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Friday night’s Class 5A District 1 championship game will mark the 32nd meeting between Niceville and Mosley — and this year, the matchup means a ton.
Friday’s game is the highest-ranked matchup between the two teams as the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) has Niceville ranked as the No. 8 team in the state and No. 2 in Class 5A. Mosley is ranked No. 25 in the state and No. 5 in Class 5A.
The rivalry dates back to the 1974-75 season, when the Dolphins defeated the Eagles 34-21. Nearly 50 years later Niceville has gotten the better of Mosley leading the all-time record 25-6, having decades-long dominance (1989-99, 2002-05, 2009-13, 2017-23) against the Dolphins.
Mosley head coach Tommy Joe Whiddon has a deep connection to the rivalry, with his father being a long-time assistant coach at Niceville, but more notably, Whiddon himself played as the Eagles’ quarterback in the early 2000s.
Whiddon joined the Niceville coaching staff in 2013 as a quarterbacks coach and later on as an offensive coordinator.
“All of our guys know what’s at stake for this ball game and the storylines and relationships that go along with it,” Whiddon said. “We have all been playing each other since the ninth grade and every time that we play it’s been a tough, physical football game.”
Last season the Dolphins overcame a 21-7 first-half deficit to defeat Niceville 29-28. Quarterback Sammy Frietas found receiver Jack Massey for the game-winning touchdown and aims to replicate that connection on Friday.
“I want to go out there, execute the offense, play our game, win our one-on-one matchups and everything should take care of itself,” Freitas said. “We have some run plays dialed up for me, but I focus on using my arm. But I will use my legs if I have to.”
Freitas leads all quarterbacks in Bay County having thrown for 1,258 yards, 16…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/guys-know-whats-stake-mosley-090834327.html
Author : Panama City News Herald
Publish date : 2024-10-09 09:08:34
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