Prep athletes facing charges after fight at Crestview High

Three Niceville football players involved in a Monday night altercation that erupted moments after the Fort Walton Beach-Crestview girls’ basketball game will be punished “internally” before Friday’s Class 4A regional quarterfinal game against Pace, according to Niceville head football coach and Athletics Director John Hicks.

Hicks confirmed that two of the three players were wide receiver Kody Williams and defensive back Anthony Miles. The third Niceville player tied to the incident had not been identified as of press time.

Hicks said after evaluating each individual’s level of involvement in Monday night’s incident that a punishment would be issued on a case-by-case basis.

“I am going to punish all three based on the facts that we have,” Hicks said.

Williams is one of the Panhandle’s top wideouts and is the Daily News’ reigning Boys Athlete of the Year. He’s being recruited by Division I football programs and is a key cog in an Eagles’ team that enters the postseason a perfect 9-0 and ranked No. 1 in Class 4A.

According to a Crestview Police Department report, a fight broke out in the Crestview High School parking lot late Monday night that involved multiple students.

The students are believed to be from Crestview, Fort Walton Beach and Niceville high schools.

Crestview seniors Keyshawn Thomas and Amond Robinson, who are both 18 and played football, were named in police documents as being charged with “disorderly conduct affray.” The Crestview Police Department declined to release the names of others arrested for participating in the fight.

Although the police department has not confirmed the number of students arrested, Crestview High School principal Edward Coleman said it was his understanding eight arrests had been made.

Niceville principal Linda Smith said none of the three Niceville students linked to the incident “were involved in an altercation” but that the students had participated in “vocal bantering.”

“Appropriate punishment has been handed down and now we’re moving forward,” Smith said.

Speaking specifically to Williams’ availability, after meeting with assistant principal Grant Meyer, Hicks said it was decided that the matter would be handled “internally.”

 “I think there are a lot of different reports and a lot of conflicting stories,” Hicks said Wednesday morning. “We’ve tried to sort through it the best we could.

“(Williams) will be disciplined on a school basis and he will be disciplined as a football player,” Hicks added. “How much he plays (Friday night) will depend on how much of his discipline is taken care of between now and game time. He may play the whole game, he may play a half.”

Asked if Williams would play, Hicks responded “Yes.”

Coleman said Crestview had taken “appropriate actions” against its own students involved in the altercation.

Citing school policy, Coleman said first-time offenders of the school’s stance against students involved in “verbal altercation that disrupted the school” would be subject to various forms of punishment ranging from a verbal warning and counseling to detention, suspension or “Saturday School.”

“If we determine there was, in fact, physical contact, here at Crestview High School we suspend our students,” Coleman said. “The first time that occurs up to five days. If you are a student involved in a second fight, we suspend them for 10 days and look for alternative placement.”

Calls made by the Daily News to Fort Walton Beach principal Charlene Couvillon were unsuccessful.