Team preview: Niceville
By ADAM PRUIETT
adamp@nwfdailynews.com
NICEVILLE - With an overhaul to both its offensive and defensive schemes last season, the Niceville football team invented an entirely new look for the program.
The extreme makeover turned a ground-based offense into an aerial assault as the Eagles switched to the spread, and their standard 5-2 defense was jettisoned in favor of a 3-4 alignment.
The changes ultimately led to a familiarity where it mattered most. Niceville captured its fifth straight district title and secured the area's lone playoff victory while finishing 8-3.
With the facelift now long completed, the Eagles head into this season looking to post equally impressive outputs - last year they scored 30 points or better seven times and held six opponents to 13 points or less - and they should benefit with a year of experience in their new schemes.
"We know what we're doing. It's just time to get better," defensive end Luke Sager said.
Niceville lost plenty of firepower on offense, most notably Josh McDorman, the Daily News' big school Player of the Year. But fullback Jason Lentz, wide receiver Taylor Noon, and offensive lineman Brock Mayo and Sean Sales also were All-Area performers who graduated.
But even though the Eagles only have three returning starters offensively - which includes Rick Whiddon, who has transitioned from wide receiver to quarterback - and an offensive line that is green, there's no sense that a point drop-off should be expected.
For one thing, two of Whiddon's primary targets will be junior Kody Williams and senior Zeus King, a pair of returning starters at wideout. Williams made a team-best 38 catches last season for 507 yards and four touchdowns.
Senior Jordan Demos and junior tight end Stefano Schutte will also figure heavily in the attack.
"Kody is the most talented of them and he's had a great summer, but I think Zeus and Jordan Demos have great hands, both of them last year made clutch catches for us in games," Niceville coach John Hicks said. "I think (Schutte) gives us a good, solid player blocking and at receiver."
Added to the mix will be junior halfback Roy Finch, a highly-touted transfer from Oklahoma.
Niceville's always strong backfield should follow suit this season. Seniors Stephan Haynes and Ramiah Casteneda will both see time at fullback - which is used as a single back in the spread - and the Eagles also will find ways to hand the ball off to Williams and Finch.
"We've got some serious speed back there this year," Whiddon said. "It's some deadly weapons we got. I don't think we're going to have a problem spreading the field and moving the ball around at all."
Teammates say Whiddon has continually progressed under center.
"He's developed a lot," King said. "He got a lot more confidence over the summer with passing camps and stuff, and he's starting to develop real fast. He'll be a good quarterback for us."
Niceville is in the rare position of having an offensive line that's inexperienced game-wise and yet loaded with seniors. The starters are expected to be seniors Callum Coutts, Will McCrory, Robert Newton, Colin Pruitt and Cody Starling with juniors Mark Barrett and Sam Jenkins expected to contribute.
Niceville's defense has the most seasoning in its secondary, where senior safety Tommy Whitfield, an All-Area selection, and senior cornerbacks Michael Cooley and David Riffle are all returning starters. Juniors Anthony Miles and Chase Hooker are vying for free safety duties and junior Colton Griffin is in the mix at cornerback.
Niceville's defensive line is one of the most promising parts of the team. Seniors Luke Sager and Travis Lampert are returning starters at defensive end and strengthening the front are senior end Nathan Holman, senior tackles Michael Haney and Zach Howard, and junior end Charles Phillips.
The linebacking corps suffered some tough losses with the departures of All-Area performers Cori Barnett and Chaz Nichols, but seniors Shawn McDorman and Kyle Small return to the starting unit. Seniors Michael Herbergs and Brandon Kuhn and juniors Greg Norrell, Tim Peregoy, Michael White and Parker Willingham complete the Eagles' linebacking unit.
"I think they're all intelligent, disciplined players," Hicks said. "We're not as fast as we'd like to be, but I think they'll make up for it with other things."
