2014 PREVIEW GUIDE: News & Notes from the Panhandle

From Pensacola to Panama City to Niceville to as far east as Port St Joe, it’s no secret the Panhandle Region is home to some of the best players and teams around the state yearly.

Last season was no different as four teams advanced to at least the regional finals (Elite 8).

Niceville was the Class 7A state runner-up losing 55-39 to Palm Beach Dwyer, Choctawhatchee rode a district runner-up finish all the way to the Class 6A Regional Finals, Pensacola Catholic fell in the closing minutes of the Class 5A Regional Final, while Cottondale surprised many with a run to the Class 1A State semifinals.

Who will be in Orlando this year or coming out of nowhere to make the state semifinals?

Seeing Is Believing

Since the Florida High School Athletic Association started the current playoff system in 1963, the Panhandle Region has been well represented at the state finals.

Of the 40 years of state finals, only 10 years have not featured at least one Panhandle team.

Since 1963, 29 Panhandle teams have won state titles, while 28 have finished as state runner ups.

The Panhandle teams who have won state titles are:

• 1965-Holmes County

• 1971-Port St Joe

• 1976-Bay

• 1978-Milton

• 1979-Milton, Ernest Ward

• 1980-Tate

• 1982-Woodham

• 1983-Baker

• 1984-Baker, Port St Joe, Woodham, Escambia

• 1985-Baker, Escambia, Walton

• 1987-Pine Forest

• 1988-Pine Forest (USA Today National Champions), Niceville, Graceville

• 1993-Baker, Graceville

• 1990-Choctaw

• 1991- Fort Walton Beach

• 1994-Washington

• 1995-Fort Walton Beach

• 2000-Pine Forest

• 2005-Port St Joe

• 2009-Pensacola

Passing The Torch

Since 1988, Niceville has made the playoffs 21 of the past 25 years, including 13 straight years.

The only other program in the Panhandle Region that can come close to that kind of playoff consistency is Pace, who has made it 15 of the last 17 years since 1997.

Even playoff regulars Pensacola and Pine Forest, have struggled recently to return to the playoffs.

Pensacola resurfaced in the playoffs from 2002-2005 and 2007-2011 under Mike Bennett, before missing out the last two years.

Under Jerry Pollard, Pine Forest was consistently in the playofs from 1998-2001 and 2006-2010, but the Eagles have been shut out the last three years.

Other teams have waited longer, Rutherford (2002), Sneads (2003), Bay (2004), Mosley (2006),Washington (2006), Jay (2007), Marianna (2008), Arnold (2008), Fort Walton Beach (2009).

Choctaw, which was a playoff regular in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, returned to the playoffs between 2009-2011. After missing the playoffs in 2012, the Indians rode a district runner-up finish all the way to the state quarterfinals.

Mike Melvin resurrected a struggling Cottondale team that had only two previous playoff appearances and took the Hornets to seven playoff appearances, including a surprising run to the Class 1A state semifinals.

Baker High was a regular playoff participant in the 1990s and early 2000’s, but hadn’t made the playoffs since 2008 until this past fall.

Joining Baker, were Port St Joe and Tate, which both ended five-year playoff droughts as well as South Walton, which was in the playoffs for the first time in four years.

So who is most likely to end their long playoff droughts?

Escambia, which won state titles in 1984 and 1985 and was state runner-up in 1995, has missed the playoffs since 2002. The Gators came close last season to ending the drought and should end the 11 year drought.

On The Move

Of the 108 coaching changes across the state last season, only six of those changes were in the Panhandle Region.

• Bozeman  -Loren Tillman, Lyle Messer

• Cottondale – Mike Melvin, Tyler Addison

• Port St Joe – Chuck Gannon, John Palmer

• Rutherford – Alvin Dempsey, Rob Armstrong

• Washington – Craig Laborde, Charlie Ward

• Wewahitchka – Dennis Kizziah, Loren Tillman

Exit Stage Left

From the late 1970s to the early 90s, Choctawatchee was one of the top teams in the area, thanks in part to kids transfering in from nearby Eglin Air Force Base, thus taking kids that were zoned for nearby Niceville.

Flash forward twenty years later, Niceville is getting a little revenge as seven Fort Walton Beach High players transfered to Niceville a month after playing for the Vikings in the 2013 season.

The seven students in question all suited up for the Vikings last fall before filing waivers to attend Niceville in January. The players are defensive back Romeo Finley, quarterback Colby Tuthill, defensive back Chase Outzen, kicker Tyler Gilley, tailback Deonte Sheffield as well as underclassmen Isaiah Denman and Alex Boswell.

Finley was a First-Team All-Northwest Florida Daily News performer as a sophomore for the Vikings who already boasts five collegiate scholarship offers, while Tuthill was the starting quarterback.

Can you blame the Vikings players for transfering to a different program.

Niceville has been a regular playoff participant, having made the playoffs 21 of the last 23 years since 1991 and was 13-2 and played for the Class 7A state title, while FWB was 3-7 and missed the playoffs for the fourth straight year.