Eagles win shootout over Choctaw, 41-34

By JARED MACARIN

jaredm@nwfdailynews.com

NICEVILLE — Untested in their first two games, Choctawhatchee and Niceville knew that would be different when they faced each other.

It was everything everyone expected, and in the end the Eagles had just enough to win 41-34 over the Indians on Friday in an Okaloosa County shootout.

“(Choctaw) played really good tonight, and this game showed us what we are made of,” Niceville quarterback Josh McDorman said. “It feels real good. I’m a little tired.”

As he should be.

McDorman continued his strong play this season, but the senior left-hander didn’t just do it with his arm. While McDorman threw for 202 yards and two touchdowns, he also ran for 74 yards and another two scores.

The final one was crucial, as he burst 20 yards up the middle for the deciding touchdown with 4:58 remaining.

It capped a night where either team could have walked out the winner. The Eagles hurt themselves with four turnovers. The Indians managed to turn those into just 13 points.

Both teams had a lead in the second half, but each time, the other struck back to put the outcome in doubt.

“We struggled early and had some adversity, but we just played as hard as we could and came out on top,” McDorman said. “We knew we might have to play down. We just worked through it.”

McDorman’s counterpart, Choctaw’s Jace Blanchard, also enjoyed a fine night. Blanchard threw for 192 yards and three touchdowns — all of them to Thomas Darden. Their final hookup, with 7 minutes left in the game, tied the score at 34.

But Blanchard and McDorman were not the only ones putting on a show.

Niceville’s Jason Lentz rushed for a career-high 116 yards on 12 carries and scored twice. Choctaw’s LeKendrick Ingram had 118 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. Darden finished with 11 receptions for 126 yards including the three scores, while Taylor Noon was the Eagles’ top receiver with two catches for 75 yards — 62 coming on a touchdown in the second quarter that gave Niceville a 20-17 edge at intermission.

And in a game full of offense, the Eagles’ defense also came up when it was needed most. Junior safety Tommy Whitfield enabled the Eagles to run out the clock late after picking off a Blanchard pass with just under four minutes.

Lentz and McDorman then took over again and never gave the Indians another shot.

Niceville travels to Gainesville Buchholz next week, while Choctaw hosts Milton.