NICEVILLE — On paper, Niceville always had the feel of a Final Four football team.
The defensive foundation was there, with linebackers Maddox Hayles and Harper Campbell, safety Jon Bocchino and lineman Nathaniel “Nunu” Krider. So too was was the offensive foundation, reliant on a stout line featuring four-star prospect Jakobe Green, Donovan Dark, Ryan Flaherty, Dalton Perras, Sport Middlebrooks and Joshua Stephens.
Then the Eagles brought in quarterback Johnny Lewis to run the wildcat, and Connor Mathews to be the bell cow back behind college-bound gunslinger Kane Lafortune and a track star at wide receiver in Robert Stith.
It all made this team the favorite to represent The Panhandle hierarchy.
But only through adversity can you learn about a team. About its physicality. About its urgency. About its next-man-up mentality.
Niceville (12-1), despite what its haters will say, evolved into a regional champ not because of transfers, not because of its stack of home games, and not because an FHSAA playoff formula that flummoxed everyone.
Friday’s 31-10 rout of Lincoln for the Region 1-5A crown was a complete team effort built on the humility of district defeat and lessons learned through countless injuries. It also affirmed that this team belongs among the greats of Niceville’s storied gridiron history, right alongside the eight Final Four teams that came before them. Now these Eagles are looking to join the 1988, 2009 and 2013 Eagle teams in making the state championship game.
And, of course, party like it’s 1988.
Florida high school football scores:Recap 2024 FHSAA playoffs regional championships
“Despite all the adversity, this is a Final Four team,” said coach Grant Thompson, who last led the Eagles to a Final Four in 2020. “We battled through some stuff, but we did nothing but stay resilient and get better. I’m super proud of the team, of the school, our principal, our superintendent, our community, our parents, our cheerleaders, our band, our fans, all of them for getting us to the Final Four.”
Now Niceville, No. 3 in the playoff re-seeding, travels to second-seeded Lakeland (12-0) on Friday for a Final Four matchup. Manatee (10-1) hosts St. Thomas Aquinas (10-3) in the other 5A state semifinal.
While Lakeland is a reigning state champ, Friday’s win over Lincoln showed how the Eagles can climb the 5A mountaintop.
Defensively, Krider, Hayles, Andrew Atkins, Harper Campbell and TeRay Geiger each had sacks as Lincoln mustered just 39 rushing yards (1.8 per carry) and couldn’t find anything open over the top, completing just 12 of 23 passes for 90 yards. The 10 points Lincoln scored came directly off a scoop-and-score and a fumble recovered at the Eagles’ 18-yard line, which only resulted in a 22-yard field goal.
It was a far cry from the Trojans’ team that pushed the Eagles to the brink in a 38-35 loss last month. This time, Niceville’s defense was healthy.
“Our mentality was if they can’t score, they can’t win,” Hayles said. “No one got hurt on defense, so moving forward it’s the same mentality: If they can’t score on us, they can’t beat us. We’ve been fighting the injury bug all year, but you could totally tell tonight we were all there.”
Offensively, Jon Bocchino returned to the heavy-package and scored on touchdown runs of 1 and 3 yards sandwiched around a 40-yard touchdown from Lewis to Stith.
“It was so fun. I love it,” said Bocchino, who took some time off from offense with an ankle injury as he continued to shine defensively. “I love my teammates getting me down there. They were blocking for me. It’s awesome. It’s special.”
A Logan Karwacki 27-yard field goal gave the Eagles a 24-3 halftime lead, and they tacked on a 3-yard Lewis touchdown run in the third quarter to put the game out of reach.
“We did really well running the ball the last time we played them, so we wanted to lean on that but also be more balanced this time,” Lewis said. “So in the heavy package we threw the ball more.”
Lewis finished with 30 rushes for 218 yards while completing all seven of his passes for 91 yards and the 40-yard touchdown to Stith, who has 19 receptions for 222 yards and four touchdowns in the playoffs alone.
“Me and Robert, after practice we always get extra reps in, throws in to make sure our chemistry is there,” Lewis said. “I believe that’s just what happened there.”
Lewis’ role will be even more pivotal now, following a third-quarter injury to Connor Mathews, whose left ankle was iced heavily to indicate an injury that could keep him out next week or at least hinder the explosiveness that’s helped him pile up 1,300 yards and 12 touchdowns.
“We just gonna do it for him, win it for him if he can’t play,” said Lewis, who transferred from Fort Walton Beach in the offseason to a family atmosphere.
“It was good because when I came here they welcomed me,” Lewis continued. “I loved it, I loved it even though I didn’t have a starting spot because we were still a team. And I did anything I could to get on the field.”
Three wins down, two go for Niceville. Stay tuned.
