: Following an overtime scare last year that resulted in a 34-31 win over SoWal in Week 5, Walton got a chance at retribution when it drew the Seahawks in the first round of the Region 1-2S tournament. Keith White's Braves showed up for this one, getting seven touchdown tosses from Well Bettenhausen and capturing its first playoff win in 19 years.
Parity serves a rivalry well .
Since 2016, the teams are deadlocked at 5-5 in the rivalry with some ebbs and flows here and there. South Walton won three straight from 2016-18 and then back-to-back in 2020 and 2021. But Keith White turned the tides in 2022 and the Braves have won three straight.
4. Choctaw-Niceville (Sept. 20, 7 p.m. at Joe Etheredge Stadium)
Active win streak: Niceville has won 12 straight over Choctaw and 19 of the last 20 meetings, including last year's 42-21 running-clock win at Eagle Stadium.
Most memorable win recently for Choctaw: Well, we have to go way back to 2012, when Choctaw was irrelevant at 3-7. But on the night of Sept. 28, Choctaw kept its district hopes alive with a time-expiring 24-yard field goal by Dominik Jordan that led the Big Green to a 31-28 win and ended a seven-game losing streak to the Eagles.
Most memorable win recently for Niceville: In 2014, both Choctaw and Niceville were 11-3 Final 4 teams. In Week 5 the titans met at Joe Etheredge Stadium. By halftime, the game was over with Niceville leading then-unbeaten Choctaw 42-7. Choctaw went on to lose a 19-15 thriller to Armwood in the 6A Final 4, while Niceville lost 42-14 to Osceola in the 7A Final 4.
No parity to be seen.
There's certain teams that create matchup problems. Niceville is that for Choctaw. Year in and year out Niceville has an amazing gameplan for Choctaw and, before we know it, the game is over by the second quarter. We've seen the Eagles bottle up Cole Tabb most recently and the Big Green unable to adjust. Credit Choctaw for rebounding from the last two losses with trips to the Region finals, playing well into November after Niceville's playoff hopes have been dashed. And that's the silver lining, because heads up Niceville owns Choctaw.
This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Vote for the Emerald Coast's top high school football rivalry. Our No. 1 may surprise you.
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