Niceville's season comes to an end on Pace last-second TD

NICEVILLE — In today's Maxpreps-driven, Wild Wild West atmosphere of Florida high school football, where every two years a new playoff format enters the foray and coaches are jockeying for position in a non-transparent formula, there's a thin line between district champ and sitting out the playoffs.

Niceville went from the former to the latter in the final 20 seconds of Wednesday night's District 1-5A title game against Pace at Eagle Stadium.

UP 25-24 with 20 seconds left, the Eagles had done everything in their power to hoist district hardware and flip the narrative on Adron Robinson's first year at the helm. Deagan McCoy drove the Eagles 79 yards in 2:34, the junior connecting with Jakobe Gilyard for a 14-yard touchdown and then Caleb Leonard for the go-ahead 2-point conversion on a gutsy decision by Robinson. Only, a mistake was made. Leonard spiked the ball to draw the unsportsmanlike flag, turning a routine touchback on the ensuing kickoff into a Pace opportunity with the ball moved 15 yards back.

Still, only 20 seconds remained. Not an eternity.

The ensuing kick was meant to go up the left side, but instead it stayed straight down the middle with daylight for days. Pace returned the kick inside the Eagles' 20 and drew a facemask on the back end, placing the ball at Niceville's 7 with 8 seconds left. Makael Williams converted on the next play, scoring his fourth touchdown on a night he's carry the ball 24 times for 128 yards.

Cue the Patriots' celebration, Pace winning its third straight district title on a 31-25 win as it improved to 7-2 (4-0). Niceville, meanwhile, falls to 4-6 (3-1), its playoff resume lacking that marquee win they so desperately needed.

The Eagles can only blame themselves. Niceville led for much of the night, Kody Martin's defense delivering a statement out of the gates with an 86-yard pick six by DJ Stafford and holding the Patriots to 10 first-half points. Before the half, McCoy connected with Malachi White for a 28-yard touchdown and Jason Leach recovered a fumble on the ensuing Pace drive, Nate Martinez splitting the uprights on a 35-yarder to put the Eagles up 17-10 at half.

Pace's defense wouldn't allow much after, the Patriots disrupting the heavy package, forcing a McCoy interception and limiting Gilyard to just 33 rushing yards and Niceville's ground game to 81 yards overall. Meanwhile, Williams kept chipping away and scored three second-half touchdowns.

The last followed two costly Niceville mistakes, and when the margins are razor thin, there's no room for them in 5A.

Choctaw routs FWB

"The Game" hasn't lived up to the billing it once did back in the early 1990s, and Wednesday was no different as Choctaw defeated Fort Walton for the sixth straight time in a 49-13 route.

Von Keller and Dante Whudbee both rushed for a pair of scores, Baker Giles connected with Noah Calderon for two of his three touchdowns and the Big Green finished the regular season on a seven-game win streak to improve to 7-2 and finish the District 1-4A slate unbeaten headed into Friday's bracket reveal by the FHSAA.

This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Niceville's season comes to an end on Pace last-second TD