Where'd Niceville football rank in the USA Today Florida Network Super 25?

Niceville has arrived. Choctaw is still being slept on.

That was the biggest takeaway from the release of Tuesday's weekly USA Today Florida Network Super 25 poll , easily the most lauded statewide poll considering it takes into account all classes and is run by respected colleague Jon Santucci.

Niceville (1-0) ranked 22nd in the poll, which saw six of the top-10 teams lose last week. That includes IMG Academy (0-1), which was leapfrogged by reigning state champ Lakeland (1-0) for the top spot after getting just five first-place votes to Lakeland's seven.

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In 5A, Niceville is ranked behind only Edgewater (16), St. Thomas Aquinas (3) and top-ranked Lakeland. A 35-28 win over South Sumter , previously ranked 25th in the poll, necessitated Niceville's leap into the ranking. More impressive was how they did it.

Connor Mathews' Eagle debut was the stuff of legends, the senior UMass commit rushing for 235 yards (11.75 ypc) and two touchdowns behind offensive linemen Donovan Dark and Jakobe Green. Mo Seck shined with two touchdown catches from Kane Lafortune, who spread the love to Landon Isbell and Robert Stith on a night his receivers were plagued by cramping. Meanwhile Niceville's defense looked the part, delivering back-to-back stops to cap the win on a night when Maddox Hayles delivered 15 tackles, Harper Campbell and Jon Bocchino 14 tackles and Green the play of the night with a fourth-quarter sack that shifted the momentum.

4A Choctaw faced no such drama in a 31-7 rout of defending Alabama 5A state camp Gulf Shores . But despite tailback Von Keller racking up 248 yards and two scores, Tristan Jackson and Alante Reese finding the end zone and the defense flexing, the Big Green didn't crack the Super 25.

In other polls, Choctaw ranks 19th according to MaxPreps and Niceville is 22nd. Both are ranked fourth in their respective class.

The Eagles will face another stiff test in Week 2, welcoming 1-0 Escambia to town Friday for a 7 p.m. kickoff. Choctaw hits the road again, this time to Navarre (0-1) following the Raiders' 33-0 loss to Pensacola Catholic.

This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Where'd Niceville football rank in the USA Today Florida Network Super 25?