FLAG FOOTBALL: Niceville opens season with rout of Freeport

NICEVILLE, Fla. — Junior quarterback Peyton Carter threw for 223 yards and six touchdowns to lead the Niceville Eagles, ranked sixth in the Panhandle Region by the Florida Power Rankings Index, to a 47-12 victory over the Freeport Bulldogs on Monday in what was a historic night for the visiting team.

Carter completed 15 of 22 passes as Niceville built a 26-0 halftime lead and never looked back.

Senior Layla Hughes was Carter’s favorite target, hauling in six receptions for 137 yards and two scores, including a long of 55 yards. Junior Jaz Fowler added three catches for 30 yards and two touchdowns. Senior Kate Robertson finished with four receptions for 94 yards and two scores of her own, also returning a punt 11 yards.

Freshman Jori Brechler played both ways, completing 1 of 2 passes for 22 yards while adding four carries for 22 yards and a rushing touchdown. She also caught five passes for 72 yards.

Defensively, the Eagles held Freeport scoreless through the first half before allowing 12 points in the second. Junior Carly King led the defense with four interceptions, returning them for 20 yards. Senior Kaitlyn MacCormack added three picks, while senior Marley Crump recorded a sack and an interception to round out a dominant performance.

For Freeport, the loss came in the program’s inaugural game, as the Bulldogs added girls flag football ahead of the 2026 season. Despite the lopsided score, the Bulldogs showed enough fight in the second half — outscoring Niceville 12-7 after halftime — to suggest the program is headed in the right direction.

Niceville improves to 1-0 on the 2025-26 season, while Freeport begins its program history at 0-1.