2024 Schedule Analysis: Niceville to face solid slate of teams in the fall

After a disappointing end to the 2023 season in the playoffs after having a district championship pulled out from under their feet, the Eagles are set for an exciting 2024 season that is going to challenge them and give them a chance for revenge. Here is a look at our analysis for Niceville’s 2024 schedule:

NICEVILLE EAGLES

2023 Record: 9-3

2024 District: 5A-1

2024 SCHEDULE

All Kickoff Times are 7 p.m. CT unless noted

* – District
** – Preseason (FHSAA)  

Week 0 – Fri. 8/16 – Bay (Panama City)**
Week 1 – Fri. 8/23 – South Sumter (Bushnell)
Week 2 – Fri. 8/30 – Escambia (Pensacola)
Week 3 – Fri. 9/6 – Pine Forest (Pensacola) 
Week 4 – Fri. 9/13 – at Crestview
Week 5 – Fri. 9/20 – at Choctawhatchee (Fort Walton Beach)
Week 6 – Fri. 9/27 – Gulf Breeze*
Week 7 – Fri. 10/4 – BYE WEEK
Week 8 – Fri. 10/11 – at Mosley (Lynn Haven)* at Tommy Oliver
Week 9 – Fri. 10/18 – Lincoln (Tallahassee)
Week 10 – Fri. 10/25 – at Milton,* 7:30 CT
Week 11 – Fri. 11/1 – at Navarre, 7:30 CT

ROAD TRIPPING

The Eagles are hitting the road at five times during the season and will not have to get on the buses until Week 4 when they make the trip to Crestview. Overall, when looking at the road trips the Eagles will make, the longest trip will be to Tommy Oliver Stadium in Week 8 when they take on Mosley in what could be a key critical district game with a 70-mile road trip just one way. Next longest road trip will be the road trip to Milton at the end of October will be to another district opponent in Milton at 96 miles round trip.

Mileage distances listed one-way/round trip

To Crestview: 22/44
To Choctawhatchee: 11/22
To Mosley (Tommy Oliver): 70/140
To Milton: 48/96
To Navarre: 29/58

Total 2024 Mileage:180/350

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE

Niceville is playing seven of 10 teams that made the playoffs last season which is critically important when trying to develop a solid strength of schedule to be in contention for the playoffs. With the FHSAA moving strictly to MaxPreps rankings this coming season, it is critically important to have a balance with teams. Of the seven teams on the schedule that reached the playoffs in 2023, South Sumter and Choctawhatchee had the greatest success in reaching the regional finals in Class 2S and Class 3S respectively. 

As such when we look at trying to determine SOS most would determine just looking at last year’s win-loss record which we feel sometimes isn’t enough data to work with. Instead, we looked at the 2022 and 2023 combined winning percentage of every team with the 2023 season weighted the most heavily to determine the SOS for each team in 2024.

Niceville SOS for 2024: .587

2-Year Combined Opp. Win-Loss: 137-89

THREE KEY GAMES

• 8/23 – South Sumter: Two annual playoff contenders will get the season started and the electrifying atmosphere at Eagle Stadium will certainly kickoff the season in the best way possible. We will learn a lot about both teams early here.

• 9/20 – Choctawhatchee: Huge rivalry between the two best teams in Okaloosa County. This is a game that could define the Eagles’ season going into the second half of the season with it coming near the midway point. 

• 10/11 – at Mosley: We all know what happened in last year’s meeting where Mosley won the game in the waining seconds of regulation that took the district title out from under the Eagles. Revenge for the district title is going to be on the mind of the Eagles as they make the trip to Tommy Oliver for the second straight year. 

OVERALL THOUGHTS

There is one game missing from the schedule that usually would be on the schedule in most years and that is the game with Fort Walton Beach. With that game off the schedule due differencing opinions between the Okaloosa County schools, it freed up Niceville to bolster the schedule with an opponent they felt could help boost their rankings. While disappointing the game is off the schedule as it takes away from a major gate game for both teams, Niceville has no issues filling the stands for any opponent they bring in and will be fine. Overall, the balance of opponents here with give the Eagles the test they are looking for in 2024 especially bringing in opponents from longer distances in the likes of South Sumter and Lincoln.