Baker, Choctaw, Freeport, Navarre, S. Walton set for Kickoff Classics

When people call Baker football coach Bob Kellogg crazy for scheduling a senior-laden Jay team a week before opening the season with Crestview, he sees a bigger picture.

“We feel like if we can just be competitive that we can play pretty much with anybody if we can play against Jay,” Kellogg said.

Kellogg’s Gators are one of three teams hitting the road for their respective Kickoff Classic clashes Friday. Navarre will play at Pace and Choctawhatchee travels to play Milton with all three games starting at 7 p.m. Freeport’s game against Blountstown and South Walton’s contest against Wewahitchka, both also at 7 p.m. Friday will be played at home.

Each team is using these Kickoff Classic preseason games as a litmus test to see just how far summer conditioning has taken them. The Gators play Jay, a team that returns 16 starters, the exact number Baker lost. With nearly his entire starting lineup playing the entire four quarters, Kellogg will know just where he stands entering the season.

Navarre will face a similar challenge with the Patriots, a District 1-4A opponent which has been consistently strong and figures to be restocked again this year. The freshmen teams will play the first quarter, JV will play the second and varsity will play the second half.

“We’re going to run base offense and base defense but use it as an evaluation of our kids,” Navarre coach Chad Lashley said. “Where are we at, how do we match up against traditionally a good football team, a good opponent?”

Choctaw’s battle with Milton will take on a lot of those same hallmarks as Indians coach Greg Thomas continues sizing up his roster. As for the game, the JV will play the first half while varsity plays the second half.

“You’re still evaluating a lot of players,” Thomas said. “Our first two games are on the road so this is good to have this game on the road so our kids get used to traveling and getting ready to play.”

Meanwhile, Freeport will be savoring its Kickoff Classic home game Friday against Blountstown.

After all, it’ll be the last time the Bulldogs play on their home turf in almost a month. For South Walton, another team hosting its Kickoff Classic, the layoff between home games is even longer.

“It’s always good to be home,” Freeport football coach Jim Anderson said. “We don’t play at home again until Sept. 25, so we’re glad to get this one.”

The Bulldogs take the field against a Blountstown team they defeated 34-22 in their spring game. But Anderson wasn’t happy when the Bulldogs let up on a 27-0 halftime advantage and had to hang on to win.

Freeport returns 16 starters but has precious little depth, so Anderson will play his starters all four quarters and hold his breath during crunching tackles in case of injury.

The Seahawks have to wait until Oct. 2 until they play again at home after hosting Wewahitchka. Like Freeport, South Walton can’t afford to rest its starters, so the Seahawks will play at full-throttle in hopes of gearing up for a tough September spent entirely on the road.

“I haven’t stressed the fact that it’s a non-counter at all,” South Walton coach David Barron said. “I approach this just like it’s a regular season game. It’s just one of 11 wars we’ve got to fight.”