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Pine Forest, Niceville on a collision course in battle of undefeated’s tomorrow night

Both Eagles’ teams will walk onto Lon R. Wise Stadium at 6-0, but only one will walk off remaining unscathed in the loss column

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA- Is there a better matchup in the panhandle this season than Niceville at Pine Forest?

This is the game that has generated a ton of interest up in the Central Time Zone of Florida as it pertains to high school football and rightfully so. Both teams will enter the game undefeated at 6-0 with an opportunity to go 7-0 and have state championship aspirations.

It was just a couple years ago in 2020 that Niceville was on the cusp of reaching a state championship game in Class 7A, but narrowly got edged out by Edgewater 30-28. On the other side, Pine Forest reached the Class 6A state title game and fell 35-29 to Jesuit down in Fort Lauderdale.

Pine Forest quarterback Tierra Wilson has thrown for 894 yards and 10 touchdowns this season. 

Pine Forest quarterback Tierra Wilson has thrown for 894 yards and 10 touchdowns this season. 

To say neither of these teams are looking at this game as a potential catapult into their final three games and to gauge themselves for the playoffs is downright silly. What this game may come down to is who’s playmakers can show up in primetime.

Niceville has played with fire as of late when it comes to close contests as they had to pull off victories over Chiles, Choctawhatchee and Crestview that were by 10 points or less. The most recent win over the Bulldogs was the Eagles’ closest call to date, with Niceville trailing 9-0 in the final quarter only to score 13 unanswered to come up with the victory.

Niceville is coming off a come-from-behind 13-9 win over Crestview. 

Niceville is coming off a come-from-behind 13-9 win over Crestview. 

Pine Forest on the other hand has had themselves a little bit easier of a time with its share of panhandle teams, with the margin of victory being no less than 14 points. The Eagles of Pine Forest’s tightest game this season was a 35-21 win over West Florida back on Sep. 23. It’s been smooth sailing nonetheless for Ronnie Douglas’ crew.

Another factor to take into account is the shear number of Division I caliber players on either side of the field. It’s been no surprise that Pine Forest has been able to continue its march on trying to reach the now Class 3A-Suburban state championship as the cupboard is full of talent.

Pine Forest has a couple of 4-star rated players for the Class of 2023, according to 247Sports, in wide receiver Donielle Hayes and offensive lineman Elijah Douglas. Hayes is a Minnesota commit and has 28 catches for 481 yards and seven touchdowns. Douglas, a Georgia Tech commit, has helped pave the way up front for over 1,400 yards on the ground.

Jonathan Daniels is another offensive lineman with heavy Power 5 interest and stands at 6-foot-5, 290 pounds and holds offers from Auburn, Florida State, Georgia and Michigan State already. The offensive line is certainly a strength for Pine Forest and that could play to their advantage against Niceville Friday night.

Niceville features safety Jayden Sheppard, who is rated a 3-star via 247Sports, and has offers from Arkansas, Georgia Tech and West Virginia. Sheppard has racked up 14 tackles, five passes defended and an interception so far this season.

He’s joined by fringe Power 5 talents like linebacker Christian Caballero (Georgia Tech offer), tight end Jaden Mikhael (Air Force, Army, Buffalo offers) and offensive lineman Joe Hanson (Air Force, Appalachian State, Buffalo, Kansas offers).

The cool air surrounding Lon R. Wise Stadium tomorrow night will dip to just around 62 degrees, but the intensity of the matchup between the two Eagles’ teams will be at a all-time high. Battle for the panhandle will be on and bragging rights to the region will be on the line.

Pine Forest head coach Ronnie Douglas and his staff have its toughest test of the season to date. 

Pine Forest head coach Ronnie Douglas and his staff have its toughest test of the season to date. 

Andy Villamarzo can be reached at andyvillamarzo@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @Andy_Villamarzo.